Kyra Robertson on FA Cup Success

This episode is brought to you by Flexemoise, a multi-award-winning digital business lender dedicated to providing UK SMEs with flexible finance done properly. Welcome back to Portman Road . Burns. Trying to find Jackson. It's Kayla Jackson! It's two-nil ! Hand in by Freddie Letappo ! It's towards Connor Chaplin ! Jack Taylor. 25 yards out. Oh my goodness me ! Jack Taylor ! Welcome everybody to the official Ipswich Town Podcast powered by Flexer Mise. It's Christmas, so we're getting into the spirit of things, as are the town lads. They've been sharing what they love about this time of year. Now, question, have you ever wondered what Massimo Luango's favourite Christmas song is? Yeah, me too. What about Harry Clark's favourite celebrations, chocolate? Everyone's got one. Don't really like chocolate to be honest. Fair enough, Harry. We promise there's loads of stuff that you're gonna really love from this episode though. We'll also be hearing from FA Cup hero Kyle Robertson who catches up with Andy Warren and town midfielder Lee Evans tells us about his long road back from injury. It's been tough mentally, really tough, but now I've had the operation, now it's all fixed. I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But first let's get cracking with a bit of festive fun. Leif Davis has been chatting to Jacob Henderson . Lee, thanks for joining us for the uh quick feature on the podcast. Gonna do a few uh quick Christmas questions, if that's alright. Your favourite Christmas song? Fairy tale of New York. Nice pose, classic. Favourite Christmas film? Ooh You know what, I like Deck the Halls. Really? But that's not a favourite. It's between that and home alone I would say. Yeah. Favourite chocolate from Box of Celebrations? Erm for Maltese, it's gonna be. Best part of a Christmas dinner. Pigs and blankets. And uh something that you do around Christmas maybe that not every family does, it's become a bit of a tradition maybe. Coming in training. One thing you cannot fault our boys for is their hard work and someone who's been working extremely hard to be back in training is town midfielder Lee Evans. It's been a long road back for him from injury. He's been telling Andy Warren all about it. Evo. Thanks for joining us on the official Ipswich Town Podcast. It's been a little while since we've spoken to you, um, a few bits going on. But we'll start off with these Christmas jumpers. For those watching in vision um you'll see them in all their glory but for those what uh listening to the audio version of the podcast we're uh we're wearing Christmas jumpers the big day's nearly here um could you train in that do you think? Yeah it's probably like one of my little underarmours I put underneath the shirts, isn't it? Nice and tight this one. Yeah, good little numbers. And then yours is the old school one . You quite like this one. It's a Wembley two thousand one. It's all right. It looks okay. But um they're just getting you in the the festive spirit, is this kind of getting you yeah getting you going? Yeah, no, I think the kids have had Christmas jumper day at school yesterday as well, so yeah, definitely might have to try and take this one off so you take it on they'll be happy. Well dad Dad's getting in on the action highest Christmas jumper. How are you doing anyway? We obviously a couple of months down the road now, uh a knee injury suffered at Huddersfield uh it's kept you off the pitch. But how are you how are you getting on? Yeah no I'm alright, I'm good uh I think the rehab's going really good uh probably better than we expected. Yeah operation was a success. It was probably something I should have had last season uh but with the promotion running I think the decision was to try and see if I could get fit just in case I was needed if there was an injury to Sammy or Mass at the back end of last season. Uh but yeah, this sh got it done this year finally. Uh and yeah, so now got looking forward to a a new really solid knee for when I get back fit. What what does recovery look like then? You've got you've just been telling me off off camera that packed days, busy schedule you've got quite a lot going on in terms of your recovery, all very well planned out by the staff at the club of course. But what does that look like for you? Yeah no normally it's uh you caught me today on quite a light one so today I was just swimming pool this morning, David Lloyd, doing some swimming, doing some movements, some running in the pool now as well, got to that. And then it's just upper body gym and just treatment today but normally we do obviously lots of gym work it's more of my chill day today so tomorrow will be more gym work a lot of leg weights trying to get the quads back to how they were. Uh and yeah, just lots of stuff in the gym and lots of treatment. Yeah, but crucially no, no football. No footballs at this time. That must be that must be tough for for someone like you that around football all that dealt all the time still, even walking up here there's footballs around if you wanted to kick them you could but you uh you can't. Yeah no you've got to stay strong you've got to give it time. I think the surgeon has given me that twelve week mart to get to