Source: Manchester_EveningNews
Wes only thinking of United
WES Brown won't allow his thoughts to drift to the World Cup despite becoming a Fabio Capello regular squad member when fit. Experience has taught the 30-year-old United defender not to consider the finals during winter. In 2001, he was hit with a knee injury from December to mid-April yet the then England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson still took him to Seoul and Korea for the 2002 finals. However, Brown was virtually a United fixture during the same period in the 2005-06 campaign but the Swede overlooked him for the 2006 Germany showpiece. "I was in the World Cup squad in Japan and that was great and it is great we are there now, but it is a long time between now and then," said the defender. "People have still got to play for their clubs and play well. Hopefully, when it gets closer we will be thinking about it a lot more but at the moment it is definitely all about the club." Brown had his best-ever season for United in the 2007-08 campaign. He played more games than anyone else and topped the season off by appearing in the Champions League final in Moscow. Last year, however, the jinxed Mancunian was struck down by injury and an ankle problem robbed him of all but three appearances from October to May. But the Longsight-born defender has been back in United's rearguard for the last five matches as Sir Alex Ferguson wrestles with a defensive injury plague that sees Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea and Jonny Evans all absent against Besiktas tonight, and struggling for Saturday's trip to Portsmouth. But the Brown bonus has cheered Fergie up. "We are delighted he is back and I don't have the concerns that you would associate with someone who has four defenders missing. With Wes and Vida as my centre-backs you can feel quite comfortable about it," said the Reds' boss. Brown will play his 60th Champions League match tonight against the Turks and is settling back into the Reds side. "The more games you play, the better you feel," he said. "The first couple of games, a lot of it is adrenalin. Then you have to keep your fitness up and keep working hard. "Hopefully that is happening with me at the moment. I have been injured on so many occasions I am used to coming back and getting back into the team and trying to do my best. "That has happened again this season. I am happy with that. This is the only place I have ever wanted to be. It is the only club I have ever wanted to play for. "The injuries I have had in the past (two major cruciate knee ligament problems and an ankle injury) don't bother me. "It has happened so often that I am used to it. I just get on with it. "It doesn't become any harder to get over it. You get used to things. It doesn't make it more difficult coming back. It just makes you want to get back even quicker. "I have been able to pass on advice after going through so many injuries. A lot of the younger players come to me for advice. "I tell them to listen to the physios. Whatever the physios have told me has been right. I have always come back. I have great trust in them. "I just tell them to believe in yourself, work hard, and you will get back really fit."
