Your questions for centre-back after great response on social media
Will Nightingale took part in an entertaining Q & A session on the club’s official twitter account with two of his team-mates joining in the fun!
WDON’s Rob Cornell filmed an interview of a different kind with winger David Fitzpatrick and striker George Oakley asking questions sent in via social media using the #AskWill.
Will was asked about a variety of subjects – some to do with AFC Wimbledon and football and some about his lifestyle, including pre-match meals and if ‘man bun’ hairstyles should be banned!
Clips of the session are available on our official Twitter feed, but the transcript is reproduced in full below for those who may have missed it.
David – “Nico asks – how did you find the transition from playing Academy football into the first-team and men’s football?”
Will – “Obviously it’s more of a step-up, it’s more intense and sharper. Training may not go on as long, it’s just a lot more intense playing with men now. I think one of the biggest things is just trying to prove myself to the fans really. I’m just trying to show that I deserve to be here – even though I’m still a young lad. What about you boys?”
a lot more about winning and results. People’s lives are depending on it with mortgages and families, so it’s a lot more about winning rather than being good at shooting or passing really, isn’t it?” David – “Academy football is completely different to men’s football. You probably get a lot more time on the ball and it’s a lot more technical. As you move into men’s football, it’s
George – “In Academy football, you can work on those things, but when you step-up to men’s football you’ve got to show what you’ve got – now. It’s not like you can think ‘I can get better at it’, you can, but not like you can at Academy football where you know your weaknesses and you work on it. With men’s football, there is less room for mistakes.”
George – “Tim Lloyd asks – who is your favourite, ever Wimbledon centre-back of all-time?
Will – “Out of ones where I would have been old enough to come through the ranks and played with or trained with, as I was coming up as a professional, I would have to say Alan Bennett. He was so good with me and he was with us in League Two as our captain, I think he was really good as I was coming through as a pro. Of the ‘old school ‘, I think I’m going to say Chris Perry. I never had the chance to see him play, but I’ve had a few messages comparing me to him.
David - “Emma O’Connor asks – what is your favourite pre-match meal?”
Will – “A night before games, I’ll usually have salmon fillet, with asparagus and rice. Before the game, we usually come to the training ground and before home games we’ll have a nice selection of food – of beans, eggs and pasta. It’s just a nice little mix really, before the match of carbs.”
David – “You get everything usually! And pile it on a plate! This kid will eat everything! He’ll have five bits of toast!”
George – “Who is your favourite member of staff at the Foundation?”
Will – “They are all pretty good with me, to be fair, when I go and do an event. Whether it’s Charlie (Jones), Georgia (Heasman) or Andy (May). I used to go to the same school as Andy and he is a good lad as well. There’s Emma (O’Connor) too, obviously. It’s hard to pick out one. I’m not going to name just one.”
David – “Go on! Give us one?!”
Will – “Have you got one?!”
David – “I’ll go with Emma.”
David – “Ray Armfield asks – would you go in goal if you had too and if not, who would you say would?”
Will – “I’ve had a message on twitter before saying I’ve got the worse throw-in seen in professional football! So personally I probably wouldn’t go in goal, based on that! Who would? I’d just say Tom Elliott because he is a big lad!”
George – “Steve Dormer asks – who is the best manager you’ve played under?”
Will – “I don’t know if he is trying to stitch me up here! He used to manage me when I was younger. He was one of my first managers in football and I learnt a lot from him. I think I’ve just got to try and take a bit from everyone and just put it all together to what I think is best. Obviously, I learnt a lot off him, including how to be a winner and be disciplined. Even though I was still a young lad, he was quite strict and firm and got us all into winning ways. We had quite a bit of success at youth team level.
“I’ve got to say a massive thanks to Mark Robinson. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. He stuck his neck on the line to say that I deserved a chance as I’d had a few injury problems. He’s brilliant with the technical side of it and giving you the chance to go and play.”
“The gaffer here too because he gave me my debut and I’ll never forget that day when we played against Accrington and I got Man of the Match. So I think I’ve just got to take a bit of everyone really.”
George – “Ernie Sharp asks – how would you feel about being the ‘future’ AFC Wimbledon captain?”
Will – “I’ve had that tag thrown at me by quite a few people! It would be a big responsibility and I’d be massively honoured as this is the only club I’ve been at and every time I play I try and give it my all. It would be a big thing to captain this club. I’ve captained the under-21s and that was a proud moment for me.”
“I still try and learn from ‘Baz’ (Fuller) and ‘Robbo’ (Paul Robinson) and how they approach games. They are both skippers and brilliant leaders in their own way, so I’ll try and take a bit off of both of them while focusing on my own game. I’m still young and it would be a massive achievement, but I just want to play games of football and be involved so it’s that first and foremost and anything else you’ve got to be a leader any way.”
George – “Matthew Grant asks – who is the most intellectual player at this club?”
Will – “I think I could be up there as a dark horse.”
David – “Nah!”
George– “You’re dumber than us, mate!”
David – “You are the slowest man I know, without a doubt! You ask him a question and you won’t get an answer for five minutes because he is off in his own little world!”
Will – “Well, these two aren’t getting a mention! I think ‘Meadesey’ (Jon Meades) it quite intelligent and Darius Charles is as well. Paul Robinson is quite intelligent too.”
David – “Marc Jones asks – should ‘man buns’ be banned?!
David – “That’s a funny question because that is something you are trying to grow!”
Will – “I’m trying to grow out my hair, just to see what I can do with it. I’m gonna say YES!”