which will be I think is exactly boxing Day twelve weeks, so maybe I'll get on there at halftime at Boxing Day and boot a few hours. Not sure the medical team are gonna like that anyway. Um how tough is it sort of doing this sort of when when obviously all all all your mates, all the lads are out are out there training every day. How how tough is is that to kind of push through and keep focus? Or or is it just the light at the end of the tunnel that keeps you going? No, look it it has been tough. There's been obviously some dark days, especially because of last season as well. Obviously I fought the way I was playing the start of last season, having a great season and then picking up an injury, uh yeah, then picking up another one. And then even the start of this year, you're waiting for your time , you're waiting for your chance. The boys are playing great, you can't complain. And then I feel like I'm doing really well in the cup games. Uh then get that first start in the league and then big tackle comes and goes again so it's it's been tough mentally really tough uh yeah but as you said now I've had the operation now it's all fixed. I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel now is looking at a five-six month injury. I'm nearly three months down the line so yeah I'm starting to turn the corner and yeah hopefully see the light at the end of the tunnel but it is difficult. Yeah and no no doubt some incredible staff here at Playford Road they're helping you through all of that. Yeah no they are the the uh the rehab team have been superb with me. Uh yeah they even give me a nice little week off last week so I got to have a bit of sunshine in Dubai with the kids so that was nice of them to do because they know obviously it's a long-term rehab plan so to get our week away just to refresh. Didn't get much of a tan but to refresh the batteries and recharge ready now for a big push after Christmas is uh yeah was a nice touch from them. Yeah you must have enjoyed watching what the lads have been doing in that time though. Yeah no definitely uh as I said I had it on the iPad especially the Norwich game, but I've seen the results obviously before it. The two away wins has been a fantastic week to get seven points out of them three games is uh yeah a great turn and that the boys are flying, the managers flying, the whole club is going in the right direction. We just need to keep going. We've got two massive games now over Christmas. Yeah, head heading into Christmas of course. Um you enjoy football at Christmas, obviously th this year on the sidelines but every other year of your career on the pitch over Christmas is that as special as it kind of looks it it's great for fans and people watching in from the outside but to be involved it must be it must be brilliant. No it is brilliant and they normally guess the best atmospheres as well that, boxing day, New Year's, New Year's Day games normally the best atmospheres. As you said, the fans, they have a great Christmas, great boxing day, go to the football, really enjoy it. So uh as players you stay dedicated. As you said this year I think I can probably enjoy my Christmas a little bit more which will be nice. It'll be the first Christmas I think I've had since I was probably 17, since I started playing football that I haven't been fit for Christmas Day for the boxing Day game so yeah I might enjoy this one have a nice bit of food and a couple of drinks maybe yeah we'll dig into what it might look like this year in a second but every other year what what is Christmas Day like do teams still train every y da on Christmas Day? Like do you see pictures of teams up and down the country training? It's tough. privileged position but the Christmas Day is that one day for me with a family would be up early, open the presents, get yourself into training because most managers I've had we train Christmas Day. You don't train long, you're not here for too long, but you just get the match day minus one, you get that prep in, so you know what you're doing boxing day. So we do that and then go home, but then as you say you have to be careful while you eat. You can't you watch everyone else around the table tucking in and then you're thinking mmm I should stay away from this from that and that's where you have to be dedicated that's where your professional head comes on especially when it gets towards the end of Christmas day and a few have had a few too many and it's starting to get a bit lively and yeah, then you have to just be ultra professional which the boys will be this year. And yeah, and it's it's a tough one but it's obviously something you've got to do with the busy schedule of the Christmases. Do you always avoid the temptation? Is there just that little extra pig in blanket or something like that? I say extra, you probably don't have any of them at all, do you? But um can you avoid it? No you can. You can. Uh y you have to because it just shows on the Boxing Day otherwise. If you you go into that and you've et what you want, drunk what you want, you're not gonna perform and especially the game we've got on Boxing Day I don't think the boys need any more incentive. So yeah, I think you have to, especially if you're playing, if