Next up in our series of Carrington interviews are Alec Wylie and Ian Buckingham who help ensure the Reds are properly suited and booted…

So tell us about life in the kit room at Carrington?
AW: It’s certainly never dull and every day is different. Ian and I help [kit manager] Albert [Morgan] and our other kit man John Campbell on a daily basis with the players’ training kit and boots. I’m with Albert for first team home games, European aways and tours, with the rest of my time spent with the Reserves.
IB: I look after the club’s under 11-16 teams and the Academy side. I also cover Reserve games when Alec’s away with the first team and help him and Albert pack the kit for Champions League trips and drive them to the airport.
AW: One of our main jobs is to help Albert order the new kit each season, something we actually do a year in advance. We also order new kit whenever it’s needed.

What do you take in your kit bags to Reserve games?
IB: What don’t we take?! As well as the actual match kit, there’s the warm-up strip, two bags of balls, a numbers board [for substitutions], medical bag, tactics board, refreshments, iPod and speakers… everything you can think of. And not only do we organise the kit, we put our waiter hats on for the long journeys back from away games and serve the lads dinner on the way home!

Do you ever worry you’ve forgotten something?
AW: I’ve woken up in the middle of night many times thinking exactly that! During a Reserve trip to Italy I left all the shin pads at the hotel. We were already on our way to the game, but thankfully the hotel manager was due to come too and he brought them in his car!
IB: I’ve been on Reserve trips when the kit has ended