Football Manager obsessive - Hogan Ephraim

Hogan Ephraim is a 22 year old professional football player and has represented England at U16, U17, U18 and U19 levels. He was in West Ham’s youth team and spent a successful loan spell at Colchester Utd. He joined QPR in Jan 08 and is an integral part of the first team squad.

I caught up with him after training to ask the self-confessed Football Manager addict a few questions.

Olly Hunter: How long have you been playing Football Manager, how much do you play a day?
Hogan Ephraim: I’ve been playing since I was a kid. I’m really addicted, training might finish at 2 or 3, I’d get home and play solidly, until sometimes 11:30 at night. So a good seven hours!   
OH: What’s your current game?
HE: Well I’ve just downloaded the update so I started again and am Man Utd.
OH: Manchester Utd.? Hogan, what are you doing to me?
HE: I know, but I’ve supported them since I was young.
OH: You were born in north London, I thought you’d be a Spurs or Arsenal fan?
HE: Not a chance, never Arsenal.
OH: Well you do have the right accent (London one) for a United supporter!
HE: Yeah (chuckles).
OH: What’s your greatest ever achievement on FM?
HE: That’s tough, because I’ve won major trophies with the big teams but I feel my greatest achievement was when I won the UEFA cup with Brentford, it took me 9 seasons to get there, but that’s the best.
OH: Impressive! Why choose Brentford in the first place?

HE: Well my brother was upstairs on the computer, me downstairs on the laptop and he’d just bragged about winning the Premiership with Barnsley, but mine is better!
OH: I like managing teams from all over the world like in Iceland or India, have you picked a team from anywhere strange?

HE: Scotland!? Nah not really just places like Italy, Spain, Germany and Holland. The big leagues.
OH: What’s been your biggest signing, the most you’ve paid and the most you’ve sold for.
HE: I once bought Lionel Messi for £44million, but I bought Miguel Veloso from Sporting Lisbon for £11million and a year later sold him to Man City for £72million.
 

OH: Who’s your all time favourite FM player?
HE: Fabregas is awesome always gets loads of assists and goals but I’ve never had him because I’ve never been Arsenal.
OH: I know what you mean, I’ve never been Chelsea, just cant bring myself to do it. Any other players?
HE: Well I always buy Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid. He always gets loads of goals and is great up front with Rooney!
OH: I’ve a confession, in my current game I sold you to Shrewsbury for just £250K, but in another I turned down a £4million bid from Man Utd. for you. Sorry. As a manager have you ever bought yourself?  HE: I cant say I’ve bought myself, they (makers of FM) don’t make me good enough.
OH: I know! Some of your stats are far too low, on my game you had only 12 for dribbling and 7 for stamina.
HE: Really? Those are the things I’m known best for.


OH: Thanks ever so much Hogan and good luck for the rest of both your seasons, real life and FM.
HE: Cheers!

3 comments:

Consul said...

I'm a massive QPR fan and Hoagie boy is definitely my favourite player! Got him on the back of my shirt as well. He's really hard working and has got a lot of passion.

I've just ordered FM11 (I've been playing Champ Man 08 for years now!) and I hope to start a blog similar to yours.

I look forward to hearing more

Olly Hunter said...

Cheers Consul, Yeah Hogan was great for this interview, a really nice lad, eloquent and Football Manager Obsessive.

I am also a massive QPR fan and hopefully we go up this year!

Soon I'll be posting up graphic packs including faces, club and competition logos and kits that you can download to complement FM11.

One last thing, where did you see or hear about my blog? Quite interesting to know so that I can get more people to read!

Consul said...

How did you get the interview with him?

I saw a comment you posted on that other blog where the guy is managing Boston United? And then clicked on your profile and then on your blog. I have over 100 seperate followers over my blogs and that's just from commenting on other's blogs and leaving my link on forums and message boards. Also, if the content is good then people are more likely to follow!

Unfortunately, I'm not sure FM players are into blogging - especially reading about a team they don't particuarly like.

I'm a big fan of starting in the lower leagues and working my way up. Got Dagenham promoted in successive seasons and then won the Premier League three times before I got bored! Also won UEFA Cup once and Champions league twice

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