Iain Hume interview in Yorkshire Evening Post

[sstackho]

Iain Hume's comeback from injury officially came back in August, with the striker's outing against Coventry City his first since his terrifying fractured skull ordeal the previous November.

The real comeback everyone was waiting for though – his first goal – came nine games later at home to West Brom.

And another Hume effort four days later against Ipswich Town suggested the Canadian international was finally back in business.

But by his own admission, it's been hard graft for him ever since.

But now last weekend's winner against Blackpool – Hume's first strike since Ipswich – has the 26-year-old hoping this time he is finally back on track.

Hume's transfer to Barnsley from Leicester back in June 2008 caused quite a stir, with big things expected of the new arrival who came with a £1.2m price tag.

In keeping with the script, Hume netted on his debut and a red card in his third game aside, life at Oakwell began well for Hume who banged in four goals in his first 12 games.

What followed, though, made goals seem immaterial as Hume fractured his skull following a clash with Sheffield United's Chris Morgan, which left him hospitalised and wondering if he would even play again, let alone score goals.

Thankfully, Hume got his career back on track and hopes were high that this campaign would see him start paying back his transfer fee.

And although a squad rotation policy means it has been stop-start thus far, Hume is hoping last weekend's winner means it is finally all systems go.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm made up that I'm back from what happened last year," Hume told Yorkshire Sport.

"From a personal point of view, that's a massive step for me, but with me being fit all season, it's not been the quickest for me.

"It's gone quite slow and in terms of performances and in terms of progression, it's gone really slow.

"I think that's down to me, I need to concentrate a bit more and get myself in the team.

"All I can do is what I did last week, score goals and try and perform well.

"Fingers crossed I will be given the chance to do that.

"Hopefully the goal does a lot for my confidence, but I've just got to wait and see.

"If I go another 11 games without another start and then I score again I don't know, I will have to start again and it's just a matter of waiting and seeing."

Hume, born in Edinburgh but raised in Canada, could not hide his delight in celebrating last Saturday's winner and admits the much-needed confidence-boosting goal – his first for 17 games – came as a mighty relief.

The former Tranmere and Leicester ace says it was not actually the barren run it sounds given the number of substitute appearances he's made, though he admits the stats don't lie!

"It doesn't really help when people say 16 or 17 games because I have

only started two of them!" he said.

"If I'd have been playing every game and hadn't been scoring, then I think I would have been a bit more worried.

"It's still been a long time and it's not a nice thing to go through when you're a striker, but it's nice that I got it and that we got the three points.

"Hopefully, I can put that behind me now."

Hume has arguably not been helped by his manager's striker rotation

policy, but the forward wouldn't have it any other way and says a guaranteed starting berth would not do any of Barnsley's frontmen any favours.

The targetman also says the proof of Robins' talents as a manager are simply in the pudding of the Tykes' league rise.

"You look at other teams and they have got three, four or possibly five strikers fighting for their spots," he said.

"It's got to be like that hasn't it?

"And at the top of our league you have got strikers scoring maybe 15, 20 goals.

"It's good to have competition and we've got four strikers now that are pushing for two spots and sometimes one spot depending on how the manager goes.

"It does keep everyone on their toes and I think it makes it a bit more interesting.

"The new manager has been good.

"He's got good coaching staff behind him as well and I think the lads will all say it's been quite good since he's come in.

"I think every manager is judged on results and where they are in the league and I think with the manager so far, you look at the stats and they don't lie.

"I think we were second-bottom when he took over so I don't think anyone can complain with that!

"Fingers crossed we can continue in the form that we're in and we can hopefully push on a little bit."

Barnsley are pushing on at such a rate of knots that the Reds are now spoken more of as play-off hopefuls than relegation fancies.

Hume, though, feels the Tykes should walk before they can run and is stressing talk of a top-six finish is perhaps too much too soon.

"I just think that's a bit premature," he said.

"Bringing in the manager, I think the chairman said 'just make sure we're in this league.'

"I think a couple more wins and we are going to be in this league and we've just to make sure that's our number one target.

"Obviously, we are in the top half of the table at the moment, with two games in hand on most teams, so we are definitely in the right spot.

"But in terms of the play-offs, I don't think it's the right thing to be speaking about right now.

"If it happens, if we get close, then I think we will seriously think about it, we will really push on to get there.

"But at the moment we have just to weigh up how we are going and where we go from here and I think at the end of the season we will be in the position that we deserve."

Hume feels he has already missed out on something that was perhaps deserved, or at least his country has, namely a place in this summer's World Cup.

The 28-cap front man feels Canada had the necessary talent to go to South Africa, but admits his team squandered a great chance of qualification.

"I think we are disappointed, though I know a lot of people will think different and think 'well, Canada is not a big team'," he said.

"But we definitely had a chance this time and I think this is the best squad we've had since I have been involved in the national team.

"And funnily enough, we've let ourselves down at home, we've lost a few cheap games, for example to Honduras at home and we couldn't beat Jamaica at home either.

"On the other side of the coin, as far as I know they have got a game set up against Argentina just before the World Cup so that would be a massive one to be involved with if I am called up."

Come the summer, Hume will be supporting England, as well as Brazil due to his love of their natural flair, but naturally as a proud Canadian, first and foremost he wants the downfall of the United States!

