McPhail interview

McPhail keen to hit the heights again <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0"><tbody></tbody></table><table class="headerTable" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td><p class="headtypea">Jun 26 2006
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p class="headtypea"><b /></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p class="headtypeb">Terry Phillips, South Wales Echo</p></td></tr></td /></tr /></tbody></table><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="400" border="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p class="headtypea">Stephen McPhail successfully completed his soccer rehabilitation by playing a leading role in Barnsley's promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship last season.</p><p class="headtypea">Now he's ready to step up to the big time again alongside old mates like Jonathan Woodgate, Harry Kewell and Alan Smith.</p><p class="headtypea">To do that McPhail must help Cardiff City launch a new challenge for promotion to the Premiership.</p><p class="headtypea">'Dave Jones has offered me the chance to play my part in helping Cardiff City achieve promotion,' says McPhail, who has signed a three-year contract with the Bluebirds.</p><p class="headtypea">'I sat with the manager and he told me where he intends to take this club.</p>

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<p class="headtypea">'He wants to be manager of Cardiff when they are playing Premiership football in a new stadium. And I want to play in his team.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'He convinced me the dream is possible and that's why I am here in Wales.'</p>

<p class="headtypea">McPhail, 26, is a creative midfield player who can open up opposing defences and he has played at the highest levels of Premiership and European football.</p>

<p class="headtypea">He is the type of player who could help bring out the best in Jason Koumas, who is Cardiff's number one signing priority as they continue talks with West Bromwich Albion.</p>

<p class="headtypea">The Irishman has experienced huge matches with Leeds, Barnsley and the Republic of Ireland.</p>

<p class="headtypea">He has played at Roma's Olympic Stadium, Barcelona's Nou Camp, the Giants Stadium in New York and Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in front of attendances up to 85,000.</p>

<p class="headtypea">But while close pals Woodgate (Real Madrid), Kewell (Liverpool) and Smith (Manchester United) stayed at the top level, McPhail drifted slightly and spent the last two seasons in Coca-Cola League One.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I had two Achilles operations and they knocked me back for a year,' says McPhail.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'When I finally regained my fitness, Leeds were signing top players and, yes, I found it hard.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I went out on loan a couple of time and then signed for Barnsley.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I had two tremendous seasons at Oakwell and we earned promotion last season.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'They were a great stepping stone for me and I will always remember Barnsley Football Club for that.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'That play-off final, at the Millennium Stadium, was magnificent.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I've played in some big matches for Leeds United and Ireland and that win against Swansea is up there with the best of them.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'It was a difficult decision to leave Barnsley.</p>

<p class="headtypea">A number of clubs were interested in signing me, but in the end it came down to Dave Jones.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I sat with him and he told me about the plans for Cardiff City. I had been with Leeds since the age of 15 and lived in the same area of the city for 11 years.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'Now, though, I have a whole new challenge. I can't wait to get started and make an impact with Cardiff City.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I know Graham Kavanagh pretty well from our times together in the Ireland squad and he thoroughly enjoyed his time playing for Cardiff.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I don't know many of their players, although Chops (Michael Chopra) was at Barnsley with me for a while.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'But I'll settle in during pre-season and particularly the trip to North America.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I've been told City fans are passionate about their team and I experienced that at first hand, from the subs' bench.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I sat out the 90 minutes when Leeds lost at Cardiff in the FA Cup and the atmosphere that night was certainly something special.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'Now I'm a City player and can't wait for my first league match at Ninian Park.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'Before that, though, I have a return to Barnsley on my debut.</p>

<p class="headtypea">'I can still hardly believe the fixtures have thrown that one up for Cardiff's first game of the new season.'</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

 

fair enough , can't $ay fairer than that

 

ECHO . . . Echo . . . echo . . .

"Stephen McPhail successfully completed his soccer rehabilitation . . ."
"PETER Ridsdale's rehabilitation as one of English football's top power-brokers . . ."

It's deja vu all over again, as our American friends would say.

 

there would be nothing better than a 1st minute pikey style challenge and put hiim out for a few months.

McPhail = (wnkr)