Darryl Flahavan began his career with Southampton and, after a spell with non league Woking, he made his first appearance for Southend in the 2000-2001 season - and he has been a first team regular ever since. Givemefootball's Lawrie Madden caught up with the keeper before the LDV Van Final against Blackpool at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.
Q:WHAT HAVE BEEN THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF YOUR CAREER - AND WHERE DOES REACHING THE LDV VANS FINAL FIGURE?
A:The lowest point was definitely when I left Southampton. I came through the youth system and had three years as a professional and was on the bench for the first team on ten occasions. It was hard for me to leave but I wanted to get games so I had to go. As for the highs, then I would have to say it is reaching the Final of the LDV Vans Trophy.
Q:HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM IN CARDIFF BEFORE?
A:Not as a player ,but twice to watch. I have a lot of friends still at Southampton and so went to watch Saints play Arsenal in the FA Cup Final last season, and a few weeks ago I went to watch my best mate Kevin Davies play for Bolton in the Carling Cup Final.
Q:THE BIG DAY IS NEARLY HERE. WHAT HAS THE BUILD-UP BEEN LIKE?
A:We're looking forward to it. For the first leg of the Southern Area Final against Colchester United we were all quite relaxed. Most people thought we were going to lose and there wasn't much pressure on us. The second leg was more of a mental thing. We knew we were only 90 minutes away from Cardiff and thankfully we got through.
Q:MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE GOALKEEPERS ARE A DIFFERENT BREED. ARE THEY?
A:I think the worst thing about being a goalkeeper is the way the media scrutinise every mistake a keeper makes. We're only human and there's no way you can play a 60-game season without making the odd error. Outfield players can get away with being sloppy at times but when you're in goal you definitely can't because it will lead to a goal. You're the last line of defence and it's the hardest position to play.
Q:HAVE THE LAW CHANGES AFFECTED THE WAY YOU PLAY?
A:They keep introducing new things which make it harder for us. You've got the back pass rule, the six seconds law and the footballs we use now are very light and glossy. They can become quite slippery but there's no point moaning because people just think we are making excuses.
Q:YOUR BROTHER AARON WAS A KEEPER, DID HE HELP YOU?
A:My brother and I always used to go out and play against each other, we used to take turns to take shots and go in goal. I've played out on the pitch as well, though, and as some of the Southend players can vouch for on the training ground, I'm not too bad.
Q:HOW BIG AN INFLUENCE WAS YOUR LATE BROTHER?
A:Aaron was everything to me and when he died it left a massive gap in my life. I still think about him all the time and sometimes it gets me through games. He was definitely the biggest influence on my career and my mum really helped me too.
Q:WHAT OTHER KEEPERS DO YOU ADMIRE?
A:The keeper I looked up to the most of all was Neville Southall. I used to really like it when he played against Southampton. He was fantastic and in my eyes the best there has ever been.
