Video summary
Touray reflects on the recent midweek break as a valuable opportunity for the squad to recover from a busy start to the season and reflect on their impressive form, which includes seven wins from their first nine games. He emphasizes that this free week was particularly beneficial for new players who needed time to acclimatize tactically to the team's specific style of play without the pressure of immediate match action. As one of the more experienced members of the group, Touray highlights his role in mentoring these newcomers, helping them understand the club's philosophy and ensuring they are ready to contribute effectively when games resume.
The conversation also touches on the significance of his recent call-up to the Gambia national squad after a few years away from international football. Touray expresses immense pride in representing his country and acknowledges that this selection is a recognition of his hard work and consistent performances at the club level. He notes that playing for Gambia is one of the greatest honors he can receive, especially given his family's deep roots in the nation, and he feels motivated to bring back new ideas and experiences from different football environments to improve his own game and help younger teammates.
Looking ahead to the upcoming away fixture against Luton Town, Touray acknowledges the difficulty of the opponent but remains confident based on the team's strong defensive record and recent successes in hostile environments. He stresses the importance of maintaining good character throughout a match, using their lead wisely while staying defensively solid for long periods, a trait he believes was evident in their previous away victory. Despite his age, approaching thirty, Touray is determined to continue contributing at a high level, managing his fitness carefully to avoid injury and ensuring he remains available for both club and country whenever called upon.
Finally, Touray shares insights into his professional mindset and his relationship with the manager, expressing deep respect and a willingness to give everything on the pitch regardless of his position or role within the team. He reflects on his career journey, including his time at Everton and subsequent setbacks, stating that he no longer takes any opportunity for granted and has learned to appreciate the chance to play football again after facing challenges. His dedication to staying fit, maintaining professionalism, and enjoying the sport remains unwavering, driven by a desire to achieve success with both his club and national team in the future.
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It'd be good to see you again. Um well,
no game midweek. Is it has it felt like
a nice chance to just maybe catch your
breath as a squad?
>> Yeah, definitely. Obviously, it's been a
been a busy schedule. We've um had a
busy start of the season and we've been
working really hard. So yeah, it was
nice to it's nice to have have a free
week and um work on some stuff on a
training round.
>> Has it also offered maybe an opportunity
to just take stock of where you're at
right now, seven wins from your first
nine games. It's been a good start.
>> Yeah, 100%. Um it's good to have a free
week and just reflect and um yeah, I
think we started the season well and
hopefully we can um carry it on.
>> How beneficial is maybe a week like this
week after what's been such a busy
schedule, particularly maybe for the the
new players that have come in just to
get up to speed tactically with how
you've operated as a group? Yeah,
definitely. Obviously need they need to
um work on work on how we play obviously
we play play a certain style and
obviously without um without without
training as much um it's hard to hard to
get used to it especially getting
getting thrown straight into the game.
So yeah it's um it's good for them and
um also good for us to um just just do
reminders on the training ground.
>> Do you have a role to play within that
in terms of being an established player
knowing how the system works to maybe
pass on that information?
>> Yeah, definitely. Obviously, I'm one of
the one of the more experienced lads in
the group now and um yeah, I'm always
always there helping helping the other
lads and obviously um helping them
understand how we play and what the
club's about and stuff and yeah, I think
not just me, obviously all the lads that
were here last year. So, um yeah,
hopefully we are helping.
>> How good a win was not away?
>> Yeah, massive. Um obviously I don't I
don't think we started the game very
very well. wasn't wasn't um at our best
in the first half, but yeah, good good
character and um good good win in the
end and great goal by um by Pratty and
yeah, buzzing for him to be fair. So,
yeah, massive win had a had a tough
place to go.
>> What does it say about your ability to
manage games through to have that lead
like you did, but then keep them at arms
length for the majority of the second
half?
>> Yeah, that's that's massive. if you if
you want to be successful, you have to
have to have good character and um be
able be able to um win at them them sort
of grounds. So yeah, it showed showed
good character from the group and um
showed how good we are defensively.
>> I saw a great video when you came off as
a substitute walking past the away and
you've got your own chant now and I've
heard that routinely. Do do you take
note of that?
>> Yeah, I've definitely heard it. No, it's
um it's class to be fair. I really enjoy
it. So yeah, hopefully hopefully it can
continue. How does that how does that
make you feel though? I know you say
it's class but like just to you know you
are an established player now and you've
obviously so well for the supporters to
have that I suppose that reception that
you get.
>> Yeah, it's really hard to explain it.
Yeah, it's that many people singing
singing a singing a song like that.
Yeah, it's a it's a great feeling. It
definitely gives you gives you that
extra energy and spurs you on a little
bit.
>> Do any of the lads say anything about
it?
