“I'M definitely getting more back from it myself than I’ve put in,” former defender Sam McQueen was keen to stress to the Daily Echo when asked about his Saints Foundation involvement.

The 28 year old is paying back when he takes on the annual Big Bike Challenge, covering a 250-mile ride down from Anfield to St Mary’s ahead of the season finale at home to Liverpool.

As well as now coaching in the academy, McQueen has been a Saints Foundation ambassador for over a year having been forced to retire from playing following a three-year injury hell in January 2022.

Former England under-21 international McQueen suffered an ACL rupture playing on loan for Middlesbrough in October 2018 and a cruel, recurring infection triggered additional surgeries.

READ MORE: Southampton's charity Saints Foundation raise incredible £127,000

The Saints academy graduate made 29 appearances for the club and started home and away against Inter Milan in the Europa League – but was forced to forge a new path.

Daily Echo:

McQueen admits it has still not fully sunk in, saying: “It’s challenging psychologically because I’m still at the same training ground, I see the same boys.

“This can be nice, for example, this morning I bumped into Prowsey (James Ward-Prowse) at breakfast and we had a good catch-up.”

He added: “But there’s also the fact I’m human. I haven’t accepted it fully and I can still get very bitter sometimes.

“I have to try and accept that this is where I am, I’m going to feel like that and it’s okay, but not to let it impact how I am around the other players.

“My ego definitely takes a bash most days – which is probably needed – so it’s been very humbling. Nobody knows how much it’s okay to feel bitter but it’s about how you feel about other people and act towards them.

“I don’t know whether stuff was my fault or not really, I look back and probably could have done some things differently so I’m still coming to terms with it, accepting it and looking to make the best of it.”

The club, whom McQueen called home for 18 years, have done everything they can to help him acclimatise to life beyond stepping out onto the turf at St Mary’s – or anywhere across the footballing pyramid.

Alongside assisting with Saints academy teams from under-15s to under-18s – including a recent trip to Dubai for the successful Mina Cup winning group – McQueen is studying Psychology at Open University and is set to complete his UEFA B License on Sunday.

“Some players manage to broaden their horizons but generally when you’re playing football you have no idea what goes into it,” McQueen admitted.

“Doing this B license has helped me see it from a different perspective as well as just playing and it’s been new to me. There’s obviously some experience and some value that playing can also bring.

“I’ve also been doing some mentorship courses so they’ve given me the time to study the things I wanted to but never got the chance to do while playing.”

Daily Echo: Southampton's Sam McQueen during a pre season friendly match at Pride Park, Derby. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday July 21, 2018. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire. EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio,

It was a conversation McQueen had with the outgoing director of football, Matt Crocker, and academy director, Matt Hale, that got the ball rolling for his return to the club last year.  

“I probably haven’t done as much as I would like but it’s about supporting; whenever you get time having one-on-one conversations with players about themselves, setting specific goals and using the experience I have had to guide them,” McQueen said.

“I’m not sure coaching will be for me for life, I like coaching and working with people but at the moment it’s using the best of what you’ve got – if you’re going through experiences good or bad, you have to use it as best you can.

“As much as coaching football is not the thing I’m best at – I’m not going to pretend I’m an up-and-coming Pep Guardiola, I don’t know what I’m doing half the time – using the experience I do have, I want to have a positive impact and to respect the opportunities I’ve been given, to give something back to the club.”

Despite being dealt a horrid hand on the pitch, there is an overwhelming feeling of gratitude looking to punch through any other feelings that still reside within McQueen.

It expresses itself most loudly when McQueen talks about Saints Foundation – experiences which the former Premier League football has described as “eye-opening”.

“It’s been really good, I haven’t had loads of interactions – probably three or four opportunities – but it’s been my first year of coaching so I’ve not had loads of time,” he said.

“I’ve been to a few schools with Primary Stars and Community Champions, seeing the way the foundation mentor students and offer extra-curricular programmes.

“As much I’m not particularly relevant in the world of sport anymore I have my experience to share with them and can relate to the club, so it’s nice for me personally,” McQueen added.

“The Saints Foundation have been great for asking me to do those things, supporting me and introducing me to people, and asking me if there is anything more I want to do."

He continued: “Unless your lifestyle is already involved in some kind of charitable work or running clubs, generally as a teenager or young adult you have no idea this stuff is going on.

“Even though I grew up in the area, I have been to schools now with the foundation or as a player seeing the support given to those who actually need it – it is a new perspective.

“It makes you revisit where you grew up and see it in a new way, I haven’t done as much as I would like so far and haven’t had loads of impact in terms of time spent, but it’s been a real eye-opener.”

That is where the Big Bike Challenge 2023 comes in for McQueen, as he prepares to bike from Liverpool to Southampton over the weekend of May 26-28 to raise money for the foundation.

Luckily, ‘Iron Sam’ is an experienced cyclist who has taken on a number of endurance challenges already to be prepared for what lies ahead. Right?

“Not at all,” he responded. “I used to cycle to school when I was about 15, that’s the most I’ve ever done.”

“I’d been playing football as a primary focus since eight years old so I’ve not done anything too physically challenging before.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be doing Franny Benali-style stuff but it will be my first step into doing things to support the foundation, and my own challenges now that the challenge of football has ended.”

The challenge is just over three weeks away so sign-ups to join McQueen on the ride are shut – but you can still support him and Saints Foundation.

You can donate to the cause with proceeds supporting their community work here – and follow McQueen on social media to keep up with everything he adds to the challenge.