Premier League: Southampton's Eljero Elia eager to face Manchester United
Saturday 10 January 2015 14:22, UK
Southampton new-boy Eljero Elia insists the Super Sunday visit to Manchester United will be one of the biggest moments of his football career to date.
The Dutch international, who played in the 2010 World Cup final against Spain, joined Southampton on a loan deal until the end of the season from Werder Bremen last week.
Elia made his name at FC Twente before joining Hamburg in 2009 where he remained for two seasons. The winger had a brief spell at Juventus before returning to Germany with Bremen in 2012.
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But the 27-year-old maintains playing in England has always been a dream for him and says it doesn’t come much bigger than playing at Old Trafford.
“I cannot wait to play. For me it will be one of the biggest days in my football career,” Elia told Soccer Saturday.
“I have always dreamt of playing in the Premier League. It didn’t happen when I left Twente because of money and things like that so I went to Germany and I stayed a very long time there.
“But my dream was always to play in England. My friends and family know that and now I’m here. They will come to Manchester to watch the game.”
Elia has generated as many headlines off the field as he has done on the pitch in recent years. Described by some as the Dutch Mario Balotelli, Elia has earned a reputation for crashing expensive cars and has been caught up in a number of spats with supporters on social media.
“It is unfair. It is not true,” Elia said.
“I know it is not true and people that are around me also know it is not true. I always say you cannot win against the media. They can write whatever they want about you.”
But fears about the winger’s reputation have not put Koeman off from signing Elia on an initial loan basis with a view to a permanent transfer in the summer.
“My agent called him and told him about me and my private life,” Elia said. “Then he called me and asked me if I wanted to play for Southampton and I said ‘of course’.
“He told me he wants to bring me back to where I have to be in terms of my quality. He told me I have to work for it and I have to do it for myself. He told me he wouldn’t stand behind me like a teacher.
“It went so quickly from there and after two weeks I was here. For me it was like something sent from God.”
