Joe Westerman is ready for a tough year by keeping Castleford safe – without even thinking about relegation.
The former England striker has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons when a leaked highlight clip of him went viral just a week before the start of this Premier League season. It’s been tough on the field since then, with the volatile Tigers picking up just four wins all year. With six games remaining, they are tied for bottom of the table with arch-rivals Wakefield and face a thrilling relegation battle on Friday.
In his first interview since his disgraceful drunk behaviour, Westerman told Mirror Sport how he handled the public altercation, admitting: “The first few weeks were tough. It was a huge mistake for me. , a stupid drunk mistake that shouldn’t have happened. As for the football, I’ll put that aside and think I played my best football yet again.
“When I cross that line, I’m good at keeping things off the field. But it makes me re-examine a lot of things. I’m happier off the field and my kids look happier, which is important because it’s important to It’s been tough for them. It’s a very friendly relationship now (with the ex-wife).”
Jason Demetriou urges Wakefield to use 2006 exploits in relegation battle. Westermann, 33, believes the club can turn the tide as the relegation battle intensifies. New head coach Danny Ward took the lead on Friday for the first time since stepping down with six games remaining. He could make his debut for former Leeds defender Blake Austin against revived Wakefield.
All talk was similar to the famous Bellevue battle in 2006, when Castleford lost a crucial relegation penalty shoot-out at Trinity. Westerman, who has played for both clubs, recalls: “I signed a full-time contract with Cass in 2006. I was only 16, but [coach] Terry Mattson once said , if we had beaten Salford the week before, I would have played my first game at Wakefield because we would have been safe.
“But we lost, we went down, I played my first game in the league. Friday means a lot for the club. As a player, I know that if you lose, you risk relegation, which It’s big, especially for my hometown club.
