Four Four Two

100 GREATEST PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS • NICOLtAS ANiELKA • ERICLCoArNTONA • STEVE-N GER-RARD i , i s •  FRANK LAMPARD • DENNIS BERGKAMP • VINCENT KOMPAN AMIE VARDY • PETER SCHMEICHEL • JURGEN KLINSMANN v t l l v c rt a d c - Ls n n n e re v. ul r L n t e t t l a co s vt ei ii 1992 YJ ! t r es 2021 FF cel ates e est entertainers, goal-getters and deadly destroyers from nearly three decades of action GInOLA EXCLUSIVE • THE FA CUP THIEF • CHESTER’S nFL WOE • nIGEL PEARSOn



Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA WELCOME WAnT Phone 01225 442244 Email [email protected] MORE? To contact an individual, email fi[email protected] When the Premier League kicked off for its inaugural campaign on August 15, 1992, just 13 overseas players FInD US Editorial featured on the opening day. Fast-forward to 2021, and HERE... nearly 60 per cent of our 100 all-time heroes hail from Editor James Andrew Deputy Editor Joe Brewin outside the British Isles, across 27 different countries. FOURFOURTWO.COM Art Director Anthony Moore Senior Staff Writer Chris Flanagan @FOURFOURTWO Chief Sub Editor Gregg Davies The Premier League may now be unrecognisable from @FOURFOURTWOUK Online Editor Conor Pope its glitzy launch almost 30 years ago, but that’s only FACEBOOK.COM/ Staff Writer Mark White Staff Writer Ed McCambridge a good thing. Without those thrilling imports, we’d have FOURFOURTWO Editor at Large Andy Mitten been poorer for players who have graced the division with FOURFOURTWO glorious goals, superb skills and show-stopping saves. Thanks to Andrew Murray, Steve Wright, Dean Eldredge, Chantal Stanley So, as we wave in a brand new year following a terrible 2020, we thought it best to begin with a celebration – Contributors a rundown of the 100 greatest stars since the Premier Marcus Alves, Paul Brown, Caio Carrieri, Ian Murtagh, League’s inception, reviewed by our argumentative team. Sean Cole, Richard Edwards, Chris Evans, Emanuele Giulianelli, Andy Greeves, Martin Harasimowicz, Si Hawkins, Steve Hill, En route, we also spoke to David Ginola about his time Louis Massarella, Martin Mazur, Nick Moore, Leo Moynihan, entertaining at Newcastle and Spurs, while Denis Irwin Andrew Murray, Gary Parkinson, Sam Pilger, Felipe Rocha, tells us of life as a Fergie favourite at Manchester United Paul Simpson, Jon Spurling, Tim Stillman, Ivan Tomic and demolishing Eric Cantona at chess. Photography Elsewhere, Nigel Pearson answers your questions, PA, Getty, Offside, iStock, Reuters. we remember the chaotic reign of ex-American All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected footballer Terry Smith at Chester, and there’s the fascinating story behind the mysterious theft Advertising of the original FA Cup trophy, which went Media packs are available on request unsolved for six decades. Account Director Richard Hemmings [email protected] Happy new year, and enjoy the issue. International Licensing James Andrew FourFourTwo is available for licensing. 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15 24 6 ASK A SILLY QUESTION YOU ASK... FEATURES 6 Nigel Pearson on Jimmy Glass, 28 FFT’s Premier League 100 Mahrez and his mad sacking England has celebrated league football since 1888-89 – but UPFRONT there’s no doubting that things changed dramatically in 1992. 12 Skeletor returns to The Valley Here, we rank the greatest of 15 Jon Parkin’s Agadoo chippy greats from 29 years of frolics 16 Park Ji-sung on his finest games 17 Joe Biden meets Cobi Jones 36 Gary Speed remembered 18 Scotland’s best stars rated The all-action hero was loved en 22 Mat Horne: my Clive Allen woe masse: gone, but never forgotten 23 A Northern Irishman in Uganda 24 Q&A: Sam Kerr chats Chelsea 44 “Kan-you believe it?!” Sky Sports’ Martin Tyler offers his lively highlights behind the mic 80 74 90

30 FEATURES FEATURES 78 46 58 46 Ginola: “Spurs fans cried to me” 80 The man who stole the FA Cup The French wizard on PFA glory What happened to the original? and entertaining with the Toon 84 Terry Smith at Chester 54 Denis Irwin: chess with Eric In 1999, the ex-NFL player took “I was a decent player – those over – with predictable results... games didn’t last very long” 98 Juliano Belletti’s Perfect XI 58 ‘Zola? We’ve got John Spencer!’ Before Abramovich, a tiny Italian THE PLAYERS LOUNGE transformed Chelsea forever 90 Jamie Redknapp’s pie misery 66 There’s only one Keano 92 Denilson opens up on loneliness Brian Clough adored the man he 93 Danny Dichio talks Sampdoria simply called ‘Irishman’ – then 94 Roy Makaay’s top sandwich tips watched him become a legend 36 84 GARY SPEED

