Saturday, you were trailing by two goals at Derby, but you managed to turn it around and win 3-2 by the end of the game. How did you manage to turn the situation around?

We were not too far from a catastrophe but we still had the game in our hands. we should have opened the scoring way before, we simply paid the price of our two errors by conceding two goals. Once I had scored the first goal with a free kick, it all went really quickly with the second coming only minutes later.

So it was your goal that set it all off?

Yes, I think. after the goal went in the whole team seemed more motivated, and we did everything we could to get the three points. 

Tell us about your free kick.

I hit it from the left, from a very tight angle, at about thirty metres. The keeper didn't think I could get it in from there and stayed in the middle of his goal, in the end it was a good strike. Other than that, I hit the frame twice the first one being deviated by the keeper from a thirty yarder. For the second one, it came off my right foot at about twenty metres out. I could see it going in, but it hit the post. It's a pity. I also had a shot just wide too.

Does this victory put you in a good position to get that fourth spot?

With a game in hand over both Chelsea and Leeds, we're in a good position, but we have to be careful as there's still a lot to do. We'll do everything we can to get that fourth spot.

What's on the agenda for this week?

I've been training this morning, we'll have a day off on Wednesday, but other than that we'll be working every other day. This weekend Charlton visit us at St James' Park.

Craig Bellamy was voted the best young player of the year in England. Have you congratulated him?

Of course, I congratulated him this morning in training. He's a fantastic season despite his injury, and he's brought us a lot on the pitch when he's been playing.

The player of the year went to Van Nistelrooy. Does that make sense to you?

He's very strong, and it's normal. For his first season in England he's fitted in really well. At one point he'd scored eight or nine goals on the trot. That's a load. It's a shame for Robert Pires as he also amply merited the award. Talk to you again soon.



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