Music and Gaming Stuff
Q:Did you know Wigan is world famous for Northern Soul?
A:I was not aware of this fact, but since found out that Wigan had a big influence on soul music. I recently saw a trailer for a film “SoulBoy” which is all about the Northern Soul scene in the 70’s, so I’ll try to see that to get a better understanding.
Q:What are you listening to at the moment on your ipod?
A:At the moment, I’m listening to, on my i-pad: “Hold Yuh by Gyptian”, “OVER by Drakes” and “Blame it by Jamie Foxx”.
Q:XBOX360 or PS3?
A:I got both but I’m a PS3 man. I used to use the XBOX360 when on-line play first started, especially for Call of Duty and Pro Evolution Soccer(PES), however, a lot of my friends have got the PS3 now so that’s what I play the most.
Q:FIFA or PES?
A:Up to now it’s been PES all the way but next year FIFA11 could see me change from the PES to the FIFA series. I’ve actually tested FIFA11 when I was out in LA at an EA Sports event. The game play is much better than on FIFA10 but I am a big PES fan. I was very impressed with the game play of FIFA11 though and I think they have got a game that, in my eyes, will rival PES, and dare I say it… better it?
Food
Q:Favorite meal?
A: That’s easy. Nando’s all the way. I could eat Nando’s every day! Ummmm just saying that has convinced me to go grab some for later after this interview.
Q:What flavor of ice cream is your favorite?
A:I like strawberry flavored ice cream. To be fair, I normally get a mixed bowl when ordering, so chocolate ice cream is a close second.
Family
Q:Being from the South, you’re an Aylesbury boy right? Have you settled to life in the North West?
A:When I first moved to Wigan I was a bit nervous and wondered if I was going to settle in the north. It was made easier with my friend and fellow footballer Fitz Hall being up here, who had just left Crystal Palace a month before me. We lived across the road from each other and with my family moving up as well I settled very quickly. In general, the people up north made me and my family feel very welcome. I’m a local now, and very happy!
Q:Would you encourage your kids into the footballing world?
A:Yes, I would encourage them into football. I’ve got two boys and my eldest is 4 years old and youngest is 3 years old. I will be looking to take them on Sundays to football soon. It’s quite hard to find a soccer school for young kids on a Sunday as most do their classes on a Saturday which obviously doesn’t suit me! I have found one now so look out for a new superstar in the future.
Friends
Q:What player from the Latics who has now left the club do you miss the most on a personal level?
A:I used to play on the XBOX360 and PS3 a lot with both Rachid Bouaouzan and Jason Scotland but there have been plenty of players that have come and gone which I’ve been friends with. I’m lucky that I have made so many great friends in football from all cultures and nationalities and we all still stay in touch.
Football Stuff
Q:Who was your boyhood team?
A:I used to support Arsenal as a kid and still follow their results but don’t really support a team now. It’s still a bit special when I play against Arsenal though.
Q:What motivates you?
A:My motivation is to try and be the best I can. I’m in a privileged position and so many people support me and look up to me so I never want to let them down.
Q&As with Emmerson Boyce (Wigan Athletic):
Q:Do you prefer to play right back or center back?
A:So many people ask me this question and my honest answer is I do not mind either position. They each come with their own challenges but I try and give 100% in whatever position the Manager picks me for. To be honest I’m just happy to play.
Q:Does it ever feel like “work”?
A:Yeah, it does feel like work but I wouldn’t class it as work compared to certain other jobs. I am lucky to do a job that I love and enjoy. When you’re talking about work in general I don’t think you can compare it that of a doctor or people who work 12-hour shifts but the time that we are training, it is hard work both physically and mentally. We also spend a lot of time away from our families throughout the year.
Q:How much do you ache the day after a game?
A: I do ache after games., but it really depends if we’ve won or lost. It normally takes two days to fully recover, especially after a defeat, but when we win games the recovery always seems a lot faster, ha!
