SAM Ricketts reckons his grandad is to thank for his current run in the Wanderers team.

The Wales international is due to get the nod ahead of Jlloyd Samuel and Paul Robinson to line up on the left side of defence against Fulham tomorrow, after starting the season ahead of Gretar Steinsson on the right.

And the defender revealed how his grandad’s advice as a child has been responsible for the versatility that has made him a valuable asset for the Whites this season.

“Even if I flicked the ball up with my right foot, my grandad would say ‘right, now do it on your left’,” he said.

“When I was with him playing football, he’d tell me just to play with my left foot, and wouldn’t let me touch the ball with my right, which is probably what I would have done naturally.

“I made my debut for Wales at left-back and that was proof he was right. I gave him my shirt and put a little plaque on it, which says: ‘Thanks for always making me use my left foot.’ “If any young player ever asks me for advice, I ask them what foot they use – which is usually the right – and say ‘but how good are you on your left?’.”

Ricketts has figured in Wanderers’ last three games but has twice found himself out of the side this season for extended spells.

His first stint co-incided with the Whites’ last game at Fulham, and the 28-year-old admitted it came as a shock to the system.

“It’s tough sitting on the bench, you want to be playing. You train all week, build-up to the game and if you don’t play, you don’t have that same gut feeling on Saturday night,” he said.

“I played nearly constantly for five years, so to miss out on a couple of games was hard. It will probably do my career good – maybe give me another year – because at times I was playing 65-70 games a season, but I still can’t get used to it.”