Sunderland's Benjani hopes to have last laugh on Portsmouth striker Kanu

09 February 2010 12:07
Benjani has been trading jibes with the Nigerian striker ahead of the Premier League match and is determined to prove that his former colleague is wrong to tease him that both clubs will be relegated at the end of this season. [LNB]'I am always on the phone with 'the King' Kanu,' said Benjani, 31. 'I have joked with him. I told him 'You are going down' and when I joined Sunderland he said 'You will be with us! I said 'No, no, no - it's not like that'. That will not happen. He is happy for me that I have a new club.' [LNB]Tony Adams set to make Portsmouth signingsPortsmouth Peter Storrie says illegal tapping up of players is rifeBenjani, currently on loan at Sunderland from Manchester City, scored 19 goals in 70 Portsmouth appearances but it was a sudden flurry of goals that earned him an £8 million move two years ago to Eastlands. [LNB]'I knew the Portsmouth game was coming quickly after I signed. I am looking forward to it, it will be a very special occasion,' Benjani added. 'I played well for Portsmouth and it was a very special time for all of us who were at the club then. [LNB]'It was happy for us then but when I see what has happened to the club I am sad, of course. You want your former team to be successful - I wish them the best of luck and really hope that they get out of the problems they are in at the moment.[LNB]'I don't regret leaving Portsmouth. In life sometimes you have to move on and experience new things - it keeps you pushing hard. It was probably my best time in football.' [LNB]Benjani's City contract expires this summer and he is setting his sights on earning a new deal at Sunderland. 'I would like to stay - that is the reason for coming here,' he continued. 'Now I have to prove myself if I want to stay in the long-term. But if I can convince the manager that I am worth it, of course I would like to be here and win a contract. [LNB]'The manager has says 'It depends on how you play'. Of course I know that. But I hope to play so well that he has no choice but to keep me. I need to work hard and perform though.' Benjani was deemed surplus to requirements by City manager Roberto Mancini but insisted that he never become disenchanted with life at the club.[LNB]'If you go to a new club it is a new chance for you and I needed a new challenge,' he said. 'That is why I am here, because I need a fresh start. [LNB]'I didn't get disillusioned at Manchester City. If you buy new expensive players it makes it very difficult for the players who are already there. They were spending a lot of money and that makes it tough. That is why I needed to come somewhere else - to get games.'[LNB]

Source: Telegraph