Author: martin

Hola!

As a kid, Alex Bruce travelled to Wembley to see his father, Manchester United legend Steve, lift the FA Cup. The experience sparked a dream, and one day he too would grace the Wembley turf, although his final with Hull City – a five-goal thriller against Arsenal – ended in defeat.

I caught up with defensive stalwart Alex at his current club Kilmarnock, where he described what it’s like being treated as the boss’ son, how the Championship is the most physically demanding league in the world, and exactly why he has so much admiration for Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs and Keane.

Alex is great talking about how his youth career faltered at Man U – and was then resurrected at Blackburn Rovers, and the sheer joy of achieving promotion to the Premier League with Hull; an especially sweet experience because his beloved dad was the manager.

Enjoy

Graham

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Thomas Hitzlsperger from season two.
Thomas is one of football’s deep thinkers, now a considered and astute media analyst, but when he was a player he wasn’t averse to taking a gamble – not least giving up on the Bayern Munich academy for a go at the English top division. For Aston Villa and for this elegant midfielder with a wicked left foot, it was a move that paid off in spades. Thomas vividly recalls his stunning volley which helped Stuttgart win the title on the final nerve-wracking day of the 2007 Bundesliga. You’ll also hear about his time with the German national team, and how ‘Das Reboot’ finally knocked Spain off their perch.
I don’t need to exhort you to enjoy this Big Interview – I just know you will.

In part two, Emile talks more about life at Leicester and speaks passionately about how Martin O’Neill was the supreme man manager. He gives a fascinating insight into what it was like to make the move to Liverpool and adapting to life on and off the field there, where expectations were sky-high but where the Kop fans loved him. He also reflects on the miracle Premier League title win by Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester side in 2016. Emile also speaks about England’s incredible World Cup qualifier in Germany in 2001, when the Golden Generation of Three Lions smashed their arch-rivals 5-1; and yes, even Heskey scored.
Enjoy
Graham

The title of Emile Heskey’s autobiography is ‘Even Heskey Scored’, a sardonic nod to the misperception that he was anything other than a highly talented player, a prolific goal scorer and, most of all, a winner. In part one, Emile describes his ‘strange’ personality – painfully shy in the dressing room, super-confident on the field of play. He explains how he helped his beloved Leicester City escape financial meltdown and paints us a vivid behind-the-scenes picture of life at the Foxes training ground under Martin O’Neill, when being forced to wear the dreaded, smelly, yellow jersey was every player’s worst nightmare.
Enjoy
Graham

Here’s another chance to hear part two of my interview with Ramon Calderon from season two.
Ramon tells the story of how he became Real president, and how promoting Zinedine Zidane from the position of reserve team coach to the biggest role in club football management was a risk that paid off. Ramon also tells how David Beckham was the ultimate professional, giving everything to help Real win the 2007 La Liga in dramatic style before he left for LA, how crucial Ruud van Nistelrooy and Sergio Ramos were to Los Blancos, and how signing the latter cheesed off Manchester United no end.
Enjoy.