With 13 goals in 26 Premiership starts so far this season, Marlon Harewood is currently the second most prolific English striker in the division, and certainly one of the success stories during our first year back in the top flight. We spoke exclusively to the 26-year-old about his thoughts on the campaign so far...
Q: You've almost reached your
target of 15 goals this season, will you be extending it
now?
A: Not really, the way I'm looking at it now is that anything
else I get now is a bonus. I'm not saying I haven't got
faith in myself to score more, but it was hard enough getting to
15, so I'm delighted with that! There are still nine more
league games and hopefully two in the FA Cup, so I'll just keep
plugging away and hopefully add a few more to my tally. I think
I'm fifth top scorer in the Premiership behind Henry, Van
Nistelrooy, Darren Bent and Lampard, which is a great honour for me
anyway. To get near those guys in my first full season in the
Premiership is fantastic and, who knows, maybe I can push on and
get a bit closer in the last few games. Whatever happens, I'm
delighted with the way things have gone and I just want to keep
working hard and enjoying myself.
Q: What have you enjoyed most about our first season back
in the Premiership?
A: Everything! The whole experience has been amazing, and every
game has been enjoyable for me personally. To be able to test
yourself against the best players in the country is a great
feeling, and even better when you come out on top against them. Of
course, it's only enjoyable if you are playing well and
winning, and we've done that more often than not this season.
The general experience of playing Premiership football is just
massive - the media coverage, the demands and the atmosphere among
the fans - everything is so much bigger than in the Championship,
and the one thing I have learned quickly is that you can't
afford to switch off for one minute or let your focus slip. If you
do, you get punished!
Q: Has the success of the team this year surprised you in
any way?
A: No, not at all. Getting promoted was like a weight off our
shoulders in many ways, and the lads were so fired up and confident
in the summer. Making a good start was the key and, after that
second half performance against Blackburn on the opening day of the
season, everything just seemed to click. No disrespect to the teams
in the Championship but I just think that, with the players we had,
the style of football down there stifled us. Every team that came
to Upton Park treated it like a cup final, and it was just a
constant battle to dig results out. In the Premiership, we seemed
to have opened ourselves up and been able to show what we can
actually do on the big stage.
Q: Has the experience of the past two years played a big
part in how some of the players have performed this year?
A: Definitely. I can only speak for myself but I think it's
probably the same for the likes of Anton, Nigel, Hayden and Bobby.
We all had to grow up very quickly and the tough times we went
through have made us stronger as individuals and even stronger as a
team. I think all of the lads have shown that they are top class
players who can shine in the Premiership, and getting out of the
Championship has been like a release for us. Plus, we've all
been desperate to make sure we don't go back down there
again!
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Q: Is the team spirit among the squad here the best you
have experienced in your career?
A: I was part of a great team spirit under Paul Hart at Nottingham
Forest but this is just as good. It has been built not just because
of the success season, but because of what we went through last
season and the season before that. And the good thing is that the
players who have arrived since then have joined in with that spirit
and helped it to grow. A lot of credit also has to go to the
manager. He has taken plenty of criticism, which is obviously
something a manager has to put up with at times, but the boys have
seen him stand up to that and stay true to his beliefs. He has
earned a lot of respect because of that, and I just hope we can all
continue to be successful as a squad.
Q: What has it been like to train and play with Teddy
Sheringham?
A: It's been a dream come true for me personally. I can
remember growing up and watching him play for England at Euro 96
then scoring a goal in the European Cup final with Manchester
United, and thinking what a superstar he was. Then all of a sudden,
I'm playing in the same team as him! It's hard to describe
it really - I was just in awe of him. And I've learned so much
from training and playing with him, and just from watching him,
too. He's always talking to you and offering little bits of
advice, and there have been times this season when I've found
myself in certain situations on the pitch and thought: 'Oh
yeah, Teddy told me what I need to do here.' For the younger
lads, it's just a dream to play with him, but the great thing
is that he is just one of us, and so down to earth. You'd think
he might be a bit above himself after winning so much in his career
but he's still got that focus and enthusiasm, and that's
why he is still playing.
Q: Have the lads got any surprises planned for his 40th next
week?
A: We might have, but if I tell you then they won't be
surprises!
Q: In your opinion, what will the players consider to be a
successful season now?
A: I think it has already been a successful season in terms of what
we set out to achieve, but there is a chance for us to grab some
real glory now and I think the lads would be disappointed if we
don't make the most of any opportunity that we get to do that.
Funnily enough, we had a guy come in last week to speak to all the
players and, to be honest, he made us all think a bit. He was
asking us what our goals were, if we were comfortable, and if we
felt we could go further. It was all about challenging us to take
our success to the next level, and I think everyone here is
determined to do that.
Q: Are you expecting next season to be harder?
A: Yes, definitely. The expectation is going to be much higher
among our fans, and other teams will be more aware of us. They will
know more about our style of play, and the strengths of our
players, so we know that we are going to have to perform to an even
higher standard than this year. I think
Q: Finally, has your new baby son been giving you plenty of
sleepless nights?
A: Oh yes! Theodore is a day sleeper and tends to stay awake of a
night, so I've been having to catch up on my sleep in the
afternoons! He's great, though, and so is my other boy,
Pharrell. I'm starting to put a football at his feet now, but
he's more interested in his little brother!