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Post by FullerMagic on Apr 24, 2008 11:48:52 GMT
tinyurl.com/6rfef3Dodgy babelfish job, but quite interesting... Salif Diao - My dream, it is to return to the national team"
The injury?
That could be better. For a few years, I have not been helped by the injuries. For me each time I can find myself on the pitch, to be involved and play with my pals, that's a really large pleasure for me.
Unfortunately, I had a small tear which has kept me from the pitch for three weeks. But I resumed again today with the group. It's an enormous pleasure for me. There remains to us two matches and we are in good position. As the ball is in our camp at the point where the one is.
The challenge of the rise?
It was a great challenge for me to come in Stoke City. Some raised the question to know how Salif will perform in D2. Perhaps two years ago, if one said that I was going to play in the Championship to me, I would not have believed in it.
Then last year, I came, I spent a very good season with Stoke City. I was very well pleased. There was a very good mood in the group and this year it was a large challenge to return. I had discussed it with the coach who agreed to make me sign a contract but I had remained 6 months without me involved. Thus it was a challenge for me to return and go up with Stoke. One is to two matches away from doing it.
His future with Stoke City?
I have an option of one year, therefore all will depend on what will occur at the end of the season. There are many things which are under point of interrogation. All will depend on what will occur here in two weeks.
Will we go up? Will we play the play-off? After I will sit with the leaders and we will see what will occur. For now, we have a mission, that is to try and go up this year. We are well placed. It is with us to make a success of this.
It is sure that that would be a large disappointment to remain in the second division next year.
In my head, I wanted to make one year in D2 to start me again, unfortunately last year we just missed the last matches by the play-off, then I injured myself.
I remained for 6 months without playing. Thus this was not too obvious an outward journey directly in a club of First League. I had contacts, but I preferred to return in Championship where the coach and everyone knew me very well. They knew how to manage me to enable me to play the maximum number of matches.
Proposals?
Yes there is, but the life is made challenges, I took the challenge to go up with Stoke. Today, I have a large possibility of doing it, I have concentrate on top. I will take the challenges one by one. For now, in my head It is a challenge to come in Stoke and to go up with the team. If I manages to make a success of this, I will be very proud.
Now, as regards my future, all will depend on what will occur. If we goes up, why not? If we also do not go up, I will sit with the leaders. We will see which decision together taking. As I said, I had a difficult 6 months. I even thought of stopping playing football. I had enough of the injuries. But the leaders always were there. They followed me.
The coach wanted to make me sign in spite of my injury but I did not want to just sign for me to sit to take my wages without playing. As in Liverpool where I remained one year without playing. I left in Portsmouth, I made 15 matches then I was injured. I took my wages without playing. For me, it was frustrating. I had the impression to take money of the club without being useful. That aggravated me a little, That's why I did not want to sign. I had said to the coach to wait, when I am able m’to involve myself with the group, I will sign the contract.
National team?
It is difficult to prove. As a player, I think that in 2002, all those which were in L’team were starting in their clubs. They were leaders in their clubs. There was enough leaders. There was a welded team. What is more really the case. Since 2002, there was not all the executives or the group of players who play regularly. If one looks at the group of 2002, there are four or five players who play the others regularly are injured or are not starting in their clubs. It is one of the factors, then there were so many dramatic changes.
People wanted to make changes too quickly. A team does not build itself in three years. One saw the team with France which gained the World Cup in 1998. They worked during at least 10 years before gaining the World Cup finally. A national team this is not something that one changes day at the following day. Especially now that the trainer has one week with his players to prepare the matches. Therefore, a framework is needed.
For several reasons, after 2002, there was never a framework present. They are often players who were not starting in clubs or of the injured players or a new trainer who came and who wanted to change to make his mark. And all that did not go.
The dream?
As I said previously, last year Ifailed to stop my career. But the only motivation which pushes me to play, is the dream to especially qualify me with Senegal still with a World Cup that this one is played in Africa. I am 31 years old and I am not botched. I am still fresh. It is necessary just that I manages to pass all the injuries above that I have. What makes me hold today, is this dream to return in the national team and to still play a world cup. It is what more pushed me to re-sign in Stoke City and to become again competitive. It is that which makes me run still today. But a man proposes God lays out.
Eliminating heats?
I do not think that that is possible to return also early. I return from injury I do the utmost to be able to be present for our two last matches of the season which are very interesting. I do not know if we will pass or play the play-off. I will concentrate on the championship, once that finishes, I will not even take holidays. I will see a specialist in the USA in Colorado for really, once for all, will regulate my stories of injuries and will return in force next year. I still dream of a world cup. If all goes well and that I become again competitive, if the coach thinks that I can render service to him, I return.
The humane ground?
My personal experiences have opened the eyes. and put everthing into perspective. As a professional footballer you awake in the morning, you dream of going on the field and to run. One does not realise how lucky you are. One pays you so that you do something that you like.
Injured, I am ready to pay money to be able to be involve. It is important for a human being to keep his capacities, to be able to run, to be able to walk.
I had difficult moments and I missed all that. I had the feeling of being a handicapped person. That brought me closer and that made me reflect. Today, I would be ready to pay S’it had to be changed my legs so that I can play.it is an honor for me to be able to help a child who is condemned not to walk more. I have European friends who move to Africa to do it. I said myself, as an African, I should be the first to be budged. It’s a little ashamed of seeing people who come from abroad to help our brothers and sisters whereas we are there, we can make the same thing instead of looking at the others . These are the reasons which made that I launched out inside.
The union makes the force, sometimes, this is not even a question of money but to give one or two minutes of your time to a humane association. That can change the life of a little boy and of a whole family. In Africa when one succeeds it is all the family which profits from it.
This is for this reason which I am at 100% a humanitarian. I encourages all my friends, all people of goodwill, which are thousands in Senegal, to be made some in the same way.
Instead of tightening the hand for them all the timeone helps us, help us ourselves. On the level of Caap Afrika, one pays a formation with the surgeons. That is a very interesting shutter. Like one says, instead of giving to someone fish all the time f, teach him how to fish . One started from this principle to give to the young surgeons training courses in Monaco. They will be able to have a training in surgery and will turn over to the country to occupy their brothers and Sœurs.
Article By Saliou GACKOU,
Appeared Wednesday 23 Avr 2008
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Post by lordb on Apr 24, 2008 12:34:59 GMT
Salif Diao: top man
shame his fitness has wrecked his form this year
I welcome him back to the squad,Mrs Tazi dreamt he scores THE goal v Leicester so I'm going to put a £5er on it.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Apr 24, 2008 12:40:19 GMT
I liked the "I am 31 years old and I am not botched" quote!
I am 61 years old and I am completely and utterly botched! ;D
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Post by lancer on Apr 25, 2008 8:25:40 GMT
Bloody hell, fornside. I'm seventy one, and I'm not botched yet. Knackered definitely after sixty years of being a Stokie, but botched...Naaaaah!
I'll be like a seven year old if we tie it up this weekend. Come on, Stoke!!!!!
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Post by Dr Oetcake on Apr 25, 2008 9:03:13 GMT
"the union makes the force" - its so true....
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