THE FOUR YEARS that Steve McManaman spent at Real Madrid can be summed up in two Champions League wins, two league titles, and one remark from none other than Johan Cruyff, who described the Merseyside Madridista as “el socio del todos” – a partner to everyone on the pitch.
McManaman would have needed the help of an interpreter to translate such an endorsement during his early days in Spain, but the language barrier was to prove no impediment to the Englishman as he settled in immediately at the Bernabeu. He showed courage on the ball and in a social setting, mixing a cocktail of beers and crude hand gestures during a pre-season trip in Austria to ingratiate himself to his new team-mates.
In part one, McManaman talks about his ambition to leave Liverpool and play abroad, the unexpected challenges of joining one of the biggest club teams in the world, and the second home he discovered in a dressing room which was supposed to be in turmoil.
Enjoy!
