Life as a Pro

I made my professional debut at the age of 17. Harry Basset gave me my chance and I’ll always be grateful to him, he’s a great character and football’s all the richer for his involvement in the game.

Since Harry left I’ve played under no fewer than five managers – and Glyn Hodges managed the club on two separate occasions! The present manager, Gudjon Thordarson, has developed a decent spirit within the club. He’s a disciplinarian and commands respect from the players. Before he took over there had been a period of administration and this meant a great deal of uncertainty. It’s a relief that such a period seems now to be behind us. We finished only four points above relegation last season, but now results have improved to the extent that we’re now looking to the top – rather than the bottom – of the league table.

I’ve also played for England under 18’s – a tremendous experience and honour. I’ve had the pleasure of playing alongside players such as the two Jermaine’s – Pennant and Defoe and although I’m not featuring at international level at present, I haven’t give up hope.

I’m at a good club that’s run well and looks on course to gain promotion. It’s not going to be easy but I feel that promotion is a definite possibility and if we can just improve slightly on the second half of the season, there’ll be first division football at Oakwell.