YOU ASK Interview Joe Brewin THE QUESTIOnS “I’ve got absolutely no idea of the when I was 15. We got as far as Horton in Ribblesdale, Yorkshire, when he was reasons why Watford sacked me called up to join the navy, so we had to stop and hitch-hike home! I like being – because they didn’t give me any. outside in nature. If I go walking with a friend or, as I tend to do more now, I just became another statistic” disappear by myself for long stretches, it’s just escapism and thinking time – nIGEL PEARSOn emptying your head. It’s not having to be in the world you normally operate n igel Pearson may have “All those stories saying I’m a really like many lads I played with, so went in. I don’t see it as being therapeutic, once fought off a pack of miserable bugger? You can dispel them to college. Thinking back to that now, but there’s going to be a benefit to your angry dogs baying for his in one fell swoop,” he smiles. non-league was a very good pathway well-being as well. blood – but not even he in. I first played in midfield, and scored could beat the threat of coronavirus in So, off we go then... an awful lot of goals, too. I started out Was leading Sheffield Wednesday to 2020. The 57-year-old was caught up in the middle at Heanor, then moved to 1991 League Cup Final glory against among a number of cases at Watford You reached the Football League and right-back. When Shrewsbury showed Manchester United (below) the best when the country entered lockdown Shrewsbury the hard way via Heanor. interest and I played in a couple of trial day of your playing career? in March, shortly before his sudden How realistic a prospect was turning games, they said they’d like to develop Cian Ward, Sheffield sacking at Vicarage Road was greeted professional when you were a kid? me as a centre-back. That’s where the It’s easy to say yes, because that was by national derision. Andrew Booth, Bristol story started. a fantastic experience – lifting a trophy Several months later, as FourFourTwo Living in Nottingham during the 1970s, on my first visit to Wembley. It was an catches up with the former Leicester all we ever did as youngsters was play One of your hobbies is backpacking unbelievable day, but it was more than boss to present him with our readers’ football in the winter and cricket in the on long-distance walks. Where does that – it was part of a crucial campaign posers, Pearson is thankfully on the summer. I played for a club side called that love come from? for Wednesday as a club overall. We’d mend. “It’s been mixed – mainly not Parkhead, and in that same team was Elise Dean, Chesterfield been relegated the year before when too good over the last few months,” he Chris Fairclough, who went on to have I’ve always been an outdoors person. we really shouldn’t have, losing 3-0 to admits. “But I’m making progress. It’s a fantastic career; Steve Hodge as well. I started the Pennine Way with a friend Forest in the last game of the season – been a test, like it has for many of us.” I didn’t get an apprenticeship at Forest that was a nightmare. But we all stuck Luckily, Pearson has never been one together, had a great season achieving to shirk a fight. He’s been part of four promotion and should have won the great relegation escapes as a manager title. It was an extraordinary time to be or assistant alone – the first at Carlisle, involved with a club moving forwards, when goalkeeper Jimmy Glass’ fabled using relegation as a springboard to goal kept them in the Football League, do something positive. Ron Atkinson to the epic recovery which preceded was a very clever manager. For all the Leicester’s Premier League title glory. talk about how big a personality he is, From a successful playing career at he was also good at knowing which Shrewsbury, Sheffield Wednesday and buttons to press with players to get Middlesbrough, to masterminding the them to play. I think the legacy of that remarkable rises of Jamie Vardy and season lived on for years afterwards, Riyad Mahrez, there’s plenty to chew in terms of the culture at Wednesday. over with a gaffer in terrific form and I’m sure the fans would say the same. looking forward to his next challenge. How tough was it to break a leg in the 1993 League Cup semi-finals, as Wednesday went on to reach both domestic cup finals? @spursdab, via Twitter It was really tough. The realisation of what it means hits you very hard. That season was so positive in many ways, but then to lose both finals was tough for everyone. It wasn’t an easy thing to experience on the sidelines, but hey: that’s life. You can’t expect everything to go smoothly. One thing I’ve learned is that sometimes when you look back, it’s the most difficult experiences that you can learn the most from. I don’t access those memories too often, but still feel all of the emotions when I do. 6 February 2021 FourFourTwo

YOU ASK CLUBS (PLAYER) 1981-87 Shrewsbury 1987-94 Sheffield Wednesday 1994-98 Middlesbrough CLUBS (MANAGER) 1998–99 Carlisle 2008 Southampton 2008-10 Leicester 2010-11 Hull 2011-15 Leicester 2016 Derby 2017-19 OH Leuven 2019-20 Watford

YOU ASK As a senior player at Middlesbrough, Right Ravanelli: brilliant what did you make of overseas stars striker, difficult character; like Juninho, Emerson and Fabrizio winning the First Division Ravanelli joining the dressing room? title under Bryan Robson Was there a clash of cultures? in 1994-95; then leading Chris Lofthouse, via Facebook Boro to two finals in ’97 Not all of them bought into the culture Below In at the deep end or enjoyed it, and there was a clash for as gaffer of ailing Carlisle sure – but Juninho… what a great lad. Bottom right Leicester’s Him and Emerson brought something captain Morgan listens in different. They embraced the club, and loved it. Bryan Robson and [chairman] Steve Gibson were a really interesting combination, and had very good ideas about how to take Boro forward. It still strikes me now that they were creative about it. Our promotion year when we won the title – 1994-95 – was brilliant. Bryan and [chief executive] Keith Lamb made sure that they travelled together to get some of their targets; to sell the idea of coming over. Putting finances to one side, it was an innovative way of trying to put Boro on the map, so to speak. I’m not sure who else was doing that sort of thing back then – it was an exciting period. I heard Craig Hignett once say about Two cup final defeats and relegation we went down at Leeds and swore on a distraction and a bit of fun, frankly. It Ravanelli, “It was like getting Messi with Middlesbrough in 1996-97 – how live TV, after getting asked what I felt wouldn’t be part of my management or Ronaldo – but half the squad hated do you reflect on that crazy season? was a stupid question. But we soon got strategy now, but was something we him and the other half loved him”. Hamish Day, York ourselves together and won promotion did under Ron at Sheffield Wednesday Which camp were you in? Most people would associate a season the next year. For me to end my career and occasionally happened at other Callum Gallagher, Stockton-on-Tees like that with despair, one disaster after there and still be part of those kinds of clubs. Sometimes, these things happen [Laughs] I remember his scrap with Neil another. But it was actually one of the campaigns in my 30s was exciting. spontaneously – you need to lift people Cox ahead of the 1997 FA Cup Final, at most exciting seasons I’ve ever been and diffuse pressure. the team photo shoot! I think we all involved in. I felt it at the time and still How dire was the situation at Carlisle recognised what a game-changer he think that now. It shows in some ways in your first managerial job? Was it I’ve seen a clip where I was waving was, though – he scored 31 goals that how the financial aspects of the game your idea for Jimmy Glass to go up Jimmy forward, but I think he would season. He was a difficult character to today have changed how we perceive for that corner in the last seconds of have gone anyway – he was already warm to at times, admittedly. For me, excitement. I don’t know what all the the final game at home to Plymouth? on his way! I’ve spoken to him recently, he was an exceptional footballer, but Boro fans think, but I bet they’d swap Chris Cairns, via Instagram because he’s now at Bournemouth as came into a tight-knit group where he it for a boring year in mid-table. I can We were all passing around a bottle of a player liaison. It’s amazing how that didn’t exactly fit into the ethos. I don’t remember doing a Sky interview after brandy before that match, for a bit of event went on to affect him. Everyone feel like I have to like everybody I work thinks of it as this positive story – and with, however – and to be fair, I didn’t dislike him. I had a few arguments with him, sure, but I remember one player having him around his throat! It was just the culture that we had. We very much believed that if things happened spontaneously, you quickly took care of them and moved on. We didn’t want to waste time and energy with a bad feeling that hung around for ages. Actually, we felt like we could beat anyone on our day – but equally, we were capable of losing to anyone, because we were such an expressive side. You could argue that the balance wasn’t right, but as players I think we knew we were lucky to be involved in a story which was pretty unique. There were some members of Boro’s squad who maybe felt a bit jealous in terms of the differences in wages, but that’s a part of life. You sign a contract when you join a new club and then have to get on with it. 8 February 2021 FourFourTwo

