Tyrhys Dolan: The Blackburn role model and hairstyle trendsetter
Tyhrys Dolan knows he’s a role model at Blackburn, both in terms of behaviour and style. It’s a role he takes seriously on both counts.
“Some of the younger fans, now you see them and they’ve got the hairstyle!” he says with a smile.
But he also knows, even at just 23, how important it is to give back to the community away from matchdays.
“I’ve tried to be a good influence and take a lot of time away from the pitch to connect with the fans,” he adds.
“They’re the main reason the club’s afloat, they pay their hard-earned money to come and watch us play, so it’s only right we take that time to give them the same respect back.
“They put a lot of time into travelling to games when they’ve got families and other plans, so I definitely feel that connection and I try to give as much back as they’ve given to me.”
Tristan Crama: A passion transfer from Marseille to Millwall
From the Velodrome to The Den, a Marseille fan will know what passion is and what a club can mean to its fans.
Tristan Crama has only been at Millwall since January but the French defender really does just get it.
“I’m a player with a lot of passion,” he says.
“I’ve been a Marseille fan since I was really young so I know what passion means and what the club means for the fans.
“My first game at home I was on the bench and we lost, but we started then winning at The Den.
“When we played QPR my family was there and the atmosphere was amazing. I hope for a lot more days like that.”
Mark O’Mahony: I try to model my game on Harry Kane
Having come through the youth setup at Cork City, Mark O’Mahony has often seen players make the leap to play in England and taken inspiration.
With the likes of Shane Long, Kevin Doyle and Sean Maguire – to name just a few – having carved successful careers, the real possibility has always been there. Nonetheless, the striker – on loan at Portsmouth from Brighton – has tried to model himself on one of the game’s elite.
“When I was really young, I looked up to Steven Gerrard, but as I started growing older, it was more Harry Kane. I used to watch him a lot,” he said.
“He’s one of the best goalscorers in the world and he’s been doing that consistently for years. I would be constantly watching clips of him on YouTube or on TV.
“I still do it now, all the time, especially with Kane, because I feel like I’d be similar enough in the style he plays. A lot of his goals are around the six-yard box or 18 yards and that’s where I get the majority of mine as well.
“I’m always trying to look at the positions he gets into and the simple things he does.”
Dan Long
Jovon Makama: I used to love watching Ronaldinho!
Jovon Makama may not have been born when Brazil won the World Cup in 2002 but two of the stars of that team helped inspire him from a young age.
“I loved Ronaldinho,” says the Lincoln City forward. “I don’t remember necessarily when he was playing, it was more clips on YouTube that I watched of him.
“Same with Ronaldo, as well.”
More recently it was his love of Liverpool that inspired him, the 2014 class under Brendan Rodgers – when Makama was 10 – helping develop his love of the game.
“I was a Liverpool fan growing up so it was pretty much any forward they had at the time,” he adds.
“I watched a lot of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. When it was them and Raheem Sterling, that was an amazing front three.”
Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu: Playing away from Luton for the first time in over a decade
In August 2023, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu achieved something that may never be achieved again. When he started for Luton in their season opener against Brighton, he became the first player in history to go from non-League to the Premier League with the same club.
But it soon became clear this season he would play a significantly reduced role back in the Championship.
“It was tough. It’s a new one for me,” he said. “Sometimes managers have got different opinions and different views, so you’ve just got to take it in your stride. Sometimes you play, sometimes you don’t, so you’ve just got to have a strong mindset and then whatever you need to do for the team, just try to get it done.
“I’m always upbeat so that’s what kept me going. I try to be a positive figure in the team, regardless if I’m playing or not. That’s my character, that’s how I am.
“There’s no hard feelings. It’s part and parcel of football. You’ve got to take it with a pinch of salt. If you’re not playing, you can’t be negative towards the manager or the team because that’s not going to help anybody.”
In February, he joined Rotherham on loan until the end of the season. The level may be two lower than where he was last term but he has not missed any of the last 14 games.
“It was difficult because I hadn’t been anywhere in the last 10 years!” he added, with a smile. “When Rotherham came in, it was an opportunity to play and I think I’ve taken that. I’m trying to get as many games as I can.
