How much of a balance has there been between time off and playing football?


We probably got a month all-in [of time off] but it's very important, obviously, with us stepping up to the Championship that we keep our fitness levels up. So we do have an off-season programme.

I think as footballers you get bored if you're not doing anything, so to keep yourself busy and active, you'll be in the gym anyway.

How are you looking to build on last year's success with the team?
I think just taking every game as it comes. We know it's a step up, another platform for us as professional footballers, so we've got to take every game as it comes. Not get too high when we're high or too low when we're low.

If we do what we did last year and believe in ourselves then we've got a good group and we've got to kick on and do what we did last year.

And fans back - how will that make a difference?
It's brilliant for everyone, for players and fans. Let's be honest, as footballers, we're also fans ourselves and football is nothing without them.

It's hard to adapt playing in stadiums without the fans and I think it's going to be hard to adapt when they're back in again. But you get the buzz from the fans, home and away, so getting them back in is brilliant.

Where are you most looking forward to visiting this year?
Bristol City away, I signed there two years ago. I only spent a year there, it didn't work out how I wanted it to. The set up is brilliant, the fans are brilliant and I'd like to show them what I had when I was there, because I didn't really get a chance.

If you had to pick another sport - not football - to try in the Olympics, which would it be?
Golf. Definitely golf.