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Jay Ajayi bids to become only the fifth Brit to experience Super Bowl victory when he takes to the field on Sunday night.

The London-born running back is one of the key components to the Philadelphia Eagles' offence - and is hoping to help his side topple the great New England Patriots in Minnesota.

Ajayi, 24, has the backing of the UK audience and has flown the flag for the NFL on this side of the Atlantic since he was picked up by the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

He was drafted to the Eagles halfway through this season and has gone from strength to strength, helping his team to what is something of an unlikely Super Bowl, given the injury to their starting quarterback Carson Wentz.

Mirror Sport's NFL man Keith Webster sat down with Ajayi, to find out his thoughts on the big game, being an Arsenal fan and his family's plans for the event...

(Image: Getty Images North America) (Image: USA TODAY Sports)

Q: What do you expect to feel on Saturday night?

A: “Right now, I’m very calm. It’s just another week. Obviously, I will get a little more anxious leading up to game time but for me it hasn’t felt too big. I understand we have one more job to do and that is my main focus, just making sure throughout this week that I know the game plan and that I’m ready to play on Sunday.

“I think I will do all my reflecting after the Super Bowl when I can look back on the season and how everything went down. The night before the game for me, I’m going to try to relax, keep my mind at ease, maybe watch something on Netflix or a movie to just go to sleep and not be feeling too nervous or anxious about it, knowing that it’s just football and I’ve been doing this my whole life.

"It’s not going to change just because it’s the Super Bowl and there’s the lights and the cameras. It’s still football. You still have to take it one play at a time. That is the plan of action.”

Q: Tell us about your running backs coach, Duce Staley...

A: “He’s a guy that’s been in the fight before and that’s such a great tool for us in our running back room because he’s done it, he knows some of the nuances of the position that can help when it comes to attacking the line of scrimmage. He also keeps it light in there, we are all kind of a family, a lot of jokes being cracked on each other.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

"When it’s time to get to work, we are very detailed and disciplined. He always makes sure that we 100 per cent know what the game plan is. It is just about us going out there and executing it.

"He has emotion and passion for this game. He tells us that he kind of lives through us when we’re out there running the ball. We get that passion from him every day when we come into work.”

Q: You are no longer the workhorse like you were in Miami. Here, the load is shared around. How different is it being on a team that runs the ball by committee?

A: “Sometimes it’s a little bit tough. You have to understand that every opportunity, you have to take advantage of it. You have to make sure that every time you step on that field, you make it count, execute how you’re supposed to and continue to help the team whenever your number is called.

"Everyone is hungry, everyone wants to be that guy that’s out there making plays.

" For me it’s about being a competitor. I believe I’m a true competitor and I’m always hungry to make big plays to help this team. So, whenever my number is called that’s why I’m always ready to make something happen.”

(Image: Icon Sportswire)

Q: What was your biggest surprise when you arrived in Philadelphia?

A: “I would say it was how crazy the fans are for the team and what sort of fan base the Philly market is compared to where I came from.

"As soon as I got there I couldn’t even walk around town without getting stopped and noticed and everyone wishing my luck. That was a big difference for me coming from where I came from. I got recognised in Miami, but it is on another level in Philadelphia.”

Q: Does that fan reaction raise expectations on the team in a game like this?

A: “We have a lot of expectation on ourselves because we want to be in history and cement our own legacy so there is no added pressure from the fans. We put pressure on ourselves.

"That is what it is going to come down to on Sunday – making sure that we end up in history, on the right side of history and that we cement our legacy as the first Super Bowl champs in Philadelphia.”

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Q: Do the Philly fans feel more like a soccer crowd back home in England?

A: “That’s what I told someone the other day. It’s funny you should say that because in my opinion, Philadelphia’s fan base is the closest thing you will get to a European football team, a London team, like Arsenal, where you have things like Arsenal Fan TV and the fans that are so passionate about their team and they live and the bleed it and they get upset.

"It’s all about the team. I love being a part of it. It’s a special feeling, understanding that that’s the type of fan base. I’m a fan of Arsenal and I feel those same feelings when we’re doing well or when we’re not doing well. So, it is cool to be on a team where the fan base and the market is so into it.

"I’m always watching [Arsenal Fan TV] and Troopz is on there talking crazy and I love watching that. I get nervous for Arsenal, especially recently because things have been kind of crazy. But we’re starting to make some moves so that’s got me feeling better about everything. We’ve picked up a couple of players this week.

"Obviously, we haven’t been doing that well but hopefully that’s going to change because I want to see Arsenal back on top again.”

(Image: USA TODAY Sports)

Q: How do you feel about being labelled underdogs?

A: “Being the No.1 seed but also being underdogs is kind of strange, but we have embraced it. For me personally, I have always had a chip on my shoulder. It’s just about us going out and believing in ourselves, believing that we have it. That’s what it comes down to with an underdog mentality.

"We don’t think that we are the front runners because in our minds it’s just about believing in what we have in our team.”

Q: What does it feel like to be at the Super Bowl?

A: “It’s a great feeling to be at the Super Bowl. We are two teams out of 32 and everyone else is at home. It is a great feeling to understand that we have that opportunity to play for it all.

"Now, it’s not just about being here, it’s about finishing up what we started. We just have to get the job done on Sunday and then we can celebrate everything else.”

(Image: USA TODAY Sports)

Q: Are running backs becoming an important part of football again?

A: “I think there was a time when the position was ‘devalued’ but as of recently, if you look across the league, especially on our team, the running game is essential.

"You are starting to see great players at the position starting to bring that position back to the forefront. Personally, I take pride in showcasing how the position can be a game-changer in every game.”

