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Dear Jeremy, Your background in soccer escapes me. Can you tell us how your entry into soccer? A: As with most of us, I first played soccer in Primary School. It was mostly just a matter of recess time kickabouts. I sucked back then. After coming to RI, I still sucked till Sec. 3. That was when I was staying in the boarding house and we used to play a lot. After Sec. 3, I started to not suck so much. You have a very cultivated right foot and your left foot is better than most. Is this a result of hard work and rugby training or it just comes naturally to you? A: I doubt that rugby training has anything to do with my kicking ability. I suck at kicking a rugby ball. I think any claims that I have a good right foot are exaggerated. I've seen lots better. Currently, due to some ankle problems, my right foot sucks. My left foot isn't much better. However, I do accept that I can use my left foot with more ease than others. I have no idea why. It definitely wasn't hard work. If I had to hazard a guess, it would have to be that I thought that only being able to use one foot was an awful waste and I tried to integrate it more and more into my game. Despite your current lack of fitness, often, you manage to control the game from midfield with incisive passes. Do you think you would play differently if you were suddenly endowed with fitness? As in instead of visionary passes and irresitable flick-ons, you would choose to surge down the wings or take on a few defenders through the centre. A: I feel that any claims that I am able to control the game from midfield with incisive passes are baseless. Fitness is crucial to soccer. At present, I am unable to exert control in midfield precisely because I have no fitness. If I did have some fitness, I would not be playing differently, I still appreciate the beauty of the passing game as opposed to the running game. After all, why work so hard when you can make the ball (and your teammates) work for you. However, fitness would change the intensity of my defensive game. I would love to be able to chase down breaks and mark men more effectively. What are the major events that have dictated the way you play soccer? A: Being fat is the biggest factor. Being fat and slow, you cannot break down the wings and beat 4 defenders. Being fat and slow, you get beaten by quicker players that can run circles around you. As you can see, I am mostly a huge liability on the team I play for. Thus, to minimize the amount of damage I cause to my team, I try to be more creative and more constructive with the ball and more hardworking off the ball. Also, being fat and unfit also means that you cannot recover back to your position in time, so I tend to prefer to sit back and let my teammates do the attacking work. To minimise the risk that a counter attack catches me out of position. What do you try to achieve when you have the ball in defence, midfield and attack. A: In defence, the first priority is to clear the ball and relieve the pressure on the team. If the oppotunity arises, I would try play a constructive ball to the guys upfront. In midfield, the first priority is ball retention. The second is constructive ball to the strikers. I seldom attack nowadays because I cannot really shoot anymore. But, if I found myself in attack, I guess I would just shoot the damn ball and hope for the best. What do you try to achieve off the ball when the ball is in defence, midfield and attack. A: Not die while chasing the opponent with the ball. What advice would you offer to those aspiring after you? A: Change person to aspire after and stop taking acid. Summarise what soccer means to you and how it fits in the larger scheme of things. A: Soccer is something I try to play when I have the time. Soccer is a good oppotunity to catch up with old friends. That's all. What are your views on the RAI invitational moving over to the PS2? A: I think I better get a PS2 and start practicing. Ok, just for the record Finally, is there anything you would like to add? A: Justin Ker, I admire you so much. Let me give you handjob!!!! Thank you for sharing yourself with us and also for taking time off to do the interview. |