David James: One-on-One

What’s with the recent hair experiments? The side partings, then the beard… Were you a barnet maverick as a kid?
Craig Beattie, Yorkshire
As a kid? Not so much if I remember, but definitely more so as an adult. Many moons ago at West Ham I had bleached blond hair. My recent side parting wasn’t the first time I’d done that. I had it at Liverpool when we were playing Newcastle years ago. A few of my mates were watching it in a pub and apparently the whole place went mental laughing at me.

Who were your heroes growing up – football or otherwise?
Adam Streeter, via e-mail
Bruce Grobbelaar. I saw him once when I was watching Luton play Liverpool and he was amazing. I liked everything he did. I played on his team and he was a top bloke, too. Cyrille Regis at West Brom was another. He was my mate’s hero more than mine but I had a bit of fondness for him. Outside of football, Colin Jackson, Mark Foster [former world champion swimmer] and a few people who have excelled in other industries.

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Gary Parkinson is a freelance writer, editor, trainer, muso, singer, actor and coach. He spent 14 years at FourFourTwo as the Global Digital Editor and continues to regularly contribute to the magazine and website, including major features on Euro 96, Subbuteo, Robert Maxwell and the inside story of Liverpool's 1990 title win. He is also a Bolton Wanderers fan.