Kezman hails ‘fantastic’ Chelsea spirit

THE RELIEF was etched on the face of Mateja Kezman after he scored his first Premiership goal with a cheeky last-minute penalty against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

The Serbian striker, without a Premiership goal since his arrival from PSV in the summer, produced an audacious chip down the middle to end months of heartache.

His goal drought only came to an end, however, thanks to the benevolence of regular taker Frank Lampard and an order from Jose Mourinho to give the ball to Kezman.

“I took a penalty like that last season in Holland when the score was 0-0 and I was lucky to score. But I felt very confident, that’s me, my character, my mentality and I also got a lot of confidence from my colleagues and my boss.

“When I saw we had the penalty I just went to Frank and asked him if I could take it, and he gave me the ball because he knows how difficult it’s been for me over the last few months. Goals are my life.

“It’s been difficult because when you score for the last eight years, every year 20 to 30 goals and then three months with just one, it’s difficult. They know how hard I work every day at Harlington so he gave me the ball, no problem and also the boss told them to give me the ball.

“I’m just happy for them and myself and it was great the way all the lads came to me after I scored. It was fantastic.”

Kezman’s confidence has taken a hammering in the last few months with just one goal to his name in the Carling Cup.

Four years ago, Kezman finished top scorer in Yugoslavia with 28 goals for Partisan Belgrade and then he topped the charts in Holland with 24 goals for PSV in 2001 and 35 more two seasons later.

For a player whose life has been dedicated to putting the ball where it matters, the drought has come as something of a culture shock to last year’s Dutch league player of the season.

Kezman said: “I’m a goalscorer. I’m born to score goals and if I don’t do that, I’m not a good player. This first goal in the Premier League is very important and my dream, since I started to play football, was to score in England.

"Sometimes I think I’m stupid because I think too much about football, but that’s me. I’m 25 and everything I’ve done in my life is down to my character. Without goals I’m not the same person. You have to make a focus because I was born to be top scorer and the last six years I have been.

“I know it’s difficult to do that at Chelsea this season but I just needed some goals for myself and it’s finally coming. When you hit the crossbar and the post, you begin to ask yourself why and what you must do to score a goal but then I score 50-60 times in training and your confidence comes back.”

The FA says it has “no indication” that Chelsea are considering a breakaway from the national body, as has been reported.

The Blues’ business affairs director Paul Smith appeared to suggest at the Soccerex event in Dubai that clubs would eventually wield more power than the bodies set up to govern them.

He added that club brands would one day be the dominant driving force in the sport.