Winjhard relives ordeal

Last updated : 04 September 2002 By Dave Moore

New striker Clyde Wijnhard is lucky to be alive never mind playing football as he was written off after an horiffic accident in 2000. His arm now contains a pin and two screws. The accident happened near Middlesbrough after going out with a friend for a drink. The friend drove Clyde’s car home and he recalls, “He fell asleep at the wheel — we hit the barrier, rolled over eight times and finished by hitting a couple of trees. I climbed back up to the road and know I was lucky not to break more than my upper arm. I was in hospital for two weeks. My manager at Huddersfield, Lou Macari, said I wouldn’t make it back into professional football because the injuries were too serious.”

But he did receive a second chance and he explained, “No-one needs negative publicity and all the people who said I wouldn’t play again at any level . . . well, I want to show them. You can’t allow people to bring you down and now I have a full season with Oldham to prove them all wrong. I was delighted to score my first goal last season because, even though it took a long time, I showed I could still do it. When I was out of contract at Huddersfield, Lou Macari said no-one was interested."

"But my agent said Sheffield Wednesday and Preston wanted me, so I went to Preston because they were going for the play-offs.” The new Preston manager Craig Brown and Winjhard couldn’t agree terms though. He then turned to
Barnsley without success. Of his move to Oldham Winjhard said, “I came here on trial and the gaffer asked me to show what I could do. I was pleased with Iain Dowie and the team and I like the way Oldham play, so that’s why I signed. It doesn’t matter how big the club is, the important thing is that you feel comfortable. I can also keep learning here because the manager used to be a striker himself.”

Winjhard has played alongside such greats as Kanu, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Latics manager, Iain Dowie, said of Clyde, “He only signed for one year because he still wants to play at a higher level — hopefully with us, although if he has a fantastic season and moves on, fair enough. Maybe he’s used to a bigger stage, but we are trying to make Oldham Athletic as big a small club as we can. Clyde has had a very difficult
experience with the accident, but he fits into our plan and now has to make us desperate to sign him again next summer.”