He's the man the phrase "when the going gets tough, the tough get going" was coined for. U's captain and midfield hero Paul Wanless has been with the club for four years, has won some vital tackles, scored some valuable goals and shed plenty of blood in that time, and there cannot be many more frightening sights for an opposing midfielder or forward than that of "Wannie" charging in for a tackle.

This season he got stronger as the season progressed and he led and inspired the U's to Division Two survival with two games left, something that looked almost impossible when we were tailed off at the bottom of the table a couple of months ago. He also put in some towering performances earlier this season while knowing his premature daughter Emily was very poorly in hospital, and has inspired the fans to raise more than £2,000 so far for the hospital.

A charming and amiable man off the pitch, Paul gladly agreed to follow in the footsteps of Roy McFarland, John Taylor, Tom Youngs, Jason Kavanagh and Trevor Benjamin by answering questions from supporters in the latest U's Net Q&A. With well over 150 first team appearances and some memorable games and goals under his belt, Wanny's Cambridge United career provided scope for a lot of questions and he answered them all in frank detail. The interview took place in brilliant sunshine in the away dugout at the Abbey Stadium on Friday 5th May 2000.

Part One - General Questions

Which footballer did you most admire as you were growing up, and why?

My Dad had all the Pele videos and used to say "Pele's the best, Pele's the greatest", and my brother was older than me, about three years older, so he was a footballer and the videos were always coming in. So I grew up watching this with my brother, and my Dad who was a mad Leeds fan, and Pele would be the player I most looked at when I was a young boy.

Which footballer do you most admire now, and why?

A very difficult one ... there's a lot of older players you've got to admire who are still in the game. The likes of Paul Merson with his problems, Tony Adams who's been in the game years and years, but I would look in the midfield department and I quite liked Paul Ince and his never say die attitude, although I don't like his moaning attitude. But let's go for Roy Keane because he's got that sort of spirit which I like in a player. I suppose I've got - obviously not as good - but I've got similar qualities, and what he would do for United maybe I do for Cambridge, so that's what I would go for.

What is your best footballing moment so far?

It would have to be - have to be - getting promoted. It was also one of the biggest disappointments in not winning the league. I was absolutely gutted when all along I was saying "I want to give my championship medal to my Dad", and I was saying that for about three months leading up to the game, and when it happened I was more upset for my Dad - even though he was patting me on my back - than I was for myself. And also obviously for the fans because I believe that we were the best team in that league last year. We should've won it.

Other than that, it was a massive honour winning Player of the Year here. I was so happy. I won them all and that was also a great, great privilege.

What was your most embarrassing football moment?

I wouldn't say I've got a most embarrassing moment. Obviously the disappointment of my penalty misses - at Forest I was disappointed with that. I mean, it's not embarrassing because there's a lot of great players who are 20 times better than me that have missed penalties, so it happens to them. So as for an embarrassing thing ... I don't think I've got one.

What car do you drive?

I drive a Rover.

What do you do to relax away from football?

I do enjoy golf. Obviously I am a family man and spend a lot of time with my family, but whenever I get the odd chance for a game of golf I do enjoy a game of golf. I like beating the gaffer! (laughs)

Do you do that often?

He hasn't beat me yet! I've only played him three times - he called me a cheat - but I've beaten him three times!

Could you put up a set of shelves?

Yes. I've read that question before, I've seen that one, and my Dad would disagree because I must admit DIY I could do if I wanted to, but my Dad's very handy and basically whenever he's over he'll do a lot of small jobs. But yes, I could put up some shelves. I have done it before.

What's your favourite type of music?

I haven't really got any. I'm a sort of relaxing man and I haven't got a favourite pop group. I like any and everything, basically, and I've never been a music man and just always have the radio on in the car and whatever's on I enjoy.

Do you have any pre-match superstitions or rituals?

No. I used to a couple of years ago that I always warmed up in my moulded studs before playing in my actual studs, but that was really because I played well in a game when I did that and you just sort of follow it on. I think a lot of players do that, if they play well they tend to wear what they wore for that game in the next game, so whether it be your suit, or your underpants I don't know, but a lot of players do that. I guess sometimes I've done that with ties and things like that, but it's not that I have to do it.

How do you like having Roy McFarland as a manager?

Well, he's not around so I can slaughter him ...! (laughs) No, no, I've been in the press before and I've said that he's been the best manager. His main attribute would be his man-management. I think he's second to none. I've had managers before who would walk past you and they wouldn't really acknowledge you. But with the gaffer, with anything, any little knocks, you ease off and because it's a small squad he looks after the players and by doing that he gets the best out of the players.

I've had to go out training before with stitches in my feet and you think "well, it's too sore to do this, and I shouldn't be doing it, I'm probably not letting it recover fully prior to going out", but with the gaffer, if you've got that problem he'll say "no, sort it out".

