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Barry
"Bazza" Hayles
Fulham |
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When Jean Tigana became manager of Fulham
last year, striker Barry Hayles thought his days at the club were numbered.
The 29-year-old had only been playing professional football for three years
and he was given a hard time by supporters when he first arrived at Craven
Cottage.
He cost £2 million from Bristol Rovers - who had plucked him from
non-league - in November 1998 and fans thought he was not living up to his
price tag.
His fast, tricky style had gone some way to winning them over by the time
Tigana took over, but Hayles's experience of being told he would not make
the grade by several clubs as a youngster had taught him to take nothing
for granted.
He spent his early 20s playing amateur football while earning a living as
a carpenter, so he was far from a cocky striker and the arrival of Tigana
with the promise of significant financial backing for new players was bound
to be a concern.
But like many others in this country who thought the manager would instantly
overhaul his squad, he misjudged the little Frenchman and it is not a mistake
he is going to make twice.
Tigana took Hayles under his wing, reassured him that he had a future at
Fulham and helped him develop into the striker who scored 18 League goals
last season.
Last night the frontman scored his first Premiership goal and with Louis
Saha getting a second, his club claimed their first win in the top division
for 33 years when they beat Sunderland 2-0.
It was a memorable moment for Hayles, "a dream come true", and
not even news that Tigana wants to give the vacant number nine shirt to
Lyon's Steve Marlet and is willing to pay £10 million to get him,
could put him off his game.
"We need a bigger squad here and if someone new comes in and I am still
scoring goals, the gaffer will keep playing me," said Hayles.
"There is a bit of pressure on me. I keep picking up the newspapers
and seeing there is a new £10m striker being linked with the club.
"But if you are doing well you will play and I think I have played
well enough to keep my place at the moment. It is just great to be mixing
it with the big boys."
On Sunday at Manchester United, Hayles gave players such as Jaap Stam and
Gary Neville a few problems but the team lost 3-2.
It gave him the confidence to believe he can keep his place whoever Tigana
brings in and last night he was one of the chief tormentors of Sunderland's
defence.
Hayles has always had pace and never been scared to run at people. He still
has that annoying habit of dribbling the ball into dead end situations,
but against Sunderland he showed he had much more to offer.
He held the ball up, laid it off intelligently and demonstrated a great
awareness of his striking partner Saha. In the first-half alone he set up
his French team-mate with three good scoring chances but they went begging.
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Source Evening Standard by Leo Spall