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Raise Your Game: So, how did it all start for you?

Matt Jones: I think I was born with a talent, but I also had a passion for the game. Any young person does who becomes involved in sport. For me it was football. Although I came from a very rugby-orientated town and school I just had this passion to play football because I just love the game.

I absolutely adore playing it and couldn't wait to further my career. I was quite lucky that my talent got spotted early...it gave me the opportunity to progress.

RYG: Were you one of those people who won everything in sport throughout their school career?

MJ: No, I think I was more of a team player rather than an individual. Every team I played in was very successful. When I moved to Leeds I played in the youth team which won the FA Youth Cup, the League Cup and the treble. It wasn't necessarily my own individual talent but it was the team I was playing in.

I was very determined and very hungry to succeed in football and I think I was driven on by the taste of success.

RYG: When you were playing what did you like most about the training?

MJ: I had a lot of pleasure in being successful, whether it was in training or on the field of play, playing the 90 minutes. As soon as that whistle went and you actually crossed the white line, that's when it got serious. It's the same in training, you put in the hard work but you do get a lot of rewards out of it.

When you're talking professional levels there's so many rewards you can get back...just to have a fan walk up to you and say 'Well done today'. You get that at the grass-roots level as well with your parents when you go home and they say 'well done today'. It's great to have that feedback in any profession, any job. It's always good to be part of a good team spirit and have people supporting you.

RYG: What's the worst part of training?

MJ: There are many parts of training that I consider the worst parts: weight training, fitness training. Everyone hates pre-season. It's horrible, because you actually get to the point where you're nearly violently sick every day.

A lot of football players and sport stars get criticised because people think they don't train a lot and because people think it's easy. In reality there's a lot of hard work, dedication and preparation to actually get you to your peak and your maximum performance, whether it's 15 minutes of training or two hours of training, you are working at your peak every day!

RYG: Did you work better with the carrot or the stick?

MJ: People had the best out of me if they encouraged me. There are a number of players out there who need to be criticised, to feel that they need to do something about it.

In my role I was captain a lot at younger stages of my career, coming through in Wales Under 21s, and I always felt I got the most out of my players by encouraging them, saying 'It doesn't matter, the next one will be better'. My whole career stemmed from that. You just think 'the next game will be better as I will make it better and I will make sure the next pass is better or the next strike is on target'.

RYG: What was the highlight of your career?

MJ: I achieved a lot. Playing for Wales was a huge moment for me. Playing for Leeds and Leicester were huge achievements. I managed to play Champions League Football so I was a very, very privileged player, and I'll never take that for granted. I've got memories that'll stay with me for the rest of my life.