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Matt Jones: Why football?

Steve McPhail: Football's always been in the family. My Dad still plays for an over-35s team. My Granddad used to manage a team back home. We always went along to support his team. It's just something I picked up naturally.

MJ: Do you think it's important to have people around you who are mad about football, or can you be inspired by the game itself?

SM: As a young lad growing up you go and watch a game and you want to be a footballer. It was always in my mind.

MJ: When did you realise that you had the talent to become a professional footballer?

SM: As I got older I felt that I had something that I could work at. I realised I had a chance of being a professional at about the age of 14 or 15. Luckily enough it happened for me.

MJ: How old were you when you made the move from Ireland to try and make it as a professional in England?

SM: I moved to Leeds when I was 15. I came over and went to school in Leeds. I trained during the day and studied after that. I really enjoyed playing and training every day. Luckily enough I've made a good living out of the game.

MJ: Do you think it's important that people concentrate on their education as well as football?

SM: It's always good to have something to fall back on. In life you've got to learn about everything, not just football. I think young lads now have got their heads screwed on a lot more than years ago. I'm sure it'll stand them in good stead.

MJ: Take me back to your days in Ireland - were you the sort of person that was always kicking a ball in the street having to be dragged in?

SM: Yes. When I was bored I'd get the ball out, blast it against a wall and try tricks that I'd seen the best players doing on TV. It's all I used to love doing at night time. My mum would try to get me to do my homework, but I'd try and stay out as long as I could. When you're young you've got to work hard to make your technique as good as it can be.

MJ: Do you think it's sad that some kids would rather sit in front of a computer game than go out and kick a ball about?

SM: I'd love to see more people kicking a ball about in the street. I like to see people out playing football. It's a great game. It also gives you rewards if you work at it. It worked for me.

MJ: How important has the support of your family been in your football career?

SM: When you move somewhere it's a bit daunting to start with. Coming over was really, really hard. I can remember wanting to go home in the first couple of months. My family were great. They came over at the drop of a hat if I said I was feeling down. My wife Michelle came over and went to college in Leeds. That really helped me settle in.

MJ: What gives you that motivation to carry on?

SM: I didn't want to give it up. I wanted to make sure that I gave myself the best possible chance of making it as a footballer. That's all I'd dreamt of since I could walk and kick a ball. I didn't want to throw it away so I hung in there. If you get a break you've got to take it.

MJ: You finally got your reward by playing for Leeds United. Tell me about some of your memories of that time.

SM: It was unbelievable, making my debut at the age of 18. It was a special moment that's hard to put into words or describe. I'd worked all my life to get a chance of playing on the big stage. It was a great feeling.

MJ: You also experienced Champions League football, what was that like?

SM: They were really special games. The clubs and players we played against speak for themselves. I'm just really delighted to have made such a good start to my career. Hopefully we can do better at Cardiff.

MJ: Why did you decide to leave Leeds?

SM: I was struggling to get into the team. While I was at Leeds we had seven or eight managers. I thought, if I stepped down a level and got back to playing 40 or 50 games a season, I'd get my fitness up and be able to make the step up to the Premiership again.

MJ: Is it important for you to be playing regularly?

SM: Yes. I really enjoyed going to Barnsley. It was a different kettle of fish to playing at Leeds. It's not as big a club and you see the young lads really fighting hard to get into the team. It opened my eyes a bit. I wanted to be back playing and falling in love with the game again. I hadn't been playing too many games for a couple of years before that. It worked out exactly as I wanted. I had two great years there.

MJ: What are your goals and ambitions for the future?

SM: I want to play in the Premiership again if it's the last thing I do. I know I can do it. I've still got a lot of ambition. I want to get into the Premiership with Cardiff. That's the aim of being here and playing football. I'm going to give it my all to try and do it. If it doesn't happen then it doesn't happen but it's not going to be for the lack of trying. I've got four years to work my socks off for this club. If it gets us out of this league I'd be the happiest man on earth, it'd be brilliant.

MJ: How do you motivate yourself to get out in the rain and train everyday?

SM: I love it. I love getting changed in the dressing room. You see the boys and you have a bit of banter. There's nothing better. I worked on a building site with my dad a couple of summers ago and that was hard. If you're playing football for a living then you're one of the luckiest people in the world. You can get up every day and look forward to going to work. If you can't do that then there's something wrong with you.

MJ: What skills have you learnt from football?

SM: I think discipline is massive. To fit into any sort of workplace you've got to be disciplined. If you're due to start at 10.30am then make sure you're there on time and that you've prepared properly. You need to get to know the group you're fitting into - from the managers through to the youth team players. Giving 110% day-in-day-out is the main thing for me.

MJ: Is preparation important if you want to perform at your highest level?

SM: If you're not prepared to put the work in, you're not going to do what you want to do. Throughout my career I've worked as hard as I can off the pitch to make sure it's right on the pitch.

MJ: You've worked under a number of managers - what have you learnt from them?

SM: The gaffer here is super. He's a great manager. He speaks to you individually as much as he does to the team - making sure everything is all right, that your family is well. He's spot-on in what he does. If there's anyone that can lead us into the Premiership it's going to be him. We're looking good and feeling confident, so hopefully we're going to have a good season.

MJ: What sort of advice would you give to children out there who want to be the next Steve McPhail?

SM: Just work as hard as you can and don't think it's an easy thing to do. You've got to put the hours in. Try to work on your technique and on every aspect of your game. If you get a chance, give it a go and don't give up. Try to be as good as you can be.