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BUILDING BRIDGES
FQ: How has life changed for you since having Jaydon?
WB: Well, I don’t get as much sleep! Everything’s been good; it’s hard, but amazing. Obviously there’s the sleep at the beginning, but he’s got into a routine now. Vanessa’s been good; she does most of the early mornings so I can have a lie-in!
FQ: You’ve just come back from an injury; does being injured give you more time to spend with your family?
WB: Yes and no. When you’re fit you go in and train for a few hours and then go home, whereas when I was injured I was in early and finishing four or five hours later than usual. I didn’t have to travel to any games though, so I wasn’t away at night – I was at home, which was good.
FQ: You can often spend a lot of time away from the family, how hard is that?
WB: You just miss them, especially if you go away for three or four days. I’d get back and think: God, he’s grown. I even missed his first word – he was saying “Dada” and I was away at pre-season – and I missed it when he first crawled, but it’s still amazing to come back and see how he’s progressing.
FQ: Footballers have a busy schedule over the festive period, do you ever feel like you’re missing out on having a traditional family Christmas?
WB: Sometimes I wish I had some time off and could have a proper holiday, around the fireplace somewhere nice, but it’s one of those things and I’ve learnt to deal with it. It’s a short career and hopefully I’ll have many Christmases like that once I’ve finished playing
FQ: There’s been a lot of attention over David Beckham’s move to America – is playing abroad something you’d like to do? |
WB: Yeah I’d love to if anyone wants me! Becks is out in America and I think a lot of people would like to go out there to play. I like it as a country – I’ve been there a few times and there’s obviously no language barrier – but I’d like to play in Spain as well, or maybe the south of France because that’s where Vanessa’s from.
FQ: Roy Keane recently criticised WAGs for dictating which clubs they’d let their partners move to. Has that ever been the case with Vanessa?
WB: I don’t think she would ever be like that. She’d support me and if it helped my career then she’d be willing to go anywhere, but obviously we make these decisions together. I had a loan spell at Fulham, which was easy because it was still in London. There were other teams that were interested, but Vanessa was pregnant at the time and I didn’t want to be too far away.
FQ: Are you looking forward to playing football with Jaydon?
WB: Yeah, definitely – he’s got a little sponge football at the moment but he tends to use his hands more than his feet, so maybe he’ll be a goalie! He’s progressing quickly, so hopefully it won’t be too long before he’s kicking a ball around.
FQ: Would you like him to follow in your footsteps and become a footballer? |
WB: I’ll be happy for him to do anything as long as he’s happy. Obviously I love football and if he does play the game then I’ll be happy to take him to matches and watch him – like my mum and dad did for me.
FQ: How much did your parents support you?
WB: My dad was a massive Southampton fan, so he used to take me to all the games, and then when I was playing for my local team they both used to wake up early and drive me to matches and watch me play. When Southampton’s scouts spotted me, it made my dad even more proud I think. They still go to every game possible, home and away.
FQ: Do you think sport is important to a child’s development?
WB: Without a doubt. There’s the academic side as well, but I think every child should be active. I was always active, always wanting to do sports, and I think it’s good for kids to be like that and keep fit. It gives them a bit of a rest from the academic side too – well it did for me anyway!
FQ: Would you like more children?
WB: Yeah, I’d like to. I don’t want enough for a whole football team though – three or four would probably be the maximum I’d go to!
FQ: What’s your proudest moment as a Dad?
WB: Every day really – just seeing him, he’s always happy. The birth was amazing too. I think I was injured and the team was playing away, so I hadn’t travelled with them – I didn’t have to dash away from a game like John Terry did. I cut the cord and it was an emotional time. Now, every time he does something new we’re proud – when he crawls, walks, talks – the whole experience is just the best thing.
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