Six Pointer with Boro & Turner Interview

By: Matt | April 9th, 2009

Hull City vs Boro

The Tigers face a massive six pointer with the Teesiders on Saturday, with Boro desperatley trying to climb out of the drop zone. Hull are on 34 points, good for 15th spot, and five points from the relegation zone. Boro sit on 27 points, also five points from the line. Boro will look to make home advantage count, while Hull hopes to be three point closer to survival come Saturday evening.

Michael Turner Interview

CITY Magazine

He’s impressed a lot of people this season and England manager Fabio Capello could be about to join his fan club…

Having been ever present this season, who would you say has been the trickiest striker you have had to defend against so far?

There have been a few to be fair. Berbatov at Manchester United would be one and he is great at dropping off to pick up possession which makes him difficult to mark. Roque Santa Cruz at Blackburn is another. He is big and strong and you know you will have a tough aerial battle against him. Sunderland’s Djibril Cisse is very quick and has good movement.

Who has been the most tormenting and physical player you have played against so far this season?

I would say Santa Cruz and probably Jason Roberts as well. But Kenwyne Jones could come into this category as well because he is strong but very athletic as well.

How did your time at Brentford help your career?

Massively. They gave me my first real taste of first-team football. Even though it was in League One, I learned a lot about playing football during my time there. I was preparing for games and playing games on a Saturday afternoon, which was something I wasn’t used to. I was more used to playing games at 7pm on a Monday or Tuesday evening in the reserves.

Being at Brentford was a massive learning curve. Playing under Martin Allen was good as well. He was quite extravagant and had his own methods and way of doing things.

Was it a hard decision to leave Charlton?

It was. I still had two years left on my contract when I left Charlton and it was a brave decision to leave. But I wanted to play first team football and learn the game that way. Luckily enough, I got a great move to Hull from Brentford and then we moved up to the Barclays Premier League, so things have worked out perfectly.

Going back to leaving Charlton, it was something I thought long and hard about but I would say the decision has paid off.

How does it feel to be a Barclays Premier League player coming up against the best players in the world on a weekly basis?

It’s a great feeling to be playing in the Barclays Premier League every week. It’s where every player wants to play and I’m lucky enough to be doing that at the moment. I’m not taking anything for granted, though, and I want to keep improving. I want to make the most of the opportunity I have been given.

What are the main differences between the strikers you are up against now in the Premier League compared to those you dominated in the lower leagues?

Give strikers an opportunity in this league and they will take it. That is the main difference. In the Championship and League One, you could get away with a lot more as a defender in terms of giving a striker a bit more space. This is a very cut-throat league.

Are you ready to play for England and what do England need to do to win the World Cup in 2010?

Well, I’ve been playing in the Premier League this season and I feel as though I have learnt a lot and dealt with what has come my way. Obviously it’s nice to be linked with an England call-up and if it were to come I’d jump at the chance to go and train with the squad. I don’t know if I’m ready yet and we’ll only find out if I get the opportunity. At the moment, I’m just concentrating on playing well for Hull City and I’ll see where that takes me.

Looking at next year’s World Cup, I think England have got a chance of going all the way. We’ve got some great players and a really good manager, which should give us half a chance.

After seeing Dean Windass pulling on the pink shirt that Oldham Athletic wore against Leeds United recently, will you be giving him a bit of stick for it? Also, would you like to see something like that here for a good cause?

I’m sure we’ll all be giving him some stick for that, although Deano takes a lot of stick for everything! Of course I’d be prepared to do something similar because it was for a great cause. It raised a lot of money and raised a lot of awareness as well, which is the main thing.

When you were at Brentford did you ever think you would play for a Barclays Premier League team?

When you’re playing in League One, you do feel a long, long way away from the Premier League. At the time, I was just concentrating on making the next step which was to move up to the Championship. I got a great move to Hull City which gave me that step up and I knew the potential was there to get to the Premier League. It was the perfect move for me and it’s all worked out well.

Have you played any decent golf courses in East Yorkshire yet?

There are quite a few to be fair. Brough springs to mind, as does Hessle and Hull Golf Club in Kirk Ella is nice too. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the standard of golf courses in the region and it’s great to get out there every now and then and play.

I’m not too bad at golf, although apparently Jimmy Bullard is top man when it comes down to it. He can’t play at the moment, though, because of his injury. Dean Marney is next in line. I’ve played with him quite a lot and he says his handicap is eight. I can tell you that is a joke, it’s more like four!

Who was your hero when you were growing up and why?