You've more or less covered the next question too, which is "What is the best thing about having Roy as a Manager?"

Man-management, definitely. He's second to none, and obviously his football brain. You've got to admire a man who's played for England and done what he's done. So his man-management and his knowledge of the game.

And the worst?

I don't really know because I've never, honestly, I've never had ... well, apart from when he first came, possibly, and he left me out. So that's the only disagreement I would say, thinking "oh my God, it's going to happen here what happened at Lincoln, again." So I haven't got any qualms about him, I'm happy with him and I don't think there is a bad thing. He's nice to have as a manager, and he's nice to know as a bloke as well.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career so far?

It would have to be my parents, obviously when you're young. Now, having children of my own, you see the time you have to give to them. Every weekend - each Saturday, each Sunday - I was playing morning and afternoon. Basically that wrote off their weekends, and my Dad was working, my Mum was a housewife, so that was their time to be together and so I would definitely say my parents.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Basically to work hard. When you're young everyone says that to you and it's an easy thing to say "well, I can run all day and working hard's not that ..." But it's more than that. You have to put the time and the effort in. So that was when I was a kid.

As a professional, as a young, young pro - and I've often said it to young pros here - it's very easy in the heat of the moment at half-time to have an argument with your manager and as a young player you can't win. Even as an older player you can't win with the manager.

If you see something you believe is right, Dave Fogg once told me to acknowledge it even if you disagree with it, it's pointless having an argument because you're not going to get anywhere. Think about it on the Sunday and on the Monday knock on the office door and say "I wasn't quite sure what you were trying to put over, I didn't quite agree" and he will respect you much more for that. And I think that was the greatest bit of advice, and something that I have done.

Yes I've had my arguments, of course I have, but even if you disagree sometimes you go "OK, I didn't quite agree with that".

Who's Dave Fogg?

He was assistant manager at Oxford United at the time and then he went on to manage the Everton youth team. The last time I saw him he was at Chester, he was assistant manager at Chester.

What one piece of advice would you give to someone hoping to become a professional footballer?

If you're hoping to become a professional footballer, if professional is what you want, you're looking at the ages of 14 and 15 is when you really must apply yourself. You've got to work hard and that does mean unfortunately at times you're putting the girls aside. You're not putting them out of your mind of course, you can't do that! But you've got to be realistic, you can't go out all night on a Friday and Saturday and if you want to perform at your best that is the age when people will be looking at you.

But if you're younger than that, you should just enjoy your football. Basically go out, enjoy your football, listen to your Mums and Dads and have a laugh.

What will you be doing in five years time?

I'll be 31 so I'd love to be playing. I can't foresee me not playing, whilst I've got the sort of body that takes a bit of a battering so whether that will be possible ... If not I will certainly be trying to get a coaching job.

I'm looking to do my full certificate. I've been trying to get it done all year but unfortunately there's not enough numbers to make it up around here so it's a little difficult. But I want to do that, I want to become - as John Taylor's done - into the coaching role, and I'd love to do it here after my playing days are over.

I've been here a long time now, know the set up, know the club, know the chairman, and I'd like to progress as John's done and who knows ... in five year's time John may be manager and I may be assistant. You never know but I definitely want to stay in the game.

What's the best part of your game?

A lot of people say to me it's an attitude - I have got an attitude that I hate losing, I do hate losing - and the will to win. I'll throw my head anywhere, I'll throw my foot anywhere, if it means getting that ball and doing it for the right cause I'll do it, regardless of the consequences. So I would say it's gotta be your attitude. I'm a believer in whatever you do in life, if you don't apply yourself to it then you're not going to fully achieve what you should do.

And the one area you would like to improve upon?

Basically I've really improved my touch and my passing. I'm not an Alex Russell, I never will be, and Alex will see little things and he's not frightened to try them because if they don't come off he doesn't really get the hammering from the bench because that's part of his job. If I do it, I'm a player who's "get it, give it, move it", so that's what I do all the time, get it and give it, keep the ball moving. I try not to give the ball away often, which I don't think I do. Yes I may go across, but I like to switch play out, or going to the front men, but I try not to give the ball away, and I've really, really improved on that.

Are you on the Internet? If so do you read the U's web sites?

(Paul laughs because of an earlier conversation in which he explained he has been on the Internet for a few weeks and reads U's Net) There you go, you know the answer!

Have you got a message for the world-wide fans on the Internet?

Yes, don't be too harsh on us on the message board (laughs). We've all been there, we've all had our stick. I've had it early season, Scott Eustace had it, and it's nice when it changes around. I mean, Scott's getting a lot of praise at the minute, and rightly so, but the players do see it, they do take it to heart, rumours do go, and as much as they say they ignore it, and "ignore what you read", it's not easy and I believe anyone in their job constantly getting criticism would know it's not very nice.

Part Two - Supporters' Questions

Continued ...