The Truth About Young Goalkeeper Development | Alan Fettis

WEBVTT
00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:12.679
Every goalkeeper remembers the first moment the game grabbed them, the first idol, the first save, and for Alan Fetis.
00:00:12.710 --> 00:00:21.565
That moment began on the pictures of Northern Ireland before carrying them across leagues, countries, and eventually into the coaching rooms of Manchester United.
00:00:22.730 --> 00:00:32.469
In this episode, Alan opens the door to a life spent inside Goalkeeping at the highest level, from battling for early opportunities to guide in future internationals.
00:00:32.649 --> 00:00:40.090
His journey shows how his resilience, curiosity, and quiet graft ship the keepers who go on to thrive.
00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:48.429
This is a conversation about the game behind the game, the mindset, the evolution, and the small details that make a goalkeeper grow.
00:00:48.460 --> 00:00:52.420
A brilliant story from a man who's lived every chapter.
00:00:58.024 --> 00:01:02.195
​Hello and welcome back for another episode of Catching Up with EVOGK.
00:01:02.914 --> 00:01:06.974
I'm Paul Banks, and today my guest is the fantastic alan Fettis.
00:01:06.995 --> 00:01:08.375
Alan, welcome to the show.
00:01:08.734 --> 00:01:09.004
Thank you.
00:01:10.594 --> 00:01:13.325
a bit of information about Alan, if you're not aware already.
00:01:13.325 --> 00:01:16.924
So, he was born in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland in 1971.
00:01:17.465 --> 00:01:28.954
Carved out a long playing career as a goalkeeper across Britain and Ireland, and turned professional in the early 1990s, making hundreds of senior appearances and earned 25 caps for Northern Ireland as well.
00:01:29.015 --> 00:01:29.375
That's correct.
00:01:30.155 --> 00:01:45.933
after hanging up his gloves, he quickly moved into goalkeeper coaching, taking roles at clubs, including Derby County, Sunderland, and most notably, a long spell at Man United's academy, before joining first Team Goalkeeper coach at Middlesbrough FC in 2022.
00:01:47.725 --> 00:01:56.245
I always have to take a moment when I've read the bios, Alan, because, I try not to fanboy too much during the episodes, but it's what an amazing background.
00:01:56.296 --> 00:02:07.305
you've done some amazing things with your career and I always start at the beginning, which is where I think a lot of us start our football journey as, kids is Who was your goalkeeping idol when you grew up?
00:02:08.295 --> 00:02:12.436
Goalkeeping Idol growing up was obviously coming from Northern Ireland, was Pat Jennings.
00:02:13.786 --> 00:02:20.056
and I suppose Jim Plat also, although, because Pat was so good, Jim didn't play that much.
00:02:20.445 --> 00:02:24.195
You never saw him, but he still, I think he got 35 caps, which is still pretty good.
00:02:25.156 --> 00:02:28.485
so they were my two idols, if you like, growing up.
00:02:28.786 --> 00:02:38.205
But, being from Northern Ireland in the seventies and eighties, my dad used to take me to Irish League games, so Linfield would've gone watch Linfield.
00:02:39.300 --> 00:02:40.170
You'd have George Delap.
00:02:40.270 --> 00:02:57.414
So George Delap was seen as probably the best goalkeeper, arguably the best goalkeeper, I would probably say that, Harvey Patterson was probably, as good as, and I managed to train with, at Glentoran as well, when I signed for Glentoran.
00:02:57.435 --> 00:03:07.995
So, those were probably my idols, but I always looked across at, and you always watched, growing up in the seventies and eighties, you always watched what you could on, on television.
00:03:07.995 --> 00:03:19.365
You, you went and looked for stuff, not so much now where it's just you're swamped with stuff, but yeah, you went and searched for, games and, midweek sports special and, grandstand and football focus.
00:03:19.574 --> 00:03:30.944
you went and searched for these programs so that you could see and watch the games from England and Scotland and, and Europe and, seeing all these different goalkeepers.
00:03:30.944 --> 00:03:35.745
And you could see the goalkeepers growing up, like Bruce Grobbelaar, and people like that.
00:03:35.745 --> 00:03:36.814
And Ray Clemence.
00:03:37.164 --> 00:03:38.104
And yeah.
00:03:38.544 --> 00:03:43.844
Alex Stepney was always a big hero of mine and Gary Bailey, obviously being, a Manchester United fan.
00:03:43.844 --> 00:03:52.270
So all these goalkeepers together, just growing up, watching them and you just wanted to just, I just wanted to be a goalkeeper then, and yeah.
00:03:52.604 --> 00:03:54.884
And emulate those, types of goalkeepers.
00:03:55.634 --> 00:03:58.995
It's funny, I always remember my dad saying, talk about someone.
00:03:58.995 --> 00:04:00.955
He said he had hands like Ray Clemmence.
00:04:01.485 --> 00:04:03.074
And, it just, it's always stuck with me.
00:04:03.074 --> 00:04:17.894
And, when you mentioned that, it just triggered that off, but I, so if, you look at, say Pat Jennings as the first person that you mentioned, what specifically, what do you think his key skills and attributes were that, as a kid drew you to him as to, to, as an idol?
00:04:18.884 --> 00:04:27.855
I think one he was Northern Irish and he was playing at the highest level, he was playing for sports and playing for Arsenal and, having a wonderful career.
00:04:28.665 --> 00:04:32.675
And you just, and like I said, coming from a little council estate, in Newtonabbey.
00:04:33.004 --> 00:04:33.935
And people around there.
00:04:33.935 --> 00:04:36.305
Jimmy Nichol was from the next estate from us.
00:04:36.305 --> 00:04:42.485
So having people like that, that were so close to where you lived, you thought, oh, there might be a chance.
00:04:42.485 --> 00:04:46.725
You always had that dream of maybe I just want to get across the border
00:04:46.725 --> 00:04:47.555
local boy, done good, right?
00:04:47.555 --> 00:04:49.024
Just want to get over there and do something.
00:04:49.444 --> 00:04:55.415
But Pat Jennings was always, he was always very calm and he made unbelievable save and he dominated in the air.
00:04:55.959 --> 00:05:03.995
And, Pat wasn't a massive goalkeeper, but he was just, he made saves that he just, I suppose now you'd say, oh, I save him with his feet.
00:05:03.995 --> 00:05:04.564
That's what you do.
00:05:04.564 --> 00:05:11.225
But people, he was, I suppose in some ways he was unorthodox, but he was just such a fantastic goalkeeper.
00:05:11.254 --> 00:05:12.125
It's kept the ball out, right?
00:05:13.595 --> 00:05:15.394
Well, yeah, a bit more than that, but yeah.
00:05:16.024 --> 00:05:16.035
Yeah.
00:05:16.625 --> 00:05:19.084
Spain in'82 was just incredible.
00:05:19.175 --> 00:05:29.134
And it, that game everybody talks about the game where they beat Spain looking at Armstrong, or Mal Donaghy got sent off, but Pat Jennings that night was, unbelievable.
00:05:29.194 --> 00:05:29.975
He was incredible.
00:05:30.754 --> 00:05:31.264
Amazing.
00:05:32.074 --> 00:05:36.305
and so we'll, come back to Pat Jennings, at the end of the show.
00:05:36.365 --> 00:05:48.274
So we've got, I've got a couple of questions that I'll ask you around that, but I guess you grew up Northern Ireland playing local grassroots football all the way through to, what level did you get to in Northern Ireland before you made the leap to English League?
00:05:48.629 --> 00:05:49.444
I played Irish League.
00:05:49.535 --> 00:05:51.425
I played for Ards.
00:05:52.384 --> 00:06:04.735
so I started my youth team, Irish League with, Glentoran and then moved to Ards and I managed to get in and play some Irish League football at Ards and then got transferred to Hull City.
00:06:05.105 --> 00:06:06.305
You came through the Hull City.
00:06:06.845 --> 00:06:11.014
what did, was the, was there any step up in the, difference of the leagues?
00:06:11.014 --> 00:06:12.394
Was there a difference in quality or, yeah,
00:06:12.394 --> 00:06:14.584
the Irish League at that time was pretty good.
00:06:14.644 --> 00:06:19.055
There was a lot of, ex-professional and there was a lot of good Irish league players.
00:06:21.095 --> 00:06:26.975
and the Irish League was, a half decent standard, So it was a good standard, but for a part-time league, for a part-time division.
00:06:27.754 --> 00:06:35.353
I think I was 18, 17, 18 when I got made my league debut in the Irish League.
00:06:35.375 --> 00:06:41.225
And it was, and I was quite a late mature, or I was quite a thin and I think I made my league debut for whole.
00:06:41.225 --> 00:06:42.305
I was 11 stone too.
00:06:42.845 --> 00:06:44.990
So I was, very, I had a lot of growing.
00:06:44.990 --> 00:06:45.389
That'd be nice.
00:06:45.550 --> 00:06:47.589
I still had a lot of growing to Yeah, no, I know.
00:06:48.110 --> 00:06:49.444
I still had a lot of growing to do.
00:06:50.495 --> 00:06:57.545
so I guess what I was then, when I made the league debut at odd, so it was that was a, challenge in itself.
00:06:58.084 --> 00:06:59.165
And obviously it was only part time.
00:06:59.165 --> 00:07:04.774
You were two nights a week and a game on a Saturday and there was no, gym work and things like that.
00:07:04.774 --> 00:07:05.884
You had to go and find that.
00:07:05.884 --> 00:07:13.535
You had to go to the local Leisure centre, the Valley Leisure centre and, do some weights and things like that, so I had to try and, build up some strength.
00:07:14.165 --> 00:07:16.925
but, yeah, the Irish league was, the Irish League was good.
00:07:17.045 --> 00:07:18.754
The Irish league was a good standard.
00:07:18.754 --> 00:07:18.845
Yep.
00:07:19.685 --> 00:07:37.925
There some really good players in, in, in that orange team, and certainly some really good players in the, Linfield and Glentoran teams who were dominant teams at the time Portadown then and started to make a bit of an impact along with Glenavon, So there was four teams that really were, starting to push rather than there was always Glentoran, Linfield in seventies.
00:07:38.225 --> 00:07:41.105
And so then you made a hundred appearances for Hull.
00:07:41.389 --> 00:07:43.220
was that kind of consecutive appearances?
00:07:43.220 --> 00:07:45.199
Did you have gaps in those appearances or were you
00:07:45.829 --> 00:07:45.949
No.
00:07:46.069 --> 00:07:51.620
My first season, my first season at Hull, it went, pretty well.
