St Mirren frontman Alex Greive on growing up in New Zealand, life in Paisley and his dislike for golf… – The Scottish Sun

NEW ZEALAND frontman Alex Greive discusses his low body fat percentage and his dislike of golf.

He tells SunSport about his journeys from the Southern Hemisphere to Paisley via Kentucky and Tahiti and about bosses Jim Goodwin and Stephen Robinson as well as his fear of snakes and his ambitions of making a big impact after signing for St Mirren earlier in the season.

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ALL BLACKS. You grew up in New Zealand you must have played rugby as a kid? Actually, when I was about seven or eight years of age I wanted to stop playing football to play rugby but my parents wouldnt let me. I was always pretty small so I dont think my mum was too keen on the idea of me playing rugby. My dad was president of a local grassroots football club hes always been a West Ham fan so my brother and I were born into football. I like rugby and all my mates play, but not me.

BODY FAT. Is it true your body fat was only three per cent when you signed for St Mirren? I dont know the actual number but it was pretty low. We were in lockdown in New Zealand before I came over to Scotland and I was living in a flat with six other boys and all we did was work out in a gym downstairs. I worked out twice a day, as hard as I possibly could. I knew I was coming over to St Mirren and wanted to get into the best shape possible.

COLLEGE. Tell us about going to America and your experience in the States. It was unreal. I loved my time in the States at Northern Kentucky University, studying communications. When I finished school at 17 I was still very small and wasnt ready to go pro. So going to college was the next best thing. I was able to train full-time and it was a great experience. The football was good and it was fun off the field too.

DAY OFF. How do you spend your time away from football? Id like to go for a surf but havent had the chance to do that in Scotland yet. I also like to chill out and maybe go shopping.

ENTERTAINMENT. Whats your party trick? I dont think I have anything up my sleeve. I can juggle, if that counts.

FRIGHTENING. Tell us what scares you. Snakes, 100 per cent snakes. When I was in America I saw a few and didnt like them at all. We dont have them in New Zealand. They freak me out.

GOODWIN. Were you gutted when Jim Goodwin quit St Mirren for Aberdeen? It was pretty disappointing as he was the coach who gave me my first chance to play pro football. He stuck his neck out for me so I have a lot to thank him for. He had the backing of everyone in the changing room and had everyones respect.

HOME. What do you miss most? The weather, mostly. I know the climate in New Zealand is quite similar but we dont get it as cold as over here, certainly not compared to where Im from anyway.

IRRITATING. What annoys you? I like watching movies and hate it when the person Im with wants to talk and ask loads of questions when the film is on. I cant stand loud and obnoxious people either.

JORDAN. Tell us about your first international cap for New Zealand. It was something I had been dreaming about since I was a kid. It was just a surreal experience. As soon as I pulled the shirt on it was amazing. I went on as a substitute and did well enough to earn a start in the next game. But the match got cancelled because of Covid. We have some World Cup qualifiers coming up so hopefully Ill be involved.

KLEENEX. When was the last time you cried? The last time I left home, when my mum dropped me off at the airport. Its always a bit emotional when you leave.

LEGEND. Who was your hero growing up? The All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. Hes a machine. He once played with a broken foot for an entire World Cup.

MAGNIFICENT. Whats been the best moment of your career so far? Playing for New Zealand. It was just a dream come true for me and all my family.

NETFLIX. What have you been watching? Ive watched everything. Like everyone else, watching movies and TV series and documentaries got me through lockdowns.

OFF HIS HEAD. Who is the craziest team-mate youve had? Ive had a few but over here Ethan Erhahon is always up to something. Hes forever joking around and ripping into people. He was brilliant towards me when I first came over and just talks to everyone. I just think theres always something suspicious going on with him.

PAISLEY. What do you make of the place? When I first came over, I started in an AirBnB close to the training ground. I like the town the people are really friendly.

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QUARANTINE. How has Covid-19 affected you personally? We had two main lockdowns in New Zealand and the first one was actually a really, really fun experience. Id come back from America with a few other boys and I stayed in my parents beach house for a couple of months. In the second lockdown I just hit the gym and got as fit as possible. I just wanted to make the most of the time.

ROBBO. Tell us about new manager Stephen Robinson. Hes been really good. He has definitely raised the intensity. You can tell that hes football mad and obsessed with the finer details, which I find really good.

SOCIAL MEDIA. You on it? Im on everything, I think. I probably spend most time on Instagram as its a nice way to keep in touch with people through photographs. I get to see what people are up to back home and they can check in with me too.

TARGET. Whats your biggest ambition? To be the best player I can be and have a good, long career in football. I also dream of getting to the World Cup with New Zealand. Thats something I would really love to do. Its still possible we could qualify for Qatar and hopefully its achievable.

UNBELIEVABLE. Tell is something we dont know about you. I think of myself as an open book, to be fair. Maybe the fact I used to be really into photography when I was younger. I still like taking photos.

VACATION. Where is your favourite holiday destination? I went to Tahiti with my family when I was younger and that was amazing, so Id say there. Its a beautiful place. Its not too difficult to get there from New Zealand but quite far from here.

WISECRACK. Whats the best prank youve seen? I have a terrible memory for things like that but when I was in America I knew someone who kidnapped someone as a prank. It was maybe taking things a bit too far and probably sounds worse than it was. The guy who did it was Scottish as well.

X-RAY. Have you ever been in the hospital? Nothing serious. I have broken my nose and my wrist playing football but thats about it.

YOU are on a desert island and can take three things with you. What are they? My iPhone, music speaker and a football. I think that would be enough to keep myself occupied.

Zzzz. What bores you? Golf. I have tried to play it but I just cant get into it. Maybe living in Scotland will change that as I know there are plenty of courses, but right now I think its a sport thats boring.

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St Mirren frontman Alex Greive on growing up in New Zealand, life in Paisley and his dislike for golf... - The Scottish Sun