Mikael Forssell has revealed how 23 minutes of football and touching the Premiership trophy meant as much to him as scoring 20 goals after overcoming his injury hell. The 24-year-old Finnish international became Birmingham City's first summer signing when he put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal for a cut price £3m on Friday. Steve Bruce will be hoping that Forssell can recapture the form that saw him bang in 19 goals for Blues two seasons ago while on loan and strike up a potentially explosive partnership with Emile Heskey. That was supposed to be the plan last season when Forssell was brought back to St. Andrew's on a season-long loan but it ended abruptly when a bad knee injury saw him sidelined after only four games. He was soon back at Stamford Bridge and – with this being his second major knee operation – had to deal with rumours about his football future. Forssell endured some dark moments while he was working his way back to fitness and felt a spare part as Chelsea romped to the Premiership title. However, he recovered to play a late cameo role in their Champions League quarter final against Bayern Munich and played for 23 minutes in their last home game against Charlton. The razor-sharp striker, who used to run his own shooting schools back in Finland, even managed to set up Claude Makelele for a penalty in injury time with the score locked at 0-0. The midfielder scored and when John Terry picked up the Premiership trophy at the end of that game, it represented a personal triumph for the flying Finn as he told givemefootball's Ian Clarkson.
Q:HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO PLAY SOME SORT OF ROLE IN CHELSEA'S TITLE TRIUMPH LAST SEASON?
A:When I was coming back from my knee injury I didn't think I was going to play a single minute of football last season, Thanks to the medical team I got back for the last month and I actually got to play in the last home game against Charlton. This was a personal triumph and a reward for all the hard work I had put in. Being there when Chelsea won the trophy meant so much to me. I was the one running around with the trophy at the end of the game trying to get it off John Terry!
Q:WHAT WERE YOUR FEELINGS WHEN YOU FINALLY STEPPED BACK ON TO THE STAMFORD BRIDGE TURF?
A:I didn't feel a massive part of it prior to that game, but it was even sweeter for me to come back from injury and play for 23 minutes against Charlton than to score 20 goals – almost. I can compare the two. It doesn't matter that I didn't get a medal, as there were some very good players at Chelsea who haven't got a medal because they hadn't played ten games. I will have to get a medal of my own with Birmingham There are a lot of good players at Chelsea but Jose Mourinho chose me to be involved and that must mean something.
Q:WITH YOUR APPETITE FOR GOALS I AM SURPRISED THAT YOU LET CLAUDE MAKELELE TAKE THE PENALTY?
A:I was trying to take the ball off him to take the penalty! It was a big joke at the club because I don't think he has ever scored before.I hadn't scored for six months while he hadn't scored in his life so I thought it was only fair to be generous. I am going to score goals and play football week in and week out at Birmingham.
Q:WAS IT DISAPPOINTING TO LEAVE CHELSEA?
A:Chelsea are one of the best clubs in the world right now and some people have said I am taking one step down but I am definitely taking one step forward. I had to look somewhere else after my dream ended at Chelsea and Blues is a great choice. I don't want to think of it as the end of a dream because you can't afford to and I have a new dream at Birmingham. Chelsea decided that they were ready to let me go and I have no grudge against them. I still love the club and I admire the manager, but I want to look forward. My passion for football is massive and I can't put into words how much it means. I love football and I want to play all the time.
Q:YOUR ELDER SISTER CHRISTINA IS ONE OF FINLAND'S MOST CAPPED PLAYERS – ARE YOU TAKING A BIG INTEREST IN EURO 2005?
A:My sister and I are both really gutted because the manager has dropped her from the squad for this big tournament, but she is still following it kick-by-kick back home and co-commentating on Finnish television. It was great to see them qualify for the semi finals and I hope they can go on to win it. Even though Christina is a beautiful woman in every way she has got real strength. And she knows how to use the 'football elbow' as I find out to my cost when we play against each other in the park!
