LEE HENDRIE, HERO OF THE Holte End, celebrates heading in his first goal of the season by running over to celebrate with David Beckham, the provider. Sven-Göran Eriksson, the Aston Villa manager, sticks his thumb up to the redeemed midfield player and afterwards says yes, for sure, Hendrie is a reformed character and can still fulfil his potential.
One man’s dreams are another man’s farce. Villa fans have become tired of takeover talk, but even they must have chuckled when they awoke yesterday, after being out-battled in this mid-table clash, to hear that, given carte blanche and an open chequebook, the England head coach’s idea of kick-starting his club career would be to make a dash from Germany to Birmingham next summer.
Some things never change, though. Even if Michael Owen decided to chase the top dollar and move to Villa, in this other world Eriksson inhabits as he wanders from yacht to yacht seeking new and ever-richer horizons, Hendrie would probably still be on the verge of making it big. The Birmingham-born player has turned over more new leaves than Eriksson has attended clandestine meetings with prospective employers — real or otherwise — yet, at approaching 29, he is hanging on to his Villa career.
Thrown into the fray when Eirik Bakke’s hamstring tightened, Hendrie did glance in the opening goal, his first since January 15 last year, from Jlloyd Samuel’s cross. At least the fans cheered him up. “I only have to warm up and I get a standing ovation,” he said. “The hairs were standing up on the back of my neck. I’ve been at the club since I was 14 and my heart is here.”
Supporting the club you play for can give a player extra emotional impetus and certainly Bobby Zamora feels at home now he is settled at West Ham United — even if he only scores away. Alan Pardew’s team came out of the blocks with greater aggression after the interval and Zamora headed in Paul Konchesky’s free kick. When Mark Delaney handled a shot by Hayden Mullins, Marlon Harewood struck home the penalty.
Advertisement
Zamora, who turns 25 tomorrow, has a Trinidad & Tobago passport and is scouring the Fifa regulations to discover whether he can appear for his father’s country despite his England Under-21 caps. “I’m hoping for a loophole,” he said. “There’s a glimmer of a chance.” Then Zamora could go the World Cup finals in time to help Eriksson to finish his international commitments early enough to get down to Bodymoor Heath for pre-season training.