team mates
Best mate at the club?
My best mate at the club is our captain Danny Grainger. We are both from Penrith and have known each other for as long as I can remember. We played junior football together and we always kept in touch – we even played the odd game of golf together – but this season is the first time we have actually played at the same club. We are both really experienced now, are born-and-bred Cumbrians so we know the team inside out.
Last to buy dinner?
Gary Liddle, without a doubt – he still owes me money actually… He is a good lad but never buy him a coffee! Don’t make a bet with him either – we had a little one recently and he still hasn’t paid up for that...
The Fifa king?
Regan Slater loves it. He even watches videos of other people playing it. Me and Anthony Gerrard look at him like ‘are you serious?’ He is bang average too which is the worst thing about it. Worst dressed? Jamie Devitt has got some shocking tracksuits that he turns up in. Some of them are pinstriped – you would never see anyone else wearing them! On a night out he is wearing Noel Edmonds-style shirts which is not ideal but he thinks he looks good, so as long as he is happy, I guess.
The pre-match dressing room DJ?
It used to be Richie Bennett but since he left on loan for Morecambe in January it has kind of been passed around a bit. Peter Grant has come in and started playing some tunes now so I think he is having himself as the DJ. I am old school when it comes to music taste. I love Bon Jovi but that doesn’t really go down too well with the rest of the boys.
Late for training?
There’s no-one who is consistently late. Nathan Thomas was late recently – he got stuck in traffic and it is always the same excuse. We’re quite a sensible bunch of lads, to be honest.
Teacher’s pet?
Gary ‘Lids’ Liddle without a doubt. He has played almost 600 professional games so everyone says he is really experienced and then he just gets away with murder. The gaffer basically just says ‘look at Lids, he is 7/10 every week so he’s your benchmark’ – and then he gets Monday off. He does what he wants. He’s got the physio on toast too, sneaking him cups of tea and all that. He gets away with murder!
First on the dancefloor?
Mike Jones or Anthony Gerrard are always sniffing around the dancefloor. They’re a bit stiff but god loves a tryer and all that.
Most likely to disgrace themselves at the Christmas party?
Tom Parkes – he is a bit of a loose cannon when he has a drink inside him. He doesn’t do anything massively stupid but we call him ‘Pesky Parkesy’ for a reason...
The worst tattoo?
My fellow goalkeeper Louis Gray went on holiday and reckons he fell in love, so he came back with a girl’s name tattooed on the back of his leg! I think he went to Tenerife – says it all really...
Going to make the best manager?
Me and Danny Grainger would make a good pair. I’d be manager and he could be my number two – I’d be good cop and he would be bad cop because he likes to shout in the dressing room.