you're if you're in the squad for me now this year, as you've said I can get away with it this year, but the boys who will be playing, I'm sure I'll do everything to make sure they're right boxing day. Like uh you're getting up early with the kids, obviously you you've got you've got four kids, you can't not get up. Christmas day one of them's gonna want to get up at a crazy hour in the morning. Are you are they that early? Are they like four a.m., five a.m. kids for that? Yeah they're five they're five o'clock at the minute on a normal day so I don't know what Christmas day is gonna look now are we yeah it's gonna be it's gonna be lively that it was it's brilliant the kids absolutely it's the day that they look forward to most of the year. So yeah, they're really excited at the minute. Got the elf on the shelf going at the house, the advent calendars, they know they they're getting closer to that big day. So yeah, it's going to be it's going to be a fantastic day. Are you in charge of Elf on the shelf? Who who's hoping they're not it's it's magic. No one's in charge of it but like if you were in charge of it who would be doing that in your house. No we normally try and do one night one night each but I always forget and send the wife down to do it 'cause it's yeah, I find it quite I haven't got too much imagination for it. She's she's a lot better at it than me. What's the best one she's done this year? Well she done just she just does a silly one. She has the same sense of humour as the kids really. So she had one this morning where they were just writing the Christmas songs but changing the lyrics. I won't put it on the camera but not too bad but just nice and silly for 'em and yeah, the the screams we get every time they find the elves in the morning is priceless. Yeah, those naughty little elves. So you are you much of a Christmas shopper or is that is that one for the wife as well? Yeah, mainly. Uh yeah, I don't do too much. Mine's just her stuff really. Uh I try and just make sure I've got that sorted and then normally yeah the kids are taken care of and I'm e as excited as them opening the presents 'cause I don't know what's coming out. Have you sorted it this year? Yeah, yeah no. It's all done. We're recording this a few days before Christmas. That's actually pretty organized. It's the nineteenth today we're recording this. Fingers crossed. So what when you do get into training, what's kind of the vibe like at training? Is it just pure business? Is there would you would you know it was Christmas if you came in and watched whatever session you do on a on a Christmas Day? Yeah, no, probably not. Obviously there's there's decorations around. Today we've got our Christmas lunch but that's probably about it. I think the manager wants to keep it as as normal as possible. So yeah we'll enjoy our Christmas lunch today. As you said I think they'll have probably a down day tomorrow the team will and then they'll prepare for the game against Leeds and what a game that's gonna be. What about away away games on boxing day? Does that kind of make things that bit more tough? 'Cause it normally they're fairly fairly local aren't they? You're not going up to down to Plymouth or something on a boxing day but uh um that must be tough. That's the hardest thing I think. I think we've been quite lucky yeah the last couple of seasons we've been home haven't we I think we have to be it's always are. I don't know why not always. I don't know why. S which do have a knack of getting a home boxing day. So yeah, that's that's a nicer touch, obviously you get to spend the night at home. You're not travelling to a hotel 'cause that's the worst thing. I think I did it a few times when I was younger. You're travelling on Christmas Day, you're facetiming kids later on in the day and yeah, it's obviously a lot better just to be at home. I think you sacrifice the New Year's, I think we're away and we're New Year's Day, so I think Yeah the atmosphere's great when you do get on the pitch, wherever it is, home or away. Um must be the kind of the atmospheres that you're looking forward to. It'd be interesting to see what a nighttime game here is like on boxing day this year. Yeah it should be quite leary because I I can imagine they'll have a good boxing day before it. Uh so yeah I think the atmosphere will be great. Obviously the atmosphere on the weekend was fantastic, the scenes before the game . It's just another thing probably when I see that I'm just like I wish I was part of it again. It's j they want they're tough ones to watch but for the team and for the club it's just it's a club going in the right direction. It's fantastic. Yeah, what what about the rest of the the lads here? Who who do you think's decent at Christmas shopping and who's gonna be who's gonna be who's gonna be leaving it all to to Christmas Eve on Amazon or whatever. I don't know. It's a tough one really, I think. Mm I'm obviously got the artist job with the most kids is trying to make sure I've got everything sorted. Uh yeah, I'm not too sure really . I think I think most of them will be organised. And yeah, I think they'll be alright. Well we're sitting here and you've sorted everything. So they can't they can't level that at