00:07:51.949 --> 00:07:56.329
I think I played 40-something games for that season.
00:07:57.110 --> 00:08:02.773
So for the first season, it went, pretty well, and I didn't know why it was going to happen.
00:08:03.403 --> 00:08:07.603
and it you was just hoping it was gonna work out and it was okay.
00:08:08.052 --> 00:08:08.653
It went all right.
00:08:08.952 --> 00:08:11.142
things to learn and made mistakes.
00:08:11.142 --> 00:08:11.682
Of course you do.
00:08:11.682 --> 00:08:15.973
But, But it was overall, I think for our first season it went pretty well.
00:08:16.452 --> 00:08:18.403
Second season, not so well.
00:08:19.213 --> 00:08:23.202
Steve Wilson got in the team and Willow was a fantastic goalkeeper as well.
00:08:24.793 --> 00:08:32.143
and got in the team and, played well and I had to wait in return and, but it was a good learning, and a good lesson for me.
00:08:32.143 --> 00:08:34.482
Good learning curve, a good lesson for me to, okay.
00:08:34.482 --> 00:08:45.432
So I had to work even harder to try and get myself back in the team and sure, you have to build up a little bit resilience and find ways of, getting back in the team, So there was no goalie coaches then.
00:08:45.432 --> 00:08:51.763
It was just me and Steve together, and I think Rod Arnold would've come in maybe once a month or something at the time.
00:08:52.993 --> 00:08:58.482
so you had to find ways of trying to better yourself, trying to find different exercises to do.
00:08:58.482 --> 00:09:05.952
And so that was probably my first venture into coaching, coaching yourself.
00:09:06.072 --> 00:09:06.673
Coaching yourself.
00:09:06.883 --> 00:09:07.123
Yeah.
00:09:07.123 --> 00:09:07.513
Yeah.
00:09:07.753 --> 00:09:08.202
Why not?
00:09:08.413 --> 00:09:08.773
Why not?
00:09:09.883 --> 00:09:14.577
so does, Getting back into the, the Hull team involve you playing up front, I believe.
00:09:17.457 --> 00:09:18.028
Yeah.
00:09:18.447 --> 00:09:22.288
that was a, yeah, that was a few, years later.
00:09:23.018 --> 00:09:31.707
What happened was, I would, at, the time there was, I can't remember, I think it was three subs, I think the increased at the three subs, and one of them had to be a goalie.
00:09:32.427 --> 00:09:33.812
So I was, Steve was in the team.
00:09:34.263 --> 00:09:38.548
I damaged my thumb and I couldn't do any handling work.
00:09:38.548 --> 00:09:39.477
I had to rest it.
00:09:39.477 --> 00:09:45.927
But I was still training with the players in the outfield, keep fitness up and the squads were small at the time as well.
00:09:45.927 --> 00:09:50.097
There wasn't massive scores now, and I hold, didn't have a great deal of money either.
00:09:50.847 --> 00:10:11.383
So it was a case of needs must, and it was just before Christmas, I was out doing the warmup for Steve and Neil Allison came across and he, who was subbed that day and said, gaffer wants you to put number 12 on.
00:10:11.503 --> 00:10:15.102
He, we've got Linton Brown was carrying an injury.
00:10:15.102 --> 00:10:16.120
We might not get through the game.
00:10:16.123 --> 00:10:17.202
He may have to come on up front.
00:10:17.923 --> 00:10:21.913
I thought, to be honest, he was a joker of the team and I thinking, oh, here we go again.
00:10:21.918 --> 00:10:23.052
I thought I, I got on with that.
00:10:23.052 --> 00:10:25.302
Just thought, well, Steve's most important thing here.
00:10:25.302 --> 00:10:27.283
I need to warm Steve up and give him what he needs.
00:10:28.062 --> 00:10:29.592
So one, Steve had done his bit.
00:10:29.743 --> 00:10:34.423
I went in and, lo and behold, managers, I need you to put this on Linton's car.
00:10:34.722 --> 00:10:35.592
You may have to go on.
00:10:35.597 --> 00:10:36.972
I was like, I okay, whatever.
00:10:36.972 --> 00:10:43.873
Like, so put outfield kit on and I think there was 13 minutes left and Linden, I needed to come off.
00:10:44.533 --> 00:10:45.702
So that was that.
00:10:45.702 --> 00:10:45.883
Yeah.
00:10:45.883 --> 00:10:47.472
So that was my first venture up front.
00:10:47.472 --> 00:10:59.743
And I ran on, and I think Terry's words were run on, make a nuisance to yourself and see what we can do Now we Oxford at the time were, I think they were top of the league or second or something like that.
00:10:59.743 --> 00:11:00.552
They were doing really well.
00:11:00.552 --> 00:11:01.363
They were playing really well.
00:11:02.893 --> 00:11:04.062
and we were doing okay.
00:11:04.062 --> 00:11:07.212
I think we were we were top 10 or, so it was.
00:11:07.784 --> 00:11:08.804
Yeah, it was a big game.
00:11:08.804 --> 00:11:10.335
Steve played really well on the day.
00:11:12.254 --> 00:11:15.075
I think Dean Windass scored the first one.
00:11:15.235 --> 00:11:20.559
And I just came on and ran in the box and the ball came on, I just put my foot on it if I did anything.
00:11:20.845 --> 00:11:24.715
So that was, yeah, very, amazing.
00:11:24.774 --> 00:11:25.884
Odd, very odd.
00:11:25.884 --> 00:11:26.184
Amazing.
00:11:26.184 --> 00:11:29.095
But still, a lot of people seem to remind me of that.
00:11:29.095 --> 00:11:30.684
There's a lot of people at the game that day.
00:11:30.684 --> 00:11:32.215
I think there was about 27,000.
00:11:32.544 --> 00:11:34.554
That's the amount of people that, that's a good amount for.
00:11:34.554 --> 00:11:34.674
Yeah.
00:11:34.674 --> 00:11:36.355
But there was only about 3000 there, really.
00:11:36.355 --> 00:11:42.294
But there seems to be a lot more that, anytime you go the hall, it's, oh, I was at the game.
00:11:43.659 --> 00:11:44.455
It was good times.
00:11:44.514 --> 00:11:45.115
Good times.
00:11:45.174 --> 00:11:49.524
It's not very often a keeper gets license to score a goal.
00:11:49.884 --> 00:11:50.664
Outfield, right.
00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:53.649
No, Definitely made a
00:11:53.950 --> 00:11:54.250
nuisance.
00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:55.240
I'd certainly
00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:55.690
be it.
00:11:55.690 --> 00:11:55.990
Certainly.
00:11:55.990 --> 00:12:03.100
I think I'm, I think I chased a back pass down and I've realised then, oh, now I know where I played in goal Yeah, no
00:12:03.100 --> 00:12:03.610
more of that.
00:12:04.029 --> 00:12:04.720
No more of that.
00:12:06.580 --> 00:12:10.720
so then obviously you, also went on to earn 25 caps for Northern Ireland.
00:12:11.559 --> 00:12:15.970
What does it feel like stepping out on the national stage, regardless of the crowds?
00:12:16.029 --> 00:12:17.139
Like that's, I think,
00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:23.710
yeah, the crowds, I play, I was fortunate to play against some really good teams.
00:12:25.090 --> 00:12:31.690
I remember one game in Portugal, in Porto, we drew one each and I had a, good game that night.
00:12:31.690 --> 00:12:35.529
But the, whole crowd was fantastic.
00:12:35.710 --> 00:12:38.740
the atmosphere was really, it was a little bit different to what I was used to.
00:12:38.740 --> 00:12:48.730
I was playing third tier, football, so it was different, but it never really, bothered me.
00:12:48.730 --> 00:12:55.509
Crowds and stuff, I think the, bigger the crowd, the more you just got involved in the game.
00:12:55.509 --> 00:12:59.080
You couldn't really hear the noise when there's less people there.
00:12:59.080 --> 00:12:59.264
It's not sphere.
00:12:59.264 --> 00:12:59.424
Right?
00:12:59.440 --> 00:12:59.559
Yeah.
00:12:59.559 --> 00:13:04.059
When there's less people there, you hear every comment and you hear, yeah.
00:13:04.360 --> 00:13:05.080
Whether you want to or not.
00:13:05.379 --> 00:13:05.980
Well, exactly.
00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:10.059
and, there's, lots of things that you, think, oh, wowsers.
00:13:10.450 --> 00:13:16.720
But, yeah, the, bigger the crowd, I think it was just a, good atmosphere, good noise.
00:13:16.990 --> 00:13:20.200
Never, it never really bothered me, too much.
00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:27.777
I remember playing Republic of Ireland, Lansdowne Road, and I think we were allowed something like 50 tickets or something like that.
00:13:27.777 --> 00:13:28.917
That was all there was.
00:13:28.976 --> 00:13:33.687
We, there was no, nobody from the North allowed to come to, To Lansdowne Road.
00:13:35.456 --> 00:13:38.456
so it was a brilliant, it was a brilliant day.
00:13:38.456 --> 00:13:39.297
It was a brilliant game.
00:13:39.356 --> 00:13:41.456
The atmosphere was Fantastic.
00:13:41.456 --> 00:13:45.937
Electric, we drew one one, but, games like that was just.
00:13:46.466 --> 00:13:49.226
Just fantastic games, like you really, good games.
00:13:50.787 --> 00:13:54.256
And then, you retired at some point, but you moved straight into coaching.
00:13:54.527 --> 00:13:57.076
Did, was that something that you saw coming from a distance?
00:13:57.376 --> 00:13:58.397
Was that something you intended?
00:13:59.272 --> 00:14:00.511
I don't, did I intend it?
00:14:02.746 --> 00:14:03.376
I loved it.
00:14:04.427 --> 00:14:05.086
I always, did it.
00:14:05.086 --> 00:14:06.557
Like I said earlier, I always did it.
00:14:06.647 --> 00:14:06.886
Yeah.
00:14:07.726 --> 00:14:09.076
because we had no goalie cultures.
00:14:10.491 --> 00:14:14.116
you were buying, DVDs, you were buying Simon Smith's videos and stuff.
00:14:14.866 --> 00:14:16.547
You were buying books.
00:14:16.547 --> 00:14:18.647
I bought, I, funnily enough, I saw it the other day.
00:14:18.647 --> 00:14:20.236
I was cleaning, I cleaning something out.
00:14:20.236 --> 00:14:22.006
I thought, oh, there's a Peter Shilton book.