YOU ASK it is an incredible one – but for Jimmy How did you and head of recruitment to him, we’d have had two squads’ full! The story of how we signed Riyad it was like a millstone around his neck Steve Walsh consistently sign such I say that tongue in cheek, but I didn’t Mahrez is a very interesting one. I was for quite a while. He struggled with the good characters at Leicester? Which want to be in the same situation we’d supposed to fly to France with Steve after-effects. Coming into Carlisle when was your greatest transfer triumph? inherited at Leicester going in second and [head of technical scouting] Rob he did, though, he was such a breath @EastMercian, via Twitter time around [having left to join Hull in Mackenzie to see him play on a Friday of fresh air. Truth be told, I didn’t know The thing Steve probably got bored of 2010, then returned 18 months later]. night, but we had QPR the next day in a lot about coaching and management me saying was, “I don’t want to collect I didn’t want two guys for each position an early kick-off. In the end, there was at that point, but I picked up plenty in players.” He used to keep pestering me – as a manager, it’s really important to an issue with the flights and I couldn’t a very short space of time at Carlisle. with a list of names – if it was just left know what your best side is. I inherited risk not being back for the game. I told It was a case of dipping my toe into the a talented squad, but it was also one them that if they both agreed on Riyad water without knowing what it would “THERE’S A CLIP OF ME that could confuse you. You’d play well, as a signing, I would go to the board be like, but I loved it. The players were WAVInG JIMMY GLASS win, then I’d pick the same team the and make my recommendation – but magnificent in terms of how they dealt UP FOR THAT CARLISLE following Saturday and they’d have an they both had to agree. We’d all loved with that situation, under a rookie boss, CORnER – BUT HE WAS absolute stinker. I’ll only sanction the what we’d seen of him from clips, and and it was a remarkable event. While ALREADY On HIS WAY!” signing of a player if I’m sure they’re Rob was particularly keen on getting I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it considerably better than what we’ve him in. Honestly, though, if he’d been for your health and well-being, I look already got. My input in the recruitment £2 million, I don’t think we could have back on my time at Brunton Park with was at the latter stages; Steve and his justified taking a punt – not without me so much fondness. It was also my first team would filter their information, as watching him myself. But at £370,000 experience of being sacked! Welcome I wanted a shortlist, not endless hours or something, I could justify the risk. to the reality of football management. of boring video clips. The rest is history. You took charge of Leicester in 2008, just after they had been relegated to the third tier for the first time in their history. What sort of club did you find upon your arrival? David Stead, Leicester I’d been at Southampton before that, where we’d had a final-day win over Sheffield United to avoid relegation to League One. That was my last match there, too! But it was more to do with politics, really: Rupert Lowe had gone back into a difficult situation and there was a lot going on. People were talking about Leicester falling to their lowest position ever, but it was a new start for us. We didn’t have the baggage of that negativity everyone else was carrying. The first campaign in League One was so special to me – probably my most enjoyable one in management – and we won the title comfortably. We had a brilliant night before the last game of the season at Crewe. The evening before matches were always opportunities for us as staff to speak as friends – about anything other than football, to be honest – but this one in particular was great. Matt Oakley and Steve Howard sheepishly walked into our hotel room and asked if they could have a couple of beers. I said yes, as long as they could guarantee that we won the following day. We never saw them again, so I’m not sure what they did. Us staff ended up down in the bar, where there was a group of Norwegian business people singing with guitars. They presumably inspired us, as we got up and belted out Bohemian Rhapsody straight after them! It must have been terrible, but it was also fantastic. The next day, we beat Crewe 3-0. [Laughs] I was very fortunate to inherit classy people with a lot of quality at Leicester, and we formed an interesting culture at the club. We all went on a journey.

