Many thanks to our very own Redspark for carrying out this interview with Reds’ defender Chris Gunter, on behalf of Vital Forest.
Q. Who did you support as a boy?
A. Cardiff City.
Q. Who is your favourite player of all time?
A. As a Welshman, I will have to say Ryan Giggs.
Q. What is the best ground you have played at?
A. Can’t separate really between the Millenium Stadium and Old Trafford.
Q. What is your most prized football possession?
A. I keep all my debut shirts…so them along with my first Welsh cap.
Q. Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
A. A lot of my coaches and managers have been huge influences and there’s too many to name, but the 3 people who have been there through everything are my mum dad and brother and to this day they still do not miss a game.
Q. Having had a great loan period with Forest, what were your reasons for wanting to leave the Premiership and Spurs to come and join Forest on a permanent deal?
A. I loved the 7/8 weeks I was on loan last year, and I think the main reasons for wanting to come back were:
(a) The Manager
(b) The fans were so good to me I felt really welcome
(c) I got on really well with all of the players and loved being part of the squad.
Q. What are your targets for this season?
A. My targets are to stay in the team and play as well as I possibly can.
Q. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
A. I tend not to try and look too far into the future, but hopefully being in the Premiership with Nottingham Forest and the club being an established Premier League team.
Q. How did it feel to get your first senior goal?
A. My first senior goal was brilliant, we needed a win at the time so it was great to help the team out by getting it. I should of scored against Scunthrope 3 days later, fingers crossed I can get 1 or 2 more this season.
Q. What was the celebration all about?
A. The celebration was from my summer holiday with mates, and I said if I ever manage to score I’ll do it and I was glad I stuck to it. It hasn’t got a real meaning and don’t ask me why we ever done it (haha lalalalala)
Q. Do you have any football superstitions?
A. On a match day I have a few superstitions, I listen to the same playlist of music on my iPod on the bus to a game or in my car, I mainly do the same thing before every game just in terms of getting ready, it’s strange I think quite a few footballers secretly have them.
Q. How would you describe Forest and the fans in your own words?
A. The way Nottingham Forest is run, is fantastic. Everything is professional and to the players needs. The best thing personally I can say about the club is how easy it was to settle in and how at home I felt so quickly which says it all.
The Forest fans are unbelievable, I think you can always tell a lot about the fans in away games, the numbers we take are incredible. I feel I have a good relationship with them and I’ll keep trying my very best for them.
Q. Do you get a buzz or a lift when the crowd are in full voice and getting behind the team?
A. When the crowd at the city ground are behind us it makes a huge difference, there is nothing better than hearing 29,000 backing you and without doubt it lifts the team no end. Just look at the last ten minutes against Derby when the gaffer tried to raise the noise, we suddenly found some extra energy and that’s what the fans can do. As I have said, the fans away are the best in the league and they help us so much.
Q. Was the cross bar challenge a fluke or pure skill?
A. Hahaha! I’d like to say it was skill, I haven’t done it too many times, although I feel I should of had 2 t-shirts as it hit the bar and post in he same shot! haha!
Q. Do you or any of the players read what is written about you and the team on the football forums?
A. I’m not sure what other players do but personally I try not to pay too much attention to papers, you don’t need somebody to tell you if you have played good or bad because you know yourself. I think message boards are a dangerous place for a player to go and I don’t look as in the past I have found years ago there are people who write very strong stuff and it can’t do a player any good to see some comments, although I am not sure what the Forest boards are like, probably very good if it’s anything like the support. All I can say is every time we go onto the pitch, we try as hard as we can and we feel as happy or sad about the result as the fans.
Q. If you could change one thing in football what would it be?
A. I wouldn’t change too much at all to be honest… I don’t think anybody will listen to me anyway!!
Thanks once again to Redspark and to Chris, for taking the time out to do the interview.
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