NUFC defender Williamson fulfilling a dream
Aug 21 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal
NEWCASTLE returned to the Premier League with a bump on Monday but, Mike Williamson tells Stuart Rayner, it did nothing to dishearten him.
NINE years after moving to the Premier League, it was going to take a lot for Manchester United to ruin Mike Williamson’s top-flight debut. It was a task they were not up to.
Containing Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov at Old Trafford was always going to be tough, but the new breed of Newcastle United footballers are a realistic lot, which is why four days on from a 3-0 beating, Williamson is still on cloud nine.
"I’m really enjoying my football, without a doubt," says the 26-year- old centre-back. "To make my Premier League debut was an unbelievable achievement for me personally.
"It’s been a good rise for me in a short amount of time. I’m looking to take it in my stride and prove myself. We’re realistic with our targets. We’re not going to get downbeat and negative about losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
"We’re going to take the positives out of it and move on.
"In the Championship, the onus was on us to win every game. We want to keep the winning mentality. There’s no chance we’re going to get down ourselves because of that result."
Williamson joined Southampton, then of the Premier League, in 2001. In four years his only first-team appearances came on loan at lower- league clubs. A second chance came last summer with a move to Portsmouth, where financial troubles stopped him playing. Now, finally, Williamson is a Premier League footballer.
"I’ve been at Premier League clubs before and had to work my way down," he reflects. "I’ve been up and down, a bit of a yo-yo. But it was worth the wait to make my Premier League debut because it was a special occasion for me to walk out at Old Trafford.
"Walking out in front of the Newcastle fans will add an extra element of specialness."
Williamson’s realism reflects that of the team and many on the terraces now top-flight football has returned to St James’ Park with tomorrow’s visit of Aston Villa. In the days of Sir John Hall, expectations matched United’s eagerness to flash the chequebook. Newcastle’s last promotion came with a warning from manager Kevin Keegan to the Red Devils that "we’re coming for your title!" This time the ambition is survival. Monday at Old Trafford underlined why.
"You get punished more for mistakes in the Premier League," Williamson says. "You only have to look at the Man United game – we lost the ball twice and within two passes, it was in the back of the net. When you play against that better quality, they punish every mistake. Even when you don’t make a mistake, sometimes you just have to hold your hand up and say it was a brilliant, fantastic move you couldn’t do anything about.
