During a quick Q&A with the Youth Team's Raphael Chea, he gave us some insight into the success of the ongoing trip to Holland, which footballer he thinks he’s most similar to, and which actor he sees a bit of himself in.
Q: What position do you play for Rochdale U18’s?
A: “I play right-back currently.”
Q: What footballer do you think you’re most similar to?
A: “I’d say Serge Aurier. He plays right-back for PSG – very quick! I’m very quick as well so we’ve got similarities there pace wise. He’s a big guy, some people say I’m big.”
Q: Are you enjoying it here in Holland, at this hotel especially?
A: “Ooh, I’m loving the hotel! I mean, this is a lovely opportunity really – for me as a player, and the lads as well. We’re definitely gonna come away having learned a lot from this trip.”
Q: What do you think of the training facilities?
A: “The training facilities are second to none, they are the best. 4G, one of the best I’ve been on, I mean you might as well be training on grass, you know. It’s that good. Playing on there makes you feel comfortable. When you pass the ball you can just hear that voooop, and that’s when you know you’re training on a good pitch. Facility wise, it’s very welcoming, very nice.”
Q: Are you enjoying the food, or would you rather be eating English food?
A: “That was one of the biggest worries, but then I got here, had breakfast. I was like… ok. Then we had dinner, then tea, and I looked forward to it the next day. It’s all adding up, and it’s been amazing so far.”
Q: So do you think trips like these bring the group together?
A: “Yes, definitely. I mean, we train together, but we have our alone time. Sometimes the lads are back at the hotel playing table tennis, and it gets everyone talking together. The first and second years are bonding really well. There’s a lot of spare time, so we get together and talk about how training went - the good, the bad, and how we can improve. I think that’s the best way to go about it to be honest. We’re in a hotel together for two weeks, so we’re learning a lot about each other, and from each other as well, and I guess that’s always beneficial.
Q: Just for fun, if you were stuck on a desert island, and you could only have one album and one film, what would they be?
A: “One album. I’d say… Drake. He’s a lovely fella. He raps very emotionally I think, so I’d take his album erm… ‘Thank Me Later’. I like that one. As for the film… Leonardo Di Caprio. I love him. What’s that movie called now…? ‘The Wolf of Wall Street!’. I see myself in him, he’s a very… you know, out-there man.”
By Daniel Edwards.