>> Um when when they first sang at Chef
where few of the lads were said it was
stuck in the head. So yeah, I heard it
heard around a training [laughter] hand
a few times,
>> I'm sure. Um, obviously a big week for
you as well given your call up to the
Gambia squad. Um, what does that signify
for you because it's been a couple of
years since you last played?
>> Yeah, obviously I'm I'm buzzing to be to
be be selected and yeah, I can't wait.
Um, I feel like I've I've done well
since I've since I've been here so far.
So, um, yeah, for that to be recognized
and to get a call up is definitely nice.
>> What does it mean to to play for your
country and to represent? Yeah, it's one
of the one of the biggest honors I think
um representing me dad's side of me
family and um obviously representing me
family and um
>> yeah, it's it's a it's an honor. Yeah.
>> And also it it like you say it must
signify kind of where your career's at
as well to to get that recall and I
suppose an acknowledgement of your
performances.
>> Yeah, definitely. Obviously, when you
when you when you work when you work so
hard, you want to be you want to be
rewarded and you want people to see how
hard you've been working. And yeah, I
feel like it's um it's paid off.
>> What does it do to be in different
environments, you know, you've obviously
been in this environment for such a a
period of time, but to just break away
for a period and to be within a new
environment and experience that.
>> Yeah, I I I think I think it's good. um
obviously learn new things and um
playing completely completely different
styles of football and helps you um
helps you adapt and become a better
player and hopefully I can learn some
things over there and um bring them back
here hopefully.
>> Do you remember your debut and and how
that all went?
>> Oh, I don't even know now. Um must have
been I must have been about 19. I think
it was a friendly against Uganda. Yeah.
So can't remember it that much now to be
honest. [laughter]
>> That's a long time ago though. Yeah. Um
so focusing on the here and now then and
looking forward to to the weekend
looting away. Um you know it was a good
opponent for you last season in the
sense that you got the victory at home
but it was defeat away. So how are you
weighing them up this season?
>> Yeah obviously we know we know they're a
good team um got a got a lot of a lot of
quality and yeah hopefully we can um we
can go there and impose our game on them
away from home. I think obviously our
away record has been been decent this
year and um we've already beat Shepw and
not County away and obviously it's a
very very tough place to go but yeah
hopefully we can go there and pose our
game and come away with the three points
that's that's the plan
>> and how much confidence should you take
from those particularly those victories
away from home that you've mentioned
there.
>> Yeah, a lot. I think that's that's what
you got to do. You got to got to take
confidence from um from big away wins
like that and um trying to keep that
momentum and keep it going. So yeah,
that's the plan hopefully. Let's look at
it. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> With the injury to Tyreek, you've been
playing left wing back a lot [snorts]
this season. You played center back, the
left side of center back a lot last
season. Do you have a preference to
where you play?
>> No, to be honest, not at all really. I
play either one, wherever wherever I can
help, wherever I can do a job and I'll
just um try me best where wherever I'm
putting try and get three points for the
team.
>> Do you know where the idea is for you to
play at Cambia when you played with
Gambia? No, I don't I don't know to be
honest. Just going to go there, try try
my best, hopefully play. Um, don't know.
Don't don't know to be honest.
>> Say about your international career. I
mean, how did it come about the first
place? Your first call up when you were
19.
>> Um, I think when I when I was at Everton
and they got in got in contact and then
yeah, there was just a a dialogue from
there. Then I think a few few years on I
got I got a call up and got me got me
passport through me through me dad and
yeah then went to a camp and yeah been
been going ever since really.
>> Had you been to G before you got picked?
>> Yeah. Yeah, I used to go every summer
when I was younger. Yeah, I've been
there been there a lot of times. Me
dad's got dad's got house there and
stuff. So yeah, I've been I've been
there a lot to be honest.
>> He must be buzzing, doesn't he?
>> Yeah. Yeah, it makes him makes him very
proud. So yeah, it also makes me happy.
Um, yeah. So it's um it's it's
unbelievable to be honest.
>> And and presumably in that time
obviously you played with Gambia in the
in the finals as well. You must have
noticed as as the football, you know,
the whole setup must have improved.
>> Yeah, definitely. Um when I when I used
to go when I was younger, yeah, it was a
lot different to now. So yeah, now we've
got players from there players that play
in the Premier League, Syria, all that
type all them type of leagues. So um
yeah, the the standards the standards
definitely improved as well. So yeah,
it's it's nice to be around players like
that and hopefully yeah, it can improve
me as well.
>> I think I was reading that when it first
started when you first got picked it was
it was you and Ibu Adams, wasn't it?
>> Yeah, literally going over there sort of
joining the squad and not really knowing
what what was expecting.
