Duo Weren't Always On the Right Track
Friday, 9th Jan 2015 12:25

Town midfielder Darren Ambrose has recalled an eventful time at the start of his career when he and best pal Darren Bent got into hot water as a result of a training ground prank that went wrong.

Ambrose remembered how the pair drove the buggy used for transporting injured players and equipment into the dome and turned it into a mini Grand Prix circuit, only to incur the wrath of academy manager Bryan Klug.

He said: “We took the little ambulance into the dome — me, Benty and a few others — and we set up a little go-kart course. It was a Friday and we had a great time racing it round the dome.

“But on the Monday we were called in, told a few thousand pounds worth of damage had been caused and asked if anyone knew what had happened.

“We had to come clean and admit it. I don’t think we were fined but our punishment was to report early in the morning for the next few days and do a bit of clearing up before training.

“That hurt me more because I’ve never been great in the mornings. We had our jobs, like cleaning the first team players’ boots. I looked after Jim Magilton’s and he demanded they were spotless every day.”

The pair shared digs in Kesgrave and Ambrose laughed: “The other day I took a picture of the house and sent it to him. He texted back ‘That brings back some fantastic memories’.

“If we had spent all our money and didn’t have the bus fare we would have to walk to the training ground.

“At one point we actually bought a couple of electric scooters that we rode in. We had to hide them round the back because we weren’t allowed to do things like that.

“Benty hasn’t changed. He still buzzes around and he loves his football. When we phone each other these days we have even more to talk about.

“We’re both married, we have our families and that’s what is important to both of us. But football is always on the agenda and he’s basically the same lad, plus he’s a great guy.

“Going back to our time together in the academy we didn’t click straight away to be honest. The thing I remember most about him is that he was never tired.

“The first time we met properly was when we were on a trip to Newcastle for a youth tournament and he was up all hours, keeping everyone else awake.

“He was buzzing around like he always does. Straight away we knew we were going to be friends. We went into digs together from 16 to 18 or 19 and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

“Throughout my career I’ve been friendly with a lot of players but I’ve only really stayed in touch with Benty and it’s nice to have that. It’s good to have long-term friends in the game and I’m delighted for him that he has had a successful career and is still doing well.

“What was he like to live with? Well, he calmed down as he got a bit older but it wasn’t unusual if he had his music on until one o’clock in the morning. Nothing seemed to affect him because he would wake up earlier than me and the music would be back on again as he buzzed around.

“I wasn’t allowed my music on and it was always Benty’s that was playing. People who rang up said they couldn’t hear but he seemed to be fine and could talk to anyone, even though the phone was near the speakers and the noise was blaring away.”

Photo: Action Images

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