It`s those pesky journalists! Colchester United manager Paul Lambert accepts that Australian defender, Chris Coyne, may have been misquoted when he said he wanted to leave this summer.
The 30-year-old international has been away with the Socceroos as they recently became one of the first sides to secure qualification to next summer`s World Cup in South Africa.
Since making his debut on the international stage a year ago, Coyne has had a turbulent domestic career in Colchester colours. It is unlikely that his future will be resolved quickly however, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, Coyne expects to be involved in Wednesday`s match against Japan, and secondly, the defender has already said he will take a holiday right after that game to allow himself a proper summer of recuperation.
He has previously said that he felt a lack of recuperation last summer because of international fixtures made him more susceptible to the injuries that also kept him of the side, although on a few occasions Coyne has player for his country when he was reportedly too injured to don Colchester`s jersey.
Lambert, despite his apparently hard-line stance with the players, today said he is willing to forgive Coyne for the quotes which lead to untrue reports that he had already left North Essex for good.
“I know myself that when you say something to the press, you wonder what is going to appear,” says |Lambert in today`s Daily Gazette. “I used to have it at Celtic and Coyney might have had that.”
“He may also have said in the interview that he loves Colchester and them not having put it in,” Lambert mused.
Moving to clear any suggestion of sub-standard performances by the defender, Lambert also said that Coyne had done well for him during the limited number of games he had actually played.
“He has done really, really fine for me whenever he has played and he`s been playing well at the minute for them (Australia),” Lambert said.
When will Coyne’s future be decided for good?
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He’s a good player – you cant deny it, he wouldn’t be playing for Australia if he wasn’t. I would love it if he stayed and was a rock in our promotion campaign next season – he is capable of it IMO.