Source: Daily_Mail
Driving ambition: I could have been the next Lewis Hamilton, insists De Jong
If life had turned out differently, instead of anchoring Manchester City's midfield against West Ham tonight, Nigel de Jong might have been celebrating victory in the Singapore Grand Prix instead of Lewis Hamilton.[LNB]'I was always into cars as a kid,' the Dutchman revealed. 'It started with my grandfather.[LNB]'He worked for Ford for 40 years and every two years he would come home with anew car.[LNB]'I used to go to the factory to see the new models when they were coming out. I am happy to show my talents as a footballer but I did think about Formula One or go-karts.[LNB] Getting stuck in: Manchester United's Oliveira Anderson (left) feels the full force of Manchester City's Nigel De Jong - who always wanted to be racing car driver[LNB]'I raced karts as a kid, I still do in my spare time with a couple of other guys. I am not the next Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher, but I do love the adrenaline. To be sitting in a car at speed, it's quite a nice feeling.'[LNB]De Jong would probably be well advised not to let Mark Hughes know when he isnext going out for a spin.[LNB]Superstar: Lewis Hamilton could have been the next Nigel De Jong ... or was it the other way round?[LNB]The midfielder has turned into quite an important figure over the last few weeks and dominated exchanges against Manchester United at Old Trafford last weekend until Darren Fletcher took centre stage.[LNB]Now though he must focus on the Hammers, who dropped into the relegation zonethis weekend but appear to be a far better side than a run of three successive defeats suggests.[LNB]City are buoyed by having £17million summer arrival Roque Santa Cruz available for the first time, along with England Under-21 midfielder Michael Johnson, whose progress has been halted by an abdominal problem that has bothered him for two seasons. [LNB]Martin Petrov is also pushing for his first start, although Hughes might be tempted to leave things as they are, even if Micah Richards recovers from a shoulder problem that kept him out in midweek. [LNB] GRAHAM POLL: Handball confusion over Scholes, Dunne and Gordon but Cech deserved his red cardOnly injuries have prevented Craig Bellamy being a truly great player - West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola fears fully-fit Manchester City strikerSanta Cruz return gives City a boost: £17m striker ready to face West HamMANCHESTER CITY FC