Q: Can David Beckham’s new soccer franchise in Miami survive down there?

A: “There’s a great market in Florida for soccer. They have the man to do it. David Beckham is a legend and you’ve seen already the people who are behind him, supporting him so I have no reason to think it shouldn’t be successful.”

(Image: USA Today Sports)

Q: How will you be able to get your violent running style up to full speed right from the start when there is such a down time between leaving the locker room and the opening kickoff because of Super Bowl pre-game festivities?

A: “That’s not going to change how I run. I’ll do what I need to do to make sure I keep my body warm and that I’m ready to go out there at the start. But all those festivities [pre-game], that doesn’t change my mindset.”

Q: Some defensive statistics suggest that the Patriots are weak on that side of the ball. Is that something you can exploit?

A: “They didn’t get here by accident. When you look at some of the statistics, especially in the red zone, they are stingy on defense. It is going to come down to us executing and whatever new wrinkles they throw at us.

"They take away from you what you do best, so we have to be able to think on our feet, come up with a game plan for it and execute that in the game.”

Q: You simulated the longer half-time of a Super Bowl in practice on Wednesday. What is involved in that?

A: “It was just a case of understanding that there is a performance and we are going to be in that locker room for almost 30 minutes compared to the usual 12-15. It’s about understanding that your legs might get tight.

(Image: USA TODAY Sports)

"You’re at a high level when you’re playing so coming back down, we have to find ways to get back up, especially with that lull. Just doing things in there, staying warm, talk with our coaches, and using that to our advantage so that when we come out after half time, we don’t miss a beat, especially if we are rolling in that first half. We want to come back out with that same intensity.”

Q: How do you feel about being addressed by Brett Favre this weekend?

A: “Hall of Fame legend. A guy that’s been there and done it. It will be exciting to hear what he has to say and what he has got to tell us about getting ready for this game.”

Q: Where did the Jay Train come from?

A: “It started in college at Boise State. I was looking for an alter ego before my first year of being the starting running back there. I was looking for a way to take my game to the next level.

At that time, I was watching a lot of great running back like Adrian Peterson – AP – and Beast Mode Marshawn Lynch. They had these alter egos that they could go to and turn into special players and for me, I looked at the Jay Train and it stuck, and here I am today being a Jay Train in the Super Bowl.”

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Q: What are the Eagles’ group of running backs like?

A: “I think we are a brotherhood, especially in our room. We are very tight and we just want to see each other succeed. If you watch some of the clips where one of us is making a big play, you can look on the sideline and see Duce [Staley, running backs coach], [Darren] Sproles, all of them feeding off the plays we’re making.

"When someone makes a big play or makes someone miss or runs over someone and scores, we’re almost the first players down there to congratulate him. Looking at that camaraderie and that brotherhood that we’ve had throughout the season has helped build that mentality of unselfishness.”

The Patriots are the league’s most experienced playoff team. After what they did to Atlanta in last year’s Super Bowl [won from 28-3 down] and to Jacksonville two weeks ago [won from 20-10 down in the fourth quarter], do you need some sort of special fourth-quarter mentality to deal with them?

(Image: Getty Images North America)

“I don’t think so. I don’t think there is a mystique or anything that we need to worry about when it comes down to their playoff experience. It just needs us to stay on that aggressive nature that we have. When it comes down to it, we are a special team and we believe in what we have. We just have to push through the whole way.”

Q: As an Arsenal fan, which deadline day deal excited you more – signing Aubameyang or Ozil’s new contract?

A: “I like the Ozil signing. Obviously, I was stoked about Pierre. I play Fifa a lot and a couple of years ago, I had even moved Aubameyang to Arsenal in one of my manager lives so it’s kind of funny that he’s at Arsenal in real life. That’s kind of cool. But I’m hyped that we got Ozil back for a couple more years because he is such a quality player.

“I’m excited about Aubameyang. He is going to be a beast. He’s going to score a lot of goals for us. He’s been given the No.14, which is surprising. He’s got a lot to live up to so let’s hope he does that.”

Q: What do you think of Arsene Wenger?

A: “That’s the gaffer, man. That’s the manager. One day, hopefully, I can shake his hand. That would be awesome.”

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Q: How was it talking to basketball star Kobe Bryant about winning mentality?

A: “He had that killer mentality when he was playing. That’s some of the stuff that I took from it. He had this mindset that no one could stop him. That was a cool quote. It’s cool to be able to speak to guys that have done it before. They have certain insight that can help somebody in some certain way.

"It’s a cool thing, especially Brett Favre. He’s a great character, a legend in the NFL, someone that I looked at growing up and saw the way that he played and the passion he played with so it will be cool to hear what he has to tell us.”

Q: What is required to come out on top in the Super Bowl?

A: “It’s the Super Bowl so a killer instinct is absolutely necessary, especially in a four-quarter game. I believe we have that, with the aggressiveness of us being at this point. I think we have a lot of dogs out there on the field that are willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Q: What family and friends do you have coming in for the game?

A: “I have my immediately family and some of my support system that will be here, probably 10-15. Nobody from across the Atlantic this time.”

Q: What would it mean not just to play in the Super Bowl but to score?

A: “It is every player’s dream to score in the Super Bowl.”

Q: How would you describe your running style?

A: “Violent. Aggressive. Not able to be brought down. Trying to make people miss. Trying to make big plays for the team.”

Sky Sports is showing Super Bowl LII live on 4th February. The NFL is part of a schedule of sport on Sky Sports Action and Arena that also includes rugby union, rugby league, darts, netball, tennis and boxing.