Paul Kalambayi feels he is getting closer to showing his best form in a Wimbledon shirt – an ongoing mission that has been aided by his extra-curricular activities!
When he’s not playing with the number 30 shirt on his back, the 23-year-old is putting in the hard yards through yoga and his new-found hobby of rock climbing.
As part of an in-depth interview Paul also discusses:
- Reaching a century
- Advice from Johnnie Jackson and Terry Skiverton
- Playing alongside Alex Pearce
- His career influences
- The battle scars of his loan move
- Remembering Geoff Edwards
You’ve now played 100 games for the Dons. How did it feel to achieve that?
It’s a great achievement, I hope it’s just the start for me. I always take things one game at a time – it was impressive to reach such a milestone but I’m always looking forward.
This time last year you signed a new contract. You said you felt fans hadn’t seen the best of you – do you feel like they are now?
I’m getting there! This is the longest run of games I’ve had in the team since my first season. I’m enjoying my football and I still believe there’s another gear for me to go up to. You can always outperform your last performance.
Johnnie and Terry have come into to the club without any previous connection to Wimbledon. Is that something which has helped you personally?
We have a gaffer that challenges the squad every day, he’s someone you want to play for. It’s not only about the three points, he wants to develop the players at his disposal.
You see it first hand at training, Skivo and the gaffer always do extras with me after the session. It improves you as a player and as a man in the present and for the future.
I remember we had a debate about an in-game situation earlier in the season – I was defending a cross and felt I should’ve stayed with the man because that’s what I had been taught whereas they helped me to look at it from a different perspective.
You’ve been playing alongside Pearcey more recently. How does he get the best out of you?
I’m a talker myself but he doesn’t shut up! He’s always talking to me on the pitch. He is always keeping me on my toes having been there and done pretty much everything in his career.
Sometimes I’ll feel that I’m doing alright but he still demands more from me – it shows how much he cares. I’m really enjoying playing with him.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
Robbo was massive for me and I will always owe him a lot. Alan Reeves turned me into a different type of defender – after I returned from my loan he helped me to identify the areas I needed to work on. He turned me from a boy to a man and changed my understanding of the game.
Even now he still tells me what I’m doing wrong! I always find myself agreeing with his feedback because of the respect I have for him and his knowledge.
Outside of football my Dad helps to bring me back up when things aren’t going well. He follows all our games closely and plays a massive role in giving me perspective.
How did you find the transition from being a striker to becoming a defender?
Academy football is different but it still took me a good six months to get a grasp of the position. Once I had done that I played in the higher age groups and started to look for a loan.
My loan with Tonbridge Angels gave me the biggest shock – I turned up and thought I was untouchable and that I was going to dominate at that level. After my first game I needed four stitches in my eyebrow, which was when I realised what playing men’s football is really like!
The following game I came away with a cut lip. I thought I was strong at that age but it showed me how much I had to adapt in order to reach the standards required. I changed my whole training routine, I used to do a lot of calisthenics but then I made sure I was more focused on specifically preparing for matches.
What other activities do you do outside of football?
I do a lot of yoga which aids my flexibility. I’ve just started doing rock climbing – it’s very hard, my calves were gone – it provides you with a lot of physical benefits. Everything I do is geared towards my football, it helps me with my balance and it helps to work all of the core muscle groups.
Geoff Edwards sadly passed away recently. What are your best memories of him?
I remember when I was 16, we came back from an away game up north and Geoff was our coach driver at the time. After arriving back at two in the morning I couldn’t work out how I was going to get home. Geoff asked where I lived and it turned out he only lived 10 minutes away from me. He drove me back on the coach and dropped me off in Dulwich before going back to his home in Brixton.
From that point onwards we spoke more and more before and after games. I used to pick him up and take him back. We spoke about everything in life. He became part of my family because he’s seen me grow. I know his wife and family well too – myself and Paul (Osew) saw him outside of football a lot. He’ll be greatly missed.
PICS: Pro Sports Images