00:14:23.746 --> 00:14:29.596
and I bought like things that was Martin Arndt and, Hans Leitner and think people from a, from abroad.
00:14:29.836 --> 00:14:40.258
So you ban all these books and, videos at the time and DVDs just so that you could, Practice and do different things and do different what, could help you?
00:14:40.258 --> 00:14:47.427
And you made things up yourself and, you work with the other goalie coaches or the other, you, other goalkeepers, like I said, there were no goalie coaches.
00:14:47.638 --> 00:14:49.648
And, then when that, rod come in, he would come in.
00:14:49.648 --> 00:14:53.967
'cause he used to do some work, with the Goalkeeping schools.
00:14:54.118 --> 00:14:55.677
So he'd come in and show us different things.
00:14:55.677 --> 00:14:56.878
We'd do that, we'd carry that on.
00:14:56.878 --> 00:15:00.238
So I suppose in some way, yeah.
00:15:00.658 --> 00:15:02.518
Coaching was always there.
00:15:02.607 --> 00:15:07.528
'cause I enjoyed doing it and I enjoyed sort of making things up and making mistakes and getting things wrong.
00:15:07.798 --> 00:15:09.988
I will not do that again, but yeah.
00:15:11.008 --> 00:15:20.878
but I also, as I was getting towards the end of my career, so of mid to mid thirties, I took a degree or I started doing a sports science degree.
00:15:21.238 --> 00:15:23.248
'cause I thought, well, I'm getting towards the end of this career.
00:15:23.403 --> 00:15:24.447
What am I gonna do next?
00:15:24.898 --> 00:15:25.048
Yeah.
00:15:25.138 --> 00:15:27.597
And I had done, I'd done my licenses and stuff.
00:15:27.802 --> 00:15:29.278
I started doing those and.
00:15:30.118 --> 00:15:32.457
but I didn't know what, I didn't know what was gonna happen.
00:15:32.457 --> 00:15:35.548
You you panic a little bit and you're worried and you go, what am I gonna do next?
00:15:36.207 --> 00:15:41.217
So I took on a science degree, didn't realise how difficult it was gonna be.
00:15:41.967 --> 00:15:42.748
it was six years.
00:15:42.748 --> 00:15:43.888
It was so difficult.
00:15:43.888 --> 00:15:44.038
Wow.
00:15:44.697 --> 00:15:49.498
And so I finished my, I finished playing and then we moved house.
00:15:49.528 --> 00:15:50.248
I moved jobs.
00:15:50.248 --> 00:15:52.668
I went to, my first coaching job was at Derby.
00:15:53.278 --> 00:15:55.467
Then I came up to Sunderland and we moved house.
00:15:55.467 --> 00:15:58.557
We came up here and I'm still trying to do this course, which was six years.
00:15:59.307 --> 00:16:01.317
And it was just so, it was just so difficult.
00:16:01.317 --> 00:16:03.207
But yeah.
00:16:03.207 --> 00:16:04.587
So the coaching went okay.
00:16:04.677 --> 00:16:05.548
The coaching went okay.
00:16:05.548 --> 00:16:10.918
And I managed to work at some brilliant academies and and ended up finishing my degree.
00:16:10.977 --> 00:16:21.028
'cause I thought, well I actually was gonna go back home and probably I was thinking about maybe being a, PE teacher or something like that, and another career and have another 20, 25 years career.
00:16:21.028 --> 00:16:23.998
And then that would be me retire and go live in the sun.
00:16:24.748 --> 00:16:28.633
But, Yeah, so the, coaching seemed to go okay.
00:16:31.113 --> 00:16:35.082
Derby was a brilliant grounding for me, a really good grounding.
00:16:35.802 --> 00:16:37.092
I went in with Billy Davis.
00:16:37.692 --> 00:16:39.312
Kevin Thelwell was academy manager.
00:16:40.393 --> 00:16:41.923
so that was a really good grounding.
00:16:41.923 --> 00:16:42.942
It was so tough.
00:16:43.812 --> 00:16:44.263
really tough.
00:16:44.263 --> 00:16:52.572
There was a lot of long hours, all different age groups at one point,'cause Billy lost his job and Paul Jewel took over.
00:16:52.722 --> 00:16:56.503
So they were waiting for, Gary Walsh to come in.
00:16:57.013 --> 00:17:00.552
So I was doing first team down to under nines.
00:17:01.212 --> 00:17:05.923
So that was, a difficult, I think it was about eight weeks, six to eight weeks.
00:17:06.073 --> 00:17:07.153
That was a difficult time.
00:17:07.722 --> 00:17:11.682
I thought, well, if I can get through this bit, that'll tell me if I really want to start coaching.
00:17:11.923 --> 00:17:12.133
Yeah.
00:17:12.432 --> 00:17:12.883
And I did.
00:17:12.883 --> 00:17:18.103
And I got through it and I got to the, to towards the end of the season before I got sacked.
00:17:18.673 --> 00:17:19.603
'cause we got relegated.
00:17:19.663 --> 00:17:23.022
So course I was the derby era, in the Premier League.
00:17:23.022 --> 00:17:28.768
So we, Yeah, of course we're getting caught and I lost my job and, and moved on.
00:17:28.768 --> 00:17:34.887
But, that was a, tough ground, but it was brilliant'cause the staff there was so, so good.
00:17:34.978 --> 00:17:36.417
And the academy so good.
00:17:36.988 --> 00:17:38.157
really enjoyed my time there.
00:17:38.728 --> 00:17:43.137
And then came to Sunderland and again, that was great staff.
00:17:44.218 --> 00:17:45.597
Really, good staff.
00:17:45.657 --> 00:17:57.867
And it was just, with Kevin Ball was under him so I was a Goalkeeping coach for Kevin Ball, but Jed was there and Elliot was there and it was a really good club at the time.
00:17:58.317 --> 00:18:02.577
Steve Bruce was manager and a good relationship with, Nigel Spink as well.
00:18:02.577 --> 00:18:06.147
So, it was a really good club at the time.
00:18:06.347 --> 00:18:08.873
and it was actually a little bit of a wrench to leave, to be honest.
00:18:09.202 --> 00:18:12.262
If it wasn't for Manchester United, I, I was quite happy there.
00:18:12.472 --> 00:18:13.313
It was, a good club.
00:18:14.093 --> 00:18:14.663
And that's where you
00:18:14.663 --> 00:18:16.762
first started building a relationship with James Howarth as well, right?
00:18:17.242 --> 00:18:18.202
Yeah, of course.
00:18:18.202 --> 00:18:18.353
Yeah.
00:18:18.563 --> 00:18:18.593
'cause
00:18:18.952 --> 00:18:26.282
James, come in, Yeah, we, had him in trial for a bit, but just decided not to take him in the end.
00:18:26.528 --> 00:18:28.448
But he was, oh, this chair.
00:18:28.928 --> 00:18:29.557
That was this chair.
00:18:31.222 --> 00:18:36.278
so, yeah, he, yeah, James came in on the trial and, he did.
00:18:36.278 --> 00:18:36.637
Okay.
00:18:36.938 --> 00:18:37.508
he did okay.
00:18:37.508 --> 00:18:39.397
But we had some good goalies there.
00:18:39.698 --> 00:18:39.877
Yeah.
00:18:39.877 --> 00:18:40.962
He some really good goal.
00:18:41.617 --> 00:18:46.178
So to come in and, to surpass the likes of Ben Wilson.
00:18:46.387 --> 00:18:46.627
Yeah.
00:18:47.228 --> 00:18:51.337
Jordan Pickford, Joel Dixon was in there.
00:18:51.337 --> 00:18:53.048
Jonny Maddison was in there as well.
00:18:53.053 --> 00:18:53.123
Yeah.
00:18:53.347 --> 00:18:53.587
Yeah.
00:18:55.387 --> 00:18:56.317
Trevor Carson.
00:18:56.798 --> 00:18:56.978
Yeah.
00:18:57.248 --> 00:18:59.347
so there, there was some really good goalies in there.
00:18:59.347 --> 00:19:02.018
Louis King came in from Derby, funnily enough.
00:19:02.768 --> 00:19:04.238
good, really good goalkeepers.
00:19:04.357 --> 00:19:10.387
They have a real it, and they always have done, son have always had some really good goalkeepers and still do.
00:19:10.627 --> 00:19:10.807
Yeah.
00:19:12.107 --> 00:19:14.107
pruds does a really good job up there as well.
00:19:14.557 --> 00:19:16.567
and, Kevin Wolf done a great job before I.
00:19:17.288 --> 00:19:18.067
I came in as well.
00:19:18.067 --> 00:19:20.347
So they had some good coaches, but they had some really
00:19:20.347 --> 00:19:25.538
good, talented, you met another one of our guests, during your time at Sunderland as well'cause we had Jonathan Craig on the show as well.
00:19:25.538 --> 00:19:32.198
And he mentioned, you, you had a hand in, joining the Sunderland coaching team at one point, right?
00:19:32.857 --> 00:19:39.067
Yeah, well, it was, you were trying to, you were trying to build things and you're trying to do the best.
00:19:39.067 --> 00:19:43.627
When I went in it, it had been, it had been left a little bit.
00:19:45.127 --> 00:19:51.188
Kevin was, working, and then coming in and doing his bit and he was working all sorts of hours.
00:19:52.807 --> 00:19:58.337
so he needed, he just, it needed just trim down a little bit and a little bit more organisation.
00:19:58.627 --> 00:20:05.018
And once we organised it a little bit better and made it more efficient, then I think it started to work better.
00:20:06.877 --> 00:20:16.478
and it was, yeah, we just needed, we needed coaches in, we needed different areas to develop and trying to the development squads and, fill in holes and gaps.
00:20:17.032 --> 00:20:20.423
And trying to develop as best we could within the budget that we had, grow it, right?
00:20:20.423 --> 00:20:20.633
Yeah.
00:20:21.173 --> 00:20:23.692
So it was, it was a good, it was a great time.
00:20:23.782 --> 00:20:26.992
And like I say, I'm being, I made loads of mistakes doing these things.
00:20:28.282 --> 00:20:29.093
but you learn from them.
00:20:29.843 --> 00:20:31.103
and that takes you, yeah.
00:20:31.103 --> 00:20:34.613
Hopefully takes you on to the next bit if you're willing to accept the mistakes.
00:20:34.613 --> 00:20:36.053
And I move on.
00:20:36.923 --> 00:20:41.363
And then you've already, mentioned that you moved on to the Man United scene.
00:20:41.965 --> 00:20:42.776
what was that like?
