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Our
new signing has not played since early October due to a knee injury
picked up on international duty, but he was ready to return to the fray
with Hamburg at the end of the Bundesliga's winter break - until City
made their move.
The combative midfielder says, "I didn't have an
operation, but I am ready to go and looking forward to my first game. I
have not had a lot of match practice, but I am confident in my
qualities and abilities. I have been training properly for four weeks
now, Hamburg were wanting to bring me back slowly for the end of their
winter break, but now I need some game practice. But we have a week, so
it should be OK.
"I hope to play next week, I have to see how I
fit in with the team first but it should be a new start for both the
team and me."
So with his record showing games played in both midfield and in defence, is it fair to say that Nigel likes to get stuck in?
"Yes,
I like to tackle!" he laughs. "I prefer the role in front of the
defence, to win the ball and give it out to my attacking players to let
them do their thing, as a defensive midfielder should do."
Nigel
also got stuck in at training with his new colleagues on Thursday
morning after flying out to Tenerife as soon as he had completed his
transfer from Hamburg SV on Wednesday night. The disciplined approach
to work of the City management team suits him, as he adds:
"I like that as well, I'm a training animal! I like the intensity of a good training session, which is something I am good at.
"I
want to be successful with City. I think it is going to be hard over
the next few months, but they are wanting to create a successful team
here and that was part of why I chose this adventure. They came with a
plan, and I hope be successful here. It's a good thing to be starting
with City now - if this is a lift, you want to step in now, and that's
why I made my decision to come here."
The success of former
Hamburg team-mate Vincent Kompany was also a factor in Nigel's decision
to make the move to City, as he concludes:
"I know Vincent, and I
know he has a good character. I was sure he would fit into the Premier
League because he has the mentality to succeed. He had a bit of a bad
time at Hamburg with injuries, so I am really happy that he is fitting
into the Premier League, and I hope to do the same."
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