Chopra won’t forget ‘brilliant’ Bluebirds fans
FORMER Bluebirds star Michael Chopra bounds in to the County Hotel in Newcastle and takes a seat opposite me in a small corner of the lounge.
He says everything is on the table, it’s going to be warts and all.
Over the course of the next two hours, we talk about growing up as a mixed-race kid in Newcastle, living his dream by playing at St James’ Park, his crippling gambling addiction, the public breakdown of his marriage, explosive Twitter rants and seeking salvation from the adulation of Cardiff City fans.
Michael’s story is one that is punctuated by controversy off the pitch, but on it his talent brought joy to thousands. And those thousands brought joy to him – more than they will know.
His talent was natural, even from a young age. Then a winger, he plotted his way through the Newcastle academy ranks and England youth teams before realising his dream of playing for his boyhood club.
But behind the scenes, a 15-year gambling addiction was brewing.
Michael fell victim to the footballer’s “bubble”, feeling untouchable and mixing with the big boys, but ultimately his time at the Toon was a frustrating one.
He played just 21 times in six years and admits it was a disappointment he never truly broke through.
But, following loan spells at Watford, Nottingham Forest and Barnsley, he found home in South Wales in 2006.
Michael was a revelation at Cardiff City. A breath of fresh air.
He smashed 22 goals in his first season and was included in the team of the year. He finally felt like this is where he belonged.
“I went down to Ninian Park,” he says, “and it wasn’t a massive stadium, like I was used to at Newcastle, but I knew it was a stadium that the fans would get right behind you.
“From when I met [manager] Dave Jones, I knew that he was the manager for me, straight away.
“I could tell that, if there was someone who was going to give me a kick up the backside, he was the right man for me.”
Michael knew Stephen McPhail from his time at Barnsley and then captain Darren Purse took him under his wing. Ricardo Scimeca, Neil Alexander, Paul Parry, these are some of the players Michael credits with helping him settle, both physically and mentally, in the Welsh capital.
The striker was building a support system off the pitch, while on it, the fans made him feel loved and it meant more to him than they will ever know.
There are often comparisons drawn between South Wales and the North-East of England, in terms of its tight-knit communities, and although they are 300 miles apart, those similarities helped to make Cardiff feel like home.
“Sam Hammam said to me that these fans are exactly like you’re used to at Newcastle. They’re passionate, they will get right behind the team, as long as you’re working hard and doing well, and I could see that from the off.
“I know people would say, ‘ Oh what a rubbish stadium that is’, but I needed to be playing in a stadium like Ninian Park.
“To play well in football, you’ve got to feel loved and wanted, and I felt that straight away with Cardiff City fans.”
Cardiff started like a train that season, but fell away and ended up finishing mid-table. If Bluebirds fans thought Michael was going to lead the charge the following year, too, that hope was cut desperately short. When a £5m offer from Sunderland was tabled, it was too much money for the Bluebirds to turn down.
Away from the pitch, his addiction was costing him thousands of pounds a week. So, while at Sunderland, he sought help and checked into rehab.
He is now an intermediary, helping footballers get in touch with clubs and helping to engineer moves.
He lives in Amsterdam now with his Dutch partner and loves it.