By Matthew Jones
December 30 2003

Newcastle Unted striker Michael Chopra feels he could have done better with the chance made for him Sunday against Blackburn Rovers. He thought he had scored.

CHOPRA GUTTED

Newcastle Unted striker Michael Chopra feels he could have done better with the chance made for him Sunday against Blackburn Rovers. He thought he had scored.

Would you play Chopra alongside Shearer every week? Dicuss with 100s of Toon fans here.

"I was pleased to get my first start and I thought I'd scored but it was never to be," said Chopra.

"Hopefully I'll get another chance and stick that away.

"Two hours before the game the gaffer told me I was playing. I was really excited but by the time the game came my nerves had calmed down.

"For the goal I was half a yard offside, Nolberto Solano was standing next to me and he had his hands on his head and I looked at the linesman and realised.

"I'd thought Nobby was going to play it a bit earlier but that's how he plays, he waits for the right time."

He added: "There's an opportunity for me now and hopefully I can show what I can do. I just need to get my first goal. Once I get that I'll score a lot more. I've come off the bench six times and hopefully I can start to push for a first-team place - I'm 20 now.

"The big difference is that it's a lot quicker. I'm finding reserve football easy but against Blackburn it was a little bit hard.

"I took a blow to the back of my head. I fell to the floor and wondered what had hit me. But that's Premiership football."

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