Tiss raring to go for testimonial

Last updated : 03 April 2002 By Christian Kelly
No lingering, niggly, frustrating injury is going to stop Matthew Le Tissier taking part in his testimonial match. Not even an "all you can eat" special at McDonald's could deter him from paying tribute to the fans who will be paying to pay tribute to his skills, or something like that.

Ironically, Le Tissier is looking his best for some time. He has tried his best over the last couple of seasons to get back into some kind of form. It's a real shame he couldn't have had one more golden spell for the club.>sob< On the plus side, it means he'll be far more capable of putting in a good show on May 14th. Le Tissier said: "Even if I have two broken legs I am playing the full 90 minutes! I will play on crutches if need be - but I am not missing this.

"I don't care what injuries I get by playing on because it will be my last game so it will not matter. I don't have to worry about aggravating any strains - apart from the impact it will have on my golf!

"It is going to be a wonderful night and probably a very emotional one for me and I do not want to miss a second of it."

"I may well play 45 minutes for each side but I will see nearer the time. The main thing is to be fit so I can enjoy it and having made the decision now I can concentrate of getting right for that rather than trying to get back to play a couple of Reserve games.

"There are a lot of big names already confirmed subject to their own fitness and club commitments. I wanted a semi-serious game at least for the first 70 minutes or so - or at least as serious as it can be with Dave Beasant playing!"