Jose Enrique – Happy at Newcastle, happy at another club.
Posted on May 3rd, 2011 | 21 Comments |
Amongst other things, he spoke of his difficult first year on Tyneside, the Geordie fans, relegation to the Championship and promotion at the first attempt. In what will probably be of most interest to we fans, he concluded by giving a tantilising glimpse on his thinking about whether he will stay at the club, or move on in the summer. Below is the full transcript of the interview.
“Was it a big decision to leave your own country?”
Jose Enrique: “For the first year it’s really hard because you don’t know the language. I no have the Spanish players here before, and of couse it’s very hard. But after that I’m very happy here and I don’t care if I had to play all my career in England”
“Am I right in thinking that you missed your dog originally when you came here, am I right? Tell us about that.”
Jose Enrique: “Yes, of course. I have my dog I have to do alot papers you know to bring him here because here they are very strict, you say? Very strict with my cat and my dog and I have to miss them.
“The first year I think is the worst year for me because of course I don’t know the language and I miss my pets, but now they are here with me and it’s so nice for me.”
“Describe your relationship with the famous fans of St James’s Park, the famous Geordie fans. What do you think of them?”
Jose Enrique: “Pfff I can’t explain. You have to see one match, I don’t have to tell you which match because every match is the same for them, it’s amazing. Last year we play in Championsheep and it’s 45,000, 50,000 all the games and I can’t explain.
“In Spain it’s so, so different that here they love football, it’s so different. It’s alot more nice to play here than to play in the stadiums in Spain.
Here the fans they love football more than wife sometimes!”
“Do they inspire you?”
Jose Enrique: “Yes of course when they say ‘Jose! Jose! Jose!’ of course I hear that. But if I’m honest, when I start the match I forgot against how many people I play and try concentrate on my match. I know some players they like, they need more but me, in my opinion, no.”
“You gave them a goal against Nottingham Forest. Tell us about the celebration, what did you feel like? Were you celebrating for you? For the fans? Explain the moment”.
Jose Enrique: “I think the best moment here for me is when we come back to the Premier League of course. Of course when I scored this goal I’m so, so happy because of course for me because I score me a first goal for me in Newcastle, but I score for the team because we are in Premier League again and I think we miss Premier League last year”
“Just try and give us a taste of what the spirit’s like”.
Jose Enrique: “I think this team is more fight team. I think it’s hard for the players like me, like Colo, like Jonas, like Joey, like Nobby. We have good players of course now but we play with big names before and of course alot change now.
“It’s not the same as before, everyone think when they come to St James’s Park it’s different, we have Viduka, we have good team. I think to play for Europe before, and now is different team, is players like some players playing in the Championship before and they fight, they want to play in the Premier League and they’re doing very well, like Willo, like Perchy when they play I think they try, its different team.
“Of course I think we’re doing well, with Oba Martins, Michael Owen, with these players were relegated, and with this team I think this year we keep the division.”
Finally getting on to the speculation regarding his future at Newcastle United, Enrique continued in an uncommital way, saying:
“Now this next season is my last season here and I’m just concentrating on playing my games with Newcastle. We have to wait until the summer, we see in the summer and maybe next summer we don’t know.
“Of course we don’t speak about the contract yet. I don’t want to speak about more about that, I’m happy with that and I’m very happy here. I know there are a few difficult things at Newcastle, but we the players don’t have to think about that.
“If I have to continue here , I’m happy. If I have to go to another club, I’m happy in England. If I have to go to another league, I’m happy. I just want to play football – it’s my life, football is the best for me in my life, it’s helped me alot in everything I have.
“For football I have all my family in a good position now, and of course I want to play football and I don’t care where I have to go”.
No doubt the speculation will continue throughout the close season on whether Enrique will be a Newcastle United player next year.
NUFCBlog Author: workyticket
workyticket has written 1091 articles on this blog.
I still think he’ll go, although I’m hoping I’m wrong.