Portsmouth Football Club News

• Nickname:Pompey
• Founded:1898
• Manager:Michael Appleton

• Ground:Fratton Park
• Capacity:19,179

Kanu dismisses exit talk

08 Jan 2007 - 13:37:53

Click To Enlarge

Portsmouth striker Kanu insists he is happy to remain at Fratton Park despite recent reports linking him with a return to Ajax.

The 30-year-old Nigeria international's nine goals this season have helped to propel Pompey up to sixth in the Premiership table and he cannot understand where all the rumours linking him with Ajax are originating from.

"It's difficult when the fans don't know the truth," he told the club's official website.

"I'm grateful to the team, I'm grateful to the staff and I want to give back. It's not easy for players to come in, but when they accept you like that, it makes you keep going.

"There are a lot of rumours. I don't know who is bringing it up and saying I have to go to Ajax, and I have to do this, I have to do that.

"My first priority is to be at the club - my heart is here. I want to play for Portsmouth, I love Portsmouth. I'm enjoying my football, I'm happy, my family is happy, so why should I go?

"All this 'Ajax and no Ajax' - people are making it up and trying to distract the team and distract me but I'm focussed - I just want to do well for Portsmouth."

Earlier this month Kanu was quoted in The Vanguard newspaper as saying: "I want to go to Ajax. Portsmouth should be grateful for what I have been able to do for them and allow me to go.

"I have been talking to Edgar Davids and a couple of the other guys who shaped Ajax in the mid-1990s and we believe we can re-create the atmosphere if we return to play for the club.

"I am waiting for Ajax's offer. I have told Portsmouth I want to leave. My mind is made up. I have great memories of Amsterdam and I know great things can happen there if we return."