Ben Herd / Ben Herd / 08 September 2009 / Leave a comment

Ben Herd catches up with an ambitious ex-team-mate who would like Jessica Alba and Owen Coyle to take note.

"At 22 I need to be playing every week, and as they say, money doesn't buy happiness, but playing makes me happy."

Once again, I was sidelined due to injury for our home game against Hereford Utd. The game itself finished up 2-2, maybe I am being biased but I'm not sure how we didn't take all three points. The opposition player that I spoke to for betting.betfair.com was Marc Pugh. Pughy is a former team mate of mine, and let me tell you, he is not the easiest to play against. Shrewsbury fans used to sing "who needs Ronaldo, when we have Marc Pugh".

What did you make of today's game?

It feels like a right kick in the you know what's, to be frank. It feels like a loss, being 2-0 up with five minutes left. Things at the moment are not going our way and this result hasn't helped alter that. In fairness, Aldershot played well, passed the ball around nicely and had decent movement off the ball. Both of Aldershot's fullbacks kept bombing forward - I haven't done that much tracking back in ages! We played well in stages, but we have to start seeing games through, and not get done. We have Grimsby away next, so we need to move on and get a result there.

What targets have you set yourself, both individually and as a team?

As a wideman, I have to add more goals to my game. A good example is Aaron Lennon; he has started to get more goals and it helps the team massively. I do have a figure that I have set myself, but I would rather keep that to myself as I don't want to burden myself with extra pressure. Also, being a winger assisting players to score is vital, so obviously I aim to get as many assists as possible. I believe that as a team we are more than capable of getting into the play-offs. It's a tight league as always, and if you win three or four on the bounce then you can get right up there.

What made you decide to leave Shrewsbury with a year still to run on your contract?

In a day and age where certain Premier League players decide just to go through the motions, not playing and picking up their money, I decided that I wasn't prepared to have another year on the bench. I want to play football, it's as simple as that. I am at an age, 22, where I need to be playing every week, and as they say, money doesn't buy happiness, but playing makes me happy.

Realisticly, where do you see yourself in five years time?

I believe I have the ability to play in the Championship, I am confident in my ability and know I have the determination to realise this dream. With anything in life, luck will come into it, right time, right place you know the rest. I am just enjoying my football at Hereford at the minute and that's a start.

Football

Favourite Premier League Player: Ryan Giggs
Favourite player outside the Premier League: Adam Johnson
Manager you'd most like to work under: Owen Coyle
Club you'd most like to play for: Man Utd, but realistically Burnley

Best mate at the club: Don't like any of them!
Messiest eater: Kenny Lunt
Biggest ladies man: Ryan Green
Who's best at putting away the pints: Jamie Tolley

Non-football

Dream date: Jessica Alba
Favourite TV programme: MOTD
Favourite shop: Selfridges
Worst vice: Picking my toe nails
Biggest pet hate :People eating off my plate

50/50

Meat or fish? Meat
Wine or beer? Wine
Blondes or brunettes? Blondes
"Friends" or "The Office"? Friends
PS3 or newspaper? PS3
Frank Sinatra or Fifty Cent? Fifty Cent

Tags: Alsdershot Town, Ben Herd, Hereford United, League Two football betting, Marc Pugh