Find out more about Keith Curle as he answers our range of questions!
1) What’s your first footballing memory, either playing or watching?
"Playing for my school team which was Oldbury Court Junior School in Bristol."
2) Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
“There have been a few who have made a big impression on me. My first teacher at school was a Mr John Elliott - he has sadly passed away now but he was the person who convinced my Mum to allow me to go and play for the school team. My Mum was a single parent and very over protective and she just needed that extra convincing that Mr Elliott provided.”
3) Which player(s) inspired you the most whilst growing up?
“I would say Norman Hunter and Dave Thomas. Dave was a winger who I remember with QPR and he didn't wear shin pads, and that stuck in my mind."
4) If you could re-invent yourself as a player in a different position, where would you play?
“As a few of the players have said it would have to be centre forward. The strikers get all the glory!"
5) Who is the best player you’ve played with or against?
“It would be Marco Van Basten. In the early 1990s we had a Football League representative game against a Serie A team and he played in that.”
6) Do you have any pre-match superstitions/routines?
“No, not really. I just try and stay as calm as possible. We have created an excellent environment where the players know what they are doing and when and we try and keeps things calmed and focused. As a manager you need to be brave enough and have enough trust in your staff and players to allow that environment to flourish but to know when to steer things at the right time with key information.”
7) Away from football, are you interested in any other sports?
“My favourite other sport is golf.”
8) At school, what was your favourite and least favourite subject?
“My favourite was PE or anything to do with sport, my least favourite was physics.”
9) If you could travel to a place you’ve never visited before, where would you go?
“The Grand Canyon.”
10) If you were stuck in a lift with a current Northampton team-mate, who would you like it to be?
Colin West, my assistant.”
11) Who has the worst banter in the squad?
“Bob French (kit manager)!”
12) What’s your speciality in the kitchen?
“A roast dinner.”
13) Do you have any hobbies outside of football?
“As a manager your time is with football and your family. There isn't too much time left over after that as you are always working, training, matches, scouting, planning, there is always work going on.”
14) What’s your favourite film?
“Shawshank Redemption.”
15) If you weren’t a professional footballer, which route would you have gone down?
“If I didn’t make it as a footballer I’d have tried boxing.”
16) Which Netflix/TV series would you recommend watching?
“Breaking Bad.”
17) It’s your turn on the karaoke, which song do you choose?
“You to me are everything by the Real Thing.”
18) You’re stuck on a desert island, which three items or people do you take with you?
“My partner, my children and my lap top.”
19) Do you have any pets, and if so which ones?
“I don’t have any pets.”
20) If you could pass on some advice to a younger player, what would it be?
“Always work hard and always listen to your teachers or your coaches.”