The Inside Scoop with … Derek Gaston

In our regular website feature, a Morton player gives both an insight into his career and the inside scoop on his Ton team-mates by answering a series of questions posed by media officer Jonathan Mitchell.

Full Name: Derek Gaston

Nickname: Gats. It doesn’t make sense but it stuck after Allan Moore called me it one day.

Time at Morton: This is my sixth season.

Any targets set for this season: Personally, I usually set a target of 12 clean sheets for the season. I’m currently on 11. As a team you always want to better, or at least match, the previous season so a top four place and a shot at the play-offs would be good again.

Greatest achievement in football: Getting signed by Morton. As a kid, my ambition was always to be a full-time professional footballer, and when that chance came I was delighted.

Best ground you’ve played at: The best ground I’ve played at has to be Ibrox. The atmosphere inside the stadium has always been good when we have played there and it’s almost been at full capacity each time. I’ve played at Hampden and Celtic Park, too, which was great but neither were anywhere near full at the time.

Favourite Band/Musician: I’ve always liked a bit of Coldplay, Oasis, and The Killers – but my favourite musician at the moment is Ed Sheeran.

Favourite Food: My favourite food is a chicken curry, which is usually my choice of meal after a match on a Saturday.

Choose any three people to go on a night out with and tell us why:

First person I like to go on a night out with is Ricki Lamie. Big man likes a pint, has good chat and keeps himself to himself as he isn’t interested in chasing after women all night because he is as loved up as myself.

Second person would be Lee Kilday. When the inevitable happens and Ricki gets picked up by his missus around 1am, you can always rely on Lee and myself still being in the nightclub when the lights come on at end of the night.

Third person would be Michael Tidser. Great guy and always a joy to be around on a night out.

Choose a team-mate to swap lives with for a week: If I was to swap lives with someone for a day, it would probably have to be Gary Oliver. He’s never made his own bed or made a meal in his life. Everything gets done for him. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t have someone to brush his teeth and wipe his own backside for him.

Fastest team-mate: Fastest player in the team is a tough one. Probably between Tiff, Jai, and Frank, but I’m usually that far behind that I’m not sure who finishes first when we do the runs.

Slowest team-mate: Slowest team-mate is probably Tam. I spend more time with him than any other outfield player at training mainly due to the fact he’s usually running at the back with me.

Most skilful team-mate: Mark Russell maybe just shades being the most skilful player. Great close control and very comfortable dribbling with both feet. Can’t remember the last time he scored past me at training but the boy has plenty of ability.

Best dressed team-mate: Ricki Lamie. One of the few players who makes a proper effort every day. Usually turns up late to meet me in the morning due to not waking up early enough to do his hair and won’t leave the house until he has every strand in the right place.

Worst dressed team-mate: I’m going to go for Jai. He’s the only person over the age of 12 who wears Calvin Classics underwear every day. He once got stitched up when he came to training dressed like a polar bear with a white, oversized fleece top on. Well, he must have been stitched up as there would be no other reason someone would wear it, and it hasn’t been seen since.

Team hardman: Lewis Strapp. The boy loves a 50/50 and is not afraid to throw himself in front of shots. I’m sure he actually likes the idea of getting hurt now and again. If he was a bit taller, he would probably have been a goalkeeper.

Best trainer: I would say that Doyley is probably the best trainer. Just like a matchday, he will always give 100 per cent every day and stays out to do some extra training once or twice a week. No idea why he does it, though. Does extra runs when he’s not going to get any fitter and he’s been working on his crossing for years and we know how much that has improved.

Worst trainer: Worst trainer is a tough one as I think most players give their all when they are training, but I’ll go for Tam O’Ware. I’ve never known someone who never misses a match but misses so many training sessions because something is sore!

Best dancer: Best dancer would probably be between Tam and Jai. Although I did once win a dancing competition at school when I was about 16.

Biggest joker: Biggest jokers are Mark and Andy. If you were with your gran and took your eye off her for one minute they would find a way to steal her and hide her somewhere without you noticing. Funny to watch, though, when it’s not your stuff that’s getting touched.

Most intelligent team-mate: I like to think that I figure highly in the intelligence ranks within the team. Jeebsy [Gary Harkins], Ricki, Bob, and Forbesy are intellectual guys who could hold a conversation about current affairs. Half the team would think that ‘current affairs’ is just the name of a TV soap/drama.

Least intelligent team-mate: I’m going to go for Tiff. The away game at Livingston a few weeks ago summed him up when he was in the shower looking for a socket to plug in our sound system and couldn’t work out why there wouldn’t be one in there.

Biggest moaner: Never mind biggest moaner in team, Lee Kilday must be one of the biggest moaners in Scotland. Having travelled to and from training every day with him for numerous years now there can’t be many things that he’s not had a moan about. Ninety per cent of the things that come out of his mouth are moans and the other 10 per cent is about his love of biscuits.

Tightest team-mate: Conor Brennan is probably the tightest guy in the team. Been on a night out with him three times and every time he sprints and jumps into the backseat of a taxi so that I need to sit in front and pay. He then promises to buy the first round but that never materialises either. It’s no wonder that the guy has plenty of money as he never opens his wallet.

If you could pick a wish for a team-mate, what would it be and for whom: My wish for a team mate would be for Lee to be back captaining the side for the run-in after the horrendous year he’s had with his ankle. Boy deserves a bit of good fortune for a change.