Dean Holden is a player who has had a varied career, playing at different levels, in 3 separate national leagues. One of the more senior members of the squad, Dean is married to celebrity Danielle Nicholls and is a keen family man. I spent a little time talking to him at the Prostar Stadium this week.

MB: You have been here for a few months now, how are you settling in?
DH: I am really enjoying it, the boys have been great, in the dressing room there is lots of joking around, and it's quite relaxed. Once we get on the training ground, the gaffer puts some good sessions on, trying to prepare us for the game, I am really enjoying myself.

MB: When you left Falkirk, were there any other teams interested?
DH: I had a couple of options to stay in Scotland, and one down south. My main concerns were, getting the best club, in terms of ambition, wanting to be part of something with ambition, and geographically trying to get towards the North West as me and my wife are from the same area. So it suited us perfectly, I have landed on my feet I think, as I have come to a club that is ambitious and wants to go up this year.

MB: So you feel as if you have come to a club where things are happening?
DH: I kept in touch with Muzza (Paul Murray), I had played with him before and spoke to him on a weekly basis after games, and I could tell from the way he was that he was enjoying his football, and it was something I wanted to be part of. Luckily it's going alright this year, although we could be doing a bit better than we are, but we are in and around the play-offs at the moment.

MB: You started at Bolton, and have moved around a little, could you talk us through your career so far?
DH: Yes, I came through the youth system at Bolton; I joined when I was 13, got my apprenticeship and signed a pro contract. I got into the first team when I was about 19, which was around the time when Sam Allerdyce took over with Phil Brown, and it was a brilliant place to be. It all went quite smoothly, but then I broke my leg toward the end of March when we were going for the play-offs. That put me out for about 14 months, I broke my leg in the march against Sheffield United and the first game back was the last game of the following season, also against Sheffield United. I scored in the 94th minute to equalize, which was nice.

MB: You went on loan after that to Valur in Iceland, how did that come about?
DH: We had just got into the play-offs that season, and I had been out for 14 months so was never going to feature. The Icelandic season starts around about the time that ours finishes and we had a couple of Icelandic players, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Gudni Bergsson who had strong abilities from playing over there. I went out there to play through the close season; I had spent so long getting fit that I didn't just want to go on my holidays. I could have worked on my own fitness, but it wouldn't have prepared me like that did. I played about 12 games, something like that, in a short period of time. I flew out there after the Sheffield united game on the Sunday, and I flew back on the night before pre-season training.

MB: What was it like in Iceland?
DH: An amazing experience, it's like being on the moon. I was in Reykjavik the capital, which is a tiny place where everyone knows everyone. It's expensive, really nice people though.

MB: I hear the beer is really expensive there.
DH: We used to play on a Saturday or Sunday night so we didn't get the opportunity to find out, but a pizza was about 15 or 20 quid. So expensive but an amazing experience and I am really glad I got the opportunity to go.

MB: Then you went to Oldham where you played the most games in your career so far.
DH: I watched the Play-off final on my own in a pub in Iceland, and I felt a million miles from being involved. I got back from Iceland and Sam (Allerdyce) said I needed some games, so I went to Oldham for a month initially. The manager Andy Ritchie got the sack, shortly after me going there, but I stayed to the end of that season eventually. I had a year to go at Bolton, and I had played about 20 games for Oldham and was enjoying my football again, so I decided to stay there and had 3 good years there.

MB: You went to Peterborough from there, how did you find it there?
DH: I left Oldham, and Mark Wright contacted me, so I went there and within 6 months he got sacked, but it went well for me. I was the captain there, we were just on the verges of the play-offs at the beginning of March, and I got injured and missed the play-offs. Then the opportunity to play for Falkirk came up out of the blue. We were at Hartlepool on the Friday night and the manager knocked on my door, and said, you aren't going to play tomorrow and you can talk to them as we have accepted the bid. So I went up there on New Year's Eve and signed.

MB: So that's the third country you have played in.
DH: Yes, it isn't somewhere I would have gone normally on a holiday but it was an amazing experience, and we ended up having our two boys up there. They are so friendly up there and we really enjoyed our time in Scotland.

