| 5. What’s the best advice you’ve received? Who’s been the biggest influence on your career? |
| Reggie Hillen has been a massive influence on me, I think he sees a lot of himself in me and the battle he has for the number 1 jersey with Alan Patterson is very similar to the current battle between Elliott Morris and myself. He is a fantastic talker and reads every situation on its own merit, I feel confident in him and the advice he gives me because he has been there and experienced it for himself. |
| 6. Who do you play like/compare yourself to? Did you have any idols when you were younger? |
| David Seaman was a big idol of mine, always calm & assured. He never had to make camera saves because he read the game so well & his positioning was first class. Currently I have a lot of admiration for David James, he has proved that with hard work, belief & a strong mentality that the mistakes he made in the past are behind him and he’s now the best keeper in England. |
| 7.Do you think that it is important to have a goalkeeping coach at your club? |
| Yes, the difference is evident. If you have the right coach working with you who believes in you and who can bring out the best in you then it will tell in your game. |
8. What’s it like working with David McClelland your goalkeeping coach? |
| David is a good guy who works hard, his sessions are planned out and he always makes it enjoyable. He understands the need to have time away from the outfield players to work with us in private. |
| 9.What do you think off your boss Alan McDonald? You can sum him up in a few words if you like! |
| He doesn’t mind what the boys call him, Alan, Big Mac or the gaffer. I prefer to call him gaffer. He has been good for me this season, he told me that if I was in the team and playing well that I would stay in & he was true to his word. Yes I’ve been left out a few times but I don’t have to question his decision, he knows that myself & Elliott want the jersey and he has been fair with both of us. |
| 10.How did you feel when you made your Glentoran first team debut? How long have you been at the Oval? |
| I made my debut last year in the Setanta cup v Drogheda. It was a strange night, we lost 1 nil but I was happy with how the game went on a performance level from my 1st spell I was there 5 years, I’ve been back a year and a half now and have just signed a new 2 year deal.
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| 11.What honours have you won at Glentoran and what would you like to win before you retire from the game? |
| I won all the youth and reserve honours during my 1st spell but my 1st medal in senior football was the Co Antrim Shield winners medal this year. I obviously want to win everything with the Glens before I retire but if I could choose just one it would be the Irish Cup. |
| 12.How do you deal with criticism? |
| I am honest and hold my hands up when I make a mistake. I’ve made a few high profile errors this season and the criticism was tough to take, but I am strong mentally and with people like Reggie Hillen around it makes it a lot easier because the criticism is all constructive. |
| 13.Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? |
| I think I can play on for another 10 years, but I think that I would like to retire at around 34 and take up a coaching role, preferably at Glentoran. |
| 14.On Saturday or when you play how do you prepare for a game? Have you a set routine on and off the pitch? |
| Yes, the morning is pretty relaxed, I have some time with my son Charlie before getting some food and making sure all my gear is ready. When at the ground I like to get changed quickly then relax, I take myself somewhere quiet before the warm-up then before the game for a few minutes and work on some visualization techniques. |
| 15. What was your worst moment in football? |
| Injuring my back and having to miss 14 months of training and playing! |
| 16. Has the boss ever given you a ticking off? |
| No comment. |
| 17. What gloves do you wear? |
| I have just released my own GK Glove range, they are called MDG Ultra Wrap & will be available to buy soon. *(see below) |
| 18. What boots do you wear? |
| Adidas Pred |
| 19. What clubs have you played for in your football career? |
| Glentoran, H&W Welders, Crusaders, Clemson Tigers (USA), Lisburn Distillery. |
| 20. Approximately how many penalty kicks would you have saved in your career? Would you say you are good at saving penalties? And what technique would you use? |
| I have a good record at saving penalties. I have probably saved 1 for every 3 I have had against me. I use a technique that David Seaman used, by watching the players run up and his shoulders, you can pretty much judge the right way every time! |
| 21. If you were a Manager of a football club and had just been given permission to sign any player in the world, who would you go for. |
| I would sign Cesc Fabragas from Arsenal. |
| 22. What do you think about an all Ireland League? |
| I would like to play in an all Ireland league; the Setanta Cup has shown that the supporters and players both enjoy the games more than league games. It may happen soon. |
| 23. If you could be automatically fluent in one language, which would it be? |
| I would love to be fluent in Italian. |
| 24. What was the last CD you bought? |
| "The Gossip - Standing in the way of control." |
| 25. What CD have you in your car at the moment? |
| The Gossip. |
| 26. What is you favourite TV program? |
| At the moment I am into watching Gavin and Stacey on BBC3. |
| 27. What is your favourite meal? |
| My favourite meal without a doubt is Sea Bass. |
| 28. Who is the most famous person that you have ever meet? |
| Roy Keane who was at Manchester United at that time and is now Sunderland Manager. |
| 29. Do you have any superstitions? |
| Yes, I never wear the number 1 jersey. I had 2 bad injuries while wearing it and now I always ask for a different squad number. Currently it is number 18 at Glentoran. |
| 30.Who would you say is the best keeper in the world at the moment? |
| David James & Buffon |
| 31.Who is the best keeper or keepers in the Irish League apart from you? |
| Elliott Morris & Alan Mannus are the top 2 keepers in the country and I would put them in the top 4 or 5 in all Ireland. If I’m honest I would say I’m in the top 5 in the Irish league & top 10 in Ireland. |
| 32.What’s the best stadium you’ve played in? |
| WE played AEK Solna in the Swedish National Stadium in the summer, it was immense. |
| 33.Who is the most famous person that you have ever met? |
| Roy Keane. |
| 34.Who’s the biggest joker in the dressing room? |
| Maybe me? not so much of a joker but more of a messer, always stitching people up although its not difficult as we have some naive players in the league -
There’s a tale goes around about someone drying his boots in the tumble dryer..... |
| 35. Who’s the best and worst dressed at Glentoran? |
| Morgo was always the best dressed but he's gone now. I'd say I’m up there and Sean Ward has a decent style. Worst? They know who they are. |
| 36.Who is in charge of the dressing room stereo? |
| We all get a go, every home game you get a turn in order of your squad number and get marked out of 10 on your selection. There have been some brutal efforts... Ryan Berry's got switched off after 3 songs |
| 37.Describe yourself in five words…
|
| Dedicated, honest, relaxed, ambitious, carefree. |
| 38. What advice would you give to somebody who wants to become a goalkeeper? |
| I would advise them to work hard during every training session and always want to listen and learn from your coach. Always try to improve on your last game no matter how good it was. Forget about any mistakes that you make and always do your best! |
