A: I wake up most of the time in a good mood. I jump into the shower and stay there for a while listening to good music. After that I make myself some breakfast, most of the time it’s scrambled eggs, some potatoes and turkey sausage with ketchup. I leave a little later than I should for training even though I wake up early. On the way, I listen to a lot of music from reggae to hip hop to R&B. I’m always happy in the morning, I am a morning person. Once I get to the locker room I get some stretches by Cesar (Roldan) on my hamstring most of the time, especially towards the end of the season your muscles are a little bit tight. After that I’m usually playing on social media before we have a meeting to talk about the game ahead and what we can do to improve and what we did good. After that we head to the training pitch.

Q: How do you approach each training session? Does it depend on the day of week or is there some similarity to each session?

A: I go in and try to be the best possible player that I can be, and improve each day. I want to get better and better in each session and learn from myself, my mistakes and from other guys that play similar positions. Even learning different positions is important because there could be a time where I need to play in their position. You’ve got to be aware of your surroundings and different kinds of positions. Naturally, the beginning of the week is a little tougher. Heading towards the end of the week it gets a little lighter so we can save our bodies for the game. If I need to improve on anything, I’ll do it in the beginning of the week so I can have time to recover and be ready for the game.

A: I like to do light weights to keep my muscles in good shape. I’ll do massages, get in the hot tub and then I wear the recovery boots which I have at home while I’m playing PlayStation or watching a movie.

Q: And food is obviously a big part of any athlete’s diet - what eating habits do you stick to?

A: I love a lot of rice, pasta, chicken, all meat really. I try to get a lot of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

A: It depends on where you are traveling to and who you are traveling with. Typically, I am healthier on the road because I’m choosing what I want to eat and get served rather than when I am at home where I have all the stuff I need and can get carried away easily. On the road, it’s a conscious decision.

Q: How about after a match? Any routines? Are you already thinking about the next match or training as soon as you finish?

A: I always have a cheat meal. Sometimes we have three games in one week, and sometimes we only have one. If it’s a week with only one game I take that time to relax. If we won the game I let myself enjoy the win with a proper day off the next day. If we have three games in one week, we have to recover fast. When I was in England they would tell me that most athletes don’t eat after a game because they’re still so energized, so they would bring pizza or burgers because it’s vital to get something in your body after exerting itself. Food helps you to recover.

A: I never have to watch what I eat. When I go home for the off-season my mom cooks. She never cooks unhealthy – always rice with salad, chicken and different kinds of meat. It’s always a feast when I’m home. I spend about a month back in England and for the rest of the time I travel around with my friends that I don’t get to see a lot. I stay fit during the off-season by playing soccer with my friends whether it's indoor futsal, or outside in a pick-up match. That usually keeps me in shape and prepared for preseason. The off-season is long, so that keeps me motivated.

Q: What advice would you offer to someone trying to live a healthy lifestyle?

A: Do whatever you think is best for you whether you want a strict diet, or you want a cheat meal here and there. Everybody’s body reacts different, so if you find something that makes you happy go for it. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle it takes a lot of work and a lot of dedication. You have to be strong and be willing to say no to things you know are not good for you.

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