Fowler: Why I've joined the BluebirdsJul 23 2007
Steve Tucker gets the first interview with Robbie Fowler and hears the Liverpool legend outline why the Bluebirds offer the drive, challenge and ambition he needs at this stage of his career
by Steve Tucker, Western Mail
ROBBIE FOWLER last night spoke for the first time about his incredible move to Cardiff City and vowed, âIâm here to help fire the Bluebirds into the Premiership!â
Fowler spoke exclusively to the Western Mail as he gets ready to put pen to paper this afternoon on a two-year deal at Ninian Park.
Cardiff manager Dave Jones has dubbed the move as the biggest transfer coup in the clubâs history.
And Fowler made it clear he is NOT here for the money and he is NOT here just to cosily wind down his playing days.
The Liverpool legend declared he had chosen Cardiff, ahead of the other teams chasing his signature because they offer the ambition and challenge he wants for the next part of his glittering football career.
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âThe most important thing for me is that when you look at Cardiff you see an ambitious club and a situation that is going to give me a real challenge,â Fowler said.
âI want to play regular football and achieve things, and Cardiff offer me that opportunity.
âDuring my time at Liverpool over the last season I wasnât used as much as I would have liked, but hopefully I can get back to week-in, week-out games with Cardiff.
âAs a striker, you need that in order to be properly sharp in front of goal.
âPeople have said Iâm past my best and Iâve heard other sorts of comments like that.
âBut they forget Iâm still only 32... and thatâs not so old. I have had injuries, but Iâm in good shape again, Iâm raring to go and I canât wait to get playing for Cardiff.
âIâm really happy to be joining. Iâm coming to hopefully help Cardiff with a real push at promotion next season.â
Fowler spoke after being persuaded to join Cardiff by the ambition and drive shown by manager Jones and City chairman Peter Ridsdale.
The two men have been patiently tracking the Anfield goal legend for a number of weeks and Ridsdale will cut short a holiday in Florida to officially seal the deal.
Fowler will easily become the highest paid Bluebirds star in the clubâs history, with a reported ÂŁ15,000 a week salary and generous goal and appearance bonuses on top.
If he does manage to help Cardiff into the top flight, Fowler will also be handed a massive ÂŁ800,000 payment.
But Fowler emphasised money was the last thing on his thoughts. In Cardiff, he sees a club genuinely geared up to push for top-flight football and wants to do his bit to make the Welsh dream happen.
âYou look at last season and note the brilliant start Cardiff had, only for them to then drop away a bit,â Fowler continued.
âThey had a big run of games where they couldnât get a win and goals dried up a bit.
âI would like to think I can keep the goals coming this season and the team can get a bit more consistent in terms of results.
âBut itâs not just about me, I must stress that. There is a good group of players at Cardiff already and Iâm looking forward to supplementing the squad and playing my part in any success we might have.
âIf I can pass on a bit of my own experience in big games to the younger players at the club, then of course I will be delighted to do that.â
During a stunning goal-scoring career, Fowler has found the net an astonishing 224 times in little more than 400 starts.
Those goals have each come in the top flight, during two spells with his hometown club Liverpool, and stints with Leeds and Manchester City.
Playing for Bluebirds will see Fowler drop out of the Premiership for the first time, but he has no real issue with that.
âThat is not a problem, plenty of other Premiership players have done it and been a success and I donât see myself as any different,â said Fowler.
âI could have remained in the Premiership and been with a club battling relegation.
âBut I prefer to be with a club like Cardiff and try to get promotion. That is a challenge that really does appeal to me in the coming season.â
Fowler confirmed Bluebirds chairman Ridsdale had won him over with his ambitious plans for the club, which include a new state-of-the art home for the Bluebirds.
âObviously I know Peter from my time with Leeds, when he signed me from Liverpool back at the start of the millennium,â said Fowler.
âPeter wanted success there and he wants Cardiff to be a successful club, too.
âHe is a very ambitious man and that has to be good for the club and for Welsh football in general.â
Bluebirds boss Jones said he was delighted by the capture of Fowler and revealed the protracted wooing process which had gone on to lure the star.
âIt is probably the biggest signing Cardiff have made. Itâs a fantastic coup for this football club,â said Jones.
âI met Robbie out in America first and asked him what he was going to do. Then I met him at a golf tournament at the Celtic Manor, a charity event.
âThe conversations went well and I asked Peter to come up and speak to him.
âIt has been rolling on for a fair time, but it was just a matter of Robbie speaking to the people he had to speak to out of courtesy really.
âSigning Robbie has given everyone a lift throughout the whole club. Every one of the players is talking about him. I think news like this should give the whole city of Cardiff a lift.â
Jones said he believed Fowler still had the drive and ambition to make his mark in the Championship this season.
âIf he didnât have the hunger and drive, I wouldnât be signing him, simple as that,â said Jones.
âI wouldnât have him at this football club if the desire wasnât there. A lot of people tell me his legs have gone at 32, but I donât see that.
âI hope Robbie will bring everything that is good about his football to this club.â
Jones insisted the signing of players such as former England internationals Trevor Sinclair and Fowler, as well as Sottish midfielder Gavin Rae from Rangers. showed the progress the club was making.
And he branded âcrazyâ anyone who might level criticism at the club for cashing in on a ÂŁ5m offer from Sunderland for last seasonâs top scorer Michael Chopra.
âWe have attracted Trevor Sinclair, Gavin Rae and Robbie Fowler so we must be doing something right,â stated Jones.
âWe were chasing Robbie believing we were going to hold onto Michael Chopra, but the offer came in for Chops and we couldnât turn that down.
âAnyone who says that wasnât good business is absolutely crazy. We paid ÂŁ300,000 for him a year ago, that is a good profit in 12 months.
âWeâre still in the market for someone else as well. If we can attract the likes of Sinclair and Fowler, it should put us on the map to attract other players.
âWith whatâs going on at Cardiff at the moment, itâs like a new club. Itâs certainly a good place to be at this moment in time.â
Fowler clearly thinks so. And he canât wait to get started in the blue of the Bluebirds.
Im so happy, never thought it would happen, I look forward to seeing Cardiff in the premiership next season.
Nice one Robbie Y.N.W.A