YOU ASK I always smile a little when I hear Clockwise from above HIGHS & LOWS people anecdotally talking about how The punt on Mahrez paid wonderful they are at spotting players. off big time; “This beats HIGH: 1991 An awful lot of work goes into sourcing repping in Ibiza, right?”; Skippers Sheffield Wednesday to them, monitoring them and how they “Any of you lads know League Cup glory over Man United will fit into what you want. Hours of why I’ve got the sack?”; groundwork goes into their character, loving life with Leuven; LOW: 1997 and stats about their robustness and Derby: “not a nice place Relegated with Boro on final day, availability. But it’s also never an exact to be”; Leicester rule the either side of losing two cup finals science. You have to be prepared to get top flight a season after a few duffers as well, no matter how Pearson kept them in it HIGH: 1999 much you attempt to minimise the risk. Keeps Carlisle in Football League, Some people have success with more back into form. I think it was a similar after Jimmy Glass’ immortal goal of a scattergun approach. Either way, thing here. I wouldn’t have done that it really does pay to have a great team if I didn’t believe he was capable of it, LOW: 2013 who know exactly what they’re looking though. I wasn’t being cruel by putting Watches Troy Deeney fire Watford for – including the medical staff. And someone in a situation they weren’t to play-off final after late drama while you look for the right characters, fully equipped for. it’s not just about getting nice lads in HIGH: 2015 Were you surprised by how intense – I don’t mind a couple of wrong ’uns What went through your head when Steers Leicester to unlikely survival the scrutiny of you was in your first providing they understand how we all Anthony Knockaert missed that after seven wins in last nine games season as a Premier League gaffer? work when we’re trying to win games. late penalty at Watford in the Jude Newman, Newark 2013 Championship now. Then when we come back, we’re Yes and no. If I’m honest, I didn’t like Did you genuinely think Jamie Vardy play-off semi-final ready to hit the ground running’. It was large parts of that campaign. A lot of was good enough to join the Premier second leg, swiftly so important to put it to bed. We spoke criticism came our way, and I suppose League 100 club when you recruited followed by Troy at length as staff, about whether we’d I probably absorbed a bit too much of him? In his autobiography, he later Deeney’s winner? that myself, which meant I didn’t enjoy revealed that he almost quit football Ben Beaumont, possibly taken our eye off the ball, it so much. But look: it is what it is. It’s to become a party rep in Ibiza... via Instagram but the message was the same for a great story, but there were occasions @FredtheFox1884, via Twitter Christ… you can imagine how when I didn’t make life especially easy [Winces] I don’t know about that. But I felt. It wasn’t easy. But what us as it was for the players – for myself. I didn’t get everything right, I don’t think I saw him at his absolute we decided to do – and always we had to be ready to push and there are things I’d prefer not to best in my time there, because when did – was have a debrief after revisit. But having said that, I wouldn’t I left the club [in 2015] he was still on the final game of the season. on when we came back. change most of it either. his journey. What I like about the story Rather than go into detail, my It was a realisation that is that he’s a lad who has had to come message to the players was one loss against Watford How did it feel to see Leicester win to terms with himself – probably like simple: ‘whatever you’ve got wasn’t the problem – it the Premier League the season after himself slightly more, to be honest. It’s to say to each other, anything was a spell in February you left? Do you feel you get enough a fantastic story. His early struggles negative, get it out of the way and March where we won credit for it? were typical of a player who has a lot one league game out of 10 Connor Slack, via Facebook of self-doubt. You’ve got to remember and let a good position slide. Difficult. But I don’t need that type of that many Leicester fans weren’t sure In the promotion season that validation. I’ve said it before – I know about him at one point – but then you followed, I feel we were better my own place in Leicester’s story and can only judge what you see. Players placed to deal with the next that’s all I need to say. It was hard to like Jamie and David Nugent gave me one in the Premier League. It’s watch it afterwards in some ways – of what I wanted them to do as a coach: easy to say with hindsight, but work incredibly hard. They allowed the I do believe that. team to play as they did, with a very high-intensity game, even though we also had long spells of possession and were the best side in the Championship for our promotion season [2013-14] by a long way. You perceive Vards as being an aggressive player with electric pace, whose technical ability has continued to grow, but his self-belief has grown, too. He’s married with a family and has a more stable base. All of these things together have an impact on a player. But yes, I remember calling him into the office one day, and [assistant] Craig Shakespeare and I said, “We believe in you – you’re going nowhere”, because there was talk of Sheffield Wednesday wanting him. He was going to have to tough it out for a bit. Batsmen in cricket don’t get the option of not walking out into the middle – sometimes they have to knuckle down and play themselves 10 February 2021 FourFourTwo

YOU ASK with the owner [Gino Pozzo] – not even a ‘kiss my arse’ from it. When I called [technical director] Filippo Giraldi, who I had a very good working relationship with, he couldn’t give me a reason. He simply said, “I don’t know – he [Pozzo] has decided to make a change.” I don’t suppose I’ll ever know, but to be honest with you now, I don’t really care. That’s not because I didn’t enjoy my time at Watford, because I did: it’s a great club with good people, and a fanbase that’s passionate about their side. It was just a shame it all ended how it did. I have a suspicion that they had no intention of keeping me anyway; whether that’s true, who knows? Maybe it would have been harder for them to get rid of me had we stayed in the Premier League, but it doesn’t matter any more, does it? I’ve become a statistic in a long line of coaches who go in there for a short period of time. course it was – but I also had a lot of “WATCHInG THEM WIn Vichai again, to get back into a working You’ve now exited several positions pride in seeing the players achieve it, THE LEAGUE AFTER I’D situation, but also on a personal level. under something of a cloud. Does it when you consider how we’d recently LEFT WAS DIFFICULT – I believe it was quite important for us put you off management? turned almost certain relegation into I KnOW MY OWn PLACE both, as it didn’t sit easy with either of Cameron Dawson, Welwyn a very comfortable 14th-placed finish In LEICESTER’S STORY” us how things had ended at Leicester. You have to consider that since I ended [in 2014-15, after winning seven of the I think there was some healing going my playing career back in ’98, I’ve been last nine games]. I’ve been asked these people. I think that’s all I can say there. on. But I was pleased to go over there a coach, an assistant, worked for the hypothetical questions so many times I don’t care if they feel the same about and the experience was great. It didn’t FA and now been a manager for more now, and I don’t think people believe me, if I’m honest. The values didn’t sit finish that way unfortunately, because than 12 years. Once you step into that me when I say it’s irrelevant. They don’t with me at all and it wasn’t a nice place there were a few things going on that world, you have to come to terms with understand how I feel about it. You’re to be – let’s put it like that. I couldn’t affect, but I have no regrets. the realism of getting the sack pretty involved in a certain moment in time, I enjoyed living there in a lovely place, quickly. If you’re frightened of that, you and your involvement is when you’re How unexpected was the offer from and have kept in contact with several shouldn’t be doing the job – that’s how there. When you’re not, there may be Leicester’s former chairman, Vichai people I met along the way. it’s going to be. The stimulus of what it a residue of feeling, but one of the key Srivaddhanaprabha, to lead Leuven brings is still really important, though. things is finding a way to move on. It in Belgium? Watford fans were livid when you got Like recruitment, you’re never going to wasn’t easy for me, and I don’t think Ese Agboaye, via Facebook sacked as manager with two games get it right all the time, and you learn taking the Derby job was particularly I absolutely loved my time in Belgium of last season to go. What were the as much from the tough experiences conducive to getting over it, because – and the first year there was great, in club’s reasons? as you do from the good ones. I’ve got that was a disaster. But I’m OK with it particular. There were loads of things @bastie35, via Twitter a pragmatic view of what it looks like. – I’m OK with where I sit in the story. to learn from. It was good to see Khun I’ve no idea what they were. I’m quite relaxed about it now, but I was furious Some disappointments can take you What went wrong at Derby, and why at the time – extremely upset. But I’ll longer to get over – leaving Leicester did you quit within only five months? never know – no reasons were given. took longer than most situations, but Tyler Hinks, via Instagram There were rumours about a half-time with Watford, I came to terms with it There were many things I realised were incident at West Ham, but nothing had fairly soon after. Firstly, I knew I’d done wrong for me, and they were to do with happened. I’d not had any arguments a good job, and secondly, I hadn’t done anything wrong. In my mind, there was nothing to justify getting sacked. There were stories about me having a ‘frank exchange with the owner’. Well, what’s wrong with that even if it did happen? But there wasn’t even that. I didn’t get the opportunity to speak to him. After losing at West Ham, they worked an opportunity to keep me away from the training ground a bit longer, and then I got a call to say I wasn’t going to be needed any more. I don’t know what the next step for me will be, but I’m open-minded about it because I take that view with life in general. I try to apply that to my own career. I have a more positive outlook and am not a cynical person – I try to look at the solutions, not the problems. FourFourTwo February 2021 11

