00:00Andre, after a career that has included Liverpool, Leipzig, Derby, I suppose the first question
00:07is why Derry?
00:09I always, I've been asked this question previously, why not? I spoke with the manager, we had
00:16a good lengthy honest conversation and not that I need selling to, but I was sold at
00:22that point. He told me how the team is working, wants to work and progress, the competitions
00:28that we're in and what we're trying to achieve, so I was grateful for the opportunity in the
00:33pool and I'm glad that the manager has put his trust in me and hopefully I can add value
00:39to the squad that's over here.
00:41And how are your first impressions? I know you've only just arrived, you've had a few
00:44meetings with Ruri, have you had a chance to meet the players yet?
00:47No, I haven't had a chance to meet the lads yet. I arrived this morning and I didn't get
00:53here in time for training or anything like that. But first impressions are great, everyone's
00:58welcoming with open arms and to be honest I don't have any expectations of anything.
01:03That's the way I live, what will be, will be and as long as everything I do is the right
01:11way then I'll be happy.
01:13I mean you probably know now that Derry are in the hunt for a Premier League title, first
01:18one in a long while, they're still in the FA Cup. How important were those potential
01:23trophies to you deciding to come here?
01:26Yeah, it means a lot obviously for the club, for the fans, for the people, for the city.
01:33So if I can come and try to add value to the squad and compete, hopefully we can bring
01:40something good here back to the club and give trophies and medals back because football
01:45is all about winning. You can progress, you can play well but the results are the only
01:50thing that matters so hopefully we can clinch it over the line.
01:56I mean obviously you're an underage international in England, your career started, you played
02:03with some high profile names but then there was that incident that took you out of football
02:08for a while. Would you talk us through your thought process when that had happened and
02:13how you managed to come back from it?
02:15Yeah, it was a difficult process. I was playing for Derby at the time and I got stabbed a
02:22numerous amount of times so it was a bit overwhelming but I just took myself away from football.
02:29My contract finished at Derby at the end of that season, took myself away from football
02:33for a little while, about 16 months or something like that. Went away, got my mind right, my
02:39body back right and then just started training again and took it from there really. Things
02:45happen in life, obviously good things and bad things and it was just unfortunate for
02:51me that it was bad and affected my livelihood and my job but I'm always grateful, my life's
02:58the most important thing so I'm happy for that. For me, playing football is a luxury
03:04so I've done a lot of five-a-sides with my friends and then I got back into part-time
03:11football with a local team near me, Warrington Town and just kicked on from there really,
03:17just progressed, just repetition with football. Once you know you fit and your body's not
03:23going to break down, I always say there's fit and then there's football fit so to get
03:28that repetition into my legs and my body and my lungs again was a great way. Now I've done
03:35a full pre-season back over in England with Salford, I'm raring to go and I feel as good
03:42as I did. I'm 31 but I feel about 26, 27 so yeah, I feel good. When the stabbing happened,
03:51I know obviously your first thought isn't for football or something but did you think
03:54at that time that maybe that was you finished for the day? I've got a never say never attitude
04:01so I didn't think I was finished but I knew it affected my body because of the placement of the
04:07stabbings, predominantly my legs and my glutes and one in my head so I'm a defender, I want a head,
04:19I need to run so I knew it affected me but I've got the never say never attitude.
04:27After being stabbed, I remember driving home after the incident took place and I was
04:32thinking I've got training tomorrow so that's my type of mentality but life is such and
04:41here I am and I'm grateful for the manager for giving me the call and putting his trust in me
04:46and knowing that I'm coming here and I'm going to give 100%. In terms of football, you've played
04:52with some of the greats, do you want to give us a few of those Liverpool names or Leipzig guys?
04:58I'm not one to name drop. Even if we twist your arms? Yeah, playing with Stephen Gerrard,
05:05Luis Suarez, Jay McCarriger, Martin Sturtle, Sturridge, Sterling, great experience, Coutinho,
05:12Firmino, great experiences, great experiences. Did you take a lot of learnings from alongside
05:19boys like that? Yeah you do, you learn how to, especially the attacking ones because in training
05:24there were some dark days playing with that high quality and the intensity and some of the things
05:31that them lads can do. You download a lot of information so hopefully it's stayed me well and
05:40I think it has with the career that I've had. The lads are getting quicker, faster, stronger these
05:47days. There's some young kids out there that are coming through and I'm just willing to give
05:54everything once I step onto the football pitch. Try to be calm and bring experience and influence
06:01and fight to the team. Final one from me, just on that subject, what can the Derby fans expect
06:08from you when they see you in the red and white? Expect 100% every time you see me,
06:14whether that's on the pitch or off the pitch, pretty straightforward. If I'm having a bad game
06:19I won't stop running and if I'm having a great game I probably won't run as much, I'm joking!
06:24But yeah, just honest hard work and I know where I come from so that's what you get from me.
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