Yorke not worried about Villa backlash

LONDON: Trinidad and Tobago’s volatile striker Dwight Yorke says he is looking forward to the challenge of playing before the fans that were once his rivals, when he spent nine years at Aston Villa. The 32-year-old Yorke transferred from Blackburn Rovers last week to Birmingham City, the Midlands club that has a history of fierce rivalry with Aston Villa. 

“I know a lot of Villa fans won’t be particularly happy about my decision to come here,” Yorke was quoted on the club’s website as saying.  “If I was the kind of person who wanted the easy way out of the Premiership, then Celtic would have been the ideal choice.” He joined the roster at Villa Park in 1989 and went on to score 98 goals in 287 matches for the club, becoming one of their most prolific goal scorers ever. However, Yorke indicated that he was unconcerned by the backlash that he was likely to receive from the Villa fans, as a result of his decision to sign for Birmingham.

“If you are big and brave enough and you want to take up such a challenge which I am looking forward to, that is why I have made the decision,” Yorke said. Yorke, who was on the verge of signing for Scottish League champions Celtic before heading to Birmingham City, said he was intent on doing well for the club and making the fans there happy.  “I hope I get a reception from the fans,” Yorke said. “At the end of the day, I am playing for their team. I just want to do well for them.”