Vinnie Jones, 60, is a professional footballer  turned TV and film star. 

He talks to Gillian Crawley about his travels, his love of the outdoors and golf.

Vinnie took up golf in his 20s to fill the time and found he liked it as a solitary sport. It helped him concentrate and relax at the same time. According to Golf Monthly Magazine, once a 18-handicapper dropped to 5 and is a member of Lakeside in Los Angeles and Plantation in Palm Springs. Regular golfing partners include Andy Garcia and Joe Pesci. He also liked to talk golf with Sylvester Stallone who demonstrated his swing on set. 

In his playing days he captained Wales and won the FA Cup in 1988 with Wimbledon in their  famous Crazy Gang era as well as playing for Chelsea FC. Known as a hard man on the pitch, he translated that into tough film roles including the gangster film Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.  But in his private life he prefers to get away from it all on remote holidays with his fishing rod and golf clubs. 

“Golf clubs and a fishing rod will do me.”

How often do you travel?

A lot more than the average person because of the filming work I do. But sometimes I go places on-set that I wouldn’t choose to go so I get in there, do my job and get out. They might be nice for lots of people but I’m not much of a sightseer so not for me. 

What is your earliest travel memory?

I always went to Ireland as a child. I remember trips to Dundalk, Wexford, Cork and Dublin. My gran was born in Dublin and we had a lot of Irish friends, so we’d stay on their farms and go fishing. They were fantastic holidays – being outdoors all day and coming home to a really warm welcome in the evenings.

Is that when your love of country pursuits started?

My dad, Peter, got me into it. He was a gamekeeper and I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in the countryside. It gives you a respect for nature, the outdoors and wildlife and conservation.

You are very outdoorsy so where would you tell people to go to get away from it all?

I like Alaska for the salmon fishing – it’s fantastic there. I usually stay in a log cabin with no one around for miles. I like to go with friends, but I’m also happy to be on my own with nature. I’m very practical and good with my own company.

What do you need for a perfect holiday?

Golf clubs and a fishing rod will do me. I went golfing with a couple of friends to Whistler, in Canada. There’s fishing there too. It’s known as a skiing resort but I’m not a skier so I’ve never been in the winter. I’m sure it’s beautiful then but honestly, it’s beautiful all year round. The landscape is stunning.

I’m getting the impression that you’re the go-to person to have around on an extreme travcl experience so what was your most adventurous time?

I went to Mongolia on a 12-day trip from the capital Ulan Bator to the Eg river which is way out. The goal was to catch a taimen, which is a kind of freshwater salmon – quite wily and a bit of a challenge. I was very proud to manage it. We fished along the way but I found trekking and camping out very gruelling. The surroundings were tough.

Do you like travelling to remote places?

I love it.  Apart from Alaska, I also go to British Columbia in Canada quite often – and I’m not going to tell you exactly where because a fisherman never reveals his best places, ha ha! But what I will say is I fly to Vancouver and then get a small plane to a little town north of there, and then the following day I get a seaplane to take me about 45 minutes into the wilderness. The spot I fish can only be visited for seven weeks of the year because that’s when the fish – they’re called steelhead – come. Outside of that the area is left to the bears. Russia felt pretty remote too. I loved how vast it was. I love Alaska but most of it has been explored. There’s still a massive chunk of Russia that’s never had a car go through it.

Which city gives you great memories?

Vancouver because it’s on the doorstep of all the outdoorsy stuff I like doing. I went for the first time about when I played for Chelsea. We were there to play the Vancouver Whitecaps. Afterwards I did a trip with the boys. We went right up into the mountains and came white-water rafting down. It was fantastic.

What do you hate about holidays?

The packing. I cannot be bothered and always put it off until about 20 minutes before I leave. I just throw things in my suitcase and hope for the best.

What is your career goal?

I’d like to be the romantic lead one day but I’ve got to grow my hair first!