Boleyn Boy by Mark Noble

Author:Mark Noble
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2022-10-07T07:48:09+00:00

7

Back Where We Belong

I couldn’t wait to play in the Premier League again. I felt fitter than ever after coming back from our honeymoon. One of the staff members at our hotel was on my case as soon as we landed in the Maldives. ‘Mark,’ he said, ‘you play football. Do you want to come and play with us?’

‘Mate, I’m on my honeymoon,’ I said. ‘I can’t just run off and play football with you.’

I knew I had to be on my best behaviour with Carly. I was gagging to play, though, and the lad came back to ask me again the next day. ‘Babe,’ I said, turning to Carly, ‘do you mind?’

Carly wasn’t bothered. I headed off into the staff quarters, where they had a brand spanking new five-a-side pitch with mini goals at either end, and I spent a few hours there every day. The standard was pretty good and the heat meant I was in great condition by the time we flew back to London.

I was raring to go before the start of the season. I wasn’t worried about our ability to compete in the Premier League. We had a strong side, and I was convinced that Sam was going to bring in players who knew the league and would be able to carry out his instructions.

Sam had been there and done it. Nothing was going to knock him off course, and his summer recruitment was spot on. He didn’t have huge sums of money, but there was a purpose to every signing. He brought in Jussi Jääskeläinen to be his No1 after losing Greeno on a free. Yossi Benayoun, who was still technically brilliant, came in on loan from Chelsea, and signing Mo Diamé from Wigan was a masterstroke. You couldn’t hold on to the ball for too long when Mo was around. He helped my game a lot. I could get around the pitch, but I was nowhere near as quick or strong as Mo, whose ball-winning abilities meant I had room to pick my passes and Kev had even more freedom to drive into the box.

We struck up a good balance in midfield, and we were backed up with a solid defence. Tonks and Winston had made huge strides, and I was delighted when Sam asked me to help him out by convincing James Collins to come back to the club.

I was straight on the phone. ‘Ginge, the gaffer won’t stop talking to me about you,’ I said. ‘You’ve got to come back.’

‘Well, tell him to put a f**king bid in then!’ Ginge said.

I’d done my bit. Ginge was desperate to return and he was back at Upton Park in time for our opening game. We were at home to Aston Villa, Ginge’s former club, and although it wasn’t a classic, we never looked like losing and we grabbed all the points when Ricardo Vaz Tê set up Kev to score the winner just before half-time.

We didn’t look like a team in danger of going down.

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