Keplaz
12-04-2006, 01:14 PM
I had been to countless trials by the time I turned 16, none of them had been successful. When I finally went to for a session with Barnet, I had reached the final straw, if I failed this time, it would be the last. The trial lasted just under an hour and within another 60 minutes, I'd signed my first contract.
My season at Barnet in England's League 1 was to be one that would shape my whole future. I didn't start many games at Barnet and instead used the ample time I had free for training. I worked relentlessly on the training pitch spending every waking minute practising. It all paid off when Paolo Vernazza got injured and suddenly, I was in the first team.
My debut was against Grimsby Town and even though I didn't see much of the ball, I managed to score on my debut. It wasn't a very impressive debut but I did enough to convince my manager to keep me in the team. I played 9 games for Barnet scoring 7 goals and creating 2 goals for my teammates. Then the transfer window opened and Blackpool came calling. My first transfer was arranged and for 2 million pounds I was off to the seaside.
Blackpool were languishing near the bottom of the League when I joined. Relegation was more than a distinct possibility. Even though they had had enough faith in me to pay the transfer fee, I did not walk into the team. I bided my time on the substitutes bench, training at every opportunity and waiting for my chance. I didn't have to wait long. My Blackpool debut came and I scored the first of many hat-tricks on my first outing. The local paper described my performance as breathtaking. As I grew in confidence and my teammates began to get me more involved in the game so did my reputation. My dribbling skills were compared with those of the legendary Stanley Matthews, the greatest player ever to step up for the Seasiders. My goals managed to take Blackpool to the summit of League 1 and we gained promotion to the Championship. I scored 75 goals in 27 appearances for Blackpool also creating 18 goals for my team-mates and being man of the match in 21 games. It wasn't long before the Premiership Teams came calling and for 18 million pounds, I was off to Fulham at the tender age of 18.
By now I was attracting rave reviews from the media. I took Fulham from a relegation battle to second in the Premiership and also to qualification for the Champions League. By that time International Football beckoned. I was given a chance to turn out for England, the country of my birth instead declining and choosing to play for Zimbabwe, the land of my parents. I scored on my Zimbabwe debut as I'd done on all my debuts also setting up a goal for Benjani in a historic victory against Nigeria. We qualified for the African Cup of Nations, where I scored 15 goals and was the Golden Boot winner. We beat Cameroon in an exciting Finale in which Samuel Eto'o scored 2 but I scored a hat-trick, the winning goal coming minutes before the final whistle.
I had outgrown Fulham and when Manchester United came calling, there was only ever one outcome. I left Fulham with 92 Goals in 27 appearances and 37 assists. The transfer fee was 39 Million pounds, I was still just 19 years old. It was at Manchester United that I finally found team mates that could match my unique talent. United had been lacking a quality striker when I arrived, with Wayne Rooney misfiring and van Nistelrooy ageing. I formed a formidable partnership with Rooney winning the Premiership, the F.A Cup and the Champions League in my first season. I scored 72 goals in 19 games averaging just under 4 goals a game and created 25 goals for my team-mates. I won my third Young Player of the Year award.
I'm in my second season with United and have played 21 games so far and have scored 77 goals and made 26 assists. I'm still only 20 years old and I have scored 323 goals in my 103 games as a professional. I don't know who will come calling next but with my itchy feet and having achieved all I can in England, a move to Spain seems on the cards.
My season at Barnet in England's League 1 was to be one that would shape my whole future. I didn't start many games at Barnet and instead used the ample time I had free for training. I worked relentlessly on the training pitch spending every waking minute practising. It all paid off when Paolo Vernazza got injured and suddenly, I was in the first team.
My debut was against Grimsby Town and even though I didn't see much of the ball, I managed to score on my debut. It wasn't a very impressive debut but I did enough to convince my manager to keep me in the team. I played 9 games for Barnet scoring 7 goals and creating 2 goals for my teammates. Then the transfer window opened and Blackpool came calling. My first transfer was arranged and for 2 million pounds I was off to the seaside.
Blackpool were languishing near the bottom of the League when I joined. Relegation was more than a distinct possibility. Even though they had had enough faith in me to pay the transfer fee, I did not walk into the team. I bided my time on the substitutes bench, training at every opportunity and waiting for my chance. I didn't have to wait long. My Blackpool debut came and I scored the first of many hat-tricks on my first outing. The local paper described my performance as breathtaking. As I grew in confidence and my teammates began to get me more involved in the game so did my reputation. My dribbling skills were compared with those of the legendary Stanley Matthews, the greatest player ever to step up for the Seasiders. My goals managed to take Blackpool to the summit of League 1 and we gained promotion to the Championship. I scored 75 goals in 27 appearances for Blackpool also creating 18 goals for my team-mates and being man of the match in 21 games. It wasn't long before the Premiership Teams came calling and for 18 million pounds, I was off to Fulham at the tender age of 18.
By now I was attracting rave reviews from the media. I took Fulham from a relegation battle to second in the Premiership and also to qualification for the Champions League. By that time International Football beckoned. I was given a chance to turn out for England, the country of my birth instead declining and choosing to play for Zimbabwe, the land of my parents. I scored on my Zimbabwe debut as I'd done on all my debuts also setting up a goal for Benjani in a historic victory against Nigeria. We qualified for the African Cup of Nations, where I scored 15 goals and was the Golden Boot winner. We beat Cameroon in an exciting Finale in which Samuel Eto'o scored 2 but I scored a hat-trick, the winning goal coming minutes before the final whistle.
I had outgrown Fulham and when Manchester United came calling, there was only ever one outcome. I left Fulham with 92 Goals in 27 appearances and 37 assists. The transfer fee was 39 Million pounds, I was still just 19 years old. It was at Manchester United that I finally found team mates that could match my unique talent. United had been lacking a quality striker when I arrived, with Wayne Rooney misfiring and van Nistelrooy ageing. I formed a formidable partnership with Rooney winning the Premiership, the F.A Cup and the Champions League in my first season. I scored 72 goals in 19 games averaging just under 4 goals a game and created 25 goals for my team-mates. I won my third Young Player of the Year award.
I'm in my second season with United and have played 21 games so far and have scored 77 goals and made 26 assists. I'm still only 20 years old and I have scored 323 goals in my 103 games as a professional. I don't know who will come calling next but with my itchy feet and having achieved all I can in England, a move to Spain seems on the cards.