Athlete: Fans of the street sofa...

They've got the style...

Probably the best band ever to sing a song about El Salvador, Athlete are back with their fourth studio album. And as any self-respecting PR-savvy pop band should do, they love their football. Ever the friend of the rock'n'roll bassist, we speak to strum-merchant (we're copyrighting that) Carey Willets about Liverpool, Michael Thomas, and snapping cruciate ligaments...

Hello Carey. How be Athlete these days?

Yeah we're doing alright thanks. We're just starting to get busy again after making the record, so it's nice to start doing stuff again.

Happy with the album?

Yeah we're really happy, I'm very pleasantly surprised! Whenever you make a n album you're always a little bit [unsure], but when you start making it you think “this is going to be great”. But then once you finish it you've got to play it to other people and because you've lived with it for so long you obviously think it's b rilliant! I've never heard anyone say their new album is rubbish!

Fair point. Are you guys touring at the minute?

We did a little six-week tour recently, though I only did a few weeks of it as I had an operation on my knee, but we're off to Germany, we've got V Festival, so it's good.

Where's been the best place so far?

We've played Twickenham with U2, and the Ajax stadium, so those two were both sort of like boyhood dreams come true! But places like Glasgow are always a wicked gig.

Anywhere that wasn't so good?

We did a few gigs in middle America, we did one a just a few hours out of Chicago, it was at the half time of a hockey game and we were behind the glass at one end, the glass was right in front of us. Because of where it was we could only play acoustically, it was just really bizarre. The band who were on before us played before the doors even opened! And halfway through they started tested the big hooter! But we got a good view of the game...

So then, who do you boys support ?

I'm quite a big Liverpool supporter, as is Joel, Tim is an Everton fan.

That's a great formula for band harmony right there. Does it ever cause arguments?

It can do. He's a born and bred Londoner, so the fact he's an Everton fan is fairly bizarre but apparently when he was young his mum and dad were a bit skint, so when he asked for a football shirt they went to a charity shop and bought an Everton shirt. By the time he'd found out that Everton weren't from London he was already attached!

Are you hopeful for the new season?

I'm a little bit more apprehensive than I wanted to be, since Alonso's gone. Before I felt confident we could do it this season, the reason we lost it last season were the seven home draws pretty much in a row. I still think we can if Gerrard and Torres stick to top form, but there is quite a lot of pressure on them to stay fit.

Who else will be up there then?

I don't think Manchester United have got the legs this year, I think Chelsea might have. I think it's between us and Chelsea. When United didn't have Ronaldo last year they weren't doing massively well. I don't think they're going to be up to it.

What do you know about new signing Aquilani?

Only the fact he's been injured for the last ten years! He only played 11 matches last year, and he was injured quite a lot the season before and he's injured at the moment so we won't see him for a couple of months.

That's how Rafa got him on the cheap though wasn't it?

Yeah. Everything I've read about him it sounds like he could be great, but I've never seen him play. He sounds like almost the perfect replacement for Alonso, more attacking-minded in some ways. But nervous because it seems he's had an unusual amount of injuries in a short time. Is he going to be another Jamie Redknapp?

And how about Glenn Johnson?

I'm happy with the signing, though I think he was over-priced. It was a hell of an amount to pay for him. I'm amazed at his pace. I thought Arbeloa lost us the Champions League that one year when he made a couple of mistakes, but he then improved, so hopefully Johnson will be better.

Do you get to many games?

Not as many as I'd like. As a kid, I grew up in Crewe so I used to go to Anfield quite a lot. But when I moved to London in my teenage years I've not been as often. But our old record label, EMI, used to have a box at Chelsea so whenever Liverpool or Everton played Chelsea we'd always get the box and have a watch. Occasionally we pay a mate to drive us up to Anfield to watch a match then drive back! Last time I did that was with Colin Murray, who is also a big Liverpool fan.

Do you remember your first game?

The first game I went to see was in 1986 against Oxford United, I still have the ticket and the programme somewhere! That was when Jan Molby was walking around the centre circle, Grobbelaar was there as well. Of course growing up there was Rush, Aldridge, Beardsley, Ray Houghton. The glory years probably had something to do with the fact I supported not just because it was the first team I went and saw!

Forget about the great players. Who were the worst?

Michael Thomas! After painfully beating us to the league with two goals at home for Arsenal, in 1989 - that was horrendous – and then not long later we bought him. That was bizarre. I was amazed that everyone took to him quite as well as they did but then he didn't do a whole lot, so he's one I'd say was a bit crap. Jamie Redknapp was another who, everyone said Barnes had taken him under his wing, but he just got injured all the time. He wasn't crap, he just got injured too much.

What's your verdict on Rafa?

I think he's a brilliant manager, I just think it's a shame he falls foul to the rotation, we haven't got a big enough squad.

Do you think he's finished with his organised rants?

I hope so! It didn't do us any favours last time did it? It's just one of those things, it seemed like he wanted to get involved and make something happen, but it's not who he is so it came across as a little bit try-hard, embarrassing!

How about Athlete FC. Can you boys play?

One year we were asked to take part in one of those celebrity tournaments but we were in America so couldn't do it. I was gutted as I really wanted to do it. I think we'd do OK. Or would've done, I'm not so sure now. I wouldn't do very well, I snapped my cruciate ligament and tore my cartilage playing football in December, so I've just had the operation.

N asty...

Yeah. They take a bit of your hamstring out and drill it through your bone to make a new ligament. It's nine months before you can play any sport! I was playing 7 a side and I went up for a header and this guy just caught the back of my heel and my leg went round and I felt it snap and that was that! I'm Michael Owen, I'm going to be rubbish now!

Well try not to piss all your money away on horses then...

I'll try my best!


The first single from Athlete's forthcoming album 'Black Swan' is out now.