you. Well someone sorted anything anyway. Yeah. Um sort of going into obviously into there's a busy, busy time, lots of games, New Year's never gonna be a big thing for a footballer, is it going out on New Year's? That's something that must be something you've kind of never really done as an adult, like New Year's Eve. Yeah, no, no, I don't think it is. I think off the record I probably snuck in a couple of times when I was a bit younger with my brother's ID, but that was about it on New Year's Day. But uh no, I think no New Year's I don't really see to be fair the massive thing with it, but that's probably because we've been in in football and we've had a game the next day all the time, so yeah, it's not one that's hugely celebrated in our house to be honest. Yeah, you mentioned the boxing day being a little bit of a landmark in your kind of recovery. What changes after that and what what what what gear will you go into in the new year in terms of getting ready for for being back on the pitch? Yeah, so we've been just pure basically just gym. Uh obviously the first six weeks was tough to even like I I was in a brace on crutches, tough t to even walk. So the last six weeks have gone really well, walking really well, starting to do some running as I said under the pool so I'll see the surgeon in s probably the first week of January and then after that hopefully he gives me the go ahead to start running and then from there I think the running should be fine. I've had this injury enough times I know the running's not normally too difficult so it'll probably be yeah just pushing onto the grass which will be nice to get them boots back on and that's something I'm really looking forward to. Yeah, foot footballers will talk about pre season and not particularly looking forward to the running that goes with that. But I bet you're really looking you'll bet you're really looking forward to this running aren't you? After so many months. Yeah, no defin, itely. As I said, just to be able to be out there again and run ning, tapping a football, even how soft it is to start with, but yeah, just being out there and being around the lads as well would be nice. Yeah, looking forward to seeing you back. Thank you for joining us on the podcast. Hope you and the kids and the family all have a great Christmas this year. Sneak that little bit extra dinner. Um which bit are you which bit are you looking forward to having on a Christmas dinner that you you maybe wouldn't have if you What's the extra bit? Yeah, don't it's a bit naughty. But collie cheese, couple of pigs in blankets. Yeah, we'll sneak as much as we can on this time. I'm gonna enjoy myself. Yeah, enjoy it this year. Won't come around again I'm sure for a while. Thank you for joining us and have a great Christmas. And we thanks and thank you. I'm George Hurst. We're at the heart of it by signing up to Town TV . Harry, thanks for joining us for the Ipswich Town Podcast. Here to ask you a few quick Christmas questions. Uh your favourite Christmas song? Uh Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Chris Rear? Chris Rear. Yeah. Favourite Christmas film? Uh Ho Any Home Alone. But well, first home alone. Favourite uh chocolate from Box of Celebrations? Don't really like chocolate to be honest. The plainest one. What do you eat around Christmas then? God. Good food because you're a footballer. Yeah, uh, yeah. Fruit. Um best part of a Christmas dinner. Uh ooh, roasties . Um and something you do around Christmas that's maybe a little bit of a family tradition now? Oh we do well, we in our family we open one present Christmas Eve and then the rest the following morning. Obviously with us it'll probably be in the evening now because we train them but yeah. Don't know if everyone else does that but yeah . There you go. When Harry met Jacob we'll be We'll be right back. But first, here's a message from our sponsors, Fleximize . 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Um just got around a lot of young children who were very excited to see some football players. How was it? Um yeah, really nice. Obviously it's always nice to give back to the community and do visits like this just to um reach out really, you know, and give back . We know that our fan base is so important to us and they're it's a very strong fan base as well, you know. They're never quiet, they're always turning up so um it's always nice to give back to them. Yeah especially this time of year as well some very sweet faces in there getting some Christmas gifts. Yeah exactly everyone's ready for Santa to come. Yeah are you ready for Santa to come? Yeah always you know I mean yeah you live with Maria and um and Sophie Pesca are you are you guys doing Christmas together this year or you are you off back to your families? Um we are not. We are all off home. Um Boz is actually already gone. She's flew out to New York for a couple of days. Um nice little trip away. Um but yeah, we'll all be going back to our families and yeah, spending a nice bit of time at home. New York's not bad for Christmas, is it? Wha what have you got planned? Um just spending time with family really, obviously living away. Um, don't get to see them as much, so it's nice when you go home to just chill