Source: Daily Mail

Exactly how Roman Pavlyuchenko communicated his displeasure to Harry Redknapp is rather hard to say. Even with the help of Marina, our Russian interpreter, communication during this interview is not terribly easy.

But when Pavlyuchenko was struggling to command a place in Redknapp's Tottenham side, he did let his feelings be known.

'I never thought to go back to Russia because I was not enjoying life here in England,' he says. 'But when I wasn't playing for a while I asked the manager to do something about it. I asked him to sell me to a different club, or send me somewhere on loan.

'Not playing is difficult for any football player because the career of a footballer is not long.'

The supporters who refer to him simply as 'Super Pav' will be relieved that Redknapp ignored him. So will Redknapp given how significant a contribution the Russian international striker, 28, has made these past few weeks.

Eight goals in a month that has seen him feature far more prominently in his manager's plans.

Not that he seems that appreciative. When asked how he enjoys working with one of the game's great characters, not to mention a brilliant man-manager, the response is as cold as a Moscow winter.

'What do I think about the manager?' he says. 'When the team can show good results and we are in fourth place and the team are playing well, it means we've got a good manager.'

True enough, and you have to wonder if the tone of the question is lost in translation, but he does display rather more warmth when Guus Hiddink is mentioned.

'In the time Hiddink was coach of the Russian national team he was very supportive and kind to me,' he says. 'I was playing very often.

'With the help and support of Hiddink our team played well at the last European Championship. We all got the opportunity to show how we can play and I think our success is why a few Russian players are now joining the big European clubs.

'I did well at the Euros by scoring a few goals and without that I don't think I'd be here now.'

When the opportunity to join Tottenham came, he did not hesitate. 'I made my decision very quick,' he says. 'This kind of offer you get only once in a lifetime.

'It wasn't easy for me because we had a small child. I was a bit apprehensive, but I couldn't say no. I knew it was one of the best leagues in the world.'

Pavlyuchenko, nevertheless, remains a tough nut to crack. Even the simplest question is sometimes met with a dismissive shake of the head. What did his parents do? 'They worked.' Could he be any more specific? 'They worked.' (His father apparently drove the Rotor Volgograd team bus and continues to work as a driver.)

Was he from a big family? 'Yes,' he says. 'One sister.' Which he thinks is funny.

But there are moments when he opens up. Subjects that he seems more comfortable discussing. Like his passion for the theatre in London. He plans to take his wife and daughter to see The Lion King; and his memories of football at home - a city in the south of Russia called Krasnodar.

A huge grin breaks out when he remembers his first pair of football boots. He was seven or eight but such equipment was hard to come by. His parents certainly couldn't afford to buy him the tools of his future trade.

'Adidas,' he says. 'I was so proud of them I wore them all the time. When I was walking on the street everywhere.

'I went to a sports school, but we had no equipment. No balls, no uniform, no good stadium. You couldn't just go to a store and buy those kind of things.

'It's still one of the big differences between Russian and English football. As well as the poor climate there is a lack of good stadiums.

'In England, every team have got a good stadium. In Russia there's only two or three in the whole country. For me it is a big joy to play in great stadiums every week.'

And yet there was no burning ambition to come here as a kid. No real appreciation of the English game. 'I supported Real Madrid,' he says. 'They were my team. I loved the galacticos - Zidane, Figo, Raul. McManaman. Yes, McManaman!

'But as a child I did not have the ambition to play for a European club. I just wanted to play for the big team in my area, Rotor Volgograd.'

Soon after making his first appearance for Rotor as a promising 18-year-old, he married the girl he met in class at school at 15.

Larisa, he has said before, is the brains in the partnership. 'I was useless at school,' he says. 'They just accepted that and left me alone. I just can't learn anything. Studying was always hard for me. My wife was quite good at English, but me?'

He has been something of a hell-raiser in the past. He once admitted: 'After a game against Slovan I had so much to drink I got lost. The other players had to come looking for me. Although the worst case was on the eve of my marriage. I drank so much I almost fell off my hotel balcony. It was the same after my daughter was born.' He chooses to play the role of family man now.

When he arrived in London he confessed to knowing little about the place. The Thames? Big Ben? 'I've no idea,' he said. 'I was never any good at history either.'

But he does now seem to be embracing life in this country. 'Different rules apply here,' he says. 'Life is different everywhere. You drive on the other side of the road. It took me time to adapt.

'But now I have seen many places in London. Interesting places. We like to go to the theatre. And I like to spend time with my friends. Andrey Arshavin and his family. Yuri Zhirkov and his family. We have got so many Russian friends over here.' Roman Abramovich? 'No, I have never seen Mr Abramovich,' he says. 'The boss.'

A final word is reserved for the Tottenham fans who were quick to take a shine to him. They burst into song with a chorus of 'Super Pav' even if he's just jogging up and down the touchline.

'I would like to say thank you to my supporters,' he says. 'They've been very supportive, even when I wasn't playing. The way I pay them back is by scoring goals.'

He will probably thank Redknapp too. Just not quite yet.

Roman Pavlyuchenko gave this interview in support of The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. The foundation has reached the landmark of creating one million life-changing opportunities, achieved over the last four years, for people of all ages in the community. Approximately one Tottenham player each week goes out into the community to support the work of the foundation. The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation uses sport and, in particular football, as a vehicle to create life- changing opportunities for children, groups and individuals within our communities.

THE MAKING OF SUPER PAV

Before his two goals in the 3-0 win against Wigan in February, Pavlyuchenko had scored two goals in eight matches. Since his super-sub show at the DW the Russia star has scored eight goals in eight games, a goal every 55.5 minutes. His record before and after the Wigan game in all competitions is:
<table><tr><td width="45%"></td><td width="32%">Before</td><td width="54%">After</td></tr>
<tr><td width="45%">Appearances:</td><td width="32%">8</td><td width="54%">8</td></tr>
<tr><td width="45%">Mins on pitch:</td><td width="32%">276</td><td width="54%">444</td></tr>
<tr><td width="45%">Goals:</td><td width="32%">2</td><td width="54%">8</td></tr>
<tr><td width="45%">Mins per goal:</td><td width="32%">138</td><td width="54%">55.5</td></tr></table>