Source: Daily_Mail
It's all in the head for football-crazy Paul Scharner
It is not known what Helga Scharner, mother of West Bromwich Albion's Paul, thought when her 12-year-old son demanded dietary changes. 'Would you mind not cooking me any more food with fat in it, please?' came the request, 'I need to be thin and really fit. I'm going to be a professional footballer.' Team talk: Ref Mike Dean (centre) intervene's between Gonzalo Jara (left) and Paul Scharner (right) This is a man whose singleminded determination to succeed led him to propose to his wife-to be with the caveat she must support his football career. A man who kicked off a huge storm in Norway by playing for SK Brann, rather than attend the birth of his second child. And a man who shuns an agent in favour of a life coach he appointed when he was 15. His goals for the week are listed on a flip chart. He loves classical music, plays the piano and dyes his hair to make him stand out, 'rather than fight in discos'. He had no friends as a teenager - because he never went out. Moreover, he threw a Roy Keaneesque tantrum at Austria's failure to take the 2008 European Championships seriously and slapped an international ban on himself. In the dressing room, where every idiosyncrasy is seized upon as a potential mickey-taking opportunity, Roberto Di Matteo's squad were spoiled for choice. 'He's a weirdo,' said Baggies teammate James Morrison, without a hint of irony. Head case: Paul Scharner pays tribute to Wigan fans in his own way Scharner laughed when reminded ahead of tomorrow's first Black Country derby in the Barclays Premier League against Wolves. 'I am totally committed to being a professional footballer,' he said, 'I remember telling my mother about fat in my food when I was 12. I was obsessed about being thin and fit. I ate so little fat my body cannot process it now. 'And I have had a career coach since the age of 15 who specialises in personal development. 'I believed I had a better chance to succeed with someone around me. Not an agent. I wanted to be well-trained mentally. If you look at games that mean anything, it's not decided on your football ability. It's decided on how strong you are in your head.' He cites the 2009 Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona. 'Manchester United started far better,' he said, 'but they conceded and couldn't even pass the ball after that. They had gone, mentally, after the first goal. 'I had that feeling after about 10 minutes at Aston Villa last week. That we weren't focused enough, I knew we wouldn't win. It's about being mentally strong. Committed: Aston Villa's Eric Lichaj (centre left) and West Bromwich Albion's Paul Scharner (centre right) battle for the ball 'For example, I set myself up to play in the Premier League when I was about 19. I told SK Brann when I joined I wanted to move to England. That was my focus. I knew Scandinavian football is more connected to English football than any other in Europe. 'When I joined Wigan, it was honestly what I had always wanted. To play in the Premier League. 'I'm not sure people like Steve Bruce totally understood me. My English was okay but I went in to see him with my thoughts written on a piece of paper. I wanted to know about his tactics. 'He just looked at me and said: "I've never had a footballer come to see me with a list." He was quite impressed, I think.' So how does his flip chart fit in? 'Look, if you are not singledminded, you won't succeed,' he said, 'I've got a flip-chart at home with my short and long-term goals on it. I agree them with my lifecoach, Valentin Hobel. 'In Austria, Sunday was the day for football. Every week until I was 18, I was in bed by 10pm. I didn't have many friends. The other kids thought I was boring. I didn't care,' said the 30-year-old. Scharner caused outcry in Norway when - in contrast to England bowler Jimmy Anderson, who flew home from the Ashes for the birth of his second child - he made it plain football came first. 'I've known my wife since I was 19,' he explained. 'When we got engaged, I said to her "I'm asking you on the understanding that you must support my career." 'When I moved to Norway, she was pregnant with our second child. The question for her was "What are the medical facilities like?" 'For me, I saw that the birth-date clashed with our opening fixture of the season. I told a Norwegian newspaper I had decided to play the match, regardless of whether she went into labour. 'It was a big story. The Norwegians didn't understand me at all. I received a lot of criticism. In the end, it was okay. I played, I scored, we won and Marlena gave birth to Benedict the day after.' Scharner will prepare for tomorrow's showdown with flip-charts, an early night and some Mozart. 'I like classical music. All you get in the dressing-room is RnB. 'Mozart brings me down. He takes me away from football. I spend time imagining how he pieces his music together. I wonder how it is possible to think that big, to bring together the violins and wind instruments. It's good for brain development. And there is a connection. I believe Mozart was very strong, mentally.' There is, however, no suggestion that Wolfgang Amadeus ever asked his mother to amend his diet. West Bromwich v WOLVES: Crocked Kevin Doyle misses out but Matt Jarvis could returnWEST BROM v Wolves: Hotshot Peter Odemwingie a big concern ahead of Black Country derby Explore more:People: Steve Bruce, Jimmy Anderson, Roberto Di Matteo, Paul Scharner, James Morrison Places: Barcelona, Norway, United Kingdom, Austria, Europe
