Richard Carpenter's 14 seasons as a professional have been spent almost exclusively in the lower divisions, but he could never be described as your average footballer.

Home for the Albion powerhouse is a trailer on an official travellers' site in the Kent countryside, rather than a des res in the Brighton suburbs.

Away from the cut and thrust of the midfield battle it is not the more traditional post-training pursuits, such as golf and gambling, which help Carpenter unwind.

He escapes from the stresses and strains of the game with a spot of clay pigeon shooting or antique collecting.

This is an age of footballers with more money than sense, living a wild life of sex and drugs and vitriol.

In Carpenter's cosy world wildlife conjures up a contrasting image of dogs barking and birds singing in the woods.

"I've always been a country boy," he said. "I was born on the Isle of Sheppey and I have always lived in the countryside.

"I'm a lot more at home in a country pub than a disco. It's nice to come away from football, relax and reflect on things."

Carpenter's domestic circumstances are not exactly conventional.

His parents purchased a plot of land that was a registered gipsy site a couple of years ago.

When they sold up to a friend and moved to Spain, Carpenter suddenly found himself with a new home.

"At the time I had split up with my girlfriend," he explained. "We had a house together, so it was easier for me to move out into a trailer on this bit of land.

"That was 18 months ago and I've stayed there ever since.

"I deal with things like the drainage and gas. It's unusual because the site is just off the main A2 road.

"It's comfortable and I have got everything I need there. They've got a utility room on site so I can do all my washing.

"A lot of my friends are Romanys and my great grandad was a prize fighter in the fairgrounds. He was known as Jack O'Dare.

"I've bought a house which I am having work done on and that has taken longer than expected. I was only going to stay for a year.

"It has been a little bit longer but I'm not worried about that.

"A lot of the boys live in three or four-bedroom houses, but it doesn't bother me. I'm just happy being where I am at the moment."

The surrounding countryside is perfect for Carpenter to walk his dogs and indulge in his other sporting passion.

"I got into clay pigeon shooting with my cousins and a few friends," he said. "They shoot quite regularly.

"I haven't done it so much this year. There is a field in Canterbury where we go, but where I am it's comfortable because I know all the landowners.

"If I want to take my dogs up into the woods on the land they have given me permission.

"After training I always go for a walk in the afternoon. I used to go in the morning as well when I was at Cardiff and lived down in the Forest of Dean. That was nice, it suited me down to the ground.

"It's my way of relaxing and having time to think. It's only an hour out of my time every day."

Carpenter's first nickname with Albion was 'Chippy', for obvious reasons.

Now the 31-year-old father-of-one is known as 'Duke' after David Dickinson, the permanently tanned star of the popular BBC antiques programme Bargain Hunt.

"I got into antiques through a friend who deals," Carpenter said. "He decided to give me a bit of furniture and pictures and it has just gone from there.

"I go out with him to auctions. If we are in London we always pop down the Kings Road into Christies or antique fairs at Olympia and places like that.

"I've always had a fascination with old stuff, but when my house is finished it won't be stacked with antiques. It will be a happy medium, I'm not getting old before my time!

"It's just interesting to have different interests away from football, because that is stressful. It's nice to take your mind off things and get away from it sometimes.

"I obviously get stick from the boys, but it's all light-hearted. I'm not into it to the extent that it rules my life, it's just like a part-time hobby.

"I like other sports, like playing snooker, but if I have got a bit of spare money I will look around the antique fairs. It's nice to find something unusual."

Albion clearly found someone unusual when they signed Richard Carpenter.

ALBION fans are being asked to dig deep to help boss Mark McGhee bring in new players.

The 'Forty Notes More or Less' fund will be holding a collection at Withdean on Saturday, when the Seagulls tackle Wrexham.

More than £30,000 was raised last season to pay for Anthony Rougier, Ben Roberts and Dave Beasant.

Fans can still make donations to the fund at the Allied Irish Bank in Marlborough Place, Brighton. The account number is 05318-022 and the sort code 23-85-89.

Tickets are also available for the Forty Notes Christmas Party on December 21 at Concorde 2 featuring club poet Attila the Stockbroker plus local bands and DJ's.

Contact the club shop in Queens Road, Brighton, for details.