The self-deprecating Kiwi recalls knackered knees, Blackburn regret and avoiding defeat with the All Whites in South Africa
Interview Mark Sanderson
RYAN NELSEN
Having helped Blackburn to finish sixth in your first full Premier League campaign in 2005-06, you must have thought English football’s not so hard?
I arrived at Ewood Park at a great time. They were on an upward trajectory and the gaffer, Mark Hughes, was very good to me. The club was run well, so it was a fun period. We had players like Tugay – he could literally play with a cigar in one hand, the game was that easy. Brad Friedel was a superb goalkeeper, Morten Gamst Pedersen was outstanding and Robbie Savage brought the energy – he couldn’t lift a weight in the gym, but was never afraid to fight. Craig Bellamy was brilliant as well. They don’t make personalities like these any more. I thought, ‘I’ll carry on until I get figured out’.
Your knee had been badly injured early in your career – how serious was it when you arrived at Ewood Park?
At 18 I was told that I’d never play another competitive game. The big problem was the cartilage in the weight-bearing part of my left knee. I remember the doctor saying, “You’ve got to be careful”, but I thought, ‘If they think I won’t play again, why be careful?’ So I went away and trained hard to get it strong – sure, it hurt like hell, but it paid off. It was a bit of Russian roulette and I got lucky. It still always came up on scans, though. When Blackburn spotted it they said, “Woah, we can only offer a six-month contract.” That was OK, but there was a snag: if I missed six weeks of training due to the knee, my wages would be halved.
How did you manage the knee injury while playing in the Premier League?
Warm-ups in training were tricky sometimes and the knee would blow up. The physios and doctors would offer all kinds of treatment, but I didn’t want to make a big deal and attract attention. There’s no shape in my knee now, you can’t see it. It’s like a horrible tree stump.
Is it fair to say you enjoyed a tackle... and generally smashing into people?
My biggest strength was actually reading the game and intercepting the ball. Yes, I tackled too, but often as I was in the wrong position and just had to win the ball. When you’re not the fastest, you need to be in the right place or you’ll get smoked. I was a nervous wreck off the pitch, worrying about the next game, but when I crossed that white line I felt I was the greate
