Reid reveals fitness motive

Black Cats star loses nearly two stone since last season

By James Riach   Last updated: 11th December 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Reid reveals fitness motive

Reid: In shape

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Sunderland midfielder Andy Reid has revealed why he decided to shed the pounds and get fitter during the summer.

The 27-year-old creative player has been in fine form for the Black Cats so far this season, scoring four times in 16 appearances, and this has coincided with his decision to up his fitness.

Reid admitted that when the Black Cats were on a bad run of form at the back end of the last campaign he knew changes were going to be made at the club and wanted to give himself the best opportunity of playing in the first-team.

"I didn't wake up one morning and say, "I am going to do this"," he told the Daily Mail.

"It was something I felt I wanted to do and I needed to do. I spoke to the chairman about it and he felt it would be a good idea, which would benefit me and the club. So I went away and did it.

"Towards the end of last season, things were not going particularly well at the club for myself or for anyone else, for that matter. I just felt I wanted to have a good summer and give myself a good opportunity when we came back.

"Everyone knew there would be a new manager coming in and we all wanted to make a good impression and I was no different.

Get fit

"It was a very long, grinding season and I needed to re-charge and get my head round coming back and putting in a good shift in the summer and doing some hard work.

"Initially, the idea was not to lose weight, it was more to get fit. But, as I started to feel and get fitter, I started to lose weight and it continued from there.

"I was consciously looking after myself better, I was watching what I was eating and drinking and the times I was doing it."

Sunderland take on the Premier League's bottom club Portsmouth at the weekend and they will look to improve on their good record at the Stadium of Light and claim all three points.

But while Reid's domestic form has been excellent this season, he still finds himself in the international wilderness following a fall-out with Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni.

"The Ireland manager knows when I play well and don't play well," he added. "No one will change his mind on what he wants to do but, if he picks me, great.

"I want to play for Ireland. If not, fine, I get on with playing for Sunderland. It's simple, but that's it."

Comments (1)

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Michael Tuckwell (Sunderland fan) says...

good on the lad he is playing a blinding season and should bring out a january fitness video I d buy it!

Posted 20:45 11th December 2009
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