Q:What do you think would be a good idea to get more fans to the club?
A:I’m not into gimmicks to try to get people to come down, slowly but surely the fans are starting to build up in numbers at the DW stadium. The difficulty at Wigan Athletic is that we are a relatively young club compared to most in the north, and we’re competing for fans against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City to name just a few clubs based close to us. You also have to take into consideration Wigan is renowned as a Rugby town, where Wigan Warriors are having a fantastic season, and plus we normally play on the same weekend. I know the club is focusing on creating a more family environment to encourage families to attend and have a great day out, and of course if we’re winning as a team and moving up the league more fans are likely to come and support us. So fingers cross we carry on winning games.
Q:Best holiday destination?
A:I love going to America especially Los Angeles and New York. But with my parents coming from Barbados I do like going there for holidays with the family. It’s a great place to relax and recharge.
Non Football stuff
Q:How did you get involved with the StreetSoccerUSA programme?
A:Basically I came across them through a friend called Steve who sent me their link. When I looked into them I immediately wanted to be a part of it and recognized the hard work the staff and members had put into it to make it work for everyone. It was a chance to help, even in a small way, to the program which makes me very proud to do so. Check out: www.streetsoccerusa.org
Q:What was your first trip out there like?
A:It really was an amazing insight into their lives. We visited the shelters (in LA and New York) where the youths stay, spent time with them playing football,we had a lot of laughs and jokes, and they made us very welcome. I was very impressed by the future plans of the development of StreetSoccerUSA, and what they are looking to achieve. Hopefully I can be part of StreetSoccerUSA for many years to come and I’m honored to be an Ambassador for them, and look forward to getting out there next break!
After football
Q:What will you do after you finish playing?
A:This is an interesting question. At this moment in time, I’m interested in a lot of things which include fashion, different sports, food and culture. One of the areas I will certainly involve myself in is StreetSoccerUSA.
As an ambassador for this organization I am proud and privileged to have this role, and if the opportunity arises I may well go out there for a few years to see if I can help or contribute to build on the project that they have already set up.
One of my biggest objectives is to try and contribute towards developing Barbados into a competitive footballing country and I’m already working on setting up a youth academy over there. The standards of football in Barbados, and in most parts of the Caribbean, are far from perfect but I think there is potential with the right set-up and structure. People there are very passionate about football, although cricket is probably the most followed sport out there. There are some very talented youth players as well as seasoned coaches from Barbados who could exhibit their skills on the world stage.
I have always dreamed about Barbados having a strong International team, so perhaps this may be achieved in the not-to-distant future and my dream can become a reality! To imagine Barbados in a World Cup really is history is the making!
Website
Q: So what’s new for your 2010/11 website – www.emmersonboyce.com?
A: I launched my first official site last year 09/10 season and I got some great feedback from fans all over the world. This season I wanted to build on what I had so new for 2010/11 I have added many new features such as:
* Video news – so once the season starts there will be both written, image and video news articles.
* Full Screen Gallery – no more small images, I have gone big this time!
* Video Backgrounds – full screen video backgrounds will play a part in the site through 2010/11.
* My 17/ YOUR 17 – an area for fans to get involved by submitting their “#17” images to the site and win special prizes.
* Links page – with descriptions and url forwarding to partner sites.
I want to highlight the MY17YOUR17 feature which is for fans to take a photo of anything with the #17 in it; this could be a local Bus number, a house number or even a coffee shop table number! Have a look at some of the uploads on the site www.emmersonboyce.com under the “MY 17 YOUR17” page. Then just click UPLOAD YOUR 17 and send it to us. Or you can email it directly to: team@emmersonboyce.com where I’m choosing my favorites who will win some cool prizes throughout the season!
Thank you very much for allowing us to put you on the spot Boycey and a big thanks for taking time out to do the Q&A session.
Read more: http://www.wigan.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=212510#ixzz0z3kAmoY6