WEIRD WORLD OF FOOTBALL MEAnWHILE In… …1992, the Premier League was launched, and a 90-year-old goalkeeper lined up at Wembley. Wait, what?! “THEIR GOALIE’S PAST IT, LADS” to 94 that summer. That was until Aldershot went to jump from the Third Division to the First – thanks bankrupt in March, then Maidstone followed them in to goalkeeper Fred Barber, who donned an old man 1 August. Relegation to the Conference was scrapped. mask as he strode out at Wembley. If you thought mask-wearing footballers started at Facundo Sava, think again. In the play-offs, the launch of the Premier League The 28-year-old had worn the mask before games Various odd things occurred in the Football League and the renaming of divisions gave clubs the chance since his Walsall days, after a bet with a team-mate in 1992: a Fourth Division club qualified for Europe, as to ascend two leagues at once. Blackburn overcame – later, it was confiscated by police at Bradford, to Cardiff won the Welsh Cup, and the top four tiers had Leicester to rise from the old Second Division to the avoid inciting violence. Who knew Bantams fans got 93 clubs for the very first time, with plans to expand Premier League, while Peterborough beat Stockport so enraged about goalies looking like pensioners? 12 February 2021 FourFourTwo

UPFROnT “LINESMAN!” PENNY FOR THE GUY “ARE YOU LISTENING, WELCOME TO RUSSIA, 2 3 4 GEORGE GRAHAM?” 5 COMRADE GIGGSY One suspects the media Photo opportunity number would have been given short shrift if two that wouldn’t happen today: Guy Say what you like about Glenn Helder, Remember that time when Ryan Giggs they had asked Gareth Southgate or Whittingham cleans his dishes with but he’s got rhythm. sensationally quit Manchester United Fabio Capello to walk up the nearest a Liverpool shirt. and defected to the Russian Army? hill holding a giant England flag – but No, the striker wasn’t strapped for The winger was still turning out for fortunately back in 1992, Graham cash and looking for any dishcloth he Sparta Rotterdam when he showed off Well OK, that didn’t actually happen, Taylor was bang up for it. could get his hands on – Portsmouth his percussion skills in this photoshoot but in autumn 1992, an 18-year-old Showing linesmen everywhere were about to face Liverpool in an FA – by early 1995, he had become George Giggsy did pop to Red Square in full exactly how it should be done, Taylor Cup semi, and this was the obvious Graham’s last Arsenal signing, only to regalia ahead of United’s UEFA Cup tie marched triumphantly with a huge promo photo. Because, well, why not? be overshadowed by another Dutch with Torpedo Moscow. Unfortunately, Cross of St George to demonstrate his Regrettably, Whittingham’s day in bloke who arrived a few months later. it didn’t go too well – three years before unabashed optimism before Euro 92. front of the cameras didn’t bring him Dennis something or other. losing to fellow Russian outfit Rotor Absolutely nothing could go wrong any luck: second-tier Portsmouth were Volgograd, Alex Ferguson’s team were in Sweden – well, apart from a rather defeated on penalties after a replay, Helder later took up music seriously, torpedoed by Torpedo on penalties. unwise decision to substitute your and then he lost another FA Cup semi drumming along to DJs at nightclubs best forward, swiftly followed by an to Liverpool nine years later, while like a one-man version of Safri Duo. Giggs opted not to take a spot-kick, embarrassing group stage exit. playing for Wycombe. having seen one saved in an FA Cup It’s OK, though – there’s always the On the plus side, all his dishes were Sadly, his Arsenal career didn’t last shootout against Southampton only 1994 World Cup... cleaner than ever. as long as he would have wanted – the months earlier, so Gary Pallister took Wenger bus was coming and he liked responsibility instead – and missed. to party, his last match coming just after the Frenchman took over as boss. Cheers, comrade... HAIR TODAY, “IT’S BEEN SEVEN NOT THE BEST DRIVER, “FEAR NOT, YOUR RAIN LONG YEARS...” 6 GONE TOMORROW 8 BUT IN THE TOP ONE 9 WORRIES ARE OVER!” Charlton finally returned to The Valley It’s hard to believe, we know – but in December 1992 – and even Skeletor There was only one fitting way for What do you do when it’s raining and yes, there really was a time when was there to see it. Brian Clough to mark the beginning of your team have just scored a wonder Fabien Barthez had hair. his final season as Nottingham Forest goal? You storm onto the pitch with an The cash-strapped Addicks left their boss – by inviting Formula 1 star Nigel umbrella and shield the players from The keeper was only too happy to home in 1985 after safety issues were Mansell for a lap of the City Ground. that awful drizzle, obviously. display his mane after signing for identified in the wake of the Bradford Marseille in 1992 – posing alongside fire. Groundsharing at Selhurst Park, Mansell was a fortnight from being One Aston Villa fan did just that in his father, ex-France rugby star Alain they fared pretty well for the next few crowned world champion when he October 1992, racing on after Dalian Barthez, who boasted a magnificent years, reaching the top flight and then turned up in Nottingham to promote Atkinson scored a brilliant solo goal moustache and sunglasses combo. staying there until relegation in 1990. Labatt’s, who were sponsoring Forest against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. and the Williams F1 team. Barthez Jnr guided Marseille to A stadium switcheroo meant they “Dean Saunders jumped on Dalian’s Champions League success a year moved to Upton Park in ’91 – replaced He and Clough had a kickabout on back, so I held my brolly over them,” later, but then his hair fell out – by Wimbledon at Selhurst Park – before the pitch, while Roy Keane was seen explained the supporter. All perfectly presumably when he heard about Charlton sold Rob Lee and raised the quietly seething, forced to watch on logical, nothing weird about it at all. the club’s match-fixing scandal. money needed to return to The Valley. in the background. “Oh, so he’s about to be world champion, is he? So what? The fan became known as ‘Rain Man’, That was at least good news for Fans were in high spirits, although That’s his job!” the Irishman no doubt but sadly Dustin Hoffman didn’t turn it Laurent Blanc at France 98: after all, for Skeletor, events had clearly taken muttered under his breath, before into a sequel of his Hollywood movie. who wants to smooch the bonce of their toll. He looked like a young Fabien a four-year-old Micah Richards arrived Maybe Rain Man 2: That Bloke With The a man with a full head of hair? He Barthez back in 1985... and tried to wind him up. Umbrella wasn’t quite the right angle would be chewing on nits for weeks. for American audiences. FourFourTwo February 2021 13

