What's it like being at a new club and being the club captain?
I always enjoy the new feel of a club. All the optimism of achieving something great and the chance to set a new standard. With a new team and set of players, you never know what you're going to get. But it's all part of the fun. Now, becoming the club captain was a welcome surprise. Coming in to a new team with players from the previous season, you don't think it's going to happen. I always give my all and try to lead by example, when I train or play. But I'm happy AJ and Ade have seen something in me they feel is good enough to captain the team. We have a lot of young boys in the team, so hopefully the collective experience of myself and the older boys in the team will help the team do well this season and help the younger players become better players. As far as I'm concerned there are 11 leaders on the pitch. I can't tell defenders how to do their job, as I've never played there. So I would like to think everyone will take responsibility for themselves and for their team mates.

What made you join Tower Hamlets?
To be honest it was AJ's presence at the club that was the deciding factor. After playing Ryman football last season with Tilbury FC and Aveley FC, work and personal commitments meant I couldn't commit to the demands of that league and level of football. So I was on the look out for a new team and Hamlets were the first team offering trials. Spoke to AJ, and he immediately expressed his desire at having me and my twin brother (Tola) at the club. So when management show that they want you and make you feel needed, it's hard to turn them down.

What's it like under new management and coaching staff?
Like I said before, part of the reason I came to Hamlets is because of AJ. I've known him for many years, having played against him and with him more recently. So hearing he was going in to management was great news. The management and coaching staff are doing a good job here and have a great vision for the team. After the results of last season, they have really put in a lot of work to revamp the squad behind the scenes and in training to get us to the standard where we can be competing with the top teams in the league. When you have management and coaches like AJ and Joe Biscoe, who have played at this level before, it helps, as they know what we're going through as players and what is needed to get us to where we need to be.

How's pre-season going for you and the rest of team?
Pre-season is never easy and no one looks forward to it, but the coaching staff have done a good job in slowly getting us back in to it. We started earlier than most teams, so most boys are at a pretty good level with still three weeks to go before the league starts. The boys are enjoying pre-season. A chance for everyone to get to know each other, as most of us are new to the team and knowing we are all struggling together brings a sense of togetherness. Also, the fact that a lot of our pre-season training is football based and around getting match fit as opposed to just running, definitely encourages players to actually turn up, and give their all. If we wanted to run miles, we would have become athletes. So it's good that the coaching team have taken this approach to pre-season training. However, the latest addition to the coaching staff 'Bert', is very set in things being done properly, so I do envisage plenty of cross country running in the pipelines before pre-season is over, lol, having played under him a few years back. But all in all, the lads are enjoying it and we are raring to go for the pre-season fixtures and the season too.