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Woodgate - I'm living the dream

Guest smoggeordie

by Guest smoggeordie
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Guest smoggeordie

Guest smoggeordie

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From the beeb

 

Every time Jonathan Woodgate pulls on a Middlesbrough shirt, he is fulfilling a childhood dream.

 

The cultured 27-year-old central defender is a dyed-in-the-wool Boro fan and stood on the terraces as a boy, cheering on his idols.

 

Now, impressionable young fans at the Riverside Stadium have a new hero to worship, one of their own.

 

"It has been a truly great feeling to wear the Middlesbrough shirt," Woodgate told BBC Sport.

 

"I used to watch them all the time when I was young and it was always my main ambition to play for Boro.

 

"So far it has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience, playing for my hometown club."

 

Presumably, just playing football on a regular basis has been a big part of Woodgate's enjoyment since arriving back on Teesside last August.

 

 

It was a shame it ended the way it did, but Real Madrid was a great experience

His successful first season back in the Premiership came on the back of two-and-a-half hugely frustrating years in Spain with Real Madrid.

 

Signed by the Spanish giants for £13.4m from Newcastle in August 2004, Woodgate's La Liga career was almost over before it had even begun.

 

He arrived at the Bernabeu with a chronic thigh problem and it was over a year before he could make his debut, scoring an own goal and being sent off against Athletic Bilbao.

 

More injury problems and surgery on his back curtailed his first-team chances even further and by the time he agreed to move to Boro on loan, he had only made nine appearances for Real.

 

"Real Madrid was a great experience for me," says Woodgate of his spell in Spain.

 

"It was a shame it ended the way it did, with not playing much and injuries - that wasn't too good for me.

 

"But with experience, you do become a better player and I would have to say I benefited from playing in Spain as that experience counts for a lot now."

 

Many English clubs were rumoured to be interested in ending Woodgate's Spanish nightmare, but eventually he chose the town of his birth.

 

Such was the ease with which he adapted back to life in the Premiership that in April, Boro announced that they had signed him on a permanent deal from Real for £7m.

 

"It wasn't hard coming back from Spain, I knew how to play in England and what was required all along," said Woodgate.

 

"When I first got here I wanted to see what it was like, see if I enjoyed myself and see what it would be like to be back home again.

 

"I just had a great time. Everyone was good to me, I get on well with the manager and the coaching staff and with the rest of the players, too.

 

"It did feel right being here from the very start, but I didn't make up my mind about my future immediately.

 

"I decided in January that I wanted to stay at Middlesbrough. I told the manager [Gareth Southgate] straight away and obviously he was pretty pleased with the decision."

 

Pretty pleased? "The opportunity to bring in a player of this quality doesn't happen very often," was exactly how pleased Southgate was upon telling the world of his coup.

 

So is the feeling mutual after Southgate's first season in charge of the club?

 

"I'm extremely impressed with Gareth, I think he's done a very good job," said Southgate's replacement at centre-back.

 

"It's has been a transitional period since he took over from Steve McClaren, it takes time to get your ideas across and spend money on your own players.

 

"It's not easy to try and find your feet as a manager in the Premiership, especially when you are a player one year and manager next, all at the same club, it's been hard for him.

 

"But the set-up is second-to-none really, if you look at the backroom staff as well, they are all first-class too so that's another reason why I had to sign."

 

Boro finished 12th last season, so what does Woodgate feel should be a realistic aim when the players go back for pre-season in July?

 

"You have got to try and push for that top seven and try for the Uefa Cup places," explained Woodgate.

 

"It was only the season before last that Boro got to the Uefa Cup final, so we cannot be far away from getting into Europe again.

 

"We just need a few more players and we'll be a good side. We want to push for honours, try to win a trophy too. We'll be trying our hardest to achieve that."

 

----------------------------------------------------------

 

Poor lad  :lol:

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gazza ladra

gazza ladra

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Fair play to him is all I'm saying, none of you lot were saying the same about Shearer.

 

Well, no. Shearer never played for Boro did he...

 

Har f****** har.

 

:)

 

Yeah, I see your point. He's not a mercenary... has loyalty... supports his hometown club.

I respect him for it. Better he's at Boro than Man Utd.

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Guest Morph

Guest Morph

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But the thing is, when Shearer joined us, we were fucking class.  When Woody joined the 'Bro, they were distinctly average.  And we all know that he's a few classes above distinctly average.  Unlucky for him like, 'cos he deserves to be at a top club.

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Kitman

Kitman

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Row after row of empty red plastic seats to look at. The hush of a half filled stadium.  Pigbag.  If you're lucky.  Gareth Southgate.  A relegation battle to look forward. Massimo Maccarone. 

 

Fuck me and fly me to the moon.  That's living the dream all right  :buck2:   

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manorpark

manorpark

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But the thing is, when Shearer joined us, we were f****** class.  When Woody joined the 'Bro, they were distinctly average.  And we all know that he's a few classes above distinctly average.  Unlucky for him like, 'cos he deserves to be at a top club.

 

 

Alan Shearer joined us for a world record fee, because we were (according to most people in football) "the next big thing".  We were rich, we were 2nd only to Manchester United in income and popularity, we had a charismatic chairman and manager, allied to (what had always been there) a huge fanbase.