UPFROnT BEST&WORST WOLVERHAMPTOn WAnDERERS Thomas Baugh of Wolves Blog remembers drunken defenders, non-scoring strikers and unwanted rap names XI top four. It didn’t end well, nICKnAME W: This season’s blue cloud away top, but the ride was exhilarating. although it’s possibly so bad it’s good. BEST: Matt Murray, Matt Doherty, W: 2012-13: relegation for the B: Stephen Elliott was having a difficult Ask me again in 20 years. Willy Boly, Joleon Lescott, Conor Coady, second year in a row, anger in the time in front of goal, and I imagine the Jonny Otto, Joao Moutinho, Ruben stands, and the one and only time I’ve moniker ‘Missy Elliott’ didn’t really help. MAnAGER Neves, Diogo Jota, Raul Jimenez, Steve seen a pitch invasion for a team that’s W: ‘Psycho’ for Kevin Muscat. A bit on Bull [right]. lost. The players sprinted off sharpish. the nose for my taste. B: Nuno [below]: end of debate. I know WORST: Andy Lonergan, Oleg Luzhny, Stan Cullis won the league and FA Cup, Simon Coleman, Darren Peacock, SIGnInG KIT but it was well before my time. Gunnar Halle, Silas, Eggert Jonsson, W: Dean Saunders: the further you get Robin van der Laan, Robert Taylor, B: It’s tempting to say Bully, but I’ll go B: The 1999-00 Puma home kit: simple away from his short spell in charge [in Tomasz Frankowski, Steve Claridge. for Neves. A symbol of our resurgence, design and gold – not orange or yellow 2013], the worse it looks. His interviews and the first serious indication that our – which can’t be said for several of the were pure comedy. PLAYER owners meant business. more recent efforts. W: Roger Johnson was a decent player, CULT HERO B: It’s got to be Bully: 306 goals and 18 but seemed to ruin what Mick McCarthy hat-tricks. If Neves stays for another 10 had built and became the face of our B: Nuno is iconic – you see his bearded years, though, he could be a contender. double relegation. He turned up pissed face artistically rendered on buildings W: Claridge: always scored against us, for training, too. all around the city. didn’t want to play for us, and didn’t W: We had a player called Scott Taylor score any goals for us. who was loved because he ran around a lot, usually not close to the football. MOMEnT AWAY TRIP B: Neves’ 35-yard super volley against Derby. We were as good as promoted B: Leeds in 1998: Don Goodman put anyway, but that strike encapsulated us ahead in an FA Cup quarter-final, a magical 2017-18 season. then Hans Segers saved Jimmy Floyd W: Missing out on promotion to West Hasselbaink’s late spot-kick. Lovely. Brom in 2002. I’m still not sure how we W: Play-off semi-final heartbreak at threw it away – and to our hated rivals. Bolton in 1995. The away end was like The stuff of nightmares. a big birdcage and we got stuffed 2-0. GAME HArD Man B: The 2003 play-off final victory over B: Paul Ince: effortlessly threatening, Sheffield United in Cardiff, which finally and governing our midfield even at 38. took us to the Premier League [above]. W: Muscat perhaps took the notion of A dream ending to a decade of misery. a football hard man a few steps too far. W: Our 2019 FA Cup semi-final loss to Watford still smarts. We were bossing CHAnT it for 80 minutes, 2-0 up, and somehow lost 3-2. Damn you, Gerard Deulofeu. B: Jody Craddock was hailed with, “He used to be sh**e, now he’s all right” to SEASOn Walking In A Winter Wonderland. W: Bellowing, “We all dream of a team B: 2019-20: quarter-finals of the Europa of Gary Breens” to Yellow Submarine League, doubles over Manchester City always felt wrong. The reality wouldn’t and Aston Villa, and we challenged the have been pleasant. 14 February 2021 FourFourTwo

UPFROnT ASK A SILLY QUESTIOn JOn ‘AGADOO’ PARKIn The former York, Preston and Hull goal-getter chats gold-disc chippies, fry-ups and tear-jerking telly Interview Nick Moore Illustration Bill McConkey Hello Jon. We were supposed to be 33 – I was like the oldest student ever. speaking earlier today, but you were I used to pay one of the younger lads out walking and got lost. How is this £50 a month to provide unlimited cups possible in the modern age? of tea. That was fantastic. Hello mate. I’m tired. We took a wrong Which town had the best chippy? turn and went four miles too far – we Fleetwood, without a doubt. There was were out in the sticks around Barnsley, an award-winning chippy, the Granada getting mucky. We should have taken Fish Bar, with a gold disc up on the wall. an Ordnance Survey map, as we can’t The owner told me he’d had a No.1 hit, even read maps on phones. and that it was a kids’ song. It turned If you did get fully lost in the woods, out to be Agadoo. The chips were ace. how well could you survive? You’re legendary for eating a fry-up I’ve got at least two month’s worth of before training. What do you have? fat reserves to draw upon, so I’d be OK. Bacon, sausage, black pudding, tinned Would I be a decent hunter? No. Once, tomatoes, mushrooms, and it has to be I went to play a game of snooker but a poached egg. Possibly a hash brown. walked past a gun shop and ended up Bread and butter, too. buying a rifle. I was sh**e at shooting – Would you agree that it’s wrong for and bang average at snooker. the eggs to touch the beans? As your name is an anagram of ‘Join I’m happy to mix the egg, tomato and Prank’, what’s the best stunt you’ve beans. I guess you could make a little ever pulled? sausage dam in between. On deadline day at Preston, I got Chris Do you have a soft side, like Martin Sedgwick’s phone, altered the number ‘Mad Dog’ Allen, who grows shrubs, of his agent for my own, then sent him and Adebayo Akinfenwa, who loves lots of messages. He was going, “Well, Disney films featuring princesses? it looks like I’m leaving, lads!” His face I weep openly at DIY SOS. I love seeing was sparkling. He phoned his ‘agent’ people’s lives being transformed. I was and asked, “So, what have you got for blubbering all the way through one the me?” I said, “F**king nothing, you silly other week about this couple who had bastard.” It was cruel but funny. adopted four disabled children. You played for Barnsley, Hartlepool, Do you drink herbal tea? York, Macclesfield, Stoke, Preston, No, never. You can shove them up your Hull, Doncaster and Fleetwood. Does arse. Yorkshire Tea! this mean you’re the most northern And your favourite flower? footballer in history? The one that’s in Yorkshire puddings... Maybe. I did say to my agent, “I don’t Boom boom. Have you ever relaxed in want to play anywhere that’s over two a spa with cucumber over your eyes? hours away from Barnsley.” There was I have, and I’m not ashamed. I don’t the odd exception, such as Cardiff and mind a facial. I quite like doing nowt! Forest Green, but I liked heading home Good attitude. Thanks for chatting. afterwards and going out with mates. Any time. I never wanted to live where I played. Which of those towns had the locals Follow Jon (@Parky08) for after-dinner that you’d least like to fight? speaking enquiries, then check out his That’s tough, but I wouldn’t like to get hilarious podcast called ‘Undr The Cosh’ on the wrong side of Stoke’s. The fans everywhere were good to me. If they “I OnCE WEnT TO PLAY SnOOKER can see you’re doing your best, they’ll BUT WALKED PAST A GUn SHOP give you credit – even if you’re sh**e... AnD EnDED UP BUYInG A RIFLE” How did you find Forest Green with all their fancy southern ways, then? I enjoyed it. I actually lived in a hostel with some of the players, despite being

