Sam Stubbs: Exeter City defender helped out by father Alan in injury recovery

Sam Stubbs has played eight games for Exeter City since November after recovering from a knee injury

"I've worked with some great managers and great players and coaches, but from a young age he's someone that I've looked up to," Sam Stubbs says when asked about his father.

The son of former Celtic player and Everton captain Alan, Sam draws comparisons not just because of his surname, but also because they are both commanding centre-backs.

"Whatever game that he does come to I'll listen to his advice, not that it's gospel, but if he says something it's probably right, not in terms of because he's my Dad, but because of the level he's played at," the 23-year-old added to BBC Sport.

"He's massive, along with other people in my family, but in terms of the last nine months he's always been an experienced head."

Those last nine months have been the hardest in his career as a move from Fleetwood Town to Exeter City in January 2020 hit one stumbling block after another.

After his transfer was delayed by a bout of Covid-19 the former Everton, Wigan and Middlesbrough youngster found a knee injury he was suffering from was worse than expected.

A problem with the cartilage around his meniscus needed surgery, delaying his debut for his new club by 10 months - a frustration compounded by a number of returns to training that were dashed by recurrences of the problem.

Alan Stubbs played 192 games in two spells at Everton after a five-year spell at Celtic that saw him win two Scottish league titles, a Scottish Cup and two Scottish League Cups

It was also an injury that ran in the family - allowing him some expert advice on his recovery from a father who played more than 450 games in 18 years for clubs such as Bolton, Celtic, Derby, Sunderland, and of course Everton.

"He had a couple of operations," Sam said.

"His injury initially probably wasn't as bad as mine, but he had more operations on the same knee, so it was good in terms that I could lean on him for someone who's been through the same as me.

"The good thing about the injury in terms of the harder you work, in some aspects of it the better the injury got.

"I know that's the case with all injuries, but even more so with this injury.

"It was black and white for me, the harder the work, the quicker and the better you'll get back."

Sam and Alan Stubbs have helped each out on the golf course, as well as the football pitch

Stubbs finally made his Exeter debut in an EFL Trophy game on 10 November before making his first League Two start on New Year's Day.

He has started the last three League Two games for Exeter with the Grecians defence keeping clean sheets in all three.

"I'm lucky enough to have that shirt at the moment," Stubbs, who faces stiff competition in central defence from Jonathan Grounds, Alex Hartridge, Pierce Sweeney and Cheick Diabate, said.

"I'm only young, but I've been in football long enough to understand that there's constant pressure, especially in terms of Exeter right now in that there's a feeling that we should be in and around it towards the top of the table.

"I just go out and play and try and play my best, and I know if I play my best I give myself a good chance to play in the next game."