I didn’t fake injury at Hamburg, says new Blue Boulahrouz

KHALID BOULAHROUZ insists he did not fake an injury to secure his dream move to Chelsea.

Boulahrouz completed his £7 million switch to Chelsea on Monday and goes straight into the squad for tonight’s game at Middlesbrough.

Hamburg were happy with the price they received for the Holland defender but Boulahrouz left Germany under a cloud.

He pulled out of a Champions League qualifier two weeks ago when he claimed to have suffered an ankle injury in the warm-up.

Hamburg chiefs suspected Chelsea had been in touch and did not want him to play in the tie against Osasuna because it would rule him out of their entire European campaign.

Boulahrouz, 24, said: “Nobody is in a position to say such things. I had pain and could not play. That is the end of it.

“Everybody could see it. I have been suffering since our training camp and HSV knew all about that.”

Hamburg technical director Dietmar Beiersdorfer said Boulahrouz was “not an easy character” but the defender hit back when he arrived at Chelsea.

Boulahrouz said: “I played at Hamburg for two years. I’m always honest. I don’t like lies and I want other people to be honest with me.

“That’s what I did and the technical director never told me I was a difficult person. So it’s a surprise that he said this.”

Boulahrouz is of Moroccan descent but was born in Holland and has played 15 times for the Dutch.

He left the illustrious Ajax youth system and made his name at unfashionable RKC Waalwijk.

He played under Spurs boss Martin Jol at Waalwijk before Hamburg moved in for him two years ago.

Mourinho said: “Khalid is the kind of person I admire.

“Life was not easy for him and to be here as a 24-year-old he had to go through the process from a small club and then to Germany and the national team.

“Now he is at one of the best clubs in the world at the moment. He did that because of hard work, ambition, confidence and quality.”

Boulahrouz has a reputation as a fearsome tackler and was nicknamed “Khalid the Cannibal” when he played in Germany, but he insists he does not go out to hurt players.

“I try to play fair,” he said. “I don’t usually put somebody in the hospital or elbow somebody in the head.”

Boulahrouz made an instant impression on referees in the Bundesliga, collecting nine bookings and a red cards in his first season.

He was sent off for Holland in the World Cup against Portugal and was accused of deliberately trying to injure Cristiano Ronaldo.

“My philosophy of football is quite easy,” he said. “I go on the pitch and play only to win.”