Got back from four lovely days off with the family and then the gaffer springs a surprise on us all.

For the international break, we were given more time away than usual - offering me a chance to take the family sightseeing in London - and then returned to the club yesterday.

But then the boss goes and surprises us all.

We had a normal training session in the morning and after we broke for lunch we had to sign away our lives before being taken off for a surprise - in the woods.

We spent the afternoon traversing down wires from great heights as part of a team bonding session.

I must admit it was quite frightening but it was also a lot of fun and I think it did bring the team together.

You stand there at the top thinking ‘if I fall now I am definitely going to break my legs' and even though you are scared, you are still laughing because you know the guy before you, and the guy after you, are going to go through exactly the same thing.

I think I said it on a few occasions ‘if I don't laugh, I'm going to cry'.

It's amazing how much football has changed over the years, even from when I first went over to England.

When I left Bermuda to go to Manchester United, I thought that things like diet would be looked after by the clubs, but in those days we still ate steaks for our pre-match meal.

Now all the dieticians in the game have discovered that steak stays in you for quite a long time and it leaves you feeling heavy, so definitely should not be eaten on game day.

No-one in the pro game would ever eat a steak now before a match as the clubs are a lot more aware of how they should look after their players to get the most out of them.

At Rotherham, the nearest thing we got to team bonding was turning up to training when we had been on a run of good wins - or bad losses - and being told we are going for a walk.

Then we would walk to the nearest cafe and have tea and scones - that was about the most ‘different' thing they came up with.

But now coaching has changed a lot and it is all about life balance. Going paintballing or doing this thing with the wires or go-karting are the way clubs get the players together.

I think it all works really well. There has been good team spirit around the club recently anyway because we are so near the top of the league but I think it was strengthened again after what we had to go through together.

The gaffer just sprang it on us which is for the best because I bet a lot of lads would have come up with excuses otherwise to get out of it.

Waiting and watching

We are off to Stoke this weekend and I expect to stay on the bench for this one. In the old days I always used to say ‘I expect to be in the starting line-up' but it is not like that at the moment.

It is still a matter of just waiting for my opportunity. I haven't lost any of my enthusiasm or commitment. It is not like I am in dark spirits, I am still upbeat and raring to go - whenever my chance eventually comes.

I know I can do a job, and the gaffer knows it too, so it is just a matter of waiting, making the most of whatever comes my way and trying to get a few goals.