Blues boss Paul Lambert says Luke Chambers and fellow veteran Cole Skuse will continue to have a “massive part to play” at the club, believing their careers still have a few years left to run and confirming that talks regarding the skipper’s contract have started.

“They’re paramount, those lads,” Lambert said. “I don’t think there are better role models anywhere than those two for the way they are as guys, first and foremost, but as professional footballers.

“They conduct themselves brilliantly, they train really well. They’re at the later stages of their careers and it’s not nice when you get a bit older, you have to look over your shoulder at what’s coming because you know something’s coming.

“I’ve been there and seen it, done it and the biggest decision those lads have to make whenever they do stop, if they ever stop, is what they do next with their own careers.

“There’s one thing you’ll never beat and what does erode is time, you never beat time, time always catches you at some point.

“But as lads around about the club and still playing for me, they’ve got a massive part play in that.

“They won’t always play every single game because age or injury does get you at some stage but as role models and as guys to look up to then I wouldn’t swap them for anybody.”

Chambers has previously said he wants to be a manager and Skuse has suggested he might be his long-time captain and close friend’s assistant once they end their playing days

Lambert says when they do hang up their boots he’d like them to stay at Town: “They’re two lads who have done brilliantly for the football club, whether they remain part of the club I think it’s a great idea. Whether it’s as young coaches or in ambassador roles or whatever the case may be, I think it’s important for the club to look at that.”

Chambers is out of contract at the end of the season but with the club having an option to extend his current deal for a further year and Lambert says he has talked to the former Nottingham Forest and Northampton man about his situation.

“We’ve spoken about it. I think [owner] Marcus [Evans] is going to speak to Luke as well, which is good, I think that’s important,” he added.

“Luke knows everything that’s going on. I know most of the things that are going on. Marcus knows, [general manager of football operations] Lee [O’Neill] knows, everybody knows what’s going on, so I think Marcus will speak to him. I know they’ve had discussions of what’s going on moving forward, which is good.”

He says the experience Chambers and Skuse bring is crucial: “It’s vital, absolutely. You’ve got to have that experience around the club.

“They’ve been great, I can’t think of two better lads to have around the place to help the younger ones.

“It’s impossible [for the youngsters to do it on their own], you need everybody. Whether there is youth there or not, you need that little calming head at certain times.

“Whether the lads start games or whether they’re on the bench or whether they’re round about the place, it’s paramount.

“Young players might think they know everything that goes on in the game and you tend to find there’s a little bit more to it than just playing football at times.

“They have to learn how live right and do the right things and keep their feet on the ground, and those lads have had unbelievable careers. That’s why I say there are no better role models than them to look at.

“My thing is that time at 33 [which they both will be next season], nobody knows how long the lads can go but you’ll never beat time, it always catches you, it doesn’t matter who you are.

“That’s the difficulty as you get older. When your career is coming to an end and you know it’s coming to an end or it’s a few years down the line, you think, ‘What am I going to do next? Do I go into management or do I go into youth coaching or go into an ambassador role or whatever?’. But the club has got two great guys there, I think, which is important.”

Lambert says the senior players were very important to his development as a youngster at St Mirren.

“I played with guys that were unbelievable, unbelievably hard, battled-hardened. Incredible things I saw in dressing rooms that were unbelievable for a young player to see.

“But what it did do for me was make me unbelievably hard and really strong in the head and thankfully I did play with those guys, Brian Gallacher, Jimmy Rooney, Billy Abercromby, Tony Fitzpatrick, Frank McAvennie was there, Frank was just leaving for West Ham, Jim Stewart, Campbell Murray, Neal Cooper.

“Really hardened guys, they were really good players and I also knew if I messed around I was getting a back-hander, ‘Take that!’. But I wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Their boots had to be spotless, the dressing rooms had to be spotless, unbelievable jobs we had compared to today but what an upbringing it was, it gave me great discipline, which was great, as well as great respect for the older players and I’m so glad that that was the group of players that I got brought up with, they were a big part in my career.”

At the other end of his career, he says he knew when the time to move on was getting near.

“I knew I was going to retire, I had a little problem with my ankle,” he recalled. “One or two guys who went by me and I thought they wouldn’t have done it a year previously and I knew then it was time to go.

“The big thing you’ve got is that you’ve got to make that decision, ‘OK, that’s enough’, or I can keep going.

“At 35 I thought it was enough. I had a great career, a great playing career, great times, great success, won some of the biggest things in Europe. I couldn’t ask any more from myself really.

“But I think that all stemmed from my upbringing. When your career is coming to an end you think what you’ll do next, do you go into management or coaching or television or journalism? It’s difficult for a player, really, really difficult.”

But he says Chambers and Skuse have a little while to go before they have to make those decisions.

“Easily, they could go on for another few years, 100 per cent they could,” he insisted. “The way they live, that’s why I think they’re great role models, the way they live, the way they conduct themselves, they train every day, they very rarely miss training unless it’s something like illness.

“They’re really fit guys, they could play for a few years yet but the end is a lot nearer than when they started at 17, 18 or 19, whatever age they were. As I say, you can never beat time, time always catches you.”

Photos: TWTD

eddiespearitt03 added 20:48 - Feb 22 Part of the downfall was to keep playing Chambers & Skuse. Is it a co-incidence our luck has changed without Skuse/Sears and Chambers in the team ?
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