Big interview: From predator to pundit - former Sheffield Wednesday striker Clinton Morrison on his second football career, Ian Wright, Gary Megson and his mum

You will invariably find the one-time Sheffield Wednesday striker at the heart of any banter, while providing a cutting edge or two when required.

His preserve used to be in front of goal. Now it’s in the Sky Sports studios in West London as one of its leading football pundits.

Morrison displays the same innate confidence in his opinions as he did when he had his boots on. But there’s more than meets the eye with the Londoner, who is great company, but also an open book.

He was, in his own words, the ‘class clown’ in his playing career; the kid from Tooting with the streetwise wit and a great line in jest who learned to look after himself through necessity following a tough upbringing.

Deep down, there were insecurities. Especially when his playing career wound down.

Football, all he had known in his working life, was in danger of ending. Even ‘clowns’ get sad.

Morrison told The Yorkshire Post: "It was difficult, to be fair. You always have obstacles in your life.

“When I finished football, I didn't really know what I was going to do. I was depressed in a kind of way where I think people didn't know I was depressed.

“But deep down, I was depressed. I was not really good fun going out.

“When you are used to going to training every day and being on the training ground and the class clown, which I was and the joker and having a laugh with everyone, you miss that day to day interaction with people.

"It was disappointing. And then I got a phone call to say, 'Do you want to do a game on Sky Sports News?' I thought I might as well give it a go.

"I did the first one, but the problem then - and nowadays - is that social media is a problem and back then when I first started, I used to let it affect me.

"I got a bit of stick on it and you start thinking to yourself 'is the media for me?' But the more you go on and more you practise, you become better. It's like being a footballer - you evolve.”

Described as a ‘rough diamond’ by his first manager at Crystal Palace in Alan Smith, Morrison was a cocksure south London boy cut from the same cloth as someone who would become one of his heroes in Ian Wright, whose place in Selhurst Park folklore is forever assured.

Wright has now become a mentor for Morrison, and it has nothing to do with their status as former strikers either.

It is everything to do with handling the glare of the camera as opposed to rival defenders.

"When I finished playing, there were two big-name people who helped," Morrison explained in an interview set up by Own the Pitch.

"Ian Wright was the first and when I have done stuff with Ian, he'd always said, 'Stay strong with your opinions - they are why you are here doing this.'

"Another was Thierry Henry. When I first met him and worked with him, he got my number and messaged me and said, 'It was brilliant working with you'.

"And I have just stayed friends with them - two Arsenal legends and one of the best players to have ever graced the Premier League in Thierry. You take that as a big compliment.

"I speak to Ian regularly and treat him like an uncle as he helps me so much.

“The one thing I like about the media (now) with the people I work for is that they let me be myself. If you let people be themselves, you will get the best out of them.

“I know so much about football now as I study football and watch games from the National League and across Europe and know the game inside out. It's not easy though.

"A lot of people say, 'Aah, I want to go into the media,' but you have to do your homework and study and be likeable and engage with people. But I am happy with where I am and long may it continue.”

Morrison’s two-year association with Wednesday started off as being happy, but ended on a bit of a downer as he was frozen out by Gary Megson.He did at least have the consolation of picking up a promotion winner's medal at the end of his second and final season at the club in 2011-12.

When he visits S6, he is received warmly by Wednesdayites, as he was on that madcap May night when he bear- hugged his mate Darren Moore after the Owls achieved something truly remarkable against Peterborough United.

He said: "It is a massive club and I did fall in love with it. I just wish they'd got me earlier in my career, not when I was coming to the end.

"The fans were brilliant. The people in Sheffield have always been good to me, even when I go back now and do games. Even the Sheffield United fans are all right with me.

“That's a bit strange as well, but I'll always be Sheffield Wednesday, number one.

"I like Gary Megson as a person, but me and him didn't really get on (football wise). His style of football in wanting to bash it up to two big guys up front didn't really suit me.

"I did get a medal. I still went and celebrated. The atmosphere was brilliant and I took my son.

"That's years ago as he's now 16 and when you look at those pictures, he was a baby. When Wednesday were promoted last season, I was really happy at him being there.”

It is Morrison's mum Angela who will always be his true role model, having brought him and his sister up single-handedly with their father not around.

She has always fought her son’s corner since - famously having a bust-up with Fulham defender Rufus Brevett in the players’ lounge following a game when Morrison was at Birmingham in 2002.

A ‘formidable lady’ was how then Blues boss Steve Bruce described her, although she was a touch calmer by the time her boy headed to Sheffield. A good job for Megson, perhaps..

"She used to come to the games. She was at an older age and she was calmer,” Morrison added.

"The only thing she didn't like was the long drive getting stuck up the M25 to get up the M1.

"If you'd got her in her younger days at Crystal Palace when she wanted to argue with everyone and someone said something about her son, there'd have been a problem!

"My mum is my role model. When you don't grow up with your dad not being around, your mum plays the figure of mum and 'dad'. She's special.

"It was her birthday this week and she's still looking young. The person I have turned out to be today is down to my mum, huge respect to her.”

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