Introducing...stand-up comedian Tony Jameson, now living in York, and on the road in his first ever tour with his confessional show Football Manager Ruined My Life

Tony Jameson is having a mid-life crisis, or early-life as he is only 34, faced by the realisation that he has spent 20 years playing the same video game, Football Manager. Turning this crisis into a comical look at his achievements in life – and in-game – he asks himself, "Could I have achieved more if I had applied my energies better elsewhere?".

Is he an addict, is it merely escapism or is he just a big kid who should know better? CHARLES HUTCHINSON invites Tony to tear himself away from the screen for long enough to answer a full team of questions before his Harrogate Comedy Festival appearance on Monday.

Have you any idea how many hours you may have played Football Manager, Tony?

"I tried to calculate it for the show and a conservative estimate of three hours a day over 20 years works out at nearly two-and-a-half years of my life.

Er, what is Football Manager exactly? Please explain it to the uninitiated: is it a lonely hobby or do you play an opponent?

"Football Manager is a management simulation game that you play on your laptop. Unlike FIFA where you play the matches, this game puts you in charge of the team from the dugout. It is quite a lonely game, although there are ways to play it online. I haven't done that before as I think I'd get annoyed if people were taking too long to do things."

At what time of day do you play Football Manager to your optimum level?

"Stand-up is a great lifestyle as I don't go to work until the evenings, so technically that gives me all day to play. I should be spending that time writing jokes, but I've often lost a few days just playing 'one more match'."

Have you ever put Football Manager before a relationship?

"Absolutely. Football Manager has been in my life longer than any relationship."

What are the good things you have achieved in life?

"I'd say the best thing is being able to be a stand-up. Some people would have been happy being a college lecturer, but it wasn't for me. This was what I always wanted to do and when I got the opportunity I grabbed it with both hands."

What are the even better things you might have achieved if you hadn’t been preoccupied with Football Manager?

"I could've done anything really. Maybe if I'd have put a bit of extra work in after graduating from my MA in film production I might have been working in the film / TV industry by now. I suppose everything happens for a reason though, so I guess I can't complain as that may have stopped me getting into stand-up."

How many versions of the game have you bought over the years?

"I've played every version, so that's now 21 versions. There's a few notes and print-outs from old versions still in the house. I think I've got more notebooks with scouting reports than I have new stand-up routines."

In real life, do you support a football team?

"I'm an Aston Villa fan in real life. It's difficult getting to see them play due to stand-up gigs happening on weekends, but I do still try to get to the games.

"I actually went to see York City last season and now that I live there I might be able to go a bit more regularly if I'm gigging locally."

Who is the best manager in the real world of football and why?

"The best managers are the obvious ones really. Mourinho. Guardiola. Klopp. Wenger. I like Slaven Bilic as well, I think he'll end up managing at the top level in the next few years. These guys just know everything. They're so methodical in their tactical approaches to matches. They know how each opponent is going to play, who they will probably pick. It's amazing. Plus they all have an eye for a talented player, especially Wenger.

"I'm always going to have an affinity towards Martin O'Neill and my favourite all-time manager is Brian Clough. That man was a genius, no doubt about it."

Can your “addiction” be cured?

"I've not actually sought medical advice as I'm scared they'd suggest I give up. I think the only way to stop me playing would be to take my laptop away, but even then I'd probably download the iPad version."

Will you ever stop playing?

"If I ever get a job as an actual football manager then maybe. Actually, maybe not even then as I could use the game as a scouting tool. So realistically, no. I think it's part of who I am now."

Tony Jameson, Football Manager Ruined My Life, Harrogate Theatre Studio, October 13, 8pm. Box office: 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk