Di Canio 'itching' to return
West Ham manager Glenn Roeder insists that wayward Italian star Paolo di Canio has told him he is “itching” to get back into the club’s relegation fight.
Temperamental di Canio verbally blasted Roeder earlier this season for his tactics and willingness to substitute his most experienced striker.
And di Canio accused West Ham of already having decided to let him go at the end of the season after travelling to Bologna in Italy for treatment to a knee injury.
His pain was revealed after he was replaced four minutes into the second half of a vital 2-1 win at West Brom last month.
And that victory sparked a four-game unbeaten run by the Hammers.
Their new-found form dictated that a fit-again di Canio, originally out for two months from December with a torn cartilage, was unable to regain his place for last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat of Sunderland.
But Roeder, who is currently favouring a front line link of Les Ferdinand and Jermain Defoe told West Ham’s official website, www.whufc.co.uk: “He (Paolo) has now told me he is itching to get back into the team when he has his opportunity.
“That’s great to hear and just what I would expect from an experienced professional like him.
“He didn’t play against Sunderland although he was fit again. Now he will have had two more weeks training under his belt by the time we get to Southampton for our next match.”
But di Canio has been warned he cannot walk straight back into a winning team - especially now that French striker Freddie Kanoute has returned to fitness after a long-term groin injury and scored as a second half substitute for Ferdinand last week.
Roeder said: “Paolo knows what problems I would have changing a winning team and so does Freddie.
“We will just wait and see what situation we are in when players return from international duties next week.”