I was a Spurs fan when I was younger and Sol Campbell came through the youth ranks when I was watching them. He has gone on to enjoy a great career and I would say he was the player I looked up to. He’s still playing in the Premier League now and he is still a great player.

If you play for England who would you most like to partner you at centre back?

I’d say Rio Ferdinand I think. He’s a fantastic player and plays for one of the best clubs in the world in Manchester United. He produces top class performances every week for club and country and I think we’d fit in well together!

A lot of people are backing you for an England cap, but if you could play for any country in the world, who would you play for and why?

It would have to be England. Everybody wants to play for their own country.

Who has been the best central defender you have worked with as a footballer?

When I was at Charlton, I played a couple of friendlies with Chris Perry and he was great to play alongside. Richard Rufus was also great and I played with him in the reserve team. Looking at the present day, Anthony Gardner is great to play alongside and I feel very comfortable playing with him. We’ve got a good partnership.

What is the best own goal you have scored?

Touch wood, I have only scored one own goal. It was while I was playing for Brentford against Barnsley.

If you weren’t a footballer, what job do you think you would be doing instead?

It’s a tough question. I’d love to be a golfer, but that is a difficult thing to get into. Away from sport, I’d probably get into some kind of trade like a carpenter or maybe look at something like graphics.

How is your communication when you partner Kamil Zayatte and do you suffer any problems with it? Mally Shutt

Kamil’s English is getting better and better every week. We communicate by any means really. Sometimes we scream and shout to each other and it has worked quite well.

Do you feel you learnt a lot of the trade from playing alongside Wayne Brown last season?

Of course. Browny was a great defender to play alongside because he was a good communicator. That was exactly what we needed last season and he came in and gave us that.

Out of all the top quality forwards you’ve played against this season who have you enjoyed playing against the most?

I enjoyed playing against Nicolas Anelka when we played Chelsea. In the first game at the KC Stadium, he didn’t really cause us too much trouble, but then we let him in to score. At Stamford Bridge we kept him quiet and we got a great result. It was fantastic to play against one of the most expensive players in the world.

Which gives you the biggest thrill – saving a certain goal or scoring one and would you like to be a striker?

Scoring a goal gives you a great feeling, as does saving one. But you can’t get much better than scoring a goal. I wouldn’t like to be a striker, I’m quite happy where I play, but I don’t mind going up if we need a goal. »

Have you always been a fox-in-the-box when it comes to scoring goals?

Denise Williams

Not really. In my first season at Brentford, I think I only scored once and then the following year I scored two. There’s been a gradual progression year-on-year and I think I got five last season, so that means I just need one more this season to continue that progression.

If you had to pick one ending to the season which would it be? Win the FA Cup, play in the Europa League next season but get relegated to the Championship, or stay in the Barclays Premier League but go out of the cup?

The main goal for us is to stay in the Premier League and although the FA Cup is important, staying in the top flight is the main aim.

What’s the best atmosphere you have played in at the KC Stadium this year and does the atmosphere rub off on the players in a good or bad way or not affect them at all?

I would probably say the best atmosphere was against Fulham on the opening day of the season. It was a special day for everybody at the club, there was a full house and the crowd got right behind us, just like they do at every home game.

The atmosphere does give you a massive lift, especially when everybody is cheering every header and every tackle. Everytime I walk down the tunnel, I get a bit of a tingle from the sight and the sound of the crowd.

Can you put your finger on what has been the main reason for your meteoric rise up the Football League?

I would say self belief is the main thing. I have always believed that I was capable of playing at the next level. Even though I am now playing in the top division with Hull City, I still want to progress and help to establish the club in the Premier League. That is the next aim.

Also, I have been fortunate enough to play under some good managers. As I’ve said, playing under Martin Allen was a massive learning curve for me. Then there was Phil Parkinson. Things didn’t really work out for him here, but he was still a good manager. Now, we have Phil Brown and he has been a massive help to me.

What’s the best thing about playing for Hull City?

There are a lot of good things about playing for Hull City. Playing at the KC Stadium every week is one. The fans are great and we have so much support, which is exactly what we need. The colourfulness around the club is another good thing, with our black and amber kit. There is no other kit like it in the league and I think it helps to make people stand up and take notice of us.

Who would you least like to room with on away trips and why?

I’ll go for Kamil Zayatte because he doesn’t speak much English!

If you could be a professional in any other sport, what would it be and why?

Golf because I love playing the game.

Are you a superstitious person in any way before a game? If so, what things do you do?

I’m not majorly superstitious. I tend to put my left sock on before my right, and my left boot before my right. That is just something I have always done, but that’s about it.