At the ripe old age of 39, and with nearly a 1,000 senior games under his belt, Steve Claridge continues to weave his magic up front for Bradford City. He and fellow striker Dean Windass may have a combined age of 75, but their experience and nowhow certainly spreads fear into all defenders in League One. Claridge, who had a brief spell in charge of Millwall at the start of the season, is now concentrating solely on his playing career and the veteran frontman revealed to givemefootball's Mark Shail that he plans to continue playing until he is 45.
Q:WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF BRADFORD'S START TO THE SEASON?
A:We've been a bit inconsistent of late and for that reason we find ourselves in amongst the pack in the middle of the table. If we can get everyone fit, and start stringing a run of results together, there is no reason why we can't be challenging for a place in the top six – but I expect there's a long list of clubs in this league saying exactly the same thing.
Q:BRADFORD WERE BEATEN BY HUDDERSFIELD EARIER THIS WEEK, WERE YOU IMPRESSED BY THEM?
A:Very much so, I thought they worked very hard for each other and passed the ball well. If I'd have been playing for them and not won the game I would have been disappointed. At the end of the day, when you come off the pitch having been beaten by a better side on the day you have to hold your hands up.
Q:HAVE YOU BEEN SURPRISED BY THE STARTS MADE BY THE LIKES OF TRANMERE, BRISTOL CITY AND NOTTINGHAM FOREST?
A:Not really because this is a tough league and no side has a divine right to win games. But there's very little between the teams in this division and it may come down to which side can stay clear of injuries and keep their key players fit. At the moment Southend are on a roll and playing with a lot of confidence, but there's still a long way to go.
Q:WERE YOU SURPRISED TO BE IN CHARGE AT MILLWALL FOR SUCH A SHORT SPACE OF TIME?
A:I was, but that's gone now. Things were out of my hands and sometimes you sit down and try to legitimise what exactly went on. Who knows? Maybe it will all come out in the future, but in this game the truth often doesn't come out.
Q:HAS IT PUT YOU OFF WANTING TO BE A MANAGER IN THE FUTURE?
A:No it hasn't, but I don't know how much damage it has done to my reputation. But I've decided to put all my efforts into playing now and I will continue to that until I'm not required or I don't think I can do the job any longer. I've had three jobs as a manager so far and my total games in charge have added up to 25, which is not a great statistic, but the circumstances why I left those clubs had nothing to do with my ability as a manager.
Q:HOW LONG WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE PLAYING?
A:I'm very fortunate that I have had very few injuries in my career and I have always kept myself in good shape. I suppose I just love the game and don't want to give it up – it frustrates me when I see players lose their hunger for the game and retire when they could have carried on playing. I will say this now – if I can stay clear of injuries I think I could carry until I'm 45, and that's what I will be trying to do.