at home and yeah, spend time with family. Where's home for you when you head back? Um Great Yarmouth, so the other side of um East Anglia. Um but yeah. Yeah, but you're a blue though. Always. Um you were at the were you at the Derby game recently, the Norwich game? All the girls were there, weren't they? Yeah, we all got tickets actually. Um I go to most of the games actually, all the ones I can make it to, the home games, um some of them bit more fate fans, um, turn up for the big games but um yeah I was there and it was a great great game, great atmosphere um and yeah I'm lucky to get the result but we'll take a draw. Yeah. Do you all sit together when you go? Yeah so we all get seats up in I don't know what stand it is. And the Sir Alf is that's the one. But yeah, we all sit together. So yeah, it was nice actually for us all to be there. Yeah, and then obviously the day after that you kind of wrapped up 2023 for you guys in style with a with a really good cup win. Yeah, um FA Cup's a great competition for us. I think um a lot of people will know that we've had success in the competition before. Um so it's a competition that we love and obviously you can play a bit freely 'cause there's not the three points up for grabs. Um so it's always fun, you know, um and yeah, playing a team who were in a higher division always gonna be a test but um yeah I think the results showed that um we were the better team on the day and yeah. Perfect way to end the year really wasn't it? Yeah, definitely. It's been a bit stop start, um, couple cancellations and things, so we haven't really got going too much, but um yeah, it was a great way to end twenty twenty three, ready to go into twenty four. Yeah. And for you personally I'm sure lots of people will have seen it already. Um was that your first goal for the club for the club? It's taken a while, but what a way what a way for it to come. Um yeah, obviously everyone always banters me, you know, three years at the club and and no goal to show for it. But um yeah like I say f it just dropped edge of the box and like the crowd said hit it um that's what I did and yeah it was it was an alright way to score your first goal. If you can score goals like that then why why is it taking three years? Um I think everyone says maybe I'm a bit too unselfish. Um maybe go for the passing option over the shooting but um yeah, maybe after that one I'll take on a couple more. Yeah, we've got to get a few more now, haven't we? Yeah, you'd hope so. Um hopefully not another three year drought. But um yeah, like I say, as long as the team's playing well, um and we keep striving then that's all I can ask for. Yeah. And as uh that was like your last game of the year, so a little weight now till back you're on the pitch. But how would you how would you sum up twenty twenty-three for the for the women's team? Um I'd probably say bittersweet, um obviously coming off the back of last year, being joint on points at the top of the table but missing out on goal difference was hard to take definitely especially because we had such a run in. Um I think it was ten games, ten wins in a row, so um yeah it was definitely a difficult one to take but um we regrouped over summer um ready for this season and had some tests already I would say um probably not as plain sailing as we would have liked um but it doesn't mean that we're gonna stop where we are you know we'll keep striving and hopefully we'll we'll have good form when we come back from Christmas and yeah, hopefully a promotion. Yeah, that's the goal for 2024. 100%. Um we're always striving for it. It's a difficult league to get out of as everyone knows. Um only first place going up, so there's not much room for error but um yeah it's definitely always what we're striving for. Yeah and one one last question before we let you go. What are you what are you wanting for Christmas this year? Oh um And who's gonna get it for you? Not really big one on presence anymore. Um now I'm older. Probably just a nice day with the family, do you know what I mean? Just spending time with them. Sounds great. Have a great Christmas, happy new year as well and we'll uh we'll see you in twenty twenty four. Yeah, thank you very much. Merry Christmas Town fans. Hi, I'm Dominic Ball and you're listening to the official Ipswich Town podcast. That's nearly it for the official Ipswich Town podcast. We've promised you festive fun throughout. Let's quickly hear from Massimo Luongo before we close. Um Driving home for Christmas. Nice. Um favourite Christmas film? I love actually. Um the best chocolate from a box of celebrations. Uh bounty. Vogue. Yeah. Yeah. Um best part of a Christmas dinner? Uh oh I'm not the greatest fan of a Christmas dinner. Um cranberry sauce . Something you always do around Christmas that's become a little bit of a tradition maybe ? Uh I always have to have a panettone. For those that don't know what that is. Uh it's like a Italian uh sweet breadcake with fruit and sultanas and stuff like that, yeah. You can get loads, yeah. Thank you everybody for listening to the podcast during 2023. We have had an absolute blast making it. Merry Christmas and a happy new year from us all here at Ipswich Town. We'll see you in 2024. Come on, Rose