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Was the regime difficult?
I got fined a fiver every day by the manager for not shaving. And we got caught out drinking one night before a match and they ran us into the ground the next day. But I learnt discipline and hard work thorough football.
Did you meet the first team?
I was Lee Sharpe and Gary Kelly�s boot boy when I first arrived, then they took my on as pro and another little lad cleaned my boots instead! Gary Kelly really looked after me; he was Irish, only two or three years older. When my contract ended and I�d to go back to Dublin he called me, asked if I was alright for money, wanted to help out. I�m still good mates with him now.
Are you still friends with footballers?
You can make good mates in football but not often. It�s mostly acquaintances really. I was mates with Alan Maybury and Damain Lynch beforehand, cos we were in the same team in Ireland together. The rest of the lads are sound, they�re good for a laugh when I run into them.
Did your football kit have your initials on it?
Yeah, I did. And my number � I was number 42.
What was your finest footballing moment?
My finest moment was when I got called up for the first team. I�d only been at the club for two months, and I travelled on the team bus to Southampton as second goalkeeper reserve. I went down and we drew one-all, but I was on the bench, watching. I thought I�d hit the big time.
And the worse bit?
When they told me I was too small was hard. But football can be a very very cruel game. By that point I�d had enough and was ready go to home, start fresh with something new. I was devastated but I knew it was time. I loved being home for the first three months in the summer closed season. But when the season restarted and I wasn�t involved it really hit me. But then I started my karaoke business, and moved on, and my resident Friday night at Karaoke became my world tour.
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� 2001 Pami