Tommy Mooney: I'm a typical English centre-forward but I must adapt

Champions League / Tommy Mooney / 28 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

Our man in Marbella discusses the difficulties of adapting to a new country on and off the field and admits that his children are learning the language quicker than him. But things are looking up as he gets ready to raise his right arm Shearer-style.

I wouldn't be the first professional footballer to go to a club and not have things turn out the way I hoped they would - but me and the coach here have both tried hard since we had our clear-the-air meeting last week.

It's the first time in nearly 20 years of playing that I've ever had that feeling of being frozen out for any period of time at all. The fact I'm in a foreign country, still getting to grips with the native language hasn't helped, but it's certainly not the main factor behind what happened.

Having made the sacrifices that I've made to come here, it's not an opportunity I was going to pass up lightly. Ironically, I was more concerned about the family settling than my football but they've taken to life just fine and it's been my part of the bargain that hasn't yet sparked into life.

In fact, the children have taken to Spanish so well that I was considering taking them into my meeting with the coach as my translators!

The coach is quite stubborn - like me, I'm happy to admit - and very ingrained in the more traditional Spanish footballing style of contain and counter-attack. My style of football is what a stereotypical English centre-forward would bring to a game. Now while that's not immediately applicable out here, we're just starting to find a way of my play helping the team, which is of course the most important thing.

I came on for the last half-hour at home on Sunday and we went a little more direct. I had a hand in the equaliser and had a couple of chances to win the match too - so I think we all saw having that variety to our game worked for us.

I've been learning since I arrived here that I've got to do things slightly differently. Now I'm likely to get a bit more of a chance, which is all I was asking for, the ball's in my court to show that I can adapt.

Hopefully, the manager and I can put the recent past behind us and, with his English still better than my Spanish, we're back communicating again.

This is by far the longest I've ever gone into a season without getting off the mark. When I do get the first one, it'll be my traditional right arm in the air - a little bit Shearer-esque. It might seem a bit dull but that's all I've ever had I'm afraid, after I learnt a lesson never to try stupid goal celebrations.

It was back in 1997, I think, Watford drew Wimbledon at home in the FA Cup. We'd been out a week or so beforehand, on our Christmas players' do. Richard Johnson had put a few too many away and did a 'Dead Ant' - from a film he'd seen - on the floor of a nightclub, lying on his back and waggling his legs in the air.

Unfortunately for me, since I scored the equaliser against Wimbledon, we all agreed that whoever scored next would lead the celebration with this 'Dead Ant.' We all looked stupid and I was cringing while doing it. I got a perfect reminder not to try anything like that again when Wimbledon hard-man Mick Harford trampled on my head as he walked through about 10 of us lying down like idiots.

I see one of my former clubs has got plenty to celebrate right now. Wycombe Wanderers are the only Football League club still unbeaten this season, top of League Two and four points clear.

We actually went 21 games unbeaten in my first season there but lost out in the Play-Offs. They'll know from last time that they're only a poor Christmas period away from being back in mid-table. They've worked very hard to get in that position; but being top at this stage of the season gives you nothing but gloating rights.

When you're on a run like that, you do feel good. We had a great team spirit under John Gorman and some quality players to back it up. On the day we actually lost the record, we'd done a bit for BBC's Football Focus about it. As soon as you mention it, the risk of it ending increases dramatically!

It's FA Cup time this weekend, though, and Wycombe are off to Eastwood Town, a Unibond Premier side in Nottinghamshire. These are great days to be a footballer; a real experience, you can't beat it, honestly.

That'll test their resolve but I don't expect them to slip up so [1.53] is a price that makes it look like it's worth getting involved. It's quite short though so how about a double with my old side, Birmingham City. They've got a massive local derby at Wolves on Saturday lunch-time but I'm not going to oppose Blues - I've still got property in the area!

Put Birmingham, [3.55] to win at Molineux, with Wycombe and there's a nice double for two of my old teams.