DISTIN WANTS TO STAY IN TOON by Nic Evans

SYLVAIN DISTIN has revealed his joy at his loan move to Newcastle United and spoke of the difficult times he endured at Paris Saint Germain.

With The Magpies riding high in The Premiership and looking on course for a Champions League spot, as well as still being in the FA Cup, it has been a superb year for the on-loan Distin.

Having gradually forced his way into Bobby Robson's first team, it would seem that Distin will eventually complete a permanent transfer to the North East, joining Olivier Bernard and Laurent Robert as Newcastle's French contingent begins to grow again.

The 23-year-old defender told Le Parisien: "At the beginning of the summer, Luis Fernandez (PSG coach) had said to me: 'You will perhaps not play all the matches, but you will return from time to time. One month later, he told me to go seek another club'.

"I was undesirable. I was not allowed to train with the other PSG professionals. Bernard Guignedoux (sporting co-ordinator) made me train alone.

"One day at the training camp I found a bag by the ground containing my locker contents. I did not have any more access to the cloakrooms."

Now the future is rosier and Distin continued: "At Newcastle, I play, the atmosphere is incredible, and moreover the team is doing well.

"I am doing really well at Newcastle, be sure of it. I would definitely like to be transferred but that depends."

However, with his good form, PSG are looking to up the price and Distin is uncertain: "I intend to stay with Newcastle and hope they will get me to sign a contract, but I will not believe it until I see it.

"When I did not play for PSG, there were heaps of agents coming to speak to me about incredible offers from large clubs. But when it was a question of serious discussion, the offers were not there."

When asked if he had any regrets about life in England, Distin said: "Yes, the pubs close at 11 pm!"

Meanwhile, his French team-mate Robert has revealed his desire to go to the World Cup, saying: "I am scoring and I help my team-mates to score, I think I have proved a lot.

"If the French team need a little plus, I would like to be the 23rd man. Apart from me, there is no true left-footed players for the left side of midfield - Dugarry and Pires are right-footed players."

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

Answers

Have PSG taken on Gullit as head of Personnel?

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

Just the first graduate of RG's new Academy of Man Management Excellence.

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

One day at the training camp I found a bag by the ground containing my locker contents. I did not have any more access to the cloakrooms

The flying Dutchman was my first thought as well guys! Ruud sounds a bit touchy-feely in relation to this stuff.

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

Slightly disquieting, all the same.

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

surely he can find a pub that would let him stay in after 11

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

Re pubs, apparently he keeps on finding he's been locked out, and his bag and coat dumped outside on the street. ;-)

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

Hmmmm. Makes me wonder why he was so unpopular at PSG. I hope it was their fault, not his.

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

I gather that this Fernandez character falls out with players very easily - he hated Lolo and claimed that Anelka was a joy to work with in comparison. Having said that, he does appear to have fallen out with the likes of Anelka and Okocha which suggests that he won't tolerate "stars misbehaving". He dumped Lolo in the reserves for a while when he thought his head was getting too big. I gather that, by and large, Domi doesn't get a game either.

Distin was sacked as a trainee for p*ssing about and ended up at a second division club. PSG bought him back and I understand there were still question marks about him last season. I think I mentioned on here that the PSG fans were laughing at us paying so much for him and that seemed to be based on his "perso" rather than anything technical although one of them mentioned his aptitude for howlers.

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2002

Comments from the PSG site:

Le PSG ne regrette pas Sylvain Distin !!!! (PSG doesn't miss Distin)

ca tombe bien parce que moi aussi je ne regrette pas distin.... c grosse erreur de defense qui nous on couter quelques match l'année ou il etait titulaire...niveau phisyque il etait balèse mais il avait que ca pour lui...Bon débarrat... (That works out well for everyone then...that huge mistake he made that cost us games ..good riddance).

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2002

...that huge mistake he made that cost us games ..

So what's new at SJP ?

You could have said (still can say ?) that about one or two of our defenders.

And, cf Bellamy at Coventry and Bellamy now.

Let's hope their loss is well and truly our gain.

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2002

Pit Bill, I should have said that this is all in response to him moaning about PSG.

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2002