Mido - I'm no troublemaker

Egyptian striker says he is just an honest player

Last updated: 6th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Mido - I'm no troublemaker

Mido: No trouble

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West Ham striker Mido has hit out at his bad-boy reputation and says he does not have an attitude problem.

The 27-year-old Egyptian forward has had a number of run-ins with team-mates and managers over the years but has taken a pay cut to move to the Hammers.

Mido is currently on £1,000 a week at Upton Park, plus add-ons, but he insists it was the honesty of boss Gianfranco Zola that attracted him to the club.

"When I came here I met Gianfranco Zola and I could see honesty in his eyes when he spoke to me," he said in The Sun.

"He made me smile when he told me, 'If you sign, I will have four strikers here - but you're going to be fifth choice!'

"On the day I agreed to join West Ham, I was offered £45,000 a week by a different Premier League club.

"Zola was honest with me, maybe he knows I like challenges, here at West Ham it's to prove I'm still good enough to play in the Premier League."

In the past Mido has been banned for six months with his country and has had rows with former Ajax manager Ronald Koeman and a spell of discontent at Tottenham.

Hard worker

But he disputes those who have labelled him as a troublemaker, adding: "I'll contest those who say I had trouble everywhere I went - I didn't. I had some upsets, but everywhere? No.

"I don't think anyone can question my attitude, wherever I have been I've worked hard.

"I have not been one of these players who are happy to stay at one club and just pick up the money.

"When you look at the moves I've had, some were natural moves in my career. For example, when I started at Ghent I moved to Ajax - who could turn that down?

"I was at Marseille and I had the opportunity to go to Italy with Roma.

"Some people say it makes me look like I'm restless but I don't think so - all I wanted to do was play football.

"Do I want to change again? No. I'd love to be here for four, five years. I want West Ham to be my last stop in England."