UPFROnT GAMES THAT CHAnGED MY LIFE PARK JI-SUnG 16 February 2021 FourFourTwo

UPFROnT Portugal 0 South Korea 1 JOE BIDEn: SOCCER ULTRA June 14, 2002 World Cup group stage The USA’s new president has long been a football enthusiast “I can’t forget the 2002 World Cup, and our last group In the Brazilian city of Natal in 2014, USA administration will be keen to use the finals as game against Portugal. I scored and we won, yes, but goalkeeper Tim Howard got to his feet to the diplomatic opportunity it is,” says Dubois. it was my dream to play for my country at the World greet a visitor to the dressing room. Cup. To get there, play, score and win was something Biden was a late soccer convert, after his two I’d have taken if it was offered right at the start of my “Great to see you again,” said the Everton sons started playing. Previous presidents were career. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed playing against man, having just inspired Team America to less eager; Richard Nixon painfully so. Visiting Poland in the first group game [a 2-0 win] and USA in a World Cup win over Ghana. “Better today,” Ecuador, he was cajoled into a kickabout, then the second [a 1-1 draw], but to score against Portugal quipped Joe Biden – they’d previously met panicked, tried a header and got smacked on with the only goal of the game, to top the group and four years earlier in South Africa, where reach the last 16, was beyond magical.” Ghana knocked the USA out. the top of his bonce. As soccer’s popularity grows, K Antlers 1 Kyoto Purple Sanga 2 Now, Howard’s old buddy is ready to become president, though, so does its influence. January 1, 2003 Emperor’s Cup final and it’s hoped that football ‘Soccer moms’ were key voters will get promoted, too. Biden from the ’96 election onwards, “This was my last game for Kyoto Purple Sanga, as I’d has been dubbed America’s before the US Women’s players already decided to join PSV. It just happened to be the ‘soccer ambassador’ – as VP became superstars. Presidents final game of the season against Kashima Antlers, in he attended MLS games and do love pictures with winners. Japan’s equivalent of the FA Cup. We fought back to led a delegation to the 2015 win, after I equalised early in the second half, and my Women’s World Cup Final, It was Biden and Harris who performance was unbelievable. It was the first time in alongside former Coventry bonded with the 2019 world Kyoto’s history that they’d lifted the Emperor’s Cup, so midfielder Cobi Jones (right). champions, however. Megan I was proud to be part of it.” Who knew his life was like an Rapinoe accepted an invite episode of Sky Sports’ Premier League Years? from Harris to visit the Senate, PSV 3 Milan 1 after leading the team’s anti-Trump Biden has also picked a football-friendly VP: boycott. Biden then called on US Soccer to pay May 4, 2005 Champions League semi-finals Kamala Harris’ earliest activism was aged 13, women equally, or “when I’m president, you campaigning to overturn a ban on kids playing can go elsewhere for funding”. US Soccer have “After losing the first leg 2-0 at San Siro, we did well to soccer on a lawn near her home in Montreal. since reached a settlement with the women’s level the tie after 65 minutes of the second. I scored Even the duo’s election fundraising merch paid side over working conditions. Did Biden assist? our opening goal, against a great team like Milan, and homage to the beautiful game. “It was a helpful message,” suggests Dubois. my performance that night also led Alex Ferguson to Biden will be a World Cup cheerleader again, reveal he wanted me at Manchester United. Although “They marketed a Biden/Harris soccer scarf,” even if the 78-year-old could leave office prior we made it 3-3 on aggregate by full-time, Milan’s key explains Laurent Dubois, who runs the Soccer to 2026. Should Harris succeed him, presiding away goal sent them into the final. That was the year Politics forum at Duke University. Biden’s win over the finals would complete an epic career of their famous loss to Liverpool in Istanbul.” brightens prospects for the 2026 World Cup arc – there’s even a new kids’ book, Kamala In – under Donald Trump, relations were frayed Canada, inspired by her girlhood campaigning. Uruguay 2 South Korea 1 with co-hosts Canada and particularly Mexico. The opening ceremony speech writes itself. Trump dreamed of defensive walls, but “this Si Hawkins June 26, 2010 World Cup last 16 “After getting out of a group including Argentina, we lost our first knockout game to a late Luis Suarez goal – my last match at a World Cup. It was a very strange feeling, because we’d lost and I also knew that I was never returning to this tournament; the journey which began back in 2002 had ended so emotionally. I knew I had to walk out onto the pitch after the final whistle, to say goodbye.” Manchester United 2 Chelsea 1 May 8, 2011 Premier League “A great win at Old Trafford – Javier Hernandez scored in the first minute, then Nemanja Vidic headed home a second goal midway through the opening half. The game was really important, as there were three points between United and Chelsea at the top of the league. If we’d lost, they could have won the title. I chose this match because, internally, I believe it was my best in a United shirt – I was everywhere. I think it was after this game when fans started believing in what I gave the team. My performance that afternoon, especially in the first half, was incredible.” Rahman Osman FourFourTwo February 2021 17

