Woodgate bi-polar over return home

14 April 2012

His head protected from the bitter cold by a woolly hat, even indoors, and still dressed in his full training attire, Jonathan Woodgate is halted in mid-flow by one of Middlesbrough's sports scientists.

It is an integral moment in our interview - a frank but rather confusing discussion about Real Madrid and his future - but Nick Allamby wants Woodgate to know that he has rushed his lunch and they have a pressing appointment in the gym.

While the rest of his team-mates file past in their civvies and prepare to head home after a tough session with manager Gareth Southgate, the former Leeds defender and current Madrid employee knows he must go through an hour's grind with Allamby.

Part of his daily routine includes stretching and working on several core muscles in the lower part of his stomach and Woodgate is often the first to arrive to warm up properly and last to leave - as he demonstrated yesterday.

It is part of a regime invented by Leeds physio Dave Hancock who worked with Woodgate throughout his time at Elland Road and last season offered his assistance - even down to taking Woodgate on holiday with him - as he sought answers to the injury problems which blighted his time in Spain.

"Madrid wanted to send me all over the world and were talking about all sorts of operations," said Woodgate. "And I just said wooh there, hold on a minute, no chance'. I went over to see Dave and he sorted me out. It took a few weeks and it was really hard work, I mean really hard, but he sorted me out."

The hours bouncing on large exercise balls and stretching muscles he didn't know existed five months ago, with the likes of Allamby hanging over him are all worthwhile to Woodgate, who has swapped the relative comfort of Madrid for a return to his home town of Middlesbrough and an unexpected fight against relegation.

His new hard-work ethic, which has understandably impressed his new manager who faces Charlton tomorrow, is simply part of the defender's refreshing new outlook on a game which had so nearly been taken away from him.

His time at the Bernabeu may have been soul destroying and lonely but, now, the self-confessed Boro nut can appreciate the rewards on offer if he puts in the preparation on the training ground and within the gym.

Part of that reward could include a return to Real Madrid and as much as Woodgate is clearly relishing his senior role within Southgate's transitional squad, and the opportunity to play for the club which has long been a part of his family, he still ponders a return to La Liga.

He said: "When you love a club as much as I love Middlesbrough and when you are happy, there are always two sides to the coin. Are Middlesbrough going to challenge for the title and European places? I think they can, yes, when Gareth gets his players in, and I think we can be at the right end of the table.

"I am like any player and I want to be happy and I want to win things and be challenging for trophies. And while I've done ok here so far, we are down at the wrong end of the table and that's not pleasing for me, the club or the manager.

"Sometimes I watch the Champions League games and I hear that music and I get a tingle all over. As a player, and I don't care who you are, you have that burning desire to play at the very top level and they do not come much bigger than Champions League games and once you have played in those, you want them more and more. And that music is a killer, man.

"Some times I think there is unfinished business there with Madrid and the Champions League. Other times I think it's just not for me, I'd be away in a foreign land and away from all this, but I am still ambitious.

"And I do love it here. This is my home town and when I am not here, I really do miss Middlesbrough. I know people say Middlesbrough? What is he going on about?' but I love it here, it's my club, my family and pals are here and it's a massive part of my life."

Perhaps it was the free time that helped, but Woodgate made more of an impression than Michael Owen and David Beckham within Madrid because he made more effort to learn the language and discover the city, its people and culture.

Woodgate found ways to deal with the loneliness of the long distance injured footballer but admits it was a difficult period in his life.

"There is nothing worse than being injured and while I know I am very privileged and I don't want to moan and go on about it, boredom is so hard to deal with. It completely did my head in.

"The dvds of 24 got me through - that man Jack Bauer is a legend, a hero - and I could send emails but that would take me an hour. So I tried to learn the language, or I'd drive off into the middle of nowhere in the car and try to get back using the sat-nav.

"I can hardly speak English proper, so I was never afraid to make a fool of myself and I was always prepared to give it a go. I think people appreciated me making the effort, just as they do in this country.

"It's like Emanuel Pogatetz at Middlesbrough. He has learned so much banter and English that he sounds like he was born in Middlesbrough. The other day he was wearing St George's flag boxer shorts and he's still got the England sticker in his car from the World Cup. It's important to make an effort, although I'm not sure I would have gone that far in Spain.

"I went back to Leeds with Dave last season and I was a bit apprehensive before I went back in but I got into the laughing and the jokes from the first minute and I have really missed that."

As well as the pull of his home club, Southgate and Steve Gibson played a major role in convincing Woodgate to make his Premiership return on Teesside, rather than with his former club Newcastle. It has been a tough baptism for Southgate but Woodgate is certain he will get it right.

He added: "He is a great man manager and will prove to be a very good manager but he needs time. He has inherited someone else's team and needs time to change it and make his own signings. When he has done that, he can be judged. I have absolutely no doubt that he will be successful.

"He has a real aura about him and he knows how to deal with players. He can dish out rollickings when he needs to and he can be Mr Nice Guy too, which is the best way to be."

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