00:20:43.046 --> 00:20:44.816
Because that's, a different world altogether, right?
00:20:46.766 --> 00:20:47.246
yeah.
00:20:47.461 --> 00:20:48.955
It, is, and it certainly was.
00:20:48.986 --> 00:20:51.313
It was, well I applied for the job.
00:20:51.512 --> 00:20:52.813
I, didn't know if I was going to get it.
00:20:53.053 --> 00:20:59.292
And I was up upfront with, Jed as well, said, look, Jed, Manchester United have advertised Richard Hartis's job.
00:21:00.222 --> 00:21:02.472
he was leaving to go to Molde with, Ollie.
00:21:04.303 --> 00:21:05.972
and I applied and I got an interview.
00:21:06.282 --> 00:21:14.833
I managed to get the job, so I've bluffed Steeley enough to, to get the job, like, so that was a bit, that, that was 2011.
00:21:15.313 --> 00:21:23.022
So we, yeah, so I, went down for the interview, but the, this, the winter here was horrendous, right?
00:21:23.022 --> 00:21:23.833
It was horrendous.
00:21:23.833 --> 00:21:27.192
So dug my car out, I took my daughter to school.
00:21:28.002 --> 00:21:31.603
I remember going for this interview, dug my car out, the snow was there.
00:21:31.647 --> 00:21:34.002
It was, I was like, how am I going to get to this interview?
00:21:34.002 --> 00:21:35.893
Interview was two o'clock or something that afternoon.
00:21:35.893 --> 00:21:37.032
How am I gonna get to this interview?
00:21:37.813 --> 00:21:38.653
I dug my car out.
00:21:38.653 --> 00:21:41.682
I was like nine o'clock in the morning taking this car, trying to go.
00:21:41.952 --> 00:21:48.292
And it took me probably, an hour to get to the, A19 from, I lived in East Boldon.
00:21:48.863 --> 00:21:50.772
So the, A19, I was only a couple of miles.
00:21:50.833 --> 00:21:52.512
I was like, oh no, this is gonna be awful.
00:21:52.573 --> 00:21:53.353
This is all the way down.
00:21:53.353 --> 00:21:54.163
I'm never gonna make it.
00:21:54.163 --> 00:21:55.542
I'm going, this is a chance of a lifetime.
00:21:55.542 --> 00:21:58.242
Never gonna make it managed to get to bat time.
00:21:58.242 --> 00:21:59.303
I got to, to Middlesbrough.
00:21:59.323 --> 00:21:59.893
There was nothing.
00:21:59.893 --> 00:22:04.123
I was, I ended up putting my feet up for two hours in the car and probably fall asleep.
00:22:04.212 --> 00:22:07.738
But, Yeah, so that, yeah, so I got the job at United.
00:22:07.738 --> 00:22:10.978
It was, and it was for 11 and a half years.
00:22:11.482 --> 00:22:12.262
it was fantastic.
00:22:12.262 --> 00:22:14.518
It was an amazing place, an amazing club.
00:22:14.518 --> 00:22:22.827
I know it's had, its ups and downs and it's been, it, different levels and different things have gone on, but still for me, still Manchester
00:22:22.827 --> 00:22:23.607
United though, right?
00:22:24.117 --> 00:22:25.258
it's some place.
00:22:25.258 --> 00:22:27.718
I was down at the weekend and watching under 18 play.
00:22:29.337 --> 00:22:29.998
Wonderful, place.
00:22:30.807 --> 00:22:34.988
And you've seen the likes of, and I got wrong for mispronouncing It from Steeley.
00:22:35.157 --> 00:22:39.268
You've seen the likes of David de Gea come through the ranks at Man United as well.
00:22:40.167 --> 00:22:46.167
what's, it like working with somebody who you can see such incredible talent potential, like the roof must be so high for those kids?
00:22:47.008 --> 00:22:49.468
Yeah, I remember David De Gea walking in the office.
00:22:49.468 --> 00:22:53.907
I was sat with Steeley and he, walked in the office and says, oh, this is just David.
00:22:54.988 --> 00:23:01.647
And he was just 19-year-old, like thin, scrawny, straggly, beard, and like, wow.
00:23:03.807 --> 00:23:04.343
But when you seen him too.
00:23:05.788 --> 00:23:08.188
you saw him train and you go, oh yeah.
00:23:08.188 --> 00:23:09.807
You can see the talent that he's got.
00:23:10.198 --> 00:23:22.534
And certainly in those, early, days when Steeley got hold of him, and did the work with him and got him in the gym and built him up, he could see it just started to grow and grow into Manchester United.
00:23:23.074 --> 00:23:24.784
which is not an easy thing to do.
00:23:26.104 --> 00:23:27.423
and he just took it on.
00:23:28.263 --> 00:23:32.493
he, I have to say he had some resilience, certainly in the early days when he went in.
00:23:32.493 --> 00:23:39.753
He got beat up a little bit, Ander took him out and just went in and he got back in the team and then he just went from there.
00:23:39.878 --> 00:23:41.413
And that was him.
00:23:41.413 --> 00:23:41.538
That was him.
00:23:41.673 --> 00:23:44.374
And he was in the team for the next 10 years.
00:23:44.374 --> 00:23:44.703
Really?
00:23:44.913 --> 00:23:45.094
Yeah.
00:23:46.503 --> 00:23:51.124
but yeah, talented, boy, me, it's incredible sales, very athletic, quick.
00:23:51.758 --> 00:23:53.857
and like I say, very resilient.
00:23:54.097 --> 00:23:54.877
Very resilient.
00:23:56.018 --> 00:23:57.577
I think it's safe to say that.
00:23:58.282 --> 00:24:04.972
During the time you were at United, there was a, there was certainly a period of a lot of change going on, lots of different things going on in the back, back offices and things.
00:24:05.813 --> 00:24:13.732
What, in terms of, training culture, maybe the pressure, what did the outside world not see that was going on at Man United at that time?
00:24:14.469 --> 00:24:24.519
What with the changes of, managers and, yeah, the, main difference is the styles that, that then come into the club.
00:24:25.328 --> 00:24:32.648
obviously they'd spent so long with Sir Alex, and a style that he had basically developed for the whole club.
00:24:34.269 --> 00:24:46.088
and all the way through from, foundation phase as it became all the way through, there was this, there was Manchester United style of play, way of play.
00:24:46.892 --> 00:24:55.409
and then for it to change, I don't think, certainly from the goalkeeper side of things, whenever David Moyes come in with, woodsy, that didn't change too much.
00:24:55.892 --> 00:25:11.281
I think Eric's, style and Woodsy's style were quite similar, so there wasn't a big difference there with regards to, David and Anders there, they just, they, it's pretty much the same.
00:25:11.281 --> 00:25:12.031
So they were fine.
00:25:13.471 --> 00:25:16.112
obviously results then weren't as good.
00:25:16.112 --> 00:25:22.352
The team would change and Dave Moyes trying to put his stamp on it and trying to rebuild it, and it was always gonna be really difficult.
00:25:22.832 --> 00:25:23.491
really difficult.
00:25:24.422 --> 00:25:27.662
but certainly from the goalkeeper's perspective, didn't change too much.
00:25:27.781 --> 00:25:28.531
Didn't change too much.
00:25:28.531 --> 00:25:30.602
Obviously different status.
00:25:30.662 --> 00:25:37.892
Some in some, just basically, practices that have gone on are different, but, everything else was pretty much the same.
00:25:37.892 --> 00:25:37.981
Yeah.
00:25:39.182 --> 00:25:44.432
the biggest change then became when Mr.
00:25:44.470 --> 00:25:45.211
Van Gaal came in.
00:25:45.362 --> 00:25:45.672
Mr.
00:25:45.672 --> 00:25:48.332
Van Gaal came in, he had he had a real style.
00:25:48.978 --> 00:25:52.008
rightly wrongly, that was his style and they were very good at it.
00:25:52.097 --> 00:25:56.988
They were, how they trained his philosophy and methodology.
00:25:57.708 --> 00:26:01.847
That was how they had, sessions that were perfect for how they wanted it.
00:26:01.847 --> 00:26:07.367
And they trained it really well, but it was different and the goalies found it really different.
00:26:07.367 --> 00:26:07.847
Certainly.
00:26:08.152 --> 00:26:17.261
the English goalies at the table, certainly Sam Johnson, who was in around the first team found it difficult'cause there was a lot with, maybe they were ahead of the curve.
00:26:17.261 --> 00:26:21.281
I'm not sure how you would put it, but there was a lot in, with the team, in with the team.
00:26:21.281 --> 00:26:24.192
So Frans would put, would have the, goalies in with the team.
00:26:24.281 --> 00:26:29.771
They'd probably do a warm up with Frans, and then straight in with the team and everything was geared around the goalkeeper in with the team.
00:26:30.402 --> 00:26:34.031
So all the sessions were goalkeepers in and that's how they were getting their training.
00:26:36.192 --> 00:26:38.951
whether that's right or wrong, who's to say?
00:26:40.662 --> 00:26:43.811
I think me personally, a little hybrid of both.
00:26:44.592 --> 00:26:44.916
that's that.
00:26:45.747 --> 00:26:47.396
I, would work anyway trying to, yeah.
00:26:48.326 --> 00:26:53.757
hybrid and a little bit of both of, you're still getting your work, your individual work and unit work Yeah.
00:26:53.757 --> 00:26:58.436
Before you go in, in with the team and then coach them within the team environment.
00:26:58.586 --> 00:26:58.767
Yeah.
00:26:59.037 --> 00:27:03.957
But, that was, a, that was probably the biggest difference at the time.
00:27:05.217 --> 00:27:08.307
but I have to say the way they, trained it was very good.
00:27:09.866 --> 00:27:18.807
I think that's the interesting thing for me with the son who's going through grassroots, is there's that we're, very fortunate that we've got a very good grassroots club.
00:27:19.376 --> 00:27:25.557
We've got a very good grassroots goalkeeper coach, which, when I was a kid that you, there's none of these things existed.
00:27:25.557 --> 00:27:28.376
You, you had the pink paper, as, Johno and Iain were talking about.
00:27:28.376 --> 00:27:32.247
You had the pink paper, you advertise for players and everybody turned up and did trials and stuff.
00:27:33.057 --> 00:27:34.886
and I wasn't even, I wasn't even good enough for that.
00:27:36.146 --> 00:27:41.696
but the thing I do see with my son is there's almost that gap there at that age.
00:27:42.551 --> 00:27:46.332
He's getting goalkeeper coaching on one side, which is really good, really focused on the technique.
