Age: 31
Birthplace: Newtownards, Northern Ireland.
Occupation: Solicitor
First International Game: 1998 against Scotland
Other Tournaments Attended: European Championships in Hanover 1999, Barcelona 2003, Manchester 2007; World Cup Qualifier, China 2006; this Olympic Qualifier.

When did you first start playing and why?
A: I started playing at school. I went to Prility Rugby School and I started playing international table tennis. I wanted to continue to play table tennis and to do that I had to play hockey on Saturday morning instead of rugby, and I enjoyed it!

Which teams have you found the hardest to play against? And why?
A: The Dutch and the Spanish. The Dutch and very methodical and organized, and the Spanish have great pace and flare!

Which player(s) do you most admire? And why?
A: Pol Amat is pretty talented, very skillful and a very quick player.

It must be pretty hard being an international player, traveling in different time zones and not knowing whether it’s day or night so to speak, tell us what a typical playing year would be for you?
A: Goodness! Hockey’s not a professional spot in Ireland so all the training takes place around work so before work and in the evening and generally thirty to thirty-five days off work to attend International Tournaments depending on the Tournaments. Training the gym two sessions a week, two pitch sessions a week and then any international training camps in Dublin for a number of weekends prior to Tournaments. All of that wouldn’t be possible without the support of our employers and the Northern Irish and Qualifying Sports Councils.

There will be many people wondering how fit you need to be to play at the top level, please tell us a bit about your fitness regime; and please tell us a bit about your pre-match preparation and post match recovery. (Prior to Tournaments such as this, would you change your preparation and fitness regime?).
A: Fitness in terms of learning to run but also upper body strength. Hockey’s becoming a more physical game and all the National hockey players especially top international players and very good athletes in terms of all-round physical condition. And I think that’s important in terms of the lifestyle choices which probably aren’t easy for the young people growing up and particularly for students. In terms of prior to tournaments, we have strength and conditioning coaches who put is through a programme for a number of month out; that is getting access to different types of training, resistance, speed and agility; heavy weight lifting and overall conditioning.

If you could change one thing about hockey to improve the game, what would it be?
A: I’d probably make the goal bigger. I think it would be more exciting, more goals and more entertaining for the spectators. It’s important that hockey develops as a spectator sport, for the global television audience and spectators. Particularly a lot of the American sports are based on the number of points or goals and I think that’s quite exciting.

What would be the highlight/lowlight of your International Career to date? (Highest appointment/game etc).
A: Highlight would be drawing 1-1 with Spain in the first match of the European Championships in Manchester there and the lowlight would be losing to France three games later. One great aspiration we have is to qualify for the Olympics and to come so close here and to finish fourth has been very disappointing.

What do you like most about hockey and what frustrates you the most?
A: What I like is playing with my team-mates, club and international, and working to achieving something as a team. What frustrates me the most, is unless you’re in Olympic Games or World Cups, it’s very difficult for the teams in the top twelve to give away ranking points. For the top twelve teams continue to get ranking points certainly we would be in there instead of lower eight teams having difficulty breaking into that.

What are your other hockey interests? And interests outside of Hockey?
A: All sports really. My father played rugby for Ireland so I have an interest in rugby, and as I say all other sports. I just got engaged! And we’re getting married later this year so I’d put that down as an interest: planning the wedding!

You are stuck on an island for five years. Who are the two people you would most like to be with?
A: My fiancée and someone who can cook!