THERE are three people who helped convince me to sign for Chester. The manager Neil Young, my former team-mate Danny Coyne – and radio presenter Colin Murray!
Colin works for talkSPORT now and he had nothing but praise for everyone here. He got involved when the club formed and he’s often down there. He spoke really highly of everything when I spoke to him a few weeks ago.
I also used to play with Danny, who’s now at Shrewsbury, and he knows the manager well.
He said I’d enjoy it and when I spoke to Neil Young I didn’t need to hear anything else. He really sold the club to me.
I was hoping the deal would be sorted last week. At one stage I didn’t know whether it would happen but Youngy has been brilliant and patient.
People talk about dropping into Non-League but that doesn’t concern me. My brother Paul played his whole career at clubs like Altrincham, Stalybridge Celtic, Barrow and Flixton so I’ve always looked at the Non-League scene.
I’ve followed Altrincham since I was little so I know what it’s all about.
I’ve been to a couple of Chester games and I saw them against Hereford a couple of weeks ago.
They’ve played some top teams so it was always going to be a tough start. But once you get that first result you get the belief and then kick on from there.
Chester are part-time but, again, that doesn’t worry me. I wanted to finish the last year or two of my career having enjoyed it.
There was no pressure for me to leave Sheffield United – I could have stayed, but having enjoyed my career the last thing I want to do is sit around picking my money up.
I always believe the last thing you do, in any walk of life, is the thing you’re remembered for. I don’t want my career to be tainted like that. If I can come in and make a difference at Chester then that will be a big achievement for me, regardless of what I’ve done in my career.
People might say, ‘He’s played in the Premier League, he’s done this or that’. That doesn’t matter now, that was in the past and this is a new chapter.
I don’t want anyone to be thinking I’ve come to Chester for an easy ride. That is not the case. I’m here to do my very best for the football club. I’ll be judged on what I do at Chester and that’s how it should be.
GIGGS IS A ONE OFF BUT HE INSPIRES MY BONUS YEARS
I’M 34 now and hopefully playing part-time football will help extend my career by a year or two.
I was a little frustrated last season so this is all about enjoying my football again. I’ve always said if you look after yourself you’ll get some bonus years at the end of your career.
Look at the top players who go on into their late 30s and note their injury records.
Take Ryan Giggs, who I was with at Manchester United. Yes, he had problems with his hamstrings but he’s a freak of nature in terms of how fit he is and he’s so good that he’s been able to adjust his game and change his position.
He’s a one off in my mind.