00:27:47.711 --> 00:27:54.642
Then he gets really good kind of team coaching on, on, on the deer, and he gets his skills coaching with his feet and things like that.
00:27:55.241 --> 00:28:05.622
But there's almost that gap of how do you stitch the two together, which is where I guess, that, that is going, it's that kind of hybrid philosophy of, yeah, you need the technical stuff.
00:28:06.281 --> 00:28:26.652
Here's how to apply it to real life, but here's somebody who, when you are applying it to real life, understands what you are thinking and what you are doing, what you are not doing, as opposed to somebody coming out from the opposite perspective as an outfield coach who can stand there and go, right, well, I need the strikers to be shooting at the goalkeeper and I'm gonna praise the goalkeeper or tell'em they're done badly, but I don't really know what it is that they should be doing.
00:28:27.251 --> 00:28:28.031
Does that make sense?
00:28:28.061 --> 00:28:28.392
Yeah.
00:28:28.396 --> 00:28:28.446
Yeah.
00:28:29.051 --> 00:28:29.741
I think as well
00:28:29.741 --> 00:28:29.892
with
00:28:29.892 --> 00:28:38.231
that, I went and had a, a coffee with Paul McGinnis, who was under a teams, coach at Manchester.
00:28:38.382 --> 00:28:41.771
I went down and did, and Paul had been there a long time, and we have so.
00:28:42.281 --> 00:28:56.922
Dave used to ask about goalkeepers and I asked about centre Forwards and Defenders and, it's, almost like we were saying, look, yeah, I work especially with the goalkeepers, but also you gotta deal with, you gotta work with the centre forwards.
00:28:57.971 --> 00:29:12.372
you gotta work with the defenders as well because, you work really closely with these and if you can work together to one the defenders to stop shots and block shots in a certain way and you do up it or or to centre forward, look at the goalkeeper, look at his hands.
00:29:12.372 --> 00:29:13.211
Here's the space here.
00:29:13.362 --> 00:29:14.231
Look, at his position here.
00:29:14.231 --> 00:29:15.342
And he gets in that.
00:29:15.551 --> 00:29:23.771
So you might want try this, you might want, so there's, it's fine saying, yeah, we're goalkeepers and what we specialise and we want, obviously we wanna make the goalkeepers better.
00:29:23.771 --> 00:29:24.342
Of course we do.
00:29:24.342 --> 00:29:24.912
That's our job.
00:29:24.942 --> 00:29:25.001
Yeah.
00:29:26.531 --> 00:29:34.122
but also there's, add-ons and there's, a byproduct of that as well, which is, look, this is what we are focusing on.
00:29:34.467 --> 00:29:36.807
This is what you need to think about and you need to think about.
00:29:36.811 --> 00:29:36.842
Yeah.
00:29:36.846 --> 00:29:38.336
And we work, we can all work together.
00:29:38.336 --> 00:29:48.807
So he was, we were chatting about that and we were saying to get,'cause he was asking me about, what the goalkeepers, like, what they're not like, what you practicing?
00:29:49.767 --> 00:29:50.846
what's the next bit?
00:29:50.846 --> 00:29:58.646
What the, what, you were you looking to take it and how does that affect then the other parts that are, associated with that.
00:29:59.727 --> 00:30:09.176
and it was, Paul was, he's a, fantastic coach and the way he thinks about, different, things and his style of play and philosophies and different things.
00:30:09.686 --> 00:30:10.826
It was, a really good chat.
00:30:10.826 --> 00:30:20.186
And, yeah, so I think, that's certainly the goal keeping coaches and outfield coaches have got to think a little bit more of, and.
00:30:20.846 --> 00:30:30.416
Yeah, you're a goalkeeper coach, specialist coach, but you're also, you can help with the forwards and you can help with offenders and everybody should be in together and, trying to find the best way and the best.
00:30:30.416 --> 00:30:30.537
It's
00:30:30.537 --> 00:30:31.527
a really interesting idea.
00:30:31.527 --> 00:30:40.946
I haven't really considered it from the other's perspective of really supporting the outfield, certainly the defenders in terms of what more they can be doing to support the goalkeeper from a goalkeeper's perspective.
00:30:41.217 --> 00:30:43.676
It's, I think there's, a lot to be taken from that.
00:30:43.676 --> 00:30:43.767
Well,
00:30:44.876 --> 00:30:45.057
yeah.
00:30:45.237 --> 00:30:51.057
Well, I think most coaches now, there's that much analysis, certainly at first team levels, all the way through.
00:30:51.656 --> 00:30:54.596
There's, so much analysis, again, rightly or wrongly.
00:30:55.452 --> 00:31:00.073
I would before every game when I was at Middlesbrough, look at the goalkeeper.
00:31:00.282 --> 00:31:00.732
What's he do?
00:31:01.123 --> 00:31:01.843
what's his strengths?
00:31:01.843 --> 00:31:02.803
What's he weaknesses work?
00:31:02.803 --> 00:31:06.972
What do you think we can, and pass it on to the coach and say, look, this is what I think, this is what I thought.
00:31:07.212 --> 00:31:11.893
And he'd go, okay, well, I'll go and speak to him and, give him a little video, and, they're all doing, it's not just me doing that.
00:31:11.893 --> 00:31:12.853
Everybody's doing that.
00:31:12.853 --> 00:31:12.913
Yeah.
00:31:12.913 --> 00:31:19.567
So, yeah, it's, You just, you're just trying to help each try help the team, aren't you?
00:31:19.567 --> 00:31:20.367
You're trying to help the team.
00:31:21.373 --> 00:31:26.833
So then you've had an amazing coaching career as well as an amazing playing career.
00:31:27.432 --> 00:31:36.823
What's the biggest kind of pinch me moment amongst all of that where you've maybe, I dunno, maybe met an idol of yours or you've worked with somebody who you've admired from afar?
00:31:36.823 --> 00:31:37.212
I dunno.
00:31:37.212 --> 00:31:39.823
What's, what really stands out across the time that you've had?
00:31:40.461 --> 00:31:55.838
playing international football was an incredible achievement, But, I was very fortunate to play against, some, really good goalkeepers like goalkeepers that you'd, seen or you'd, grown up with.
00:31:56.402 --> 00:31:59.642
meeting Pat Jennings was a, bit of a pinch me moment.
00:31:59.856 --> 00:32:04.682
he became a coach in Northern Ireland, but he wasn't, people say, don't.
00:32:05.432 --> 00:32:06.422
don't meet your idols.
00:32:06.481 --> 00:32:09.902
'cause you'll be disappointed if you could never be disappointed.
00:32:10.112 --> 00:32:12.092
He was just exactly as you thought.
00:32:12.092 --> 00:32:15.481
He was an absolute gentleman and really nice person.
00:32:15.872 --> 00:32:20.358
just a very, charitable type of guy, And yeah.
00:32:20.868 --> 00:32:22.915
and he was just what you thought he was..
00:32:22.915 --> 00:32:28.969
So that was a, bit of a pinch me moment, that he became my coach at Northern Ireland.
00:32:29.538 --> 00:32:37.368
So that was, I suppose going into Manchester United as a coach was a bit of a pinch me moment.
00:32:37.368 --> 00:32:44.659
Coming as a fan in Northern Ireland and then wanting to just play football in England if you could.
00:32:46.159 --> 00:32:49.249
but to actually get to Manchester now, I was never good enough to play for Manchester.
00:32:49.249 --> 00:32:52.999
Now, well that, that reserve game in pre-season, which it did, but I'll take that.
00:32:54.828 --> 00:32:58.578
but by the way, it was the only one we lost all pre-season, so it wasn't that good.
00:32:59.794 --> 00:32:59.854
Yeah.
00:32:59.854 --> 00:33:18.784
But that was, a bit of a pinch me moment being, being there and meeting sort of Sox Ferguson and seeing players like, you know, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney and people like that you Yeah, that was, but I was never, I've never one to get, pinch me moments as a footballer It is what it is
00:33:19.173 --> 00:33:19.473
Yeah.
00:33:19.473 --> 00:33:35.614
And this is something that I was talking about with, Simon Smith on the last episode, was I think people can forget that we put footballers in the same category as celebrities and maybe right or wrongly, but we put'em up on this ped and they're almost become untouchables to, to us as kids.
00:33:35.614 --> 00:33:39.213
And all the way through in adult life, we forget that they're just humans.
00:33:39.213 --> 00:33:39.993
They're just people.
00:33:39.993 --> 00:33:53.314
They've got, they've got, somebody's gotta do the dirty dishes when they finish their meal and, they've got dirty laundry in their bedroom and, like they're just people, with a skillset with peer, the peer that comes with it, whatever.
00:33:53.318 --> 00:33:53.358
But.
00:33:54.814 --> 00:33:57.604
We go through the same experiences as everybody else.
00:33:57.604 --> 00:34:00.064
And I think there's too much of that forgotten in the modern day.
00:34:00.064 --> 00:34:02.523
We've almost moved them to deities.
00:34:02.584 --> 00:34:08.224
And it's I, remember gonna see Peter Shilton in the local shopping centre when I was a kid.
00:34:09.139 --> 00:34:11.673
like they're just people.
00:34:12.873 --> 00:34:16.173
and I think we should do more to remind ourselves of that.
00:34:18.304 --> 00:34:18.693
yeah, I agree.
00:34:18.693 --> 00:34:19.083
I agree.
00:34:19.083 --> 00:34:33.364
'cause when, whenever, Edwin came in, Van Der Sar came into Manchester United, now he was someone that I, when I started my career in England, he was becoming a, he was a, and, moving on.
00:34:33.364 --> 00:34:37.713
He was like, he was one of the European superstars, goalkeepers at the time.
00:34:38.253 --> 00:34:40.503
And then to actually go in and do a better training with him.
00:34:40.503 --> 00:34:46.054
But again, one of the most down to earth humble people you could have, you could've imagined to me.
00:34:46.054 --> 00:34:48.244
And he was brilliant to work with.
00:34:48.603 --> 00:34:48.784
Yeah.
00:34:49.414 --> 00:34:51.483
I'm sure Eric would've said it says exactly the same.
00:34:51.514 --> 00:34:51.753
Yeah.
00:34:52.474 --> 00:35:03.730
they're brilliant to work with and, like I say, humble, but wanted to work and knew, so there was no like, ego with him or, yeah, I don't need, I'm not doing this session like what we're doing.
00:35:03.760 --> 00:35:03.880
Yeah.
00:35:03.940 --> 00:35:04.119
Okay.
