The moaner
It’s good to have a moaner in the team. They get their point across and tell you how they feel, which is good. We could probably do with one or two more moaners because Dickson Etuhu seems to take it all on his shoulders – he loves a moan. Every team needs someone who moans because it makes you remember that you’re out there for a reason – to perform and win.
The joker
There are so many serious characters in the changing room that you need a joker to break the tension. Too much tension can affect certain players. Other people are deadly focused and a bit too serious; I like to make people smile, and for the training ground to be a buzzing and happy place. It’s more relaxing that way. But when it’s game time, I’m fully focused.
The Zen master
Things go on in games and dressing rooms and a calming influence helps the team relax. We have that in Aaron Hughes. He’s not a big talker, but he takes things on board and he’s a very calming influence in the changing room. It’s a talent in itself to be able to stay that calm and cool in every situation. Every team needs a player with that quality.
The organiser
When it comes to set-pieces, Brede Hangeland and Mark Schwarzer organise the team and bark orders. Under Roy Hodgson we were probably the most organised team in the country, maybe in Europe, and that made us very hard to beat. If you haven’t got the most gifted or athletic players but everybody knows their job, then your team will be a success.
The sergeant major
When things haven’t gone your way you need someone to come in at half-time, get the cattle prod out and get everyone going. At Brighton, Danny Cullip and Charlie Oatway were really good at that. If you weren’t doing the business they let you know. You didn’t want to be on the end of that.
The workhorse
Mark Schwarzer never stops training. In the last year he’s put in a lot of work in the gym and turned himself into an absolute beast. It certainly inspires the rest of us to follow suit and work harder in training and in the gym.
Bobby Zamora has been an official Under Armour sponsored ambassador for five years. Visit underarmour.co.uk for details
Also see:
How to hold off your marker
Inside the mind of a striker
Bobby Zamora on recovery
Bobby Zamora: Tricks of the trade
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