>> Yeah. Yeah. I think we went went around
the same time. We were both playing in
the in the National League. So yeah,
he's playing in the playing in the
Championship now and I'm I'm here. So
yeah, it's been it's been a nice journey
for for both of us to be honest. So
yeah, we've um we've known each other
for a long time now. And yeah, we feel
like we've came up together.
>> And um when when was your last cap?
>> Um before you were here, wasn't it?
>> Yeah, I think just before I came here.
Yeah, maybe the summer before maybe.
Yeah, I don't remember to be honest.
>> Did you think that might have been it in
terms of obviously you've had to wait a
couple of years to get back in?
>> Um no, I I I have had dialogue with the
manager and stuff. um he's obviously
he's asked me to come a few times to be
honest, but um I thought like I felt
like I wanted to concentrate on me um
club career for a little bit and really
establish myself and um obviously there
was a few friendlies and stuff like that
and I thought I didn't really want to
miss any games here to be honest and um
just to play friendlies but um yeah
obviously it's a a African nations
qualifier so yeah I definitely want to
be a part of it
>> and obviously having got to the finals
twice yourself you know is is it
presumably I haven't looked at the
group. Is it presumably a realistic aim
for this this time?
>> Um it's always tough. Um there's there's
um higher ranked teams than us in our
group. I think we've got a host and
Ghana. So yeah, it'll be it'll be really
tough, but we've done it we've done it
twice before. So yeah, with a bit of bit
of belief. Yeah, I don't see why not.
>> And and as Jamie said, because it's
different environment for yourself, it
must be it's a fresh challenge, isn't
it?
>> Yeah. Um I've played I don't know maybe
20 odd times now for Gambia. So, um,
yeah, I'm used to I'm used to the
challenges and, um, yeah, hopefully I
can get more success with them as well.
>> At this stage, you career, but sort of
going back into it. I mean, it's uh,
yeah, it must be nice feeling, you know,
you're going to represent your your
country again.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Obviously, it's um, yeah,
I'm getting past past 30 now, so yeah,
to still to still be getting called up
and to still be be a part of the squad,
it's um, it's really nice. Um hopefully
I can take some of my experience and
>> help some of the younger lads in the
squad.
>> Tell us about your relationship with
Gre. I mean he clearly thinks the world
here and he you know he plays you all
the time. He sort of says well he'll be
all right. He can play. What's your sort
of relationship like on a sort of
dayto-day level? Do you speak a lot or
he just odd word here and there? He
obviously really relies on you and
usually respects you.
>> Yeah. Well yeah well yeah I've played
played a lot of football since I've been
here. Um, yeah, obviously I I highly
respect respect the gaffer. I've I've
had him before and yeah, he's he's one
of them managers I'll um I'll always
give my all for. So, as long as as long
as I do that, I think I think um I think
I'll be all right.
>> That availability record of your I mean,
it's it's terrific. And you really pride
pride yourself pride yourself on and
what your availability record, you know,
you don't seem to get many injuries and
you're always there and available.
Something that means means a lot to you.
>> Yeah, definitely. I um I don't really
think think about it too much to be
honest. I just um I just I just work me
I just I try and look after myself as
much as I can and um yeah I try and stay
professional. Luckily I haven't had many
um many injuries in me
>> in me career and yeah hopefully I can
have that look to carry on.
>> You strike me as you're a real top
professional and do you give yourself do
you have much time off in do you have
much rest in the summer or you sort of
always doing something with your
fitness? How is it? Yeah, obviously I I
I stay fit. I think I think you've got
to as a professional to keep yourself in
as as available as you can. Um,
obviously I definitely have a time to
time to relax 100%. But um,
>> yeah, like I say, as as you get a bit
older, I think you've got to look after
yourself a little bit more. Maybe when I
was younger, I'd probably take a little
bit more time off and ease off a little
bit more, but yeah, just just try and
look after myself as much as I can.
>> You do everything that's right to be a
professional footballer.
some of that. I mean, obviously you were
at Everton, it didn't quite work out for
you and you had a tough route and it
really means everything to you, doesn't
it? You'll never sort of take it for
granted or anything through your own
sort of story.
>> Yeah, 100%. Maybe that was maybe that
was probably what it was when I was
younger. I probably didn't realize the
opportunity that I had and then yeah,
once you once you do drop down a little
bit and then you come back to a level
that you want to be at, yeah, defin I
definitely won't take any of for granted
ever again. and and you never gave up on
it when even though the knockbacks and
it's probably made you stronger mentally
I suppose hasn't it?
>> Yeah 100%. Um yeah kept kept strong and
yeah just kept um kept working hard and
enjoying football as well to be honest.
I've never I've never stopped enjoying
it really. So um yeah hopefully that
continue as well.