"\u003Cp\u003EEach week we\u0027ve been speaking to Leeds United players past and present as part of Deliveroo\u0027s #Ask series. In our latest episode, we were joined by the club\u0027s longest serving player, a man who embodies the \u0027Side Before Self\u0027 motto to a tee.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETaking time out from a busy training schedule, defender Gaetano Berardi spent 20 minutes answering fans questions on everything from the Derby game to his love of photography.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERead some of his answers below, or watch the full episode now:\u003C/p\u003E""\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did you get into football?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen I was a kid, I used to watch games with my dad, especially when AC Milan were on. I also remember watching FC Lugano, the team of my city,\u00A0 and from that moment I started to like football and sports.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDid you always want to be a defender?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen I started to play football, I would play as a winger, or sometimes as a striker scoring goals, but even then I liked to defend.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did your move to Leeds come about?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI stopped my contract at Sampdoria at the end of June 2014 and my agent was already talking to [Massimo] Cellino and [Nicola] Salerno, the Sporting Director. I had to wait a few weeks to decide because I wasn\u0027t sure if they wanted me. I said after a few days that it was good for me to come here, I was happy to go on a new challenge, different country and to try something different. Then a few weeks later I signed.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https://dc6vmiz8c91pk.cloudfront.net/media/121/17028384556192/berardi_001.png\u0022 alt=\u0022Gaetano Berardi\u0022 /\u003E\uFEFF\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFirst thoughts about the club?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen I first arrived, I didn\u0027t know much about the league. I knew about the Championship but I didn\u0027t know exactly what it was like. I quickly realised that it was a hard league and that I would have to start from the beginning, to fight for a place in the team, which was not easy. The feeling was not so nice at the beginning because\u00A0I knew straight away that it was going to be a really hard challenge, but after a few months I said \u0027Ok, let\u0027s start\u0027, so I fought for my place and did what I had to do for the team.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong style=\u0022background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\u0022\u003EWhat\u0027s it like playing at Elland Road?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor us as players, it\u0027s a good feeling playing at home, it\u0027s like you feel stronger, especially when you see the stadium full and the crowd are going mad when you\u0027re doing well in the games. It\u0027s an unbelievable feeling. I can\u0027t remember another atmosphere compared to Leeds.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest game at Leeds United?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI don\u0027t really know when I play nice games. Sometimes we think we\u0027ve played a good game, and then the next day you get killed in the video analysis. In my opinion, I don\u0027t remember previous years, but I think played well against Hull City at home, and Middlesbrough away this season.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https://dc6vmiz8c91pk.cloudfront.net/media/121/66215083271515/berardi_003.png\u0022 alt=\u0022Gaetano Berardi\u0022 /\u003E\uFEFF\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did it feel to be named captain for your 100th game?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat day was actually Thomas\u0027 [Christiansen] idea. He asked Liam if he was happy with it, because it was my 100th game, Liam said \u0027No problem\u0027 and that he was happy to do it for me. It was a nice feeling. It was a big responsibility, I had the chance to do it in other games, but even without the armband I feel the same. If I remember the day, I remember that it was a nice gesture from Thomas and Liam.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMost difficult moment at the club?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0027s easy. It was after the play-off game against Derby. It was really difficult for everyone, but if I have to say about me, it was really hard to take. It was the first time I had felt like this. I don\u0027t know. I spent many weeks thinking about that. I couldn\u0027t enjoy any moments, even if I was at home. But that\u0027s part of football, I was already thinking that I had to change it and I had to move on.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou were wrongly sent off against Millwall. What was your thoughts on that?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI couldn\u0027t believe it. That day was not easy. My first reaction was in the changing room, I was alone and I was just thinking \u0027If I have to accept this, maybe I need to go away and not come back\u0027. After a few days, I started to realise that the club was working towards getting it rescinded and helping me, so when it was finally taken away I was happy about that.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWho are you closest to in the squad?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u0027m close to Gjanni, Pablo, Kiko, Barry. Barry is a good friend. Everyone is nice, they\u0027re good people.\u00A0\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\u0022\u003EGjanni is a special guy, when I first met him, I knew of him as a player, but I didn\u0027t know him personally. I could see from the first day that he was crazy. He\u0027s a smart guy, a good friend and it\u0027s nice to have him as part of the team.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https://dc6vmiz8c91pk.cloudfront.net/media/121/78923366622482/berardi_002.png\u0022 alt=\u0022Gaetano Berardi\u0022 /\u003E\uFEFF\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\u0022\u003EYou\u0027ve been described as the squad\u0027s \u0027father figure\u0027. Is that something you enjoy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\u0022\u003EYeah, I like to help my teammates when they need help. I don\u0027t talk a lot but I try to speak up when it\u0027s needed. I think I\u0027m at the right age to give the younger lads some advice, and I like to stay close to our captain, to talk about the team and understand some moments. It\u0027s a good feeling.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\u0022\u003EAfter yourself, who is the hardest teammate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u0027d say Kalvin is really hard. Nice guy but good fighter. Liam is good too. Gjanni! Maybe he doesn\u0027t look like it but when we need to fight he\u0027s always there. Then there\u0027s also Adam Forshaw, he\u0027s not with us at the moment but I remember that he\u0027s a good fighter.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe\u0027ve had a lot of messages from fans saying how much they love you. What do they mean to you?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen I remember the nice things that I read, the nice messages that I receive, it\u0027s a really good feeling. Of course there might be people that don\u0027t like me but it\u0027s a good feeling when I remember the people that like what I do and most importantly, those who respect me. It helps me in a really good way, so I will always be thankful for this, especially after times like the Derby game. Many people were on my side during that tough time and it was nice to have, even if I was suffering.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat would winning the league mean to you?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt would be the best memory ever in my career. We\u0027ve been fighting for this for many years, the six years I\u0027ve been at Leeds, the fans for many more years, but also for my teammates who are fighting. It doesn\u0027t matter if it\u0027s been one, two or three years, we have to just focus on this one and it would be the best present for everyone.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGiven any thoughts to next season yet?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI don\u0027t know, I just want to finish the season as best we can. There are bigger things to do before I think about my future.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https://dc6vmiz8c91pk.cloudfront.net/media/121/03489116353277/berardi_004.png\u0022 alt=\u0022Gaetano Berardi\u0022 /\u003E\uFEFF\u003C/p\u003E"