I’m up to toughest test yet, says Beye

May 1 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

HABIB Beye has revealed he received a nasty shock in English football when he realised he would have to toughen up to play in the Premier League.

Regarded as one of the most athletic and physical defenders in France during successful spells with Strasbourg and Marseille, Beye was given a harsh reality check when he signed for the Magpies last summer.

Although the right-back has proven to be former manager Sam Allardyce’s best signing for the club, he believes he would not have survived if he had not bulked up to deal with the physical side of the English game.

“I like the physical side, but I have worked very hard with Lamby (Adrian Lamb), the fitness coach, to make sure I am able to deal with it in England,” said Beye, who was picked up from Marseille for a small fee by Allardyce just before the transfer window closed last August. “When you come to England you need to have good body fitness. You need to be strong. You think you are strong when you come to England, but you need to work. I work on it all the time to get stronger and that has helped it become easier for me.”

Despite his lack of Premier League experience, Beye, who was captain of Marseille, has adapted quickly to what he has found and the 30-year-old will surely be one of the favourite candidates for player of the season.

The full-back relishes the challenge of playing in England and, having spent a season on Tyneside, he is not surprised this year’s Champions League final will be contested between two English teams.

He said: “It is rougher here than in France. If you see the games in the Champions League between Chelsea and Liverpool you see how tough it is. People in France talk about the game, about why English teams are doing so well in Europe. It is about intensity.

“I have enjoyed myself here. In France it is more tactical – 1-1, 0-1 results, etc. It is not very exciting for the fans but when you come to England you see 4-4, 5-4. Even last Saturday to come back from two down to draw 2-2. For me it is very spectacular and I am enjoying myself.

“Of course, the most important thing

is how the team performs and not myself, but the defence has been good and we are playing well. We showed great character at West Ham. To come back from two down was great. It is important to finish strongly and not lose any games at the end of the season.”

Despite being an Allardyce signing, Beye also suggested Newcastle was far better off with Kevin Keegan at the helm as he argued the Magpies did not have the team spirit to recover from going a goal down under their former manager.

Allardyce always insisted that the mood was good in the camp during his time in the hot seat, but Beye believes Keegan has strengthened the unity and character of the squad. He said: “Kevin Keegan has inspired character. We would have lost the West Ham game a few months ago. We would have lost by four or five, now it is different.

“That says everything about Kevin’s team. We didn’t play well against Sunderland and still won, and it was the same against West Ham. The first 20 minutes wasn’t great but then we responded. It was great to get a good result at West Ham because it sets us up for a massive game against Chelsea. You need plenty of character for big games like Chelsea.”

Meanwhile, Mark Viduka is expected to have an operation on his calf at the end of the season despite initially hoping surgery would not be required.

The Australian has been playing with the problem ever since he returned to the side to coincide with United’s seven-match unbeaten run last month, but has postponed the operation until after the trip to Everton on the last day of the season.