Columnist

I DON’T act a certain way because I’m captain, I am who I am. That’s me whether I’ve got an armband on or not.

It’s a privilege to wear it for the club but it doesn’t make me a different person.

There is more responsibility on your shoulders but the type of person I am anyway, I embrace that. I like being involved, I like being loud.

Everyone who knows me knows I’m a little bit strange, I’m not your normal, straight-down-theline person.

I’m honest enough to know the lads will have a laugh at me at times because I’m sort of weird, but I see that as my role, to keep them entertained.

The practical jokes are still going on. We were getting paid last week and got told it would be on the first of the following month rather than the last day of the month. So I said ‘lads, check your bank, your wages have gone in’ and everyone was having an absolute panic thinking ‘I haven’t been paid’.

Some of the same jokes have worked on the same people for the past five years at this club.

I get my usual message from Josh Macdonald every time I do it saying ‘same old tricks still working Browny’ so he knows all about it.

I like winding the lads up, it just keeps people’s minds active. I’ve always said to the lads that I’m always hereiftheyneedachatora different voice.

I’ve been speaking to Tobi (Sho-Silva) quite a lot. In terms of people’s lives, we probably couldn’t be more different if you tried but we’ve really clicked since we met. We’ve kept in touch every week, having little chats. Speaking to someone like him makes you look at yourself and think ‘are you doing enough for other people?’ I’ve got a lot of respect for him and what he’s doing with his life, not just on the pitch but off it. He’s a really good lad.

*Matty was speaking before the club announced their furlough of staff.