Youl Mawene’s biggest concern when it comes to cars is staying on the right (or should that be the left) side of the road. He still drives a left-hand drive though although it is not the atypical Renault or Citroen which you would expect from a Frenchman but a practical Toyota, which drives ‘like a tractor’  according to the PNE defender

Who taught you how to drive?
I can’t remember it is so long ago. I just learnt in an auto ecole in France which is a school to drive, I passed it when I turned 17 and I drove with my parents’ car for a year before I got a proper license.

What was your parents car?
It was a Renault, a decent car, a normal car, nothing special about it. It was quite hard to drive actually, you had to push the steering wheel, it was a bit of a boat.

Is it easier to pass your test in France?
It’s crazy, it’s expensive for a start. I think it is probably easier in France, at the time it looked easy for me.

What was the first car that you had?
My first car was a Vauxhall Corsa. It was a tiny engine, a 1.2, it was pretty bad, my friends used to take the mick all the time because it was purple. The car is still running actually, we have had it a while and my mum still uses it a lot, it’s still alive and going.

Do you still take it for a drive for sentimental reasons?
Yes, I still take it for a drive but it is a bit temperamental now. You never know what you are going to get from it, whether it is going to start. I just leave it in the garage for now and my mum uses it from time to time.

How many different cars have you owned since?
I had two cars after the Corsa. I went crazy on one car, I was playing for Lens and I had the chance to play a few European games so I had a massive bonus for one month and at the end of the season I needed to change car and I was wondering what to buy and I ended up buying a Jeep Wrangler. It was a lovely car, a fantastic car to drive but it was a bit of a nightmare because at first I was pulling a petrol station behind me and it wasn’t a practical car at all. I sold it, it took me a lot of time to sell it because I was quite attached to it, it was a chunky 4×4.

What are you driving at the minute?
At the moment I am driving a Toyota Landcruiser. It is a good car, I am happy about it, it’s not too luxurious but it is comfortable, it’s not too quick but it’s not too slow. It’s a good car, it is reliable. It is still left-hand drive so I have got to be careful not to hit anybody on my right side because I can’t see anything on my right side. I don’t mind driving left-hand drive, it’s just getting used to it, for me it is easier, when I drive English cars and I go to change gear I hit the door all the time.

What would your dream car be?
Probably a Ferrari or something like that. It is a nice car, when I was at Derby there was a lad who had a Ferrari and others had Porsche, I don’t think it is me, I don’t think it would suit me, I’ll just leave it to others.

What CDs do you have in your car?
A bit of everything really. I’ve got a bit of reggae from Claude, rap, R&B, everything from 50 Cent to Red Hot Chili Peppers. African music as well, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for African music.

What’s in your glove box?
Probably a map of Lancashire.

So do you get lost a lot?
Yes I do. I haven’t got this GPS system and I always have to try and drive and have a look at the signs at the same time which is always a bit of a nightmare. I have got to find my way around here, I’m still pretty new in the area.

Have you ever crashed your car?
Not this one, I have been really careful with this one. But when I was at Derby we borrowed a Celica and for the first six months I completely wrecked the car, I couldn’t drive properly and I kept banging the left side against the pavement. It was horrendous but now I am pretty careful. I don’t really drive quick, I am really careful when I am driving.

Who has got the best car at the club?
It is probably Dickson or Tyrone with their big Porsche Cayenne. It’s a really nice car, an expensive car.

If we were to have a rally with every player driving their own car who would win the race?
It would probably be Claude, he is a bit crazy with his car. It definitely wouldn’t be Brian, he’d have no chance with a Nissan Almera.

Are you a fan of private numberplates?
No I am not. I think people who do have one have something to compensate, so I am sorry for Pat and the rest but I am not a big fan at all.

Has your car ever broken down on you before?
I have had to change wheels before, it is pretty simple, nothing too hard, it is just a bit of DIY really. But when it comes to engine or anything I don’t have a clue.

Do you consider yourself a boy-racer or are you somebody who likes to drive really slow?
With my car it is like driving a big tractor anyway so you can’t really push it. I don’t really like speed, I like to be comfortable in a car first so I am definitely not a boy-racer.

Spec
Model: Toyota Landcruiser
Engine Size: 3.0
Top Speed: 109 mph
Acceleration (0-62 mph) 9.5 seconds
Price: £37,900