The Big Interview

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Virgil van Dijk from season five.

The world’s greatest defender’s big break was his move to Celtic, which grounded him in British football. Next up Southampton, where coach Ronald Koeman picked on Virgil – only to bring out the best in him.

You’ll hear about risk taking, passing and pressing at Anfield, and why Lionel Messi was Virgil’s most challenging opponent.

And I ask, just how the heck did Liverpool turn around the 3-0 defeat away to Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League in 2019?

In part two of my second Big Interview with David Moyes, we hear about the ecstasy of beating Seville and the agony of going out to Eintracht Frankfurt in last season’s Europa League.

There’s moving testimony about man-managing Andriy Yarmolenko after his native Ukraine was invaded.

And David also breaks down the stirring talent and mouth-watering potential of Declan Rice, who would do well to observe the likes of Harry Kane when on England duty.

Here we go friends – a new season of The Big Interview, and we open with David Moyes, a guest so enthralling the first-time round that we invited him back.

In part one we chat about how the phenomenon of pre-season has evolved from afternoon bevvying to the era of the perma-fit player.

Returning to West Ham as manager felt like a big gamble for David, but he was courageous enough to graft style onto his core values – and for that, he deserves all the success he is currently enjoying.

Nedum Onuoha is one of the canniest and best-informed observers of the beautiful game in broadcasting. The likeable Mancunian doesn’t hold back when criticising some of his fellow pundits, who can be biased and have forgotten what it’s like to be a player.
Also in part two – brushing off accusations that Nedum deliberately threw his beloved Man City a line when playing against them for QPR in that most famous of league deciders in 2012.

In his autobiography Kicking Back, Nedum Onuoha describes how his Nigerian immigrant parents instilled in him an incredible work ethic and a sense of respect for others.

The pundit and ex-defender’s time at his beloved Manchester City’s Academy grounded him and taught him other values: how to be streetwise and resourceful. Standing in the tunnel with the teams as a ball boy whetted his appetite for the big time.