Hitman Danny is worth £750,000
Last updated 11:33, Thursday, 27 March 2008
CULT hero Steve Claridge reckons Carlisle United hitman Danny Graham is one of the best strikers outside the Premiership – and is worth at least £750,000.
Claridge, who played for Leicester, Birmingham City and Wolves in a glittering career, revealed he has been hugely impressed by Graham, whose 15 goals have helped take the Blues to the brink of promotion to the Championship.
He watched Graham hit the winner in United’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest earlier this month, and believes the former Middlesbrough youngster is one to watch for the future.
Claridge said: “Danny Graham's performance in the recent game between Nottingham Forest and Carlisle was a tough one to judge, but in the end he came through with flying colours. Both him and Carlisle made a slow start to the match, but the longer it went on the more he and his team-mates showed why they have been doing so well this season.
“Graham played up front on his own for the most part and, particularly early on, was left to feed on scraps as Forest took the initiative and applied a lot of pressure. He reminded me of a boy I played with at Millwall called Richard Sadlier. He's not as good - few will be - but he has the same manner that can lull the crowd and, in particular, the opposition into a false sense of security.
“He is quicker than he looks, better in the air than you'd give him credit for and his fitness never wavered as this specific game wore on.
“It took a while for him to retain possession and his hold-up play and positioning from clearances left a little bit to be desired at first, but it didn't take him long to get the pace of the game. It was then that his touch and vision, particularly from one-touch play, set him apart.
“He must have played in this role before because his choice of when to exert energy and close down defenders and when to conserve that energy was good.
“The same can be said for his awareness of people running off him. Players can get frustrated when the support isn't great and they get isolated for long periods in a game. Graham never let his head go down and made the most of the service he received.
“Early in the game, when Carlisle did cross the ball he was the only man in the box, meaning he had no chance of scoring. He was prepared to go short for throw-ins and link play in the midfield area. These duties were done very much for the team, which surprised me as I had been led to believe that this was an out-and-out goalscorer in the making. It was pleasing to see a far more rounded player.”
Graham, who joined United on a free from Middlesbrough in April last year, has recovered from his goal-drought which saw him go 19 games without a goal.
The 22-year-old has scored six goals in the last nine games, which have helped to take Carlisle to within just five points of League One leaders Swansea City.
Claridge added: “It has taken him a while to settle down, as he was loaned out to five different teams by Middlesbrough. He struggled to make an impression with any side apart from Carlisle, but now he has found a club that really does like him and is settling in well. On the evidence of his display against Forest it was not hard to see why.”
