Steve Seddon is the type of guy who just loves football. He loves coming to work every day, hitting the training pitch, and looking forward to the game on the weekend.
He’s not the type of person to sit about and not play, as that doesn’t work for him.
“I like playing football; I’ve always looked to move on to play games rather than stay at a gaff where I’m not featuring,” the full-back explained.
“I shattered my cheekbone during my first game at Cambridge. I tried to get back as quickly as possible so I could play games.”
And when your mentality is all about playing games and gaining experience, arriving in a new country, to play for a new team, getting limited game time could be an issue.
After only getting six minutes in the group stage of the Premier Sports Cup, and two starts in the subsequent ten games that followed, it could have been easy for Seddon to lose his motivation early on.
“It was frustrating initially,” he said.
“I think you’ve got to be patient with it; you’ve got to be realistic. If we’re winning games, all you can do is show up in training. If you’re winning games, you’ve got to enjoy the fact the club is winning.
“Quite a few teams I’ve played for, success is staying in the league. That means you’re winning one out of every three or four games. It’s not like you’re getting that winning feeling a lot.
“But we’ve had lots of wins here.”
And with those wins comes the good atmosphere in the dressing room. But Seddon is insistent on the fact that, even if the team doesn’t win, he’ll still be a loud and funny character.
“I’m loud, energetic, and, as that person, you want to make sure you’re that in the dressing room even if you’re not playing,” Seddon added.
“You want to keep everyone in good moods. I was always quite loud at Birmingham when I was coming through.
“My first week at Stevenage was a bit different. I was 19, and it was my first move to a new team; I didn’t know anyone. Then, I felt comfortable and returned to my usual self.
“It was the same here; I didn’t know anyone, so I tried to keep my head down. But I actually had this conversation with Tony [Watt] the other day; we can’t help but be loud. We’re not doing it on purpose; it’s just the way we are. I’ll go home, and my family is always banging on about inside voices.”
The international break in November allowed Seddon to return home for a couple of days to visit family. Even in a public setting, it would appear he remains the bubbly character.
“They were moaning to me about inside voices in the restaurant; I just don’t have a filter for that,” he laughed.
“I do enjoy the jokes. I love football clubs; I’ve been around some unreal dressing rooms with unreal people. When I was younger, there were proper football characters, and I think the sport has changed slightly; there are not as many of them now.
“I’ve had guys who are good on the pitch, aggressive and focused, but off it they had a bit of banter.”
It’s that outgoing and humorous approach that helps Seddon get through the working week.
“It’s class; it’s a way of dealing with the ups and downs of football,” the 26-year-old said.
“Even after a training session where your team loses, you can be quite angry and low, but it’s a way of dealing with that. The dressing room banter picks you up so you don’t go home in a huff.
“I’ve always said I love being around football clubs; that atmosphere is class. I’d get sacked from an office job very quickly!”
But does being known as the dressing room joker have its own pressures, particularly after a defeat?
“I think it’s more natural than that,” he explained.
“Every loss affects the team differently. A last-minute winner from the opponent affects a team differently than a game where you’ve been battered all game.
“It’s natural. We’ve got a good mix of characters here, who I’m friends with outside of football. You’re not going to be best mates with everyone you play with, but spending time with the boys away from the stadium is important.”
After limited action in the early stages of his Motherwell career, Seddon had started the last four matches for the Steelmen prior last Saturday against Hibernian, having been deployed as a full-back and a centre-back.
“It’s good to be feeling a part of something,” Seddon stated.
“Of course, you’re a part of it on the sidelines, but every player will tell you there’s a difference between being on the bench and playing in the game. If the team wins 2-0 and you’re on the bench, it’s good to see them win. But if you’re playing, there’s a better feeling involved, knowing you contributed.
“I’ve played at centre-back four or five times before, but that’s what you get paid for. Your contributions on the pitch. At the end of the day, you want to play football, and the manager believes in you because he’s putting you in that position. So, you just crack on with it.”
Steve Seddon has played over 200 professional games. At the age of 26, he’s also played in the Championship, League One and League Two in England. So, coming to Scotland was a bold move for the Englishman.
In doing so, it’s hard for him not to compare the game from either side of the border.
“Scottish football is different from English football in a sense,” he explained.
“But I’d say the winter months are quite telling.
“It’s not as direct up here, but in saying that, I’ve not been here through the winter. In League One, in August, teams are passing it around the back thinking they’re 2010 Barcelona. But, come January, after a few injuries and cold weather, they’re launching it down your throat.
“At the end of the day, I’m not one of those people who compares everything. Scotland is a good standard, and there are slight differences in tactical things. But that could be down to fewer league games. The schedule isn’t packed.
“When you look at the next few weeks for us and the amount of games we’ve got to play, that would be a normal few weeks down south. That in itself is the reason why certain games go the way they do in England.
“That time up here allows you to build up to the next game and be a little more tactical. Looking at how you can hurt the opponent. Down there, you just roll into games.
“All of that said, I like it here. I felt quite comfortable quite quickly. Everyone has asked me how it is, and I’ve said that I love it. The weather has turned cold, but it doesn’t bother me; I’ll just wrap up and get on with it!”
