Freddy Eastwood and Cardiff's Jay Bothroyd aim to prove Wolverhampton Wanderers wrong

Sep 27 2008

EX-WOLVES bench buddies Freddy Eastwood and Jay Bothroyd are both desperate to prove a point this season according to the Coventry forward.

The striking duo will face each other for the first time since they both escaped their Molineux misery when the Sky Blues head to Cardiff in the Championship on Tuesday night.

Eastwood was first to leave through the Wolves exit door when he headed for Coventry in July and Bothroyd, below, jumped the old gold and black ship less then a month later to head for the Welsh capital.

The attackers have enjoyed plenty of match action with their respective clubs during the current campaign but they were used to cosying up alongside each other on the substitutes bench last season.

Bothroyd, who started his career at Coventry, made just 13 starts for Mick McCarthy’s side last term while Eastwood endured further frustration with just 10 appearances from the off.

Eastwood admits Bothroyd is in the same boat as him this season because having both found pastures new, they’re eager to make their mark in the Championship this season.

“Me and Jay didn’t play a lot at Wolves, he’s moved on to Cardiff now and I’m looking forward to playing against him,” said Eastwood, 24.

“I only really know him from my time at Wolves and we got on well. Jay is a very skillful player and because we both had a similar situation at Wolves last year, we’re both desperate to do well this season.

“I’m sure he is finding it difficult to get going just like me because we were lacking match sharpness because we weren’t involved in many games last season. I’m sure once he finds the net he will go on a bit of roll.

“That lack of match sharpness has certainly had an effect on my start to the season. I had a good pre-season but that still wasn’t enough, I needed games and it takes you about three or four games to get going.

“Last season was difficult for both of us, we spent a lot of time on the bench together and had to make do with substitute appearances. Jay will be the same as me – he’s got a point to prove.”

Eastwood could quite easily have been lining up alongside Bothroyd at Ninian Park on Tuesday night because the Wales international was linked with Cardiff during the summer.

The former Southend striker’s protracted move to Coventry often looked set to derail for good and with the Bluebirds circling, Eastwood admitted that he fancied a move to his maternal grandfather’s country of birth.

The Essex-born star insists that the FA Cup finalist’s interest got no further than newspaper talk and he’s grateful that his long-awaited move to the Ricoh Arena worked out.

Now he’s relishing this week’s showdown at the notoriously-hostile Ninian Park because he admits it’s one stadium where he doesn’t attract boos from the home fans.

“Ninian Park is a ground that I like to play at and I’ve done OK there in the past. Cardiff are a good footballing side and it’s a tough place to go and try to get a result,” he said.

“The reception I receive there is OK but I wouldn’t say that it was brilliant because obviously I’m not one of there players but I know I’ve never been booed there, I’ve been booed at most other places and people always give me a bit of stick but not at Cardiff. Sometimes booing makes a difference but it depends on how the game is going, nine times out of ten I just ignore it.

“I was linked to Cardiff in the papers during the summer and it was a move that would have interested me had it become a possibility. I don’t think there was any contact, it was just in the papers. Cardiff are a big club who play decent football and that was the type of club that I was looking for.

“Everybody knew my situation at the time and I was doing well in the Wales team so some people presumed that Cardiff would have been a good choice for me.”