Asked if he will be yelling on Fabio Capello's men, Hume laughed: "I will do, but being a football fan, I have got a soft spot for Brazil.

"As long as England go out and beat the States I'll be made up!"

And at least Hume had something to smile about internationally last weekend when his countrymen saw out a hugely successful Winter Olympics with victory in the men's ice hockey final on Sunday night.

Hume wasn't the only Tykes spectator, revealing he had also got team-mates Ryan Shotton, Carl Dickinson, Darren Moore and Stephen Foster into the Canadian spirit.

"I watched quite a lot and I think my wife was always in a mood with me because I was watching too much!" said Hume of the Winter Olympics.

"I was on BBC2 or Eurosport most of the day and then to top it off I sat and watched every minute of the ice hockey final.

"I was texting a lot of the lads beforehand to make sure they were watching it as well – I had Ryan Shotton, Dicko (Carl Dickinson), Mooro (Darren Moore), Stevie (Stephen Foster), all the lads I had watching it.

"They enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, and for us to win it was brilliant."

With Hume's team-mates even sharing his Canadian glories, team-spirit at Oakwell remains as high as ever as does Hume's morale.

And while the 5ft 7ins star admits Barnsley's fans are still yet to get their £1.2m worth from him, there is plenty of time left yet.

Looking ahead long-term, Hume finished: "I've got until the end of next season left on my contract and as long as the management still want me here then I am more than happy to be here.

"I owe a lot to the club and the fans for supporting me over what happened over the last year.

"I'm not in a hurry to move anywhere to be honest and I just want to make my name here.

"I still haven't done that yet."

[nolando]

Hard to say where Hume is at with his career now - has he effectively peaked, injury or no injury?

His club stats as of late almost parallel his numbers with the nats - lots of good-looking performances but not much return on chances. If he doesn't get back to old form at Barnsley soon it could be off to League One, unless he's content with being a Championship squad player.

I love the guy, but at some point he has got to answer the critics.

[jojoflow]

I love Hume one of my fav Canadian players

Im glad he is back to playing and i hope he gets more starts and rips it up

[rmacvicar]

Hume seems like a great guy and a great ambassador for the National team, hopefully he can get a few more opportunities and pot some goals for Barnsley (and the MNT for that matter)

[TheKottonmouthed1555362307]

Hume seems like a great guy and a great ambassador for the National team, hopefully he can get a few more opportunities and pot some goals for Barnsley (and the MNT for that matter)

He is by far my favourite football player in the World. This guy plays the game right, gives everything has on every run he makes. A great ambassador for Canada in the world of Football. I'm just so happy he has been able to come back from that devtasting elbow from Morgan.

[nolando]

LEANER AND DETERMINED - HUME

Posted on: Fri 25 Jun 2010

BARNSLEY striker Iain Hume is leaner and determined to impress when pre-season training starts next week.

Iain told www.barnsleyfc.co.uk: "I sat down with the manager and physio at the end of the season and the main thing for me is just to get fit. I feel as though I have let a lot of people down here in the last 18-months, although there was not much I could do about the first half of that. I have a clean slate now and I will make sure I get fitter and work even harder.

"I have enough belief in my ability and know that when I am fully fit I can compete with anyone. That is why the club brought me in and I just have to go out there and prove it again now.

"I have been working through the summer on my diet and have lost weight. I will be coming back for the start of pre-season weighing less than when I left, which is a big thing for me. I normally maintain my weight or even put on a few kilos through the summer and that normally hinders me at the start of pre-season. By working on my diet I will be coming back in better shape. I have a massive point to prove both to myself and to everybody else".

He added: "I am looking forward to getting back in next week. I think we all really needed the break at the end of the season because we disappointed ourselves with the way we finished the campaign off after setting such high standards at times.

"When you look at the new people coming in then there is every reason to be excited for the new season. We showed how good we can be against the biggest teams in the division last season and made a lot of them look average. We also held our own against teams from the Premier League and we have to take a lot of confidence and belief from that.

"When you look at the teams coming down I think it leaves the division without and really massive clubs, apart from probably Middlesbrough. Everybody else is pretty much on a level playing field and you only have to look at who went up last season to see that anything is possible with a little bit of confidence and a good run.

"We beat Blackpool home and away last season and that has been the frustrating part of our results for the last few years. We have to look at the likes of Burnley and Blackpool and take confidence from the fact that you do not have to have the biggest squad or the highest wage bill to be successful in this division".

http://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10309~2077967,00.html

[Soju]

It was all fluff and no substance. None. He is a sitting freshman senator with absolutely no clout, and his party doesn't even want his opinion. He is not involved with even working the phones. He says he is constantly talking with Barneke. Why is he not talking to Reid and Pelosi. Why is he not talking to ranking democrats to see what he needs to do to help in the process. Reason: Because he has no idea what is going on, or what is needed.

Disagree. Iain Hume may be a freshman senator, but he has clout within his party. No doubt about that. Not only do those in the know seek out his opinion, but the press has been known to seek it in matters that aren't even his direct concern (such as the latest agricultural scandal up in Brentwood). I think what I'm hearing here is a lot of sour grapes from a man who clearly voted for Olivier Occean in the last election. When oh when are people like you going to wake up and realize YOU LOST! Hume's in and he aint goin no where, so disagree with his policies all you like but the honest Scot from Edinburgh is here to stay.