“Honestly speaking, I have no idea what I’m doing in the summer, whether it’s at Rotherham, at Luton or abroad. Right now, I’m keeping my options open to everything and not saying no to anything.
“You never know where football can take you. If it’s a new challenge somewhere, I’m ready to take it.”
Dan Long
Jamie Reid: The old friend of Ollie Watkins who beat him at Villa Park
Stevenage forward Jamie Reid and England’s Euro 2024 hero Ollie Watkins rose through the Exeter City academy together – but it was the former who walked away with bragging rights when the two friends met in the third round of the FA Cup.
Aston Villa hosted the then-League Two side back in 2023 and it looked as if the Premier League outfit would cruise to victory after Morgan Sanson’s first-half goal fired them ahead – until Reid slotted home from the penalty spot in the 88th minute and Dean Campbell netted the winner two minutes later.
“All my friends were in his [Watkins’] box,” Reid says. “I said before when we were warming up, ‘Mate, if I score, is it alright if I just celebrate in front of the box’. He laughed and said, ‘Yeah’.
“Then it actually happened, I couldn’t believe it! We went there never thinking we were going to win.
“It was a little bit of a weird one after the game because obviously he’s annoyed because he has lost. But he’s probably happy for me as well because I’ve had my day. It was a bit of a weird one but I still give him stick to this day.”
Patrick Rowe
Bobby Pointon: The boyhood Bantam living his dream
Bobby Pointon still has to pinch himself every time he walks out at Valley Parade.
The 21-year-old, who has enjoyed a breakout season at Bradford City, grew up in the area and has been a Bantams fan his whole life.
“It never goes,” he says of the feeling he gets before kick-off.
“I always look up there [to where I used to sit]. It was good last Saturday because the fans did the thing where they lifted up the claret and amber papers all over the stadium.
“I remember doing that as a kid against Sunderland and it just felt weird walking out looking at it all. A few years back that was me.”
He is living every youngster’s dream and he will never forget it.
Carl Jenkinson: From Arsenal to Australia… and now Bromley
It has been some journey in the game for Carl Jenkinson. From his early days at Arsenal, where he arrived from Charlton, via West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle Jets in Australia.
Now 33, he is at Bromley in League Two. He is proud of all he has done, which includes an FA Cup medal and an England cap.
“It’s been unique in many ways,” Jenkinson says. “It’s been a real rollercoaster, with so many ups and downs.
“When I look back now as an older player I’m very proud and grateful for a lot of what I’ve achieved. I played for my boyhood club Arsenal and won the FA Cup with them. I played for my country and over 100 games in the Premier League and Championship League.
“I’ve had the experience of going to Australia and the life experience that gave me, at a time I felt like I really needed it.
“I’m super proud of what I’ve done. Sometimes in the moment you wish you could have done more in certain situations, but I don’t have any regrets. I gave 100 per cent at every point in my career and things that didn’t go my way were never through a lack of effort.”
Jamie Knight-Lebel: Playing in League Two and capped for Canada
It has been a memorable season for Jamie Knight-Lebel. At Crewe, the 20-year-old has impressed in his first loan spell away from parent club Bristol City and, with just weeks left of the 2024/25 campaign, both clubs are in contention to reach the play-offs.
But the highlight will no doubt be the fact Knight-Lebel earned his first senior cap for Canada in November. He was born in Montreal to a Canadian father and Welsh mother, and moved to the UK when he was five-years-old.
When he came on, he was playing in the same team as Lille striker Jonathan David, while he was also in camp with Alphonso Davies.
“I was itching to come on!” he says. “I wasn’t nervous because I just tried to look at it as if it was just another game, but I definitely wanted to tick making my debut off.
“After the game I saw pictures and people like Jonathan David and Junior Hoilett were in the background. It was surreal!
“I was at a couple of the camps Alphonso Davies was at and he’s a really nice guy, extremely professional. You can tell when he trains that he’s the captain and he demands high standards as well.
“Coming from League Two to then playing with these players feels like something not many people get the opportunity to do. I definitely want more.”
Dan Long
EFL fixtures on Sky Sports+ over Easter weekend
3pm kick-off unless stated – games in bold also live on Sky Sports Football
Thursday – April 17
Good Friday – April 18
Easter Monday – April 21 (3pm kick-off unless stated)