New Derry City signing Andre Wisdom talks Liverpool, Red Bull Salzburg, Derby County and the stabbing that changed his life.
New Derry City signing Andre Wisdom talks Liverpool, Red Bull Salzburg, Derby County and the stabbing that changed his life as he prepares to bolster the Candy Stripes title challenge.
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00:00Andre, after a career that has included Liverpool, Leipzig, Derby, I suppose the first question
00:07is why Derry?
00:09I always, I've been asked this question previously, why not? I spoke with the manager, we had
00:16a good lengthy honest conversation and not that I need selling to, but I was sold at
00:22that point. He told me how the team is working, wants to work and progress, the competitions
00:28that we're in and what we're trying to achieve, so I was grateful for the opportunity in the
00:33pool and I'm glad that the manager has put his trust in me and hopefully I can add value
00:39to the squad that's over here.
00:41And how are your first impressions? I know you've only just arrived, you've had a few
00:44meetings with Ruri, have you had a chance to meet the players yet?
00:47No, I haven't had a chance to meet the lads yet. I arrived this morning and I didn't get
00:53here in time for training or anything like that. But first impressions are great, everyone's
00:58welcoming with open arms and to be honest I don't have any expectations of anything.
01:03That's the way I live, what will be, will be and as long as everything I do is the right
01:11way then I'll be happy.
01:13I mean you probably know now that Derry are in the hunt for a Premier League title, first
01:18one in a long while, they're still in the FA Cup. How important were those potential
01:23trophies to you deciding to come here?
01:26Yeah, it means a lot obviously for the club, for the fans, for the people, for the city.
01:33So if I can come and try to add value to the squad and compete, hopefully we can bring
01:40something good here back to the club and give trophies and medals back because football
01:45is all about winning. You can progress, you can play well but the results are the only
01:50thing that matters so hopefully we can clinch it over the line.
01:56I mean obviously you're an underage international in England, your career started, you played
02:03with some high profile names but then there was that incident that took you out of football
02:08for a while. Would you talk us through your thought process when that had happened and
02:13how you managed to come back from it?
02:15Yeah, it was a difficult process. I was playing for Derby at the time and I got stabbed a
02:22numerous amount of times so it was a bit overwhelming but I just took myself away from football.
02:29My contract finished at Derby at the end of that season, took myself away from football
02:33for a little while, about 16 months or something like that. Went away, got my mind right, my
02:39body back right and then just started training again and took it from there really. Things
02:45happen in life, obviously good things and bad things and it was just unfortunate for
02:51me that it was bad and affected my livelihood and my job but I'm always grateful, my life's
02:58the most important thing so I'm happy for that. For me, playing football is a luxury
03:04so I've done a lot of five-a-sides with my friends and then I got back into part-time
03:11football with a local team near me, Warrington Town and just kicked on from there really,
03:17just progressed, just repetition with football. Once you know you fit and your body's not
03:23going to break down, I always say there's fit and then there's football fit so to get
03:28that repetition into my legs and my body and my lungs again was a great way. Now I've done
03:35a full pre-season back over in England with Salford, I'm raring to go and I feel as good
03:42as I did. I'm 31 but I feel about 26, 27 so yeah, I feel good. When the stabbing happened,
03:51I know obviously your first thought isn't for football or something but did you think
03:54at that time that maybe that was you finished for the day? I've got a never say never attitude
04:01so I didn't think I was finished but I knew it affected my body because of the placement of the
04:07stabbings, predominantly my legs and my glutes and one in my head so I'm a defender, I want a head,
04:19I need to run so I knew it affected me but I've got the never say never attitude.
04:27After being stabbed, I remember driving home after the incident took place and I was
04:32thinking I've got training tomorrow so that's my type of mentality but life is such and
04:41here I am and I'm grateful for the manager for giving me the call and putting his trust in me
04:46and knowing that I'm coming here and I'm going to give 100%. In terms of football, you've played
04:52with some of the greats, do you want to give us a few of those Liverpool names or Leipzig guys?
04:58I'm not one to name drop. Even if we twist your arms? Yeah, playing with Stephen Gerrard,
05:05Luis Suarez, Jay McCarriger, Martin Sturtle, Sturridge, Sterling, great experience, Coutinho,
05:12Firmino, great experiences, great experiences. Did you take a lot of learnings from alongside
05:19boys like that? Yeah you do, you learn how to, especially the attacking ones because in training
05:24there were some dark days playing with that high quality and the intensity and some of the things
05:31that them lads can do. You download a lot of information so hopefully it's stayed me well and
05:40I think it has with the career that I've had. The lads are getting quicker, faster, stronger these
05:47days. There's some young kids out there that are coming through and I'm just willing to give
05:54everything once I step onto the football pitch. Try to be calm and bring experience and influence
06:01and fight to the team. Final one from me, just on that subject, what can the Derby fans expect
06:08from you when they see you in the red and white? Expect 100% every time you see me,
06:14whether that's on the pitch or off the pitch, pretty straightforward. If I'm having a bad game
06:19I won't stop running and if I'm having a great game I probably won't run as much, I'm joking!
06:24But yeah, just honest hard work and I know where I come from so that's what you get from me.