Premier League / Ralph Ellis / 30 July 2009 / Leave a Comment

Rory Delap's long throws were the stuff of nightmares for Premier League defenders last season. Just when they thought it was safe to run out again, he's signed a new contract at The Britannia Stadium. Betfair went to Stoke for a chat with the man they named "The Delapidator."

So Hi Rory, how's your pre-season been?

Pretty tough, although it's eased off a bit now, the games are taking more precedence rather than the fitness work.

Does this time of the year get any easier as you get older?

I hoped it would, but if anything it seems to be getting harder and harder. I suppose that's a good thing because you get fitter, but it's tough graft. Mind you, it's better these days - I can remember a few pre-seasons where we would go a couple of weeks before you ever saw a football. At Carlisle as a youngster, my first couple of years as an apprentice, they were pretty tough. Coming from school and not used to that sort of thing, probably it felt harder than it really was

You did a bit of work in the summer with your bike ride, though?

To be honest most of the lads do something to tick over, but yes, I did a bit more. With a couple of mates we rode from Newcastle to Edinburgh to raise funds for the Donna Louise Trust, which is a local charity in Stoke. It did me good - although it was pretty tough.

Any plans to extend it to the Tour de France next year?

No, I think that's as close as I'll get.

Don't you fancy riding up mountains then?

Well, funnily enough we've just come back from a trip to Austria, and we had a day off there doing different things, and bike riding was part of it! It was mainly for fitness work and to get away as a group and try to get a bit of bonding as most of the teams do. We had a really hard week out there.

Is there a bit of a different feeling this summer? Last year you were the new boys going in to the Premier League, so is it different this time?

I don't think so, maybe most of us know a bit more about it. I think most of the lads are still excited about it, but we also know it's going to be harder than it was last year to stay up. Our aim is to better the points we got last season, but we know that will be tougher and teams probably know about us now. Then again, hopefully we know a bit more about them.

You made your name for the long throw last season and we'll doubtless hear more about it again, but what are your other personal ambitions for this season?

Well, first of all to get into the team. We've got a strong club and there will be some disappointed people, so first and foremost it's try to get into the side, and then be successful again.

Doesn't taking the long throw guarantee you your place?

I wish it did! It's not as simple as that at this level, otherwise everybody would pick ten players and a javelin thrower! Whether you are a free kick specialist, or take corners, or throw-ins, the only ones who will get away with not contributing to the team are if you've got a striker who scores 33 goals a season, but then again if he's doing that he's doing something right as well. I can't rely on just going out and throwing it

Did you feel other parts of your game improved last season?

Yes, I did, I felt I had a couple of tough years before I came to Stoke, and if I'm honest I didn't know what level I could still play at. But the last couple of years I think I have improved. I have had to change my game slightly, and that might be part of the reason why, but I've really enjoyed it. It's been the best couple of years I've had really and I hope it can still get better.

So any hopes to get back in the Republic of Ireland team and round it off with a World Cup?

Yeah, is this fantasy time? Of course you still keep a bit of hope, but it's very much in the background now. I can't see it happening to be honest. Giovanni Trappatoni has got a good strong squad and it's a young squad too. They've a good chance of this World Cup, but if they don't make it there's another one in the group that's together at the moment. There aren't too many older lads in there now.

Tell us about your new contract and what encouraged you to sign it...

I love this club, to be honest. And that's despite it not starting too well for me because I broke my leg on the first day here! I had a year left on my contract, and it came a bit out of the blue when I got offered another 12 months. I was delighted to sign.

So what are the good things about the club and where they are heading?

Well, we know what the manager is about, and the chairman seems to be backing him, he proved that the last couple of seasons. They've bettered themselves every year I have been here, and I hope that will continue. I didn't need to ask too many questions because you know what they are about. They are going to do everything in their power to better the club, and I want to be a part of that.

Tell us about Tony Pulis then...

It's hard to put your finger on why, but I just think it works. Sometimes in football you get a manager and a group of players and the two halves just join up and click. We've had that for the last two or three years here. He does his homework on the players, looks into how they are off the pitch and not just on it, he's all about team spirit. We won't play teams off the park but he knows he'll have lads who will go in and battle and play for each other and it's worked. I also think he's straight. You don't get any bull from him. He says what he feels and lets you know if you've played well, and if you haven't, believe me!

Okay, team spirit - so what happened with Ricardo Fuller at West Ham last season then?

I know - he and Andy Griffin got in a spat and Match of the Day made a big thing of it. Okay, I suppose we were getting beat, tempers get frayed, it happens. Actually things like that probably happen almost every day on the training pitch.

Really?

People would be surprised. I've seen it all through my career in the dressing room and on the training pitch. It happens at good clubs because the players are passionate and care and at bad ones because they don't as well! It's just for different reasons. . Of course when that sort of thing goes on in the public eye it gets blown up, and I understand that, but people on the outside take it far more seriously than they do at the clubs. It's obviously not what you want, but people have rows at work in every other walk of life. You just get on with it. You don't want to see it, but in our case it showed we care about things.

Thanks for your time and we've a free £50 bet for your favourite charity...

That can add into the funds for the Donna Louise Trust. And I'll back Jenson Button to stay ahead and win the drivers championship at [2.28]. Despite the last couple of races he's got too big a lead to let it slip.

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comment: