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Yakubu Seeks FA Cup Glory

By EDITOR
06 March 2015   |   8:24 pm
AIYEGBENI Yakubu insists he never feared he had missed out on FA Cup glory when he quit English football for China in 2012.  Now, after a two-and-a-half year global odyssey, the Nigerian striker is back in the Championship and all set to help the Royals take on League One giant-killers Bradford Saturday.   “I never…

AIYEGBENI Yakubu insists he never feared he had missed out on FA Cup glory when he quit English football for China in 2012.

 Now, after a two-and-a-half year global odyssey, the Nigerian striker is back in the Championship and all set to help the Royals take on League One giant-killers Bradford Saturday.

  “I never closed the door to say I’m not coming back to England – in football you never say never,” said Yakubu.

  Reading can secure their first FA Cup semi-final since 1927 with a victory in today’s early kick-off at Valley Parade this weekend – and Yakubu is desperate to secure a long-overdue first trip to Wembley.

  The former Everton favourite missed the Toffees’ 2-1 cup final defeat to Chelsea in 2009 through injury, and is still itching to reach the last four.

  Reading can secure their first FA Cup semi-final since 1927 with a victory in Saturday’s early kick-off at Valley Parade this weekend – and Yakubu is desperate to secure a long-overdue first trip to Wembley.

  The former Everton favourite missed the Toffees’ 2-1 cup final defeat to Chelsea in 2009 through injury, and is still itching to reach the last four.

  The former Everton favourite missed the Toffees’ 2-1 cup final defeat to Chelsea in 2009 through injury, and is still itching to reach the last four.

  England is one of the best places to play football, so I’m happy to be here, enjoying the moment and hopefully I can do more to help the team.

  “I never thought my Wembley dream was over. I had the chance to come back here so I took it.

  “England is one of the best places to play football, so I’m happy to be here, enjoying the moment and hopefully I can do more to help the team.

  “I was going crazy when I couldn’t play in that game for Everton against Chelsea.

  “But that was years ago, now we’ve got another 90 minutes to play, and hopefully we can be there again.”

  Yakubu joined Reading in the January transfer window, with Reading boss Steve Clarke jumping at the chance to recruit the Premier League’s second-highest African goal scorer of all time – with 95 strikes to Didier Drogba’s 103.

  Yakubu has battled for fitness since pitching up at the Madejski Stadium, but came off the bench in an FA Cup clash again Derby County, firing home the winning goal against Steve McClaren’s side, sending the Royals into the quarter-finals

  Ahead of the tie, the 32-year-old said: “If we could get through to Wembley it would be special, every player wants to play at Wembley.”

  Bradford may have toppled Chelsea and Sunderland out of the competition, but Yakubu believes Reading can grind out victory against the Yorkshire side this weekend.

  “Bradford are a good team, they fight for each other, stick together and will make it difficult for anyone against them,” said the former Blackburn and Leicester forward.

  “So we’ve got to give it our best, it will be difficult but as a team we’ve got to give everything.

  “One game and we could be at Wembley.”

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