Robbie Savage made a return to the Midlands during the transfer window when he left Blackburn for Derby County to try and boost their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League. Savage made his name at Derby's East Midlands neighbours Leicester before becoming a fans' favourite with Steve Bruce's Birmingham. Now Savage has a new challenge and one he accepts is likely to involve getting Derby back up next season as a Championship side after just one Premier League victory all season. However, that hasn't stopped the chirpy midfielder from losing his sense of humour! Givemfootball's Ian Clarkson asks the questions...
Q:
WAS IT A DIFFICULT DECISION TO LEAVE BLACKBURN - AND MARK HUGHES?
A:
My time at Blackburn made me realise how important football is, especially being out of football with a broken leg for seven months. The whole Blackburn experience made me a better player and a better person. The manager and everyone there were fantastic for me and I left Blackburn in completely different circumstances from those in which I left Birmingham. Then, I wanted to better myself as a player and to play European football, which I don't think anyone could argue with. I've come to Derby because I want to play football.
Q:
HAD FRUSTRATION GOT THE BETTER OF YOU AS YOU WEREN'T PLAYING AS OFTEN AS YOU WOULD LIKE?
A:
The manager at Blackburn had a decision to make, but he was very fair to me. He knew I would've been an absolute nightmare if I wasn't in the team! I'm still daft as a brush off the field but I do think I've matured and I'm a better player now than when I left Birmingham - although I couldn't get a game at Blackburn recently so that makes sense doesn't it? I don't know why I couldn't get back in the team - I went to see the manager every day, basically, and if he got a knock on the door, he knew it'd be me. In the first 23 or 24 games of the season, Cup and League, I think we only lost two and I played nearly all the time. I hurt my knee against Spurs, got back into training ten days after the operation, and from that point, it was never the same.
Q:
SOME PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED YOU CHOSE DERBY, GIVEN YOUR PREVIOUS HISTORY AS A LEICESTER PLAYER?
A:
As a Leicester player up against Derby, and as a Birmingham player up against Villa, you have your team's fans coming up to you in the street, saying all you've got to do is beat them, that's more important than getting relegated. I'm the kind of person who will take that on board and give everything I've got for that team. When it was Derby, I loved playing for Leicester, and all I wanted to do was beat Derby - and for years, we usually did. And when I was at Birmingham, we usually beat Villa, and I was part of those teams. I'm sure I'll win the fans over.
Q:
PAUL JEWELL IS LOOKING AT THE LONG-TERM PICTURE - IS THAT HOW YOU VIEW THE FUTURE FOR DERBY?
A:
In a realistic world, we are looking to life in the Championship. I'm an honest person and I was really surprised when I heard Paul Jewell was going to be the manager of Derby County. But he's told me his long-term plans and I want to be part of that. There is a way to get relegated. I was at Leicester when we went down and, from February, it was horrible. It must be horrible for the Derby players, with new people coming in. But there's a way to get beaten. You can lose easily, or you can show some teeth and some guts. There's a way to get relegated. You can go down with a whimper or you can go down fighting. I want to go off the pitch thinking, I couldn't have given any more.
Q:
HOW HAVE YOU SETTLED INTO THE DRESSING ROOM?
A:
Andy Todd and Chris Short (masseur at Blackburn now at Derby) were a help at first as they knew I'd be a bit quiet in the first week. I had a big beard on me when I signed and they called me the thin Andy Fordham - and I'm a better darts player than him! You've got to be careful because people don't always know how to take me. You've got to know the characters you can have a go at. I'm not a nasty person, I just try and get the best out of everyone. I'm just being me and if I offend people, then I say sorry. Maybe I do go over the line sometimes but I do love the banter.
