Sordell ready to hit the ground running in Norwich clash
12:00pm Saturday 4th February 2012 in Latest By Marc Iles
MARVIN Sordell has vowed to show Wanderers fans he was well worth the wait.
The £3million striker goes straight into the mix against Norwich City this afternoon following a headspinning deadline day that saw him pulled out of Watford’s match squad by owner Laurence Bassini, turn his back on a move to Cardiff, then sign for the Whites just minutes before the transfer window closed.
Sordell’s capture was only rubber stamped at 1.19am on Wednesday – but the England Under-21 international is now well up to speed after a mad dash to get the deal done.
“I probably only heard about Bolton’s interest at 7pm, before that I had been preparing to go to Cardiff,” he said. “I was asked whether I wanted to come here and said yes, it was a bit of a no-brainer really.
“So, I was excited and wanted to get it sorted as quickly as possible.
“When a club of this stature comes in for you, I didn’t need anytime to think about the move.
“Now I just want to score goals and make a name for myself. The manager has shown confidence in me to do well at this level, so I want to repay his confidence.”
On Tuesday night, Sordell was whisked away from the New Den – where he had been due to play until Bassini’s intervention – and driven across London to sign forms on a three-and-a-half year deal, the value of which could eventually rise to £4m.
He then joined a multitude of Wanderers fans waiting anxiously in the early hours of the morning for the deal to be made official.
“If something bizarre had happened and it didn’t go through then that’s the way it was meant to be,” he said. “I’d joked with my mum in the morning that (despite interest from other Premier League clubs) it looked like I’d be at Watford for the rest of the season.
“I’d even booked my shopping to be delivered for Wednesday morning. I haven’t left it, though, I picked it up before I travelled up here.”
Sordell had scored 10 goals this season for the Hornets and watched from the stands in midweek as Wanderers drew with his boyhood club Arsenal.
The 20-year-old is now looking to emulate one of his predecessors in Stuart Pearce’s Young Lions, Daniel Sturridge, and fire his new club towards safety.
“I have seen Bolton play a few times on television and I like the way the manager gets them to play,” he said. “That suits me.
“I believe everything happens for a reason and I always have faith in my ability. If nothing had happened with Bolton I would have tried to still score lots of goals for Watford.”
Back at Watford, however, Hornets owner Bassini posted a 270-word statement on the club’s website alleging that Sordell had been influenced by an outside party, which advised him to turn down an improved contract at Vicarage Road.
“Unfortunately, you cannot protect your own players from external and third-party influences when it comes to what might be best for their future career,” he wrote.
“We made an offer to double Marvin’s wages, however his agent advised that this wouldn’t be considered and that they’d simply let his contract run down.”
The sentiments were strongly rejected by Sordell’s agent, Sky Andrew.
“Marvin was given a contract offer and was given a time frame to consider it (until February 1) and we wrote to the club saying he would consider it,” he said. “And before that time was up, the club decided to sell him.”
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