You’re not in the starting line-up. This is the case, but you’re a professional footballer. You get your head around it and make sure you’re ready when you get a chance. Everyone has a different way of looking at it when you’re a footballer. Perhaps it takes more time to get accustomed to that, the more times you do become a sub.
It’s a very depressing time when you’re a sub and you want to get on and don’t get a chance. You build yourself up and get yourself ready and then don’t get on. The next week, you build yourself up and get ready to go on and don’t go on. It’s quite disheartening as a professional sportsman so, when you do get a chance, you have to make an impact.
So those 10 days in May?
From my point of view, I’m sure everyone has got different stories.
Mine was a very, very topsy-turvy 10 or 11 days. First of all, I get the nod to play in the starting line-up for the Tottenham game. I was very surprised after the season I’d had, after losing my place to Yorkey and then having injuries and not doing so well, not scoring as many goals as I would have liked. To get the nod and play in that game, I was delighted.
Shocked, in a good way, but delighted.
Then, being pulled off at half-time with the score at 1-1 at the time, I was utterly devastated and really upset. To get dragged off and then to be on the substitutes’ bench thinking, if I played the last game of the season, I might start the FA Cup final and maybe his thinking has changed around. Then to know, probably on the Friday, I wouldn’t be playing in the FA Cup final and, after six minutes, for Roy Keane to get injured and then he (Sir Alex) is telling me and two others to go and warm up.
Before I know it, Sir Alex is saying to me: “Teddy, you’re going on,” and I’m like: ‘You what? I’m a striker not a midfielder.’ But then thinking, what am I even doing? Get on there before he changes his mind!
Well, just after a minute of going on, scoring the first goal in an FA Cup final and setting up the second one for Scholesy and being named Man of the Match, I thought, you know what, I must have a chance of playing in the Champions League final now. Surely I’ve changed his mind around.
So, to be told on Tuesday that I wouldn’t be playing meant, in the topsy-turvy 11 days, I’ve gone back down again. But I thought I’ve already changed it once in an FA Cup final. Maybe I can have the same effect on Wednesday. I’ll just gather my thoughts, prepare right and be ready if needed.