00:35:04.119 --> 00:35:04.449
No problem.
00:35:04.449 --> 00:35:05.619
But do that, do roll the
00:35:05.619 --> 00:35:06.489
sleeves up and get on with it.
00:35:06.494 --> 00:35:06.684
Yeah.
00:35:06.820 --> 00:35:06.985
Yeah.
00:35:07.804 --> 00:35:08.005
brilliant.
00:35:09.579 --> 00:35:09.849
cool.
00:35:10.429 --> 00:35:17.643
And then we've got the, the more recent news for yourself, Alan, where You are going to go to Everton as the academy coach for the goalkeepers there.
00:35:19.204 --> 00:35:22.164
working in, line of sight from JP1.
00:35:23.554 --> 00:35:27.963
that's gonna be, a phenomenal opportunity for you, for, what's next, right?
00:35:28.324 --> 00:35:29.164
You're looking forward to that.
00:35:29.313 --> 00:35:30.333
I am looking forward to it.
00:35:30.423 --> 00:35:36.184
It'll be a challenge, but, it's not a job that I've not done before, but I'm looking forward to it.
00:35:36.184 --> 00:35:36.963
I'm looking forward to it.
00:35:37.684 --> 00:35:46.561
I had a wonderful three years at, I had some really good times, but, being away from home is.
00:35:46.576 --> 00:35:49.545
It's, has, its, yeah.
00:35:49.545 --> 00:35:50.746
Has its, positives.
00:35:50.746 --> 00:35:51.135
Careful.
00:35:51.135 --> 00:35:51.376
Yeah.
00:35:55.126 --> 00:36:00.405
but, you've got a family and, it's, it's unfair at times as well.
00:36:00.405 --> 00:36:00.465
Yeah.
00:36:00.976 --> 00:36:07.635
But, so being back home, being home every night, again, so that will be, that'll be a good thing.
00:36:08.115 --> 00:36:14.295
But, as far as being offered the job and taking the job at Everton, I'm, looking forward to it.
00:36:14.356 --> 00:36:27.735
It's, it's, like I said, it's gonna be a challenge, but it's, I think I've spoken to someone, it's a club you've known,'cause you've been I've been in youth development a long time and you get to know staff and you get to know clubs and you get to know people.
00:36:28.246 --> 00:36:31.155
And I've known some of their staff a long time.
00:36:31.155 --> 00:36:33.675
There's some many United staff that, that are in Everett as well, so.
00:36:35.476 --> 00:36:37.215
It's, it's a, great club.
00:36:37.425 --> 00:36:38.416
It's a really good club.
00:36:38.416 --> 00:36:40.005
It's a progressive club at the moment now.
00:36:40.005 --> 00:36:42.735
Yeah, with a new stadium and the chain of ground's really good.
00:36:42.735 --> 00:36:45.735
And, they're trying to do things right.
00:36:45.885 --> 00:36:52.306
they've drawn a line under the problems that they've had, so hopefully they're, they're moving in the right direction, so, well, I'd like, I'm hopefully David's
00:36:52.306 --> 00:36:52.905
back, right?
00:36:52.965 --> 00:36:54.916
David's back, at the Helm.
00:36:55.275 --> 00:36:56.295
Hill Dickinson Stadium.
00:36:56.295 --> 00:36:58.306
Looks tremendous, I have to say.
00:36:59.085 --> 00:37:00.675
I've got a lot of respect for the Toffees.
00:37:01.965 --> 00:37:09.135
I love, Everton as is my adopted second club because the relationship Sunderland has with them around Bradley Lowery and, and all that side of things.
00:37:09.135 --> 00:37:15.916
And, every step I've seen the Everton Fans take the respect and, show themselves in the right light.
00:37:15.916 --> 00:37:18.226
So I do wish you all the look there as well.
00:37:18.255 --> 00:37:20.445
Thank you, and congratulations on, getting that role.
00:37:20.565 --> 00:37:20.596
Okay.
00:37:20.626 --> 00:37:22.755
I'm sure that'll be a fantastic opportunity.
00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:31.260
I guess touching on Jordan Pickford, you must come across a wide variety of different personalities as goalkeepers.
00:37:31.260 --> 00:37:32.760
And we touched on this with Eric.
00:37:33.240 --> 00:37:40.831
And again with Simon is it takes a certain breed of person to want to be a goalkeeper and to put their head where other people wouldn't put their feet almost.
00:37:41.701 --> 00:37:46.561
how do you find yourself coping with the variety of different personalities within the training?
00:37:46.831 --> 00:37:47.911
Within the training sessions?
00:37:48.210 --> 00:37:54.420
that's a, it's a difficult one to, manage the, to put a session on for all of them.
00:37:55.110 --> 00:37:55.650
You have to try.
00:37:55.650 --> 00:38:00.331
Of course, sometimes you'll just put a session on because you are working on one particular aspect.
00:38:00.331 --> 00:38:02.070
You think, well, I'm doing, I'm putting this on for you.
00:38:02.490 --> 00:38:04.951
And you may even say to the go, look, I'm putting this on for him.
00:38:05.190 --> 00:38:11.581
So just, but it will affect you and it will affect you and how we design the session, you'll get something outta yours.
00:38:11.701 --> 00:38:17.731
But it is, predominantly for this particular goalkeeper, it's, difficult.
00:38:17.851 --> 00:38:23.927
There, there's, it's funny I was speaking with, Hans Leiter recently.
00:38:25.217 --> 00:38:45.871
when I asked him a question about, he's, been around Europe and, been in England, but what is there, what's he seen that, that every goalkeeper has or what's, is there something that a goalkeeper has that sort of threads through all the ones that make it to this level?
00:38:45.961 --> 00:38:46.262
Yeah.
00:38:47.521 --> 00:38:56.072
And it's, it's there isn't, but there's also that intrinsic desire to be the best that they can be.
00:38:58.021 --> 00:39:14.581
And I, had I, and we agreed that, that was, one variable that, or, component that I think even to, even as an athlete, as an Olympic athlete, you just had that selfishness and that desire to be the best.
00:39:14.581 --> 00:39:19.711
And I think about it, I think the best that do, the ones that get up there.
00:39:21.197 --> 00:39:31.487
and he, and Anne said the same, which are the ones that constantly want to get better, constantly are challenging themselves, but also challenging the coach.
00:39:31.907 --> 00:39:32.117
Yeah.
00:39:32.507 --> 00:39:34.967
And ch and so you're always pushing back.
00:39:34.996 --> 00:39:35.297
Yeah.
00:39:35.297 --> 00:39:35.867
And they're pushing.
00:39:35.867 --> 00:39:41.956
And those ones, I've worked with Jordan, but he was, 15, through to 17.
00:39:43.516 --> 00:39:47.177
but he had that intrinsic desire to be the best, and I'm gonna be the best.
00:39:48.436 --> 00:39:53.927
Dean Anderson as well had that, that there's something in them that they just want to go and be the best.
00:39:55.336 --> 00:39:56.597
Some people go about it differently.
00:39:57.677 --> 00:40:04.277
Sam Johnson was, more of a, quieter type of personality, but he had that, I want to get better.
00:40:04.277 --> 00:40:05.027
I want to get better.
00:40:05.777 --> 00:40:15.556
And I think the best ones, the best athletes want to get better and they'll challenge and they, no matter what age they are, they'll always in their thirties, like, what else can I do?
00:40:15.646 --> 00:40:18.077
Look, I'm looking at this and looking at what else can I do?
00:40:18.077 --> 00:40:18.706
How can you think.
00:40:19.172 --> 00:40:19.322
Yeah.
00:40:19.322 --> 00:40:22.231
And then as a coach, it's the, it's fantastic.
00:40:22.231 --> 00:40:24.121
'cause then you then end thinking, well how can I do that?
00:40:24.121 --> 00:40:45.271
And you're getting better as a coach and you, so you're not just putting a session on'cause it looks good and it's great you're putting a session on'cause it's for a reason and you, it looked, and we, I went back last this summer, I did learning programs again and I thought, I didn't know how, I didn't know how I was gonna work.
00:40:45.302 --> 00:40:51.001
I did it with, with the sobering, I did it with the goalkeepers this summer with all of them.
00:40:51.811 --> 00:40:55.742
But, but Big Sol didn't know how, I didn't know how I would take it.
00:40:55.742 --> 00:41:00.782
Like, and I sat with him and we sat together and we, went, what do you think about this?
00:41:00.782 --> 00:41:01.532
What do you think about this?
00:41:01.532 --> 00:41:10.922
And it was just to try and focus his attention a little bit in, in, training to go, okay, so we've got what, and he was brilliant with it.
00:41:11.702 --> 00:41:16.442
and it just, it, I think it just, trained his eye a little bit more and, just focus.
00:41:16.472 --> 00:41:17.791
Not that he wasn't anyway like, but.
00:41:18.782 --> 00:41:19.262
We're doing this.
00:41:19.262 --> 00:41:20.552
Look, think about what we spoke about.
00:41:20.762 --> 00:41:21.782
Oh yeah, okay, we'll do that.
00:41:22.442 --> 00:41:23.461
And it worked brilliantly for him.
00:41:23.461 --> 00:41:28.231
And he's doing fantastically and all credit to him.
00:41:28.922 --> 00:41:39.481
But as a coach, you have to find ways of what's gonna motivate the these guys to try and what can I do that's gonna make them get out and that little bit better, that little bit more, what can I get more?
00:41:40.561 --> 00:41:45.601
And like, it's more of an academy type thing where you have to do your learning plans and all this sort of thing.
00:41:46.036 --> 00:41:49.052
And I thought, ah, we'll try it again and we'll do, and great.
00:41:49.291 --> 00:41:52.621
I did it with, with Zack Steffen as well when he came in and said, what do you think this?
00:41:52.621 --> 00:41:58.771
And he was very academic anyway, Zack come through the college system and everything in the us So he loved that.
00:41:58.802 --> 00:42:01.442
And he was, he liked that type of stuff.
00:42:01.442 --> 00:42:03.811
So, it's, good.
00:42:03.842 --> 00:42:06.751
These things work and these things work for different reasons and different ones.
00:42:06.782 --> 00:42:08.251
Some people like it, some people don't.
00:42:08.402 --> 00:42:08.581
Yeah.
00:42:09.001 --> 00:42:15.722
but, yeah, there's, different ways to, try and motivate the goalkeeper and try and get something out of them.
00:42:15.722 --> 00:42:17.041
But you've got to work together.
