BRAYFORD HAILS ‘POSITIVE’ NIGEL
Brewers boss has been inspiration to defender
FOOTBALL has seen its fair share of one-club men but John Brayford is almost a one-manager man!
On four separate occasions spanning almost 300 matches, at Derby County, Sheffield United and during two spells at Burton Albion, the 31-year-old defender has played for current Brewers boss Nigel Clough.
It is a remarkable statistic which speaks of a mutual admiration as well as a big dose of ‘trust’, as Brayford outlines.
His career is inextricably linked to Clough’s – bookended by the former England forward’s decision to bring him through
Burton’s revamped youth academy in 2006 and then to re-sign him in
2017.
Last summer, Brayford extended his stay at the Pirelli Stadium for another year, again owing to the Clough effect, and despite the Brewers currently languishing in mid-table in League One, he is still loving life in Staffordshire.
“I’ll always have fond memories of starting out at Burton where Nigel gave me my first chance,” said Brayford.
“I just like the way he thinks, the way he emphasises how it is a team game and how he likes to build a team of players.
“I’ve known him for most of my adult life and it’s been great to get to know him as a person. He’ll always tell you what he thinks and I’ll be forever grateful for that.
“His attitude of ‘all for one and one for all’ has helped me develop.
It means that everyone in pushing in the right direction.
“It’s a professional relationship we have. It’s built on trust more than anything, he’ll always tell me if I need a rest. I’d play every game if I could for him but he’s sometimes left me out to make sure I’m fit and healthy, I trust him with that.
“Nigel influenced me to sign on and keep going. I’m ready to play whenever and Nigel knows that. I’m still fully enjoying the game.”
So why has Brayford followed Clough from team to team?
Largely, according to the man himself, this owes to the pair sharing similar outlooks on the game and life itself as well as Brayford’s admiration for the methods that Clough employs.
He added: “He seems to gel with my morals very well. I enjoy his management style and his man-management, he’s helped me grow as a person rather than just a footballer.
“I think he’s kept the same morals throughout his managerial career, he believes in what he does and has always done what he thought was right.
“We’ve got three words up in the dressing room which say ‘aggression’, ‘desire’, and ‘passion’ and I think that sums up his morals and style.
“He spreads a very positive atmosphere. He doesn’t overwork you on the training ground, he’s patient and he believes in everyone.”
With over 400 professional matches under his belt, Brayford is an experienced head in the Burton dressing room now – a role he is enjoying.
Patient
And it is largely due to this that, despite turning 32 at the end of the month, he has no plans to hang up his boots any time soon.
“As a senior player in the squad, I’ll help out with explaining what Nigel means by certain things to some of the other boys. I help out in the dressing room where I can,” added Brayford.
“I want to play as long as possible really and it’s great Nigel has kept me around, it’s nice to be an older professional in the dressing room to help the younger players.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure if there’s a coaching role down the line though, I haven’t approached that point yet!”