The Big Interview / Editor / 23 May 2008 / 1 Comments

As Bristol City prepare for the biggest game in their history against Hull City on Saturday with the riches of the Premiership awaiting the winner, Betfair caught up with City's star striker Lee Trundle...

With a £60million TV jackpot at stake for reaching the Premier League at stake, tomorrow's Championship play-off final is the richest game in World football. Betfair met Lee Trundle, regular star of Soccer AM's Showboat feature and now Bristol City's key goalscorer, for an exclusive chat to see how the nerves were holding up.

Everyone has been talking about how much is at stake, how does that affect you?

For me personally I just love it. I don't know why but there's something about my personality that I really enjoy the big games and stages. The gaffer has called me a big game player, and I hope he meant it as a compliment, but I don't think he's wrong. Maybe it's because I started so late in the professional game - I was 24 before I played League football - but I just love the big games and stages. You don't need a team talk because you know how important it is. I just can't wait for it to come round.

What's the atmosphere around the club been like?

Absolutely amazing. The chairman took us all away to Portugal for a weekend after we'd beaten Palace in the semi-final, but when we got back the whole city was buzzing. You realise just how much the whole area wants to have a club in the Premier League. I think most of what we've done goes down to our gaffer Gary Johnson. City were bottom when he came in and in two years he's got them here. He gives the players so much confidence and that spreads to the fans.

You've still exceeded everybody's expectations?

Maybe, but nothing has surprised me. We sat in a meeting at the start of the season before we had kicked a ball and we had to write down on a piece of paper where we thought we could finish. Nobody put their names on, you wrote it down and handed it in. Nobody would know if you put 20th or first. The lowest we got out of all the squad was to be in the play-offs. You have a group of lads like that who have that belief in what they can achieve and that's been a major part of it. I put down the play-offs myself - now I want to win them

It's taken you time to settle since you moved from Swansea?

Yes, but then it's been a step up a level. I've had to work hard and wait for my chance. I've learned that maybe I've got to tie myself to the team a bit more and get the right balance of doing my tricks in places where they will be effective, and at other times bring other people into play. I'd say before at Swansea I would try stuff all the time, and it's been a balance in this league, because when you lose the ball the other side are on the attack straight away. It has been a balance and a learning curve but luckily it is coming together at the right time.

You look much fitter too?

Definitely and that's down to the manager's work ethic. You'll see it runs through the whole team. He has a thing about wanting you to be live like an athlete not a footballer. He says when you see athletes they are always walking around with a bottle of water, living right, preparing right. It has an effect. In the semi-final with Palace at extra time you looked at their players and there were lads on the floor getting their legs shook off with cramp, some of them sitting down, we were saying "be strong", stay standing up, our fitness will show through. If we had to do it at Wembley we could do it all again.

You weren't always that way?

I know, I'm embarrassed when I look back to what I was like when I was playing non-League. It was purely down to myself that I never did better. My heart wasn't in it enough. When I had a ball at my feet I would run all day, but where it came to the proper training when we did fitness work I didn't like it. Sometimes I wouldn't turn up. You look back now and it's so stupid. It was only when my daughter was going to be born I realised it wasn't about me any more, there was someone else here, and that's when I knuckled down and started training hard. Within a month or so I'd signed for Wrexham

So where does the ability come from?

Ever since I was a kid wherever I went I always had a ball at my feet, whether going to the shops with my mum or going to knock for a mate. I'd always have a ball with me all the time. It was an old fashioned way, like you read about from players of the 50s and 60s, but it worked for me. And ironically it's helped now. Because I was never a YTS or went to an academy, I wasn't at a club to get that little thing coached out of you. You know, 'pass and move' 'get it and give it'. The way I play is like I played football in the street, I try different things, I like to express myself and that's the way I enjoy playing.

Will you be encouraged to do that at Wembley, and can you stay that way in the Premier League if you get there?

Definitely. I've been lucky through my career with managers who wanted me to express myself, starting from Bryan Flynn at Wrexham and at Swansea, then with Kenny Jackett and Roberto Martinez. All of them liked me to go out and do my bits, and our gaffer at Bristol City is the same. I think that's how you get the best out of me. He gives you that confidence to try things in the right areas and I'm just hoping some of them will come off against Hull. As for playing in the Premier League, why not? I know I'm 31 but I'm fitter than I've ever been and as they say if you don't have pace you can't lose it. I'd never compare myself to Teddy Sheringham as a player, but he's proved you can go on and on if you look after yourself.

Thanks Lee and good luck - we've a £50 bet for your favourite charity

I'll put that towards Cancer Research, and I'll back Lewis Hamilton to win the Monaco Grand Prix at odds of [3.05]

Tags: Bristol Rovers, Lee Trundle, premiership promotion