Source: Telegraph
Roque Santa Cruz prepared to sacrifice all as Manchester City debut nears
IT is a telling indicator of just how exciting the future appears to a Manchester City player that Roque Santa Cruz is ready to sacrifice his place at the World Cup finals in South Africa next summer if it helps him stay at the peak of his powers for his club.
The Paraguay striker has a history of knee injuries and is cautious about jeopardising his role in City's emergence as a major footballing power. Bad news in Asuncion; good news in Eastlands.
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"We've qualified, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon," Santa Cruz said. ''I'm very excited that Paraguay will be at the World Cup, but right now the only thing is to get better for my club. Once the time arrives, if I need to step out of the World Cup, if the club needs that, I will do it. I just want to do everything well."
The charismatic Santa Cruz is idolised in Paraguay and, having turned 28 last month, this World Cup would be his last while at his peak. So his readiness to put club ahead of country is a marker of his absolute commitment to the Eastlands project.
"City have placed a big trust in myself and so to step out, that is something I would do. I have played in two World Cups before, so I have achieved one of my goals in my career. The injuries have changed my perspective – so when the end of the season arrives we'll see how it is."
Few players better appreciate the value of being fit than Santa Cruz. He had a miserable time with injuries at Bayern Munich – in his last three season in the Bundesliga he managed just seven goals – and is determined not to let it happen again.
His long, hard road back from his latest injury ends tomorrow, when Manchester City take on West Ham in the City of Manchester stadium.
Santa Cruz had an operation on his knee in April, signed for City for £17.5 million while recuperating and, having played 45 minutes behind closed doors last week, is ready to make his belated debut – the last one of Mark Hughes' expensive summer signings to do so.
"I can't wait to get out there," he said. "I don't think people realise how excited I am about making my debut – I just can' wait to do it. I think I'm in good shape to be involved in the West Ham game. Hopefully the rush won't make me take the wrong decision. Everything is looking positive with the knee; it has dealt with the stress I have been giving it. Now I need to get my match fitness."
His return to health has been well timed. Hughes's 4-2-3-1 system works best when he has a powerful striker leading the line, a job that was done superbly by Emmanuel Adebayor before his antics against Arsenal brought him a suspension. While Adebayor is quicker, Santa Cruz has the advantage of being a superb header of the ball – and the gallant Paraguayan is most unlikely to stir up any controversy.
"I don't you'll be seeing anything like that from me," he laughs. "Maybe it is a good time for me to come into the team but I don't want Ade to be out of the selection – I would like to be fighting with him for the position. Everybody at the club is supporting him. He's had a great start, scoring goals, and getting the goal against Arsenal that he really wanted but at the same time it has been hard for him because of the suspension and what people are writing about him. I'm sure he'll learn from it all, get back in the team and be even better. The team needs him."
Santa Cruz has become an expert on the City team, his injury turning him into a spectator in the stands.
"It was very tough watching the derby and, of course, really annoying at the end," he said. "As soon as I'm not involved, I turn into one more fanatic, biting my nails. During the game you have the chance to appreciate the football a bit, especially two such fantastic goals by Bellamy. I was jumping around celebrating, thinking that we'd drawn the game. It was a crazy game."
With a week to let the disappointment fade, Santa Cruz thinks the drama of the derby might actually be to City's advantage in the long term, an education in acquiring a winning mentality. The stubborn expectation of habitual victory was drilled into Santa Cruz by winning five league titles in his time at Bayern, and if City are to make good on their grand plans, the dressing room will need to develop that collective ruthlessness.
"Top teams learn from these experiences," Santa Cruz said. "You don't get to where we want to be by winning one derby. It is winning week after week, a mentality that builds up through the years. The two guys that had it at Bayern were Oliver Kahn and Stefan Effenberg. They were maybe not the most naturally gifted players but they were so strong in the head. It takes a strong player to be involved in such kind of pressure, to get result after result and build history."
