The Big Interview

Welcome to our Big Interview Icons series where we shine a light on a legend whose name has lit up some of the conversations I’ve had with my guests over the last six years of The Big Interview. This episode focuses on Zinedine Zidane.

Former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves talks about what struck him most when he first played against his hero: he was very quiet, and a tackle with him was like colliding with a brick wall.

Jimmy Bullard admired Zidane so much that he even wore his boots and shorts like him. In fact, on one occasion the tightness of his shorts was such that it impeded him from scoring an easy goal for Wigan!

Next up is Steve McManaman, who speaks about how Zizou endured a frustrating start at Real Madrid. Then came the 2002 Champions League final win over Bayer Leverkusen, and nobody doubted the great man after it.

Lastly we hear from former Real president Ramón Calderón, who says how promoting Zinedine from the position of reserve team coach to the biggest role in club football management was a risk that paid off.

Enjoy.

Graham

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Terry Gibson from season three.

I know Terry well from covering Spanish football over the years, and I find him to be one of the most engaging, funny and astute analysts of the game.

He recounts honestly what it felt like to depart Tottenham, the club he has always loved and who he felt had treated him shabbily. There’s great stuff about his only career hat-trick – for Coventry against the mighty Liverpool, and just how lax Ron Atkinson’s regime was at Manchester United. Alex Ferguson was the new broom and Terry and Fergie soon fell out. Terry withdrew his initial threat to quit football, telling the great manager: I’ll be back to score against you and to win a trophy. He made good on both promises, and the second one was fulfilled when Wimbledon lifted the 1988 FA Cup.

Take it away, Terry.

Graham

As part of the post-Kobe earthquake rebuilding job Stuart Baxter was allowed to sign Danish superstar Michael Laudrup. They gained promotion but the experience drained him of every ounce of energy.

Stuart speaks of his love of South African football, especially at Kaizer Chiefs where he won the double in his first season. Fate seems to have stood in the way of him making it big in Blighty. Circumstances denied him key roles at Manchester United and Celtic, but he had the honour of working with Hoops legend Henrik ‘Henke’ Larsson when they were both at Helsingborgs. He brokered Henke’s loan deal to Manchester United where Sir Alex Ferguson adored him.

This is a fascinating Big Interview. Just fascinating.

Graham

If there is a more interesting, well-travelled coach in modern football than my pal Stuart Baxter then I’ve yet to meet him.

Stuart’s dedication to karate was good preparation for an early brush with the rants of legendary Dundee United manager Wee Jim McLean and for the high demands of the passionate fans of AIK. As manager, he made AIK Swedish league champions again and became a hero of the ‘Black Army’ ultras. Stuart loved his spells in Japan, but his first time managing Kobe coincided with the city’s devastating earthquake. Stuart stuck around to help rebuild.

Good for you, Stuart.

Graham

Alan McInally won the Bundesliga in his first season at Bayern Munich, missing only two games. He learned German and starred alongside legends like Klaus Augenthaler, Hans Pflügler and Jürgen Kohler. There was also current boss Hans-Dieter Flick, a quiet scholar of the game who has brought huge success to the club. Alan’s manager Jupp Heynckes was very demanding but brilliant. The players were weighed every day and trained every Sunday. Alan loved president Uli Hoeneß who was so kind to him when his career was tragically cut short by injury at the age of just 30.

Also in part two, Alan vividly describes what it felt like walking out to play in a World Cup match for Scotland.

Thanks for a brilliant Big Interview, Big Man

Graham.