We put Lee Fortune-West 'on the spot' with your questions.

Click on the "Q&A" link on the left to access similar interviews.

Lee Appleton kicked off by asking: "Leo, you're widely known for being an awkward customer for opposition defenders to deal with and being a bit of a goal poacher - is there any other aspect to your game that you don't get credit for or a chance to express? For example, perhaps you take a mean goal kick?"

Leo: "I do think I get back and defend well and I've always done that wherever I've been in my career."

Peter Parnwell asks: "Who is the best player you have played with and against?"

Leo: "I've played with some good forwards: Ade Akinbiyi, Dennis Bailey, Iffy Onuora, Robbie Earnshaw, they were all good players to play alongside.

"The best I've played against? I've always thought that if I'm playing well then the defenders at the level I've played at haven't really bothered me at all, if I've played well. I've had some bad games and obviously I've been dominated in those. Justin Whittle is difficult to play against, Wes Morgan is another, and also Ibrahima Sonko. They're heavy and you can't move them."

Justin Spring asks: "Who do you support football wise?"

Leo: "It's still my club from when I was a boy, Leyton Orient."

Justin also asks: "Who is the biggest influence on your career?"

Leo: "My older brother, John. When I spent the years in non-league he was always there giving me confidence and saying 'just hang in there' when it would have been easier to give up."

Chris Vessey asks: "What have been the best and worst memories of your career to date?"

Leo: "I'd say the worst was losing to Stoke in the League 1 play-off semi-final with Cardiff. Having beaten Stoke 2-1 at their place we lost 2-0 after extra time at our place and that was a real low for me. It hurt not to realise my ambition of playing in the Championship.

"The best moments are all the promotions. At Gillingham we did it at Fulham's ground, at Rotherham we did it at Hartlepool's ground, at Cardiff we did it at York's ground and they were all good."

Chris also asks: "Do you plan to stay in the game after you retire from playing?"

Leo: "Not really. I think getting into coaching is difficult; I think you really have to know somebody who's already there and it's a difficult door to get into. Football is what I do and what I know and if I could find a way that would be good, but it's not what I'm planning for."

Andrea: "Any thoughts on what you might do?"

Leo: "Not really - I really need to sit down and think about it. I've got a part degree from before I went full-time but I don't really want to resume it because of the time it would consume. Obviously I'll need to find something but at the moment I just want to concentrate on playing. It's difficult to lose focus - you have to focus on football."

Chris' final question: "Had you not been involved in football, what would you have liked to do for a career?"

Leo: "Nothing spectacular, just a normal job. I did like the idea of working in the housing sector with homeless people or something along those lines."

Mark Thompson asks: "I am thoroughly impressed by your undoubted professional approach to the game. Do you think that this is something that you can impart to some of the younger players?"

Leo: "You hope you lead by example and I think I am a leader. Young players now are different to when I was a youngster so it's more difficult. The young players now are very confident and they're very cheeky as well! It's not so much that you tell them, you just hope that they pick up on the things that you do."

Block f asks: "If you were invisible for the day what would you do?"

Leo: "Hmm... I don't know, maybe you'd go to some troubled areas and have a look. I don't know, it's difficult."

Matt Ramsay asks: "What do you make of the set-up at Cambridge United compared to other lower league clubs you've been at?"

Leo: "Obviously the ground is old and speaks for itself, but the fans more than make up for it. The ground is easily masked by the atmosphere the people bring to the ground, which is good. I'd rather have this than somewhere like Rushden where there's no one there."

Block f asks: "What is your pre match meal?"

Leo: "It's changed during the years but what I have now is just breakfast - toast and honey and jam, and cereal - and then at about 11 or 12 o'clock I'll have some tinned fruit like some prunes or some mandarins."

Block f also asks: "What do you like to do to relax away from football?"

Leo: "I don't really, with a young family. When I go home it's full on."

Block f also asks: "What's the best piece of advice you have received in football?"

Leo: "Be busy, play longer."

Block f also asks: "How long do you intend to carry on your playing career?"

Leo: "It's a good job and with good jobs you try to stay in it as long as you can, so as long as I'm fit and good enough."

Block f's final question: "What is the best goal you have scored in your career?"

Leo: "I scored a very good goal last year for Shrewsbury against Rochdale - it was a volley from 40 yards out. I also scored a very good one for Doncaster against Hull, but the best one was so good the camera actually missed it! It was Gillingham versus Plymouth, it was the winner, and again it was 40 yards out on the half volley and the camera was left well behind!"

'Tudor7' asks: "What is Jimmy Quinn like as a manager, seeing as you're both strikers? Does he help you a lot and pass on his experience?"

Leo: "Yes he does, and with his track record when he speaks you listen. I like the fact that the gaffer was a forward and I like the fact that he played well into his late 30s. That gives me confidence, and hopefully he understands my needs because he's been there, so he's good for me."

'Tudor7' also wants to know: "Being a new player, who have you bonded best with in the team?"

Leo: "It's difficult when you're vastly experienced and you're a leader. I know Brighty (Mark Albrighton) from Doncaster, I've played Mark Peters down the years, and I know Stephen Reed from my loan at Torquay - he's a mad man! - but Brighty is the one I know best.

"In terms of room mates, me and Gavin Hoyte get on really well. He's just starting out but he takes things on board and Gav will do well."

'Tudor7' s last question is: "Who do you prefer to play alongside up front, Lee Boylan or Scott Rendell?"

Leo: (laughs) "I just prefer to play, I don't mind who with - I'd play up front with Stephen Reed!"

Fred Clamp asks: "Who is the picture above your locker peg?"

Leo: "I don't have one, but I know that players have called me a dinosaur in the past, because of my age I suppose, so that would be it if I had one."

Dozzer asks: "What do you enjoy more - scoring or threatening the opposition/referee? Still, as long as you keep doing both, we'll be happy."

Leo: "Definitely scoring. But it's important to be in the face of defenders because defenders are the first people who will take a liberty with you, so you have to start taking liberties yourself."

Karl Handy asks: "Well done on a fantastic start with Cambridge, it's been great to watch. I wonder what it is you're saying to your team-mates when they don't do as you're expecting during a game. And those looks you give! Are you really that angry with them and do they take it personally?"

Leo: "These things happen for a second. Words are exchanged and the next words are 'Yes, OK'. Players move on quickly to the next thing, it's good like that."

Daniel Lowe asks: "Did you expect to do so much running the channels when you signed for Cambridge United?"

Leo: "No, and as a forward, there's good running and there's bad running. Players here don't realise yet that I'm actually very good at doing good running, which is the balls played into the channel and I'll do that all day. The bad running is chasing across and chasing backwards, which is negative running.

"If it's a ball played into the channel I can do it and I'm very fit anyway so it's not a problem."

Adam Taylor asks: "How have the management team and backroom staff influenced you and the way you play since signing?"

Leo: "I think the Gaffer knows what I'm about and he says 'Just do your thing'. I know my game and it's just a case of me getting myself prepared mentally for the challenge."

Adam also asks: "Who would you recommend Cambridge United sign in the January transfer window?"

Leo: "There are a lot of good players out there but it would be disrespectful to suggest anybody because there are players here who are equally as good."

Andrew Lang asks: "Have you ever played Championship Manager and did you automatically sign yourself? Were you any good?"

Leo: "I've never, ever touched a Playstation in my life - I'm an old man!"

This Q&A session is part of a long interview that took place on 27th September 2007 and is supplementary to the Featured Player article here, which is based on the same interview.

Andrea Thrussell

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