CITY ARE OUT TO BREAK MY HEART
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS last night begged Manchester City: Don't force me out of the club I love.
City's England hero admitted he fears for his future at Eastlands, after a complete breakdown in talks over a new contract.
Not because Wright-Phillips is demanding too much money but because he wants to finish his career at the club he calls 'home'.
The 28-year-old winger claims City chief executive Garry Cook and football administrator Brian Marwood have totally blanked his offer to sign up for the rest of his career.
Wright-Phillips said: "No way is this a question of money. It's just that I love it at City and want to stay here for ever.
"Remember I left this club before but jumped at the chance to come back 'home'.
"I definitely don't want to leave again. I want to spend the rest of my life here - and I don't just mean my playing days.
"Yes, when the time comes for me to hang up my boots, I would love to stay and work with the City coaching staff. It would be great to give something back like that.
"To work with the kids and help them come through from the Academy to the first team would be brilliant."
Yet City seem ready to run the risk of losing Wright-Phillips rather than draw up a new five-year deal.
He is currently on £60,000 a week and is looking for a rise to £75,000.
Fellow City stars like Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez earn more than double the £60,000.
Talks about a new deal began when ex-boss Mark Hughes was in charge. But since the Welshman's departure, Cook and Marwood have pulled the plug on negotiations.
A bemused Wright-Phillips confessed: "I don't know why.
"I try not to get personally involved because I just want to concentrate on giving 110 per cent for City to make sure we get that fourth place in the Premier League.
"But it does hurt. It is disappointing. And I repeat, it's nothing to do with money or me being greedy.
"One thing that I definitely don't want to do is get into how much other players earn at this football club.
"Obviously, I know there are players here who earn more than twice what I do. But that's not the issue for me.
"This is not about my bank account, it's about where I want to be and doing what I want to do.
"So I do find the club's reluctance now even to talk about a new contract pretty hard to understand.
"The situation is this. I have two seasons left on my current deal and I don't want to get into a scenario where that runs down and down and still nothing is sorted.
"That just leads to uncertainty and confusion on both sides.
"So from my point of view, it's very straightforward. It's all to do with staying at a club I love and where the fans love me. These City fans made me and I'll always be in their debt for that. I feel like I owe them the rest of my career.
"So I'll put pen to paper on a five-year deal right now, longer if they want.
"Quite simply, I want to play at City for the rest of my life.
"At one stage I was very confident that would happen.
"It looked like everything would be sorted when Mark Hughes was in charge.
"He was keen to agree a new deal. But since he left, there has been nothing.
"OK, it has been hard because of the new manager coming in. There have been a lot of changes in a short space of time.
"There were obviously other things they had to deal with, other matters more pressing.
"But I can't work out why there's still a delay, unless they don't want me and are trying to get me out."
At least Wright-Phillips' England career is still flying.
He helped rescue Fabio Capello's World Cup hopefuls in midweek, after coming on as a half-time substitute in the Wembley friendly against Egypt.
Wright-Phillips scored one and made one as the Three Lions came back from a goal down to win 3-1, in what was England's 500th international win.
He admitted with a grin: "I was delighted with that. It was great to get out there and show what I can do.
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"It's great playing in an England shirt, because playing for my country was always my dream.
"The World Cup is not far away and I would love to make the trip to South Africa with the squad.
"I don't think I did myself any harm at Wembley.
"But I don't look at it as if I have already booked my ticket as a result of the Egypt game.
"I realise there is a lot of competition for a place in the team, a place in the squad. There's David Beckham, Aaron Lennon and Joe Cole for starters.
"So I am taking nothing for granted. I know I just have to keep giving 110 per cent for Manchester City and for England and then hope I get the nod.
"If I do, I will be absolutely thrilled. It will be a real high point in my career."
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS last night begged Manchester City: Don't force me out of the club I love.
City's England hero admitted he fears for his future at Eastlands, after a complete breakdown in talks over a new contract.
Not because Wright-Phillips is demanding too much money but because he wants to finish his career at the club he calls 'home'.
The 28-year-old winger claims City chief executive Garry Cook and football administrator Brian Marwood have totally blanked his offer to sign up for the rest of his career.
Wright-Phillips said: "No way is this a question of money. It's just that I love it at City and want to stay here for ever.
"Remember I left this club before but jumped at the chance to come back 'home'.
"I definitely don't want to leave again. I want to spend the rest of my life here - and I don't just mean my playing days.
"Yes, when the time comes for me to hang up my boots, I would love to stay and work with the City coaching staff. It would be great to give something back like that.
"To work with the kids and help them come through from the Academy to the first team would be brilliant."
Yet City seem ready to run the risk of losing Wright-Phillips rather than draw up a new five-year deal.
He is currently on £60,000 a week and is looking for a rise to £75,000.
Fellow City stars like Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez earn more than double the £60,000.
Talks about a new deal began when ex-boss Mark Hughes was in charge. But since the Welshman's departure, Cook and Marwood have pulled the plug on negotiations.
A bemused Wright-Phillips confessed: "I don't know why.
"I try not to get personally involved because I just want to concentrate on giving 110 per cent for City to make sure we get that fourth place in the Premier League.
"But it does hurt. It is disappointing. And I repeat, it's nothing to do with money or me being greedy.
"One thing that I definitely don't want to do is get into how much other players earn at this football club.
"Obviously, I know there are players here who earn more than twice what I do. But that's not the issue for me.
"This is not about my bank account, it's about where I want to be and doing what I want to do.
"So I do find the club's reluctance now even to talk about a new contract pretty hard to understand.
"The situation is this. I have two seasons left on my current deal and I don't want to get into a scenario where that runs down and down and still nothing is sorted.
"That just leads to uncertainty and confusion on both sides.
"So from my point of view, it's very straightforward. It's all to do with staying at a club I love and where the fans love me. These City fans made me and I'll always be in their debt for that. I feel like I owe them the rest of my career.
"So I'll put pen to paper on a five-year deal right now, longer if they want.
"Quite simply, I want to play at City for the rest of my life.
"At one stage I was very confident that would happen.
"It looked like everything would be sorted when Mark Hughes was in charge.
"He was keen to agree a new deal. But since he left, there has been nothing.
"OK, it has been hard because of the new manager coming in. There have been a lot of changes in a short space of time.
"There were obviously other things they had to deal with, other matters more pressing.
"But I can't work out why there's still a delay, unless they don't want me and are trying to get me out."
At least Wright-Phillips' England career is still flying.
He helped rescue Fabio Capello's World Cup hopefuls in midweek, after coming on as a half-time substitute in the Wembley friendly against Egypt.
Wright-Phillips scored one and made one as the Three Lions came back from a goal down to win 3-1, in what was England's 500th international win.
He admitted with a grin: "I was delighted with that. It was great to get out there and show what I can do.
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"It's great playing in an England shirt, because playing for my country was always my dream.
"The World Cup is not far away and I would love to make the trip to South Africa with the squad.
"I don't think I did myself any harm at Wembley.
"But I don't look at it as if I have already booked my ticket as a result of the Egypt game.
"I realise there is a lot of competition for a place in the team, a place in the squad. There's David Beckham, Aaron Lennon and Joe Cole for starters.
"So I am taking nothing for granted. I know I just have to keep giving 110 per cent for Manchester City and for England and then hope I get the nod.
"If I do, I will be absolutely thrilled. It will be a real high point in my career."