Belgium's Kompany anticipates successful World Cup
ByReuters
Published 22/03/2018 at 16:50 GMT
BRUSSELS, March 22 (Reuters) – Belgium's Vincent Kompany has no fear about suffering another of the injury breakdowns that have littered his career at Manchester City when he goes to this year's World Cup.
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The central defender is very confident he will have an outstanding tournament in Russia.
“I have the feeling that if I play at the World Cup, it will be my best tournament yet. I want to be the best. I will prepare well and from the first match hope to be flying,” Kompany told a news conference on Thursday.
“That’s my character, you know me. I’m always looking for the positives. In my head I will play every minute of every game and I am going to Russia to win the World Cup.”
The 31-year-old Kompany has been hampered by a persistent hamstring injury over recent years but has been in good form since returning to the City side last month.
He is due to play for play for Belgium in a friendly against Saudi Arabia in Brussels on Tuesday having missed out on the 2016 European Championship and the World Cup qualifying campaign.
“It might look sometimes like I’m out of touch with reality but I have a rational and objective view about my injury. And to look at it positively I might have fewer playing minutes on the dial but maybe I’ll be fitter for the World Cup," he said.
“I’m still highly motivated. If I get a compliment, that motivates me. And if I’m criticised, I take motivation from that," Kompany added.
“I’ve been in the national team for 15 years and am still burning with ambition. I’ve got no idea when I will finish. If you have been with the team this long, it’s not that easy to make that sort of decision.”
Belgium are in a group with England, Panama and Tunisia at the tournament in Russia.
“At Manchester City we’ve talked about and I have given a bit of banter. But I hope the two countries will both have six points by then,” Kompany said.
Belgium and England meet in their last Group G game in Kaliningrad on June 28. (Reporting by Mark Gleeson, editing by Ed Osmond)
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