Having left Bristol City to join local rivals Swindon just a month ago, striker Christian Roberts was looking forward to taking on his former club in LDV Vans Trophy at the County Ground earlier this week. However, just hours before the kick-off, Roberts was involved in a bad car accident and was consequently unable to take part in the match. Thankfully, Roberts suffered only minor injuries and Swindon went on to win the game despite his enforced absence. Givemefootball's Mark Shail is the man armed with the questions.
Q:TELL US HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENNED?
A:It was about 3.30 in the afternoon and I had just arrived in Swindon and was just about to make my way to the team hotel. I decided to stop off at a garage and get a couple of bottles of water, when a bus smashed into the back of my car. The momentum of the bus then shot my car across the road, where I was hit head-on by another car. I felt a bit like a pinball machine. You hear about car crashes on the news all the time, but you never think it's going to happen to you.
Q:YOU MUST HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO COME AWAY WITH ONLY A FEW CUTS AND BRUISES?
A:I still wanted to go on and play in the game. But by 6.30 my neck was feeling a bit stiff and the doctor felt I was too groggy to take part in the match. Looking back, it was definitely the right decision not to play. I'm feeling much better now, although the neck is still a bit of a problem. I'm hoping to play some part in our FA Cup tie this weekend, if the doctor gives me the thumbs-up.
Q:YOU MUST HAVE BEEN DISSAPOINTED TO HAVE MISSED OUT ON A GAME AGAINST YOUR FORMER CLUB?
A:Yes, I was gutted. I've got a lot of friends in Bristol and it would have been a big game for me. I've made no secret of the fact that I thought I was treated shabbily by City, but that's in the past now and I'm enjoying my time here at Swindon.
Q:AND SWINDON GOT THE RIGHT RESULT?
A:Yes, I was over the moon. It was a good game of football and both sides had chances to win it. Fortunately we managed to take one of our opportunities and now we have given ourselves a great chance of reaching the final.
Q:YOU SEEM TO BE ENJOYING YOUR TIME AT SWINDON?
A:There is a good atmosphere at the club and it's always a little easier to settle in when you bang in a few goals. There is only a small squad of 17 or 18 players and it is very clear that the squad is a very tight unit. I can't praise manager Andy King enough. He has been great with me and his man-management skills are very impressive. I suppose you would describe him as an 'old school' type of manager, but what you see is what you get and players respect him because he tells it to you how it is.
Q:WHAT ARE YOUR EARLY IMPRESSIONS OF STRIKE PARTNER SAM PARKIN?
A:He is without doubt one of the best strikers in this league. He's big, strong, leads the line well and, considering his size, he has great feet. I've enjoyed playing alongside him because his communication on the pitch is first class - in fact he shows real maturity for someone so young. I'm not surprised that the club has already turned down offers for him.
Q:WHAT IS A REALISTIC TARGET FOR SWINDON THIS SEASON?
A:The ultimate aim is to get promotion and win the LDV Vans Trophy. All the sides in our division seem to be capable of beating each other and if we can string a run of results together over Christmas we could find ourselves in the top three. At the moment we are in 10th place but we are only seven points behind Hull in third place.
