Source: Northern_Echo
Nolan out to achieve much more for Newcastle
AFTER being named Sports Personality of the Year at the Sport Newcastle Awards on Monday night, Magpies captain Kevin Nolan insists he still has a lot to achieve on Tyneside.[LNB] The skipper played a big part in guiding Newcastle to promotion in their Championship title-winning campaign last year and has since contributed 11 goals this term, including a hat-trick against Sunderland.[LNB] Following in the footsteps of Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne and Kevin Keegan, Nolan was honoured at the ceremony at Newcastle Civic Centre, which capped an impressive 12 months for the 28-year-old.[LNB] The past 12 months have been in stark contrast to Nolan's first few at St James' Park in the ill-fated season that saw the Magpies relegated into the second tier of English football.[LNB] The tables have turned and the midfielder is clearly enjoying life in the North-East.[LNB] For all he has achieved in the past year, Nolan insists he is still on a mission to take Newcastle on to bigger and better things.[LNB] "When you think about what's happened in the North-East, and the players who've received it beforehand, and to know how much the city breathes not only football but sport in general, it's just unbelievable," he said.[LNB] "Seeing all the rising stars and knowing they're all coming through - even though I've not been here long, I've heard of a couple of them already.[LNB] "When all my friends and family heard that I'd received an award like this, they couldn't believe it. It's unbelievable and I mean that.[LNB] "I texted my agent, I texted my dad, I've texted everybody. I'd only had the award about half an hour and I'd texted about 100 people.[LNB] "After the disappointment of the weekend, to receive such a prestigious award, I'm delighted.[LNB] "I just really thank the people for giving me it, and hopefully I'll only get better for the club and the city. I hope I can give them more of what they've had in 2011.''[LNB] He added: "I just don't want to be remembered for my hat-trick against Sunderland. People are always going to like that and I'm going to love it for the rest of my life, it will be something I'll always treasure.[LNB] "But I think the main thing for me is to make sure when I leave this club they're saying: 'Thanks very much for your service'. If there's 50,000 fans saying: 'Thanks very much' and saying it again when I come back, that's what I want.[LNB] "Receiving this award shows I'm doing something right but for me it's only another step towards keeping myself on-side, keeping myself right, and getting this team where I want to.''[LNB] In the past, former Newcastle stars have criticised the city for being a 'goldfish bowl', but Nolan doesn't agree.[LNB] The Liverpool-born midfielder has made no secret of his love for the city since joining in January 2009, so much so the Sunday League team he backs in his hometown of Liverpool, Nicosia, now play in black and white strips.[LNB] "It's just a fantastic city and an unbelievable place to live," said Nolan.[LNB] "I'm just delighted I'm able to play here week in, week out and hopefully I'll be able to do it for a few years.[LNB] "I've heard people call it a goldfish bowl, they can't do this and they can't do that. But the fact is, they only accept what they want, and what they want is nothing short of giving 110 per cent and trying their best week in, week out.[LNB] "Liverpool and Everton are exactly the same as Newcastle in my eyes in that respect. They're great fans in a great city and all they do is live and die by football.[LNB] "With the way they support our team they deserve nothing less than 110 per cent. Now we've got a team that are genuinely giving them that and will hopefully get better over the seasons.[LNB] "Nicosia wear black-and-white now (they used to wear Bolton strips). I took over again just after the turn of the year because I hadn't been involved for three years, but my uncle Steven is running them and my little brother plays for them.[LNB] "They're doing okay and now they're in black and white, the Newcastle strips with the Premier League logos. They're looking the part and I think now they're starting to play the part as well."[LNB] Although Nolan has only been on Tyneside for two years, he admits the things he has achieved in that time are a small part of a much bigger plan.[LNB] The Magpies currently lie ninth in the Premier League table, four points off the elusive 40-point mark that would all but guarantee their status for next season.[LNB] Although he is aware there is still work to be done before they are safe, Nolan is already looking beyond this season, and hopes he can be part of a squad that can compete in the top echelons of the Premier League in the years to come.[LNB] One thing that has stood out with the current crop of players is that they genuinely seem to care about the club and Nolan hopes that will continue beyond his time on Tyneside.[LNB] "We're in an okay position, but we want to get better. We want to get to good, then very good, then excellent,'' he said. "Hopefully in the coming years we will get there. By the time I retire Newcastle will hopefully be where it belongs.[LNB] "Without a shadow of a doubt the fans recognise this is a team that really cares, and they appreciate that. In the dreaded year when we got relegated we still had 40-odd thousand at the first game of the next season at St James'. It was unbelievable.[LNB] "All the so-called experts and pundits were saying we were going to get relegated or we were going to struggle and we've proved them wrong up to now, although we've still got a long way to go.[LNB] "We feel we've got such an affinity with the fans that we do feel stronger. We can achieve it and hopefully we'll get back to where they belong and where this fantastic club does.[LNB] "We're trying to build, not a legacy, but a platform for people to come in.[LNB] "Hopefully once I've moved on - I hope that won't be for five or six years but it might be three or four - the person who comes in is better and does a better job and we can build. I hope they come here because they know what it's about and they can embrace everything Newcastle's about."[LNB]