00:42:17.371 --> 00:42:22.681
You have to work together, you have to have that relationship that they trust you and they, can come to you.
00:42:22.686 --> 00:42:25.172
You want them to come to you and go, what do you think of this?
00:42:25.532 --> 00:42:27.061
and be completely honest with you.
00:42:28.262 --> 00:42:31.351
And then you can discuss sessions and you can discuss, well, I think you need to work on this.
00:42:31.411 --> 00:42:32.521
Look, I don't think this is good.
00:42:32.521 --> 00:42:34.442
You think your first touch is too close to your body?
00:42:34.442 --> 00:42:37.922
Think you need to get first touch out, or you're not seeing the press and you put whatever it may be.
00:42:38.317 --> 00:42:38.327
yeah.
00:42:38.547 --> 00:42:39.722
And we'll go, yeah, I'll get that.
00:42:39.722 --> 00:42:40.771
Look, here's a couple of clips here.
00:42:40.802 --> 00:42:41.282
What do you think?
00:42:41.282 --> 00:42:41.911
Yeah, I've got that.
00:42:41.911 --> 00:42:53.342
But, and once, once you have that relationship with your athlete, I think then you're on the right, you're on, the right way, you're on the right way.
00:42:53.342 --> 00:42:54.751
You're both going in the right direction.
00:42:56.222 --> 00:43:01.981
Moving to the changes in evolution of the game that we've seen in recent years.
00:43:01.981 --> 00:43:05.342
And I, I think it's probably changed quite a lot in the last 10, 15 years.
00:43:06.961 --> 00:43:13.981
what do we've got things like the VAR, we've got go kick, rule changes, back, pass bands, all those sorts of things.
00:43:14.851 --> 00:43:21.481
How do you find that has changed the mental side of goal keeping from your perspective as a coach?
00:43:22.891 --> 00:43:26.972
I think initially, I was playing when the back pass, rule changed.
00:43:27.032 --> 00:43:40.802
So that was, for me, that's, the biggest change in football and ever really, it's, certainly in our generation and it's, the biggest change.
00:43:41.552 --> 00:43:41.972
The game.
00:43:42.061 --> 00:43:43.742
The game's trends change.
00:43:43.922 --> 00:43:45.302
The trends of the game change.
00:43:45.302 --> 00:43:50.431
So styles of play change, but that law change football.
00:43:50.672 --> 00:43:50.791
Yeah.
00:43:50.851 --> 00:43:55.262
And people have then changed the trends of it and that, but that was the biggest for the better.
00:43:56.342 --> 00:43:56.851
I think it has.
00:43:56.851 --> 00:43:57.092
Yeah.
00:43:57.211 --> 00:43:57.811
I think it has.
00:43:58.052 --> 00:44:04.532
when you look back to the eighties and passing the ball back from the halfway line, the keepers picking it up and you think, God, yeah.
00:44:05.791 --> 00:44:06.692
I remember those games.
00:44:06.692 --> 00:44:07.442
I remember those.
00:44:07.442 --> 00:44:07.681
Yeah.
00:44:07.681 --> 00:44:08.192
Yeah, I remember those.
00:44:08.192 --> 00:44:09.121
And I remember.
00:44:10.172 --> 00:44:15.092
I remember like rolling the ball out and the centre forward coming and just smashing, picking the ball up and running over to the other side.
00:44:15.186 --> 00:44:17.431
I what you think, how do you get away with that now?
00:44:17.431 --> 00:44:20.161
But, so the game's certainly miles better for it.
00:44:20.161 --> 00:44:21.041
It's miles faster.
00:44:21.061 --> 00:44:27.001
It's, and the, goalkeepers now he's, a footballer that specialises in goalkeeping.
00:44:27.512 --> 00:44:28.291
That's what they are.
00:44:28.824 --> 00:44:34.273
it's changed, but I think now there seems to be a bit of a, bit of a cycle now, then they're going back.
00:44:34.273 --> 00:44:35.443
There's a lot more long balls.
00:44:35.449 --> 00:44:40.632
There's not, people are still trying to build, still trying to play through the lines and break the first line and fine.
00:44:40.902 --> 00:44:41.353
that's fine.
00:44:41.353 --> 00:44:43.003
But now the people are starting to go longer.
00:44:43.782 --> 00:44:49.512
And so there's a bit of a, trend that'll probably come in over the next few years, that there's gonna be longer balls.
00:44:49.512 --> 00:44:54.373
And so the, trends are, changing, all the time.
00:44:54.373 --> 00:44:58.842
And you've gotta move with it and identify that and, then develop your goalkeeper as such.
00:44:59.563 --> 00:45:07.737
But, Coming through academies now, all the goalkeepers are pretty much competent with their feet, and they understand what their job is.
00:45:07.737 --> 00:45:11.367
Now that's just evolved as natural evolution.
00:45:12.807 --> 00:45:23.757
with, the coaching now is in through acade, so all the goalkeepers coming through academies, coming into a first team are all pretty confident with their feet Now.
00:45:23.757 --> 00:45:33.347
It was a part of your philosophy and part of your, session designs and, program throughout the month or weeks or whatever, where you, programmed your, periodisation.
00:45:34.768 --> 00:45:42.958
it's, it was always, it just, okay, well we've gotta build, we've gotta start doing more passing or we've gotta start doing, we gotta be short and round and through.
00:45:43.782 --> 00:45:46.543
Into, she just worked in all those skills and joined them in with the team.
00:45:46.543 --> 00:45:49.452
So it's been going on since I started coaching.
00:45:49.452 --> 00:45:53.503
So it's just, again, it's just a natural evolution of that.
00:45:53.563 --> 00:46:07.842
But the, like I said, things will change and, so the, and you can see my United against Liverpool a couple of weeks back, my, whether that was a tactical thing, they saw something or whatever, but, lots of longer balls.
00:46:07.842 --> 00:46:10.663
Lots of longer balls, and teams are now starting to go longer.
00:46:11.742 --> 00:46:14.443
Even man City are starting to go longer from what they've changed.
00:46:14.443 --> 00:46:16.813
So, and then the grassroots
00:46:16.813 --> 00:46:17.262
follows
00:46:17.472 --> 00:46:17.742
and,
00:46:18.043 --> 00:46:20.952
yeah, that's just the way it is, cycles.
00:46:22.813 --> 00:46:36.342
so before we wrap up, Alan, I mean I could, there's, been onte questions where I could just go off the deep end and, we'd probably end up chatting and you'd end up missing your dinner and we'd, I'd be late at home and get wrong.
00:46:37.842 --> 00:46:42.152
But going back to your idols, then we, talked about Pat Jennings, we talked about Bruce Grobelaar.
00:46:42.612 --> 00:46:45.043
and interestingly, you are like out four guests.
00:46:45.043 --> 00:46:54.222
You are the third person that mentioned Bruce Grobelaar, which just goes to show the impact that he had on people of our generation and onwards.
00:46:54.222 --> 00:47:00.402
But, how do you feel that they'd survive in what is a very data-driven game nowadays?
00:47:00.402 --> 00:47:04.512
A very analytical and probably faster paced game, I would say.
00:47:05.652 --> 00:47:08.862
do you think they'd keep in, they'd manage a hundred percent.
00:47:08.862 --> 00:47:09.253
Yeah.
00:47:09.253 --> 00:47:09.262
Yeah.
00:47:09.373 --> 00:47:11.503
I think that they that good.
00:47:11.983 --> 00:47:14.682
If you're that talented, it doesn't matter.
00:47:15.492 --> 00:47:24.583
you'll just be talented at, however modern, the modern day, that's how it would be.
00:47:24.913 --> 00:47:30.913
you would have been coached that way and if you've got that talent, that mindset, you would, they'd be, they'd survive.
00:47:31.242 --> 00:47:31.873
No problem.
00:47:31.932 --> 00:47:35.557
I absolutely, a lot of the, goalkeeper.
00:47:36.523 --> 00:47:39.552
Back then the coaching was, they were just joining in with the team anyway.
00:47:40.063 --> 00:48:11.112
So some of the best goalkeepers that had, players at head tennis were the goalkeepers, so yeah, I, so they keep telling me like I was, but even I remember what the Blackburn and and Tim Flowers was like, brilliant at know, so, but, but yeah, but all these, I remember going on trial once to Watford and Tony Colton was there, and they had this, I think it was like a big wall thing, and they were in there banging the ball against the wall in the afternoon.
00:48:11.112 --> 00:48:13.152
I was like, looking, I go, what the noise of him?
00:48:14.083 --> 00:48:23.503
And they were there for, an hour, and a half, just so all these, that, that was, and had a, they had done their goalkeeper stuff, which was pretty basic at the time.
00:48:23.713 --> 00:48:31.452
you the corrigans and stuff like that across the goal and stuff like that, But they, they did loads of outfield stuff and loads of goalkeepers.
00:48:31.632 --> 00:48:34.663
So, so now if you're saying, would they cope?
00:48:34.677 --> 00:48:36.268
A hundred percent that come.
00:48:37.467 --> 00:48:38.728
Jenny and Bruce Grobelaar,
00:48:39.927 --> 00:48:46.288
I think the best, have always found a way to, to make their strengths work around the game.
00:48:46.288 --> 00:48:46.527
Right?
00:48:46.527 --> 00:48:49.347
Like they, they make the game theirs, Yeah.
00:48:49.438 --> 00:48:52.947
Look at Nick Poe, like throwing the ball out past halfway line.
00:48:52.947 --> 00:48:53.697
It's not a new thing.
00:48:53.697 --> 00:48:55.827
It's certainly not something that others haven't done.
00:48:55.827 --> 00:49:07.708
But the, real personalities, you, Jordan, Pickford, all the different things that he does, the head games that he plays with people, the way he manages things.
00:49:08.307 --> 00:49:14.967
I think the real greats that we've seen in, goal keeping, just find a way to even buck the trend, right?
00:49:15.027 --> 00:49:18.538
Like, this might be the way people play right now, but I'm gonna play it my way.
00:49:19.288 --> 00:49:26.568
Well, yeah, we talk about Bruce Grobelaar I mean, football's about having fun and he always watched, he didn't know what he was gonna do, next.
00:49:26.568 --> 00:49:30.447
So it was a little bit of that Budgie Burridge was a little bit like that as well, but they had fun.
00:49:30.898 --> 00:49:31.197
Yeah.
00:49:31.413 --> 00:49:34.983
and Cannot take that out of the game just because it's your job.
00:49:35.463 --> 00:49:35.614
Yeah.
