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Let’s start with how you got into fishing

“The first time I went fishing, it was a long time ago. I remember going with a couple of my dad’s friends who used to go match fishing on a Sunday. I remember I hadn’t a clue what I was doing. They gave me this rod and I was just holding it at the edge and all of a sudden the float went under and I didn’t know what to do. I just pointed it at the fish, and it snapped. So that was my first experience of fishing.

“And then, it wasn’t until I was at Birmingham City, I was about 22 and I used to play a lot of golf. I used to walk off the golf course more frustrated than I’d walked on it, so I needed something to relax, and that’s when I started fishing again. I remember catching a 2 pound carp and thinking it was massive - I only had it on a float rod. Then I hooked something bigger which snapped my line and that’s where it all started. I just wanted to catch all the biggens.”

You were born in Rotherham, what was the fishing like around that area?

“The lakes and rivers around Rotherham, I didn’t really fish many of them. I used to go back up when I was away, but I left Yorkshire when I was 18.

“I did used to fish the River Don in Sheffield, and we used to get lots of little trout out of there. I even remember smuggling a few back home in my bag, even though you’re not supposed to. As you do.

“Mostly, I went fishing down south though. I have done Salmon fishing way up north in Scotland. But yeah, I haven’t really fished any lakes around Rotherham. Mind you, I don’t know if I want to, you don’t know what you’d find in them (laughing).”

You have caught lots of specimen fish from Pike, Barbel and Carp, which is your favourite to target and why?

“Ohh I’m split now. I lived on the River Thames at Marlow and I caught a lot of carp out of there. I also caught some barbel as well. Now I live on the Kennet and I’m getting a lot of barbel in the garden. I really enjoy that, and I really enjoy river fishing, but recently I’ve been getting back into the big carp fishing. So, it’s 50/50 at the moment, it’s hard to choose between carp and barbel.

“I love my pike fishing as well. I’ve still not had a 20lb, I had 2 ounces under. I nearly put the hook back in its mouth and then weighed it, just to get a 20 pounder. (laughing)”

What’s the biggest fish you have ever caught?

“The biggest fish I’ve ever caught was last May at Frimley Pit 3 and it’s a 42.8lb common carp. It was my first ever 40lb and it was my first fish out of that lake. I’d only been fishing it for a year and then caught that. It’s called split scale. I didn’t know at the time and then I put it up on socials and everyone told me. I looked at it and it did have a tiny little scale on it with a split in it. Apparently, it’s quite a sought after fish, so… billy big time. (laughing)”

What would the best day out on the bank look like for you?

“Best day out fishing on the bank would be me, bivvy, 3 rods out and at night-time. I just love being out at night and doing an all-nighter. It’s just great being out and away - that’s where the love of fishing came from, just being out. And you don’t always have to catch. You can still enjoy it even if you don’t catch a big fish.

“Might have a few tins at the side, you know. It’s all part of it, you get your stove, you make your own bacon and egg sandwich in the morning. Bliss.”

Do any of your old football team-mates go fishing? Who was the best?

“I used to take my number 2, Alex Manninger and I know that Lee Bowyer and Bobby Zamora at West Ham go fishing. Lee actually has his own lake in France, so I know he’s really passionate about it. Who’s the best though? Me. (laughing)

“I’ve taken Lee Dixon before with his son, as well. It was mainly for his son to go fishing but Lee never put the rod down. He hadn’t been fishing before and he loved it because he was catching carp.”

If we said we could take you fishing anywhere in the world right now, where would you pick?

“I quite fancy salmon fishing in Alaska, like going in on a helicopter and getting dropped off.”

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