A succession of niggling and freak injuries has made Kieron Dyer one of English football's nearly men. He has almost been forgotten about at Newcastle United until now. He is working his way back to fitness following a couple of typically strange accidents that have kept him out of the action. An eye injury suffered during training and a thigh muscle gashed on an advertising hoarding have robbed Glenn Roeder of the midfielder for longer than he would care to mention. Givemefootball's Ian Clarkson discovered that the £6m man - signed during Ruud Gullit's stay on Tyneside - has plenty of unfinished business.
Q:DO YOU FEEL YOU ARE FULLY UP TO SPEED YET, KIERON?
A:I'm getting there. I thought it would come quicker than it has done. It has been gruelling at times. A freak accident with my eye and a gash to my thigh has just been really frustrating. The games have been coming thick and fast and my hamstrings have got through it. Now I want to stay fit for the whole of the year and I hope there is better to come. Not just for me but the whole team.
Q:YOU SCORED YOUR FOURTH GOAL IN SEVEN GAMES AGAINST BIRMINGHAM, BUT YOU MUST BE DISAPPOINTED YOU ARE NOT THROUGH TO THE NEXT ROUND YET?
A:It has been our Achilles heel, not killing teams off. At 2-1 up, you have got to be disappointed if you don't win. But it is not all doom and gloom. We have turned St James' Park into a fortress recently and hopefully we can make it into Round Four at our place.
Q:A LOT HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT YOUR BEST POSITION, WHERE DO YOU SEE THAT AS BEING?
A:I was playing in my favourite position in the second half. Just behind the striker. I've not been in there often but I think in the next few games I will be there or thereabouts.
Q:WAS IT DIFFICULT TO PICK YOURSELVES UP AFTER THE HIGH AGAINST MANCHESTER UNITED?
A:Not really, it was the FA Cup, but the Birmingham game was more of a test for us really than the one against Manchester United, strange as that may sound. When you have 55,000 in St James' Park and you are playing them, the adrenaline is really pumping. This was a different test but nevertheless it is in the FA Cup and you learn from it. Our young lads most certainly will anyway. At 28, I'm one of the more senior players now, so we have to help the youngsters coming through.
Q:DO YOU FEEL THERE IS A LOT MORE TO COME FROM THIS NEWCASTLE TEAM?
A:With the injuries and the debutants we are still not playing to our capabilities. With (Obefami) Martins, when he gets up to speed and Michael Owen comes back from injury then we should be a real handful.
Q:WHAT ARE YOUR REALISTIC AIMS ON A PERSONAL FRONT AND AS FAR AS THE TEAM ARE CONCERNED?
A:Personally, I don't want to be a player who hasn't won anything. We are still in the FA Cup and we have the UEFA Cup to look forward to as well. There is still a lot left in our season. We have two chances of success here. Hopefully we will get through and get some luck because everyone needs that. The draw has been unkind to us in the past but hopefully we get through and that changes.
Q:HAS THE ENGLAND COACH BEEN IN TOUCH?
A:I had a private conversation with Steve McClaren. It's ludicrous to think I'm anywhere near international level yet. But the England coach said some very encouraging things to me. He told me to concentrate on my form and I would be in his thoughts, which was nice to hear after everything I've been through.
