Woody puts cup final dream on the line for Spurs

JONATHAN Woodgate is prepared to miss Tottenham’s Wembley showpiece this weekend to help them through to the next round of the UEFA Cup.

The 28-year-old’s career has been punctuated by a series of injury disappointments but he has bought into the thinking of head coach Juande Ramos, who is putting aside thoughts of the Carling Cup final until after their Slavia Prague tie tonight.

Despite holding a 2-1 lead from last week’s first leg, Ramos is placing the utmost importance on the UEFA Cup, a competition he has won in the last two seasons.

Even the possibility of picking up a knock against the Czech Republic league leaders at White Hart Lane will not prevent Woodgate putting in every effort to get Spurs into the last 16.

“I will be going out against Slavia playing 100%,” said the defender. “If I am not fit for the cup final then I am not fit.

“I will do everything I can to play for Spurs on Thursday and if something happens then it happens. Professional footballers want to play as many games as we can but we have got to do it right. And that means focusing on Slavia Prague.

Rather than focusing on one trophy, Woodgate believes a cup double is possible in his first months at Spurs after joining from Middlesbrough.

“It’s possible,” he added. “I’d like to think so and that’s why I joined the club. Especially with the players and the manager we have got.

“There are some great sides left in like Bayern Munich, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid. But we are a good side as well and I think teams will be wanting us out of the draw.”

Ramos believes this attitude will make Woodgate a top player for him, and he feels the defender’s injury worries are now over.

“The decision to buy him came after 15-18 months playing regularly, with his injury history over with,” said the Spaniard. “If he goes on the same lines he will be indispensable.”

Since Radek Cerny’s blunder in Prague last week handed Slavia a lifeline, Ramos has been determined to play down talk of Wembley until their European tie is settled.

The Spurs head coach ranks European success just as high as lifting silverware at Wembley on Sunday against Chelsea.

“It’s not the most important game of my career because a European final would be,” he added. “It has to be more important than a domestic cup competition.

“It’s very exciting, beautiful and a passionate game for the supporters because it has been a long time since we reached a final but you cannot compare that with a European competition.”