 

He (along with Keegan, John Hall, me! and most of the countries football commentators) expected us to take over!

 

He joined to win things.

 

. . .  and . .  my goodness - it was also his 'home town club'  -  unbelievable, that it was there!!! (for him).

 

It is "cosy" (and SO MANY people do it AUTOMATICALLY) to look back on it NOW, and only mention the one aspect of it all  -  the "home town club" aspect!

 

It is revisionist, but cosy and 'easy to assimilate'  -  it just happens not (in isolation) to be true !!  (but who cares about that).  

 

So, "here's to the next person" (poster-on-here / reporter in a paper, or whatever) who compares some 'jonny going home' (some Woodgate, or whoever) to Alan Shearer  -  it will never stop.

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Guest sittingontheball

Guest sittingontheball

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Remember this is coming from a bloke who glassed himself.

 

Canny defender mind.

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Guest GAMMELL

Guest GAMMELL

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Remember this is coming from a bloke who glassed himself.

 

Canny defender mind.

 

:lol: :lol:

 

Thick as shit is Woody

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Yorkie

Yorkie

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Fair play to him is all I'm saying, none of you lot were saying the same about Shearer.

 

Shearer stuck with us because we seemed consistently on the brink of something. The appointment of Bobby kept him on when he nearly left, and by 03/04 sort of time, he was too old for anyone to buy him. So Shearer stuck with us for good reason(s). Plus, on top of the success (near), we're a damned good club.

 

However naff we were last season, Boro are an absolutely nothing club who will do nothing, and - in a period of about five years - are more likely to be relegated than reach the top 6.

 

Good on Woody for playing for the club he loves, but it's a major lack of ambition.

 

What's daft is that they've paid £7m for him, but the move will do nowt for him and it'll do nowt for the club. The signing of Jonathan Woodgate, who granted is a terrific individual, isn't something that is going to catapult Boro up into the top 6, or even the top half. A very good centre-back he is, no doubt, but that's all he is.

 

I'm begging for them to go down next season.

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tmonkey

tmonkey

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But the thing is, when Shearer joined us, we were f****** class.  When Woody joined the 'Bro, they were distinctly average.  And we all know that he's a few classes above distinctly average.  Unlucky for him like, 'cos he deserves to be at a top club.

 

 

Alan Shearer joined us for a world record fee, because we were (according to most people in football) "the next big thing".  We were rich, we were 2nd only to Manchester United in income and popularity, we had a charismatic chairman and manager, allied to (what had always been there) a huge fanbase.

 

He (along with Keegan, John Hall, me! and most of the countries football commentators) expected us to take over!

 

He joined to win things.

 

. . .  and . .  my goodness - it was also his 'home town club'  -  unbelievable, that it was there!!! (for him).

 

It is "cosy" (and SO MANY people do it AUTOMATICALLY) to look back on it NOW, and only mention the one aspect of it all  -  the "home town club" aspect!

 

It is revisionist, but cosy and 'easy to assimilate'  -  it just happens not (in isolation) to be true !!  (but who cares about that). 

 

So, "here's to the next person" (poster-on-here / reporter in a paper, or whatever) who compares some 'jonny going home' (some Woodgate, or whoever) to Alan Shearer  -  it will never stop.

 

Spot on. Even Shearer himself has refuted the notion that he turned down the chance to win things to join us, but what does he know?

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manorpark

manorpark

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But the thing is, when Shearer joined us, we were f****** class.  When Woody joined the 'Bro, they were distinctly average.  And we all know that he's a few classes above distinctly average.  Unlucky for him like, 'cos he deserves to be at a top club.

 

 

Alan Shearer joined us for a world record fee, because we were (according to most people in football) "the next big thing".  We were rich, we were 2nd only to Manchester United in income and popularity, we had a charismatic chairman and manager, allied to (what had always been there) a huge fanbase.

 

He (along with Keegan, John Hall, me! and most of the countries football commentators) expected us to take over!

 

He joined to win things.

 

. . .  and . .  my goodness - it was also his 'home town club'  -  unbelievable, that it was there!!! (for him).

 

It is "cosy" (and SO MANY people do it AUTOMATICALLY) to look back on it NOW, and only mention the one aspect of it all  -  the "home town club" aspect!

 

It is revisionist, but cosy and 'easy to assimilate'  -  it just happens not (in isolation) to be true !!  (but who cares about that). 

 

So, "here's to the next person" (poster-on-here / reporter in a paper, or whatever) who compares some 'jonny going home' (some Woodgate, or whoever) to Alan Shearer  -  it will never stop.

 

Spot on. Even Shearer himself has refuted the notion that he turned down the chance to win things to join us, but what does he know?

 

Many people 'do not listen to reality', because it does not suit them to do so.

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Leazes1986

Leazes1986

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Can understand Woodgate's decision in a way though. Its his hometown club so thats obviously a major factor in his decision. Another thing that will be part of his decision is how well the medical staff have looked after him. Boro may well go down next season, but he knows that if they do then he will easily get a move straight back to the Premiership as long as he has another season like he had last season fitness wise. Even if the smogmonsters stay up i think Woodgate will only stay there for 2 seasons maximum if they don't improve dramatically.

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