THE ongoing anticipation surrounding Robbie Fowler’s arrival was laid to rest on Sunday after ‘God’ greeted fans following his landing, before heading off to Jupiter’s Casino where he was unveiled to the press.

Fowler's unveiling may not have been the biggest day in the history of NQ Fury FC to date, but it was a message to the rest of the A-League that Fury are here to be competitive.

Sunday not only marked the arrival of a legend, but also NQ Fury as a competitor in the A-League, be that a finals finish or even just a push for the finals.

This is the message of marquee signing Fowler, who is committed to putting his best football on show for the Townsville public in time for the Pre-Season Cup and more importantly, the beginning of the 2009/10 A-League season.

"I am here early to make sure I get plenty of work in, starting on April 1, before the start of next season," he said. "The pre-season doesn't start till May, but I want to be ready for that, too. I want to make sure I get everything right."

The Liverpool legend has been without a club since he severed ties with EPL side Blackburn Rovers meaning Fowler's fitness has been a major talking point. Will Fowler be able to cope with the heat and humidity Townsville will throw at him?

In the many press conferences held Fowler has indicated he knows the difficulty in the task ahead, with his scheduled early arrival proving he's focused on improving his fitness as well as acclimatising. Strength and Conditioning coach Alan McCall's first task of readying Fowler for his A-League debut doesn't look like it's going to be a tough one if the ex-Blackburn forward's positive attitude is anything to go by.

A shorter A-League season is also going to go a long way towards helping Fowler stay injury-free.

Despite all the hype surrounding Fowler, 'God' said he is looking at the bigger picture with his teammates all that matters.

"Not really, I am obviously quite grounded, I keep myself to myself and if I can do well, I do well, but more importantly it is about the team," Fowler said.

"The manager has put together a good squad and he knows what players he wants and he knows what the players can do, so it should be an interesting time."

Meanwhile, a topic that seems to be circulating amongst the press recently is the issue of captaincy. Despite Ian Ferguson's squad still awaiting completion, Fowler was asked whether he'd be interested in the captain's armband.

The high-profile marquee signing instantly denied he had put any thought into the job newly signed Scottish defender Scott Wilson is likely to be in the running for.

"In terms of being captain it is not something I have thought about," he said. "The manager picks the captain and that is his job, I am not going to go up and ask him I want to be captain.

"He will see players on the training pitch then he will make that decision himself."

Upon Fowler's pending arrival, I thought it was the perfect time to purchase the Bible - or his autobiography as it is otherwise known (which I will review in a few weeks time). The book covers everything from growing up in Toxteth to accusations of being a drug addict from the fans of a club he once supported.

Spoken in a true Liverpool slang Fowler's leadership qualities are evident right from the beginning and I can honestly say he would be a worthy recipient of the captain's armband despite admitting himself that he is no saint.

No doubt the book will soon need an update though, with Townsville and NQ Fury being the next chapter of the exciting life of Robbie Fowler.

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