Ben Herd / Ben Herd / 26 January 2010 / Leave a comment " class="free-bet-btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">Free Bet

Ben finally got back to doing what he does best - playing football. After a massive win over Bournemouth, he caught up with the super experienced Sammy Igoe.

Well, it's been a few weeks coming but I am delighted to say that we have managed to play some competitive football! We have actually played a couple of games since I last wrote my column, a draw at home to high-flying Rochdale and on Saturday, we took on our nearest rivals in League 2 Bournemouth, who we dispatched 2-1. So, instead of me scratching around my black book to find a player to interview for betting.betfair.com, I caught up with Bournemouth's likable veteran midfieldr, Sammy Igoe. Sammy has had a very distinguished career, starting off at Portsmouth where he played almost 200 games, and was a goal scorer in the Wembley play-off final against the Shrewsbury side that I was in!

So Sammy, What did you make of today's game, and the controversy that saw two players sent off in the final minutes?

Let's start with the game first, we were rubbish. We never really settled into the game as we would have liked, your big lanky striker Marvin Morgan worked hard and seemed to unsettle us at the back. I don't think we strung 3 passes together in the first half. The second was slightly better as we imposed ourselves a bit more physically, but didn't really carve out too many chances. As for the incident at the end....Warren Cummins has massive teeth, so when your sub goal keeper threw the ball in his face, he probably thought one of his gravestone teeth had fallen out, so decided to smash the ball into your dugout! We also have a couple of long away trips coming up so we all think he did it to miss those games! The melee that followed was laughable really, not a punch thrown, handbags with lipstick and mascara all over the place!

Your manager Eddie Howe is the youngest manager in the league at 32, he has done tremendously well since taking charge last season, how highly do you rate him?

It is a bit strange sometimes when I think about the gaffer being younger than myself, it makes me feel my age sometimes. As he used to play at Bournemouth with some of the lads still here, it must have been difficult for him to suddenly not be their mate but their boss, but he has done that really well and for such a young manager he has an old head on young shoulders, so to speak. I rate him really highly and it's not a surprise that clubs in higher divisions have shown an interest - I hope we can keep hold of him and for him to lead us into League 1 next season.

You seem to be having a little bit of a wobble at the minute, losing the last three league games. Do you think it is just a blip or is the transfer embargo now taking its toll on the manager?

I think the last three games are just a blip, well I hope they are. Every team up and down the country has a spell of poor results at some stage of the season, this is just ours. As long as we don't lose too much distance with the teams in the top 3, then that's the main thing because we have done well so far by putting ourselves in this great position. It would be a travesty to let it slip. As for the transfer embargo, it must frustrate the manager no end because, like most mangers, they are always looking to bring players in. However, from a player's point of view, I think it has really brought us together and generated a really good team spirit, as we know that no one's coming in, so it has probably made us relax a bit.

You have had a long and decent career, but are there any regrets that you have?

I am one of those players who always seems to speak his mind and that probably hasn't always helped me. I would have to say that the biggest regret I have is not really listening to Alan Ball, my manager whilst I was at Portsmouth. I know now that he only had my best interests at heart, but when you are 19 you are not mature enough to realise that.

At 34 you must have one eye after football?

Cheers for reminding me! I have done some of my coaching badges but I am not sure I am the sort of person that is cut out for it. You can tell when you play and train with someone that they are the type of person to go into that side of the game and I am not sure that I am. Also, jobs in football are so hard to come by, you are basically waiting for someone to get sacked! If I am to go into coaching, then it would probably be off the back of one of my mates getting a job and getting in that way, so who knows? We'll have to wait and see.

Football

Favourite Premier League Player? Wayne Rooney
Favourite player outside the Premier League? Cristiano Roanldo
Manager you'd most like to work under? Jose Mourinho
Club you'd most like to play for? Barcelona

Best mate in Football? Lee Bradbury
Messiest eater? Warren Cummins
Biggest ladies man? Josh McCuoid
Worse Dressed team-mate? Lee Bradbury - still wearing the same gear from our days at Portsmouth in the 90's!

Non-football

Dream date? I have to say Mrs Igoe
Favourite TV programme? Moto GP
Favourite shop? All Saints
Worst vice? Biting my nails
Biggest pet hate? Drogba diving like a girl every week!

50/50

Chinese or Curry? Curry
Pepsi or Coke? Coke
BMW or Audi? Audi
Pro Evo or Fifa? Neither
Michael Buble or Akon? Neither - Nirvana

Tags: Aldershot Town, Ben Herd, Bournemouth football team, League Two footballers