SCHWARZER on SCHWARZER...

[WhiteJC]

 
MARK SCHWARZER: It's a great honour to be the only overseas player to have made 500 Premier League appearances... I've enjoyed them all and want to make more

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer writes in his debut Footballers' Football Column about still going strong into his 40s. The Australian No 1 expresses his desire to carry on until the World Cup next year and says he can still play top-flight football next season, despite his Craven Cottage contract coming to an end. Schwarzer talks about coming to England in 1996, two memorable European runs with Middlesbrough and Fulham and how he nearly signed for another club in England. Before you read his column, watch his video below.

Playing at the top level is still my ambition and playing in Brazil at next year's World Cup would be the pinnacle. But what happens from here is unclear. My contract at Fulham was up at the end of the season, we will see what happens now.
I have not been thinking about it in recent weeks as I wanted to make sure we were safe, but now we will see what happens.
I still want to play in the Premier League and still believe I have the ability to do it. It would be nice to stay at Fulham. But the bottom line is I have to find a club that believe in my ability.
I am open minded about other leagues, but I don't see my future back in the Australia in the A-League. It is a great league but it is not an option for me.


Eyes wide shut: Mark Schwarzer makes a good save in the final game of the season against Swansea


The end? Schwarzer celebrates after Fulham's final game of the season against Swansea

I am often asked how I still stay fit enough to play at the top level in my 40s and it is pretty simple. I changed my diet, I work more in the gym than I used to, and I still do the same training routine that I always have done through my career.

I don't eat bread, I don't eat pasta, I don't really eat carbohydrates, I eat meat for three meals a day and lots of vegetables so I get my carbs through the veg.

I snack out on a lot of pistachio nuts, they are very addictive and part of the fun with them is peeling them out of their shell – it slows you down as well.

All that has helped me and as a result it is a great honour to be the only overseas player to have made 500 Premier League appearances and I have enjoyed every single one of those games.

I can remember when I made the move to England back in 1996. I was in Germany at Kaiserslautern but I was not playing, that was the problem. I played six first team games in two and a half years.

I had just got together with my wife and she wanted to work and I was not having any success playing in Germany and so she suggested England. I always wanted to play in England and the EU was formed and opened up and movement was allowed and I wanted to come and give it a go.

As a kid I always enjoyed watching English football and it was a dream to come to England and play so I did everything I could to get over here.

How the move came about was a little strange. I was given a trial by Manchester City and I came over and played a reserve game against Bradford. Steve Coppell was manager at the time and Phil Neal was his No 2.

The reserve game was away at Bradford and the story goes that Phil Neal went into Chris Kamara's office and said that they had a goalkeeper on trial and that I had been training really well and that they hoped that Bradford had a strong team out as they wanted to test me.

We won 1-0 and we played really well and after the game I got a call saying Bradford wanted to take me as well.


Still going strong: Schwarzer says he changed his diet to play into his 40s


Road to Brazil: Schwarzer is keen to play at the next World Cup - providing Australia qualify

Steve Coppell resigned a few days later and Phil Neal took over and still wanted to sign me, so we gave them first option but unfortunately things did not work out so I took up the offer from Bradford and had a good time there playing under Chris Kamara with Paul Jewell as his assistant.

Then Bryan Robson took me to Middlesbrough where I enjoyed 12 fantastic years at the Riverside.

It was a great time helping the club win the first piece of silverware when we won the Carling Cup and of course the UEFA Cup run in 2006 was fantastic.

At Middlesbrough I worked with Mike Kelly who was the goalkeeping coach and he has had a huge impact on my career, not just at Boro but he also played a key role in getting me to Fulham.


Missing out: Manchester City under Steve Coppell and Phil Neal took Schwarzer on trial but Bradford signed him ahead of them

   
Heading to the Bantams: Bradford manager Chris Kamara made a move for Schwarzer in 1996


Mixed relationship: Schwarzer and Steve McClaren had their ups and downs at Middlesbrough


Silver lining: Schwarzer won the League Cup with Boro in 2004

Both Steve McClaren and Roy Hodgson are considered to be two of the best English coaches in the game and I have worked with both of them. I had my differences with Steve towards the end of my time at Middlesbrough.
But when he came to the club he was like a breath of fresh air and changed the ethos of the club and we had the most successful period in the clubs history which included winning the first trophy under him.
But for me it is difficult to compare anyone to Roy Hodgson and it was no surprise to me that Liverpool came calling and then England.
What I saw in the two years in working under him I saw he was an exceptional manager and my only regret is that I did not get the chance to work with him for longer.
When he took over at Fulham no one gave him a chance and wrote him off because supposedly he had been out of the game for too long and supposedly he had failed at Blackburn – even though he didn't.
And what he did in staying up was tremendous. I was sold on signing for Fulham on the first conversation I had with Roy.
Mike Kelly started the ball rolling because I knew him very well. Roy told me the ambition of the club and maybe we did not expect it to change quite as quickly as it did but in my first season we achieved the highest top flight finish in the clubs history and then made the Europa League final the following season, so it was a fantastic time playing under Roy.
At both Middlesborugh and Fulham I reached a European final. There were a lot of similarities between the European runs and both were truly memorable. If you were to re-wind the clock and play the games again then of course I would rather win the finals. But unfortunately there has to be a loser and on both occasions I was on the losing side.


Simply the best: Schwarzer says Roy Hodgson is the best coach he has worked under

   
In safe hands: Neil Etheridge and David Stockdale are both tipped to go onto big things by Schwarzer


Influential: Mike Kelly has played a big role in Schwarzer's career in England


Missing out: Twice Schwarzer has been a losing finalist in the UEFA Cup and Europa League

But I would not have changed anything, the run to the finals in both clubs were fantastic and there were some memorable nights. The game against Steaua Bucharest for Middlesbrough and of course the win over Juventus at Fulham.

This season has been tough. It started well with the signing of Dimitar Berbatov. He is a great player and it as a big surprise when Fulham signed him, we as players were just as shocked as the fans when he came to the club.

But he has been great, you watch him in training and his ability is unquestionable. His touch and patience on the ball is unbelievable.


Surprised: Schwarzer says everyone was shocked when Fulham signed Dimitar Berbatov


Spot on: Schwarzer saves Mikel Arteta's penalty in the last seconds of injury time to earn a 3-3 draw with Arsenal at The Emirates

It has been a disappointing end to the season, we found ourselves in the situation where we got to the 40 point mark and then went on a very poor run and were almost dragged right into the relegation battle and I think that gave the players the kick they needed.

Whatever happens with me next season, The future of goalkeeping at Fulham is very bright, Neil Etheridge has progressed very well since I have been at the club and I have dragged him along to all the gym sessions, he is a good kid and has done well out on loan and has a big future ahead of him.

David Stockdale has been out on loan for much of the season and helped Hull win promotion so he has done well too.


500 club: Schwarzer is the only overseas player to have made 500 Premier League appearances


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2329353/Mark-Schwarzer--The-Footballers-Football-Column-I-fit-play-Premier-League-year.html#ixzz2UC2j5JuD
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook