Eyal Berkovic
07 Jul 2003, 10:58 PM
ALFIE Haaland is ready to make one last push to save his Manchester City career.
The former Blues skipper is battling to get his injured left knee in shape and admits the next fortnight will be critical.
Despite not having featured in a match since January 5, 2002, the 30-year-old Norwegian has not abandoned hope of resurrecting a glittering career forged at Forest, Leeds and City.
"I have been training and the plan is simply to see how it goes," he said today.
"I am stepping things up gradually and the next two weeks will be vital. People ask me if they think I will play again and I don't know the answer but if I didn't think it was possible I would have packed it in and not gone to the trouble of working so hard.
"I am kicking the ball gently but need to step that up before the rest of the lads return for pre-season. It is still a bit early to say what may or may not happen but I certainly have not given up hope."
Haaland was in a similar situation a year ago when he entered pre-season with a question mark hanging over his fitness. He made four brief appearances as a substitute totaling 48 minutes in City's run to the First Division title.
It is more than two years since he started a game but he refuses to accept defeat.
"I cannot give up until every avenue has been explored and I have given myself the best possible chance to play again," he said.
"The knee has been OK with what I have done so far alongside physio Rob Harris and I have been following a fresh treatment plan so only time will tell."
City, too, are prepared to watch and wait for a conclusion to Haaland's fitness .
They served the Norway World Cup star with six months' notice in January, even though he still had 18 months left on his contract. Around the same time the Blues announced that they would not sue Roy Keane or United over the horror tackle on Haaland in April 2001.
The former Blues skipper is battling to get his injured left knee in shape and admits the next fortnight will be critical.
Despite not having featured in a match since January 5, 2002, the 30-year-old Norwegian has not abandoned hope of resurrecting a glittering career forged at Forest, Leeds and City.
"I have been training and the plan is simply to see how it goes," he said today.
"I am stepping things up gradually and the next two weeks will be vital. People ask me if they think I will play again and I don't know the answer but if I didn't think it was possible I would have packed it in and not gone to the trouble of working so hard.
"I am kicking the ball gently but need to step that up before the rest of the lads return for pre-season. It is still a bit early to say what may or may not happen but I certainly have not given up hope."
Haaland was in a similar situation a year ago when he entered pre-season with a question mark hanging over his fitness. He made four brief appearances as a substitute totaling 48 minutes in City's run to the First Division title.
It is more than two years since he started a game but he refuses to accept defeat.
"I cannot give up until every avenue has been explored and I have given myself the best possible chance to play again," he said.
"The knee has been OK with what I have done so far alongside physio Rob Harris and I have been following a fresh treatment plan so only time will tell."
City, too, are prepared to watch and wait for a conclusion to Haaland's fitness .
They served the Norway World Cup star with six months' notice in January, even though he still had 18 months left on his contract. Around the same time the Blues announced that they would not sue Roy Keane or United over the horror tackle on Haaland in April 2001.