Franck Queudrue looking forward with Birmingham City

Aug 22 2008 By Colin Tattum

FRANCK Queudrue today insisted that the ‘pile of rubbish’ affair was behind him.

And the defender said he was in tip-top shape and hoping to win back his place in the Blues team.

It’s been a tumultuous few months for the Frenchman.

After Blues relegation, co-owner David Sullivan hit out at former manager Steve Bruce’s transfers, saying he left Blues with a ‘pile of rubbish’.

Asked to name names, Sullivan offered Queudrue and goalkeeper Richard Kingson, causing a huge storm.

Queudrue then reported back late for pre-season training and was made available on a free transfer.

So far, there have been no takers, and the left-back is back in Alex McLeish’s squad again.

“I’m good, I’m feeling great, I am fit and I am available for selection,” said Queudrue. “After that it’s the manager’s decision.

“As I always say, I will give my best and if the opportunity comes along, I will try to take it.

“So I’m here, I’m 100 per cent Blues and I am trying to get into the team.”

Queudrue said he didn’t necessarily envisage leaving St Andrew’s.

“I have already played a little part, in the Carling Cup, at Wycombe. I have two years left on my contract, I’m here.

“I’ve not really spoken to other clubs. That’s not my problem to deal with. I have an agent and he looks after that.

“If anyone comes and says ‘I can get a club for you’ I would say ‘show me what you’ve got’.

“That’s the thing. It’s good to talk, but at some point you need to get something down on paper.

“Me, right now I am just staying focused on the Blues, not looking for another club. I’m here, and I would say I’m dedicated to this club and the team and would like to see out my contract.”

As a high wage earner, it’s wouldn’t be easy to shift Queudrue  - who turns 30 on Monday - that easily anyway.

Queudrue has made his peace with Sullivan, and McLeish after his no-show on July 1.

“All that [Sullivan’s criticism] has gone,” he said.

 “I came back two days late for training. It was an honest mistake, and I am sorry about it. I really thought we were coming back on the 4th.

“The club said to me that I had a letter at home saying we were due to return on the 1st, but by the time it arrived I was already in France and I never came back to open my mail.

“It was wrong of me, I paid a fine, and everything’s been cleared. It’s behind me now.

“I spoke with Karren Brady and David Sullivan, and I begin from scratch.

“A new season has started, we have a good squad, and we all want to go forward and, I would say, go straight back up into the Premier League.

“That’s our target and everybody here wants to achieve it.”

Queudrue, believed to be the player subjected to a barb from MD Brady in her newspaper column for reporting back with 17 per cent body fat, captained the reserves on Tuesday against Crewe Alexandra.

He said: “I played 90 minutes. I went forward a lot and I scored, and I could have got another goal as well. I have been trying to get my fitness and I’m there now.

“It’s important to me to get that shape back because I haven’t been playing many games and as soon as I do get an opportunity, I want to be right.

“It’s true, I wasn’t 100 per cent when I came back. That’s why I didn’t go to Austria on the pre-season tour. I stayed behind to work on my fitness with the physios.

“The team did quite well during the pre-season friendlies as well, so I wasn’t involved much. That was fair. Now though everything is OK, it has come together and I’m looking forward.”