MB: You generally play at right back but you have played in the centre of defence and at times in midfield, where do you prefer to play?
DH: I have played a lot at left back over the last couple of years too.

MB: So you're two footed?
DH: I am neither really, my dad always encouraged me as a young boy to use both feet, which is what I am doing with my boys. Its professional football and I think you should use all the tools you have got in your bag. It frustrates me when I see people that can't kick with their left foot, I might not be as good with my left foot but I can use it, and over the years I have never had a settled position. I was left back one week, right back the next, I even went in goal for Peterborough one week, the keeper got sent off and we didn't have one on the bench.

MB: How did you do in goal?
DH: We were losing 2-1 against Chester at the time and I kept a clean sheet, it was just after half time and I made a couple of saves and I quite enjoyed it. Being sort of two footed might have helped me in my career; I might have stayed in teams by playing in different positions. Right back is my preferred position though, that's where I feel most comfortable.

MB: You get forward quite a lot too.
DH: I like getting forward, but I like making tackles too. That's what I have always liked doing, I have broken my leg twice making tackles but it's never stopped me doing it.

MB: You were selected for Northern Ireland in 2007 too, did you play and do you think you may get the chance again?
DH: Both my grandparents are from Northern Ireland, and I got the call up for the centenary match against Everton, so it's not a full cap. They were halfway through qualification for the Euro's and missed out by a whisker in a brilliant campaign; I was on standby and getting the letters through every time there was a game. I was on standby but I didn't get the call up, but I was on standby for about eight months. I had spoken to Nigel Worthington, and it was going quite well, but I broke my leg again.

MB: Do you consider yourself quite unlucky having had 2 broken legs and a few other problems?
DH: Both the breaks came at a time when I was really getting a full head of steam up in my career, and it comes out of the blue. I don't consider myself unlucky, it is just the way it has to be, it's made me the person that I am. I am still making a career out of playing football every day which is unbelievable, I speak to my mates every day who are coming in and out of factories, working hard, and I have a great family with 2 young kids, so I am not unlucky at all.

MB: You focus on your family quite a lot, has having a family changed your outlook on life?
DH: I was never the sort who needed kids to settle me down, and me and my wife have always been supportive of each other's careers. I love getting home now; once this is done I will be straight home doing things with the two boys, like taking them for walks. I try and be as involved as I can, I took them swimming yesterday, I just try and spend all of my free time with my wife and family, that's the thing I love to do.

MB: I know it is a way off yet, but would you encourage your lads to pursue a career in football?
DH: I wouldn't overly suggest it but Joey who is 3, he is the older one, he goes every Sunday morning to a local club, they call it little kickers and he loves it. I think he has got the passion, My Dad tells me he has got the passion that I had at that age, it was football, football, football.

MB: As one of the senior members of the squad, do you get involved in the banter that sometimes goes on?
DH: I love it, Muzza is 33 and he is up there with the biggest jokers in the squad. A few of the younger lads like a bit too, Jake Robinson likes a bit. I think there are not many in the squad that stay away from it. I got a real pigs tail stuck in the back pocket of my jeans by a certain member of the squad, I am going to get him back.

MB: Feel free to name names.
DH: No, I don't know if he knows that I know you see, but he will be getting his comeuppance for that. The best dressing rooms I have been involved in are like that, at Oldham in the first year we had a great dressing room. Once you get away from the intensity of training and games, it's nice to have a bit of a laugh and relax. Obviously we are all professional; we wouldn't do anything stupid, cause injuries or hurt anybody emotionally. You can get away with it in football, unlike maybe in proper jobs; we are like big kids who haven't grown up.

MB: There has been a lot going on at Notts County this season, how do you rate our chances on Saturday?
DH: I think if we play to our maximum, I think we will win the game. When it comes to 3 O'clock, it doesn't matter how much money is in your bank account, or what car you drive. If we go there and work harder than them, and impose ourselves on them, then I think we will win the game.

Marcus Braddock