Montella raring to return
26 Mar 2007 - 07:29:18
Fulham striker Vincenzo Montella has vowed to repay the faith shown in him by the Craven Cottage fans when he finally returns to action next weekend.
The on-loan Roma frontman has not featured since being sent off in the 4-0 FA Cup fifth round defeat by Tottenham on February 18.
Montella was handed a three-match ban for a straight red card and, with the Cottagers playing just three games in the last six weeks, has been left to kick his heels on the sidelines.
The former Italy international turned out for the reserves last week and is now looking to add to his four-goal haul starting against Portsmouth on Saturday.
"I enjoyed myself on Wednesday evening, especially in the first half," he told the club's official website.
"I've missed a few matches, so I was keen to play and physically I felt good considering it's been a while since my last match.
"The fans will see a lot of enthusiasm from me because I want to demonstrate how eager I am to start playing again and to prove this.
"I would like to start but this depends on how I perform in training and I must continue to work hard.
"Over the final eight games of the season I want to continue to improve upon the way I started to play earlier this year when I first arrived."