Dwight Yorke urges Aston Villa cult hero John Carew to step out of his comfort zone

Mar 10 2010 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

“John Carew’s got all the ingredients. He’s got the potential to be a great player. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s quick.

“It depends on how far these guys want to go. It’s all within you. It’s not got anything to do with anything else, it’s within that individual person.

“Is he in a comfort zone, is he happy just being at Villa? Or does he want to extend himself to be better? And that has to come from within.

“Unfortunately he’s always going to get that playboy tag from now on.

“When you’re partying, people wait until you have a slump and then they sort of blame that. So you’ve just got to try and get the right balance.”

Yorke, a self-confessed party animal, insists he was one of the best trainers at Villa during his nine years at the club.

“When I was at Villa I was pretty much out, I wouldn’t say every night, but a lot of nights and I enjoyed my nights out,” added Yorke.

“But people knew when I turned up to play and when I crossed that white line that I was ready to go.

“I don’t think people could say anything about me in terms of not giving hundred per cent and not scoring goals for Villa. I was a cult hero there and they all knew what they were going to get from me once I turned up.

“But it’s a great life and it doesn’t stick around forever, trust me, because I’ve retired now so I know.”