00:49:35.619 --> 00:49:36.813
You still gotta have fun.
00:49:37.494 --> 00:49:40.713
I got too, when I played, I, built myself up too much.
00:49:40.713 --> 00:49:44.884
I got too stressed out about games and overthought things and stuff like that.
00:49:44.884 --> 00:49:48.094
And you look back and go, I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have enjoyed it.
00:49:49.204 --> 00:49:56.554
so I always try to put a little bit of that into when you're coaching and, trying to help the kids develop.
00:49:56.853 --> 00:49:57.034
Yeah.
00:49:57.664 --> 00:49:58.983
what are you playing football for?
00:49:59.764 --> 00:50:00.483
'cause they love it.
00:50:00.753 --> 00:50:00.963
Yeah.
00:50:01.023 --> 00:50:02.043
Well, why should it change?
00:50:02.043 --> 00:50:02.103
Yeah.
00:50:02.103 --> 00:50:06.844
You've still gotta have that love and that enjoyment and freedom to play and express yourself.
00:50:07.340 --> 00:50:11.590
Jordan, he's, he does some mad things like that.
00:50:11.860 --> 00:50:20.351
He's in, he just has this, he's this like love for the top ones have that love and, for their art.
00:50:20.800 --> 00:50:22.210
And they want to get better at their art.
00:50:23.695 --> 00:50:37.496
and it's, that should never, ever leave you from when you put the gloves on and you come into an academy system or a grassroots, wherever it may be, that's gotta stay with you all the way through till you hang your gloves up and you never play again.
00:50:38.065 --> 00:50:40.106
Because it's too much.
00:50:40.346 --> 00:50:41.186
There's, so much.
00:50:41.186 --> 00:50:55.016
Now I certainly, with social media, I'm so glad I, didn't have to, I have like, I could've survived as long as what I did, having that, but, it's, there's just so much scrutiny and analysis.
00:50:55.016 --> 00:50:55.076
Yeah.
00:50:55.885 --> 00:50:58.226
And, coach says you've gotta do this and going, I haven't gotta do this.
00:50:58.226 --> 00:50:58.766
You gotta do this.
00:50:58.766 --> 00:51:08.155
You gotta, the, even the academy system, you come through and you've got so many people have contact with you and you've, it's almost like the enjoyment can be taken out of it.
00:51:08.306 --> 00:51:08.545
Yeah.
00:51:08.606 --> 00:51:08.940
Too quickly.
00:51:08.971 --> 00:51:10.945
Find a way to be yourself and enjoy it.
00:51:11.065 --> 00:51:11.425
Enjoy it.
00:51:11.485 --> 00:51:14.005
'cause it's a brilliant profession.
00:51:14.005 --> 00:51:19.195
It's if you have a career, football, any level at all.
00:51:20.141 --> 00:51:21.820
It's, a, it's, a brilliant thing.
00:51:22.061 --> 00:51:25.271
A brilliant thing to go and play football and, somebody's gonna pay you money.
00:51:26.351 --> 00:51:27.130
Thanks very much.
00:51:27.550 --> 00:51:31.121
It's a beat working, I'd say beat working for a living.
00:51:31.840 --> 00:51:45.070
Well, it is working, but it's, and I talk to people a lot about this in, my line of things is, if you're not, doing something that you enjoy, then you are, you're not earning a good bridge because you are having the life sucked out of you by what you are doing.
00:51:45.070 --> 00:51:49.900
You've gotta find a place where what you're good at meets your passion and what you enjoy doing and bring the two together.
00:51:50.201 --> 00:51:50.320
Yeah.
00:51:50.351 --> 00:51:50.501
And
00:51:50.831 --> 00:51:51.880
that's where you should be at.
00:51:51.880 --> 00:52:01.871
And I think that's where a lot of footballers are quite fortunate in that regard, although not in others, because there's always detractors from every opportunity.
00:52:01.871 --> 00:52:16.840
But if you want an example of having fun in football, I, showed my boy the, Vinnie Jones stepping into the goal when, when they, when their keeper got, so when the keeper got red carded off and Vinnie Jones steps into the goal, that is just an outrageous.
00:52:17.170 --> 00:52:17.981
An outrageous match.
00:52:18.161 --> 00:52:26.710
And, just him and the players having fun, the opposition players having fun with him, and, riling them up and just playing, like playing the character.
00:52:26.710 --> 00:52:29.951
Like nobody, like Vinnie Jones could play the character like nobody else.
00:52:29.951 --> 00:52:33.911
But I think that's just a prime example of what's missing from the day's game.
00:52:33.911 --> 00:52:36.791
Almost like that tongue in cheek.
00:52:36.880 --> 00:52:38.951
Yes, we are footballers, but you know what?
00:52:38.951 --> 00:52:42.400
Today we're just gonna, I think, the money takes out of it as well, right?
00:52:42.400 --> 00:52:44.050
Like, there's so much money in football now.
00:52:45.101 --> 00:52:49.391
There is, I, if that's your motivation, that's your motivation.
00:52:49.391 --> 00:52:50.681
You can't take that away from people.
00:52:50.681 --> 00:52:52.420
If that's what makes them better, then fine.
00:52:52.420 --> 00:53:05.440
But I think that will, if you, gotta think about, just wanna have a career in the game and you've got to one, you've gotta enjoy it.
00:53:05.710 --> 00:53:07.150
At the end of the day, you have to enjoy it.
00:53:07.271 --> 00:53:08.831
cause that's the only way you'll get better.
00:53:08.831 --> 00:53:12.733
But you, can't be at the top of your game.
00:53:13.514 --> 00:53:14.534
Whatever talent you've got.
00:53:15.403 --> 00:53:20.777
I was never the most talented, but I thought if I work hard and I'll try and make the most of what I've got.
00:53:21.768 --> 00:53:28.608
And I think if you, the, I've seen, players and I've seen goalkeepers and they're talent.
00:53:28.855 --> 00:53:33.228
So talented, but just don't wanna work at it, don't want to push themselves.
00:53:33.228 --> 00:53:35.748
They don't want to, and they don't reach the level.
00:53:35.748 --> 00:53:42.737
And that's so frustrating that as a coach, that's the most frustrating thing when you see that talent and they're not prepared to push themselves.
00:53:42.768 --> 00:53:50.958
And then you see somebody with less talent and they're just nonstop and they're working and working and just can't quite reach those, that level.
00:53:51.168 --> 00:53:51.347
Yeah.
00:53:51.347 --> 00:53:53.057
And they find a level and they go and have a career.
00:53:53.057 --> 00:53:54.208
And that's, great.
00:53:54.318 --> 00:53:55.338
And they deserve that.
00:53:55.338 --> 00:54:08.268
But it's, that's so frustrating as a coach, when you see it, come on, gimme some more,'cause the best athletes, no matter who they are, so Steve Redgrave doesn't win all those red, gold medals.
00:54:08.822 --> 00:54:09.032
Yeah.
00:54:09.693 --> 00:54:15.273
by sitting on his horse watching telly and watching rowing on, he's out by doing half an hour.
00:54:15.273 --> 00:54:16.503
He's there at four o'clock in the morning.
00:54:16.532 --> 00:54:16.742
Yeah.
00:54:16.748 --> 00:54:16.757
Yeah.
00:54:17.197 --> 00:54:17.583
I don't know.
00:54:17.597 --> 00:54:18.717
I don't, I'm just saying,
00:54:19.862 --> 00:54:22.592
in a boat row up and down, Steve, if you're watching, let us know.
00:54:23.612 --> 00:54:24.663
Give it drop a message.
00:54:24.693 --> 00:54:24.932
Yeah.
00:54:24.992 --> 00:54:25.503
Find out.
00:54:25.592 --> 00:54:26.262
That'll be good to know.
00:54:26.972 --> 00:54:27.213
But,
00:54:27.992 --> 00:54:38.463
yeah, and then they're going to the gym and they're doing this and in the afternoons and maybe do nighttimes and they're, trying to maximise what,'cause they know somebody else is doing it, and if they're not doing it, then somebody else is going to get ahead of them.
00:54:38.492 --> 00:54:38.972
So somebody's working
00:54:38.972 --> 00:54:39.333
harder than
00:54:39.333 --> 00:54:39.543
them.
00:54:39.782 --> 00:54:41.253
But that's, yeah.
00:54:41.583 --> 00:54:51.813
I, even said, I used to, I said all the time to young goalkeepers, it's like, don't think what you're getting at a club.
00:54:52.112 --> 00:54:55.143
You might be in three nights a week and on a game, on a, weekend.
00:54:55.742 --> 00:54:56.552
That's not enough.
00:54:56.822 --> 00:54:58.592
Don't think I'll do that and I'm gonna have a career.
00:54:58.652 --> 00:54:59.432
That's not enough.
00:54:59.432 --> 00:55:00.213
You've gotta do more.
00:55:00.213 --> 00:55:07.563
You've gotta go play school games and play badminton at school and basketball and do whatever you can and become this holistic athlete.
00:55:08.148 --> 00:55:11.538
And you'll learn there's so many transferrable skills in all these different games.
00:55:11.987 --> 00:55:21.228
Do all these different skate games, learn all these different skills, and that'll help you become a better footballer wherever you or goalkeeper or whatever it might be.
00:55:21.228 --> 00:55:21.347
Yeah.
00:55:22.128 --> 00:55:24.077
So you can never do enough.
00:55:24.318 --> 00:55:25.577
You can never do enough.
00:55:25.577 --> 00:55:28.967
No matter if you think you've done enough, you, haven't.
00:55:30.378 --> 00:55:30.737
I love it.
00:55:31.277 --> 00:55:31.608
I love it.
00:55:31.668 --> 00:55:33.918
Alan, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on the show today.
00:55:33.918 --> 00:55:34.998
Thank you very much for your time.
00:55:34.998 --> 00:55:35.387
You're welcome.
00:55:35.447 --> 00:55:35.898
Thanks, Paul.
00:55:36.257 --> 00:55:36.608
Thank you.
00:55:36.757 --> 00:55:37.097
top man.
00:55:37.097 --> 00:55:37.463
Thank you.
00:55:37.762 --> 00:55:38.027
Wow.
00:55:38.027 --> 00:55:39.137
Hands like Ray Clemmence.
00:55:41.208 --> 00:55:43.277
Thank you for watching along as well, or listening.
00:55:43.277 --> 00:55:49.188
If you're in the, in the car, listening along on the audio, please give us a follow in and subscribe and we'll see you on the next episode.
00:55:49.277 --> 00:55:49.637
Bye-bye.