UPFROnT RAnKED 25 BEST PLAYERS SInCE SCOTLAnD LAUnCHED A PREMIER DIVISIOn North of the border, Scotland’s top tier went Premier way back in 1975 – FFT ranks the finest stars based on their performances and achievements since then 25 JORG ALBERTZ 13 ALEX MCLEISH 1 24 JIM LEIGHTOn 12 AnDY GORAM 23 LUBOMIR MORAVCIK 11 PAUL MCSTAY HEnRIK LARSSOn 22 MARK HATELEY 10 DAVIE COOPER 21 DAVID nAREY 9 WILLIE MILLER Henrik Larsson is, quite simply, the If Larsson’s pedigree had ever been 20 SCOTT BROWn 8 JOHn GREIG greatest footballer to have played in doubt because of the perceived 19 BARRY FERGUSOn 7 PAUL GASCOIGnE in Scotland over the last 46 years. strength of Scottish football, then his 18 BRIAn MCCLAIR 6 DAnnY MCGRAIn performance in the 2003 UEFA Cup 17 SAnDY JARDInE 5 GORDOn STRACHAn The Swede is one of few examples Final surely put it to bed – he scored 16 CHARLIE nICHOLAS 4 KEnnY DALGLISH of a genuinely world-class player to two incredible headers in an unlucky 15 RICHARD GOUGH 3 ALLY MCCOIST spend his peak seasons in Scotland, but proud 3-2 loss to Jose Mourinho’s 14 PAUL LAMBERT 2 BRIAn LAUDRUP when he could have undoubtedly Porto in Seville. had his pick of clubs. For Celtic fans, 18 February 2021 FourFourTwo he was not only a truly elite player, Often when a player leaves such but a hero. He embodied the turning an indelible mark on a club or league, point in Scottish football. imitations or unhelpful comparisons pop up. We’ve seen the new Kenny Larsson rose to prominence in the Dalglish, the new Wayne Rooney and iconic 1997-98 season which ended even, hilariously, the new Roberto the near decade of dominance from Baggio touted in Scotland. Rangers, even scoring on the decisive last day of the campaign. There has never been a new Henrik Larsson, though. Nor will there ever After recovering from a disastrous be – such suggestions would be silly. broken leg, Larsson guaranteed his spot in history with the most famous When compiling any list of modern Celtic goal of the 21st century, as he greats in the Scottish game, for me chipped Stefan Klos in a superb 6-2 there can be no debate regarding the win over the reigning champions. It rightful winner. The crown must go announced that Celtic were back on to the King of Kings. top, and they planned to stay there. Stephen Arbuckle



UPFROnT viSiT THE HOME OF THE FOOTBALL QUIZ fourfourtwo.com/quiz New year, new you? Get your thinking cap on for 2021 with our latest lot of head-scratching teasers 0 1 Chelsea signed Thiago Silva from 1 1 Hibernian manager Jack Ross led Paris Saint-Germain last summer which League One team between – from which Italian side did the May 2018 and October 2019? Ligue 1 club buy him in 2012? 1 2 League Two side Grimsby have 0 2 Which struggling striker scored been playing home matches at the opening goal of the 2020-21 which ground since 1899? Premier League season? 1 3 Only eight men have ever won 0 3 Aston Villa’s Bertrand Traore is the European Cup, World Cup the only player from his country and Ballon d’Or. Fill in the gaps... to play in the Premier League – can you name that nation? German Bobby Charlton English Rivaldo 0 4 Who was the first beleaguered Brazilian gaffer to be sacked by a club in Italian Kaka the Championship this season? Brazilian Franz Beckenbauer German 0 5 Man City netted Spanish winger French Ferran Torres for £21m from Brazilian which La Liga outfit in August? 10 1 4 How many Premier League titles 0 6 Who is second to Ryan Giggs for did Ashley Cole claim during his the most Premier League assists These four players have all scored the winning goal in spells with Arsenal and Chelsea? ever, having teed up 111 goals? a Championship play-off final – can you name them? 1 5 Man City favourite David Silva is 0 7 Scotland have reached their first currently playing his football for major tournament since France which La Liga high-fliers? 98 – who scored as they secured their only point of that finals? 0 8 Leeds forward Rodrigo spent the 2010-11 season on loan at which then-Premier League club? 0 9 With whom did the late, great Gerard Houllier initially share managerial duties as Liverpool manager from 1998? 1 6 Erling Haaland won the Golden Boy prize in 2020 – which English player landed it in 2014? 1 7 Former Tottenham coach Andre Villas-Boas is now at the helm of which French giants? 1 8 Striker Paulo Wanchope rocked up at Derby from Costa Rican team Herediano in what year? 1. Milan 2. Alexandre Lacazette 3. Burkina Faso 4. Sabri Lamouchi (Nott’m Forest) 5. Valencia 6. Cesc Fabregas 7. Craig Burley 8. Bolton 9. Roy Evans 10. Mo Diame, Hull (2016); Neil Shipperley, Crystal Palace (2004); Brett Ormerod, Blackpool (2010); Ricardo Vaz Te, West Ham (2012) 11. Sunderland 12. Blundell Park 13. Gerd Muller, Paolo Rossi, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho 14. 3 15. Real Sociedad 16. Raheem Sterling 17. Marseille 18. 1997

T H E F O O T B A L L G R I D If you’re a fan and you want to be famous, you need UPFROnT to stand out from the crowd – just like this quintet did REQUIRED READInG Fan TANGO LARISSA JOHN BIRDMAN SHOUTING MAN RIQUELME WESTWOOD OF COLOMBIA GUNNER AKA Paul Gregory, That model in Changed name Gustavo Barry Ferst ST PAULI: ANOTHER Look Sheffield all the photos to John Llanos, or FOOTBALL IS ‘El Cole’ POSSIBLE Wednesday at every ‘Portsmouth supporter World Cup Football Club’ Carles Vinas, Natxo Parra (Pluto, £14.99) Westwood OOOOO Topless. Virtually Noddy Just a man INCREDIBLY Despite their regular place in Always topless. Holder’s even pretending to INTENSE the second tier, Hamburg’s Always crazier uncle be a giant bird. St Pauli have become known to fans across the globe. What of it? The club’s underlying ethos of Style Directs sizeable Innovator: paid Bookshop Suspended in Celebrating key tolerance and equality – not to belly towards by deodorant owner by day, air, displaying Arsenal wins mention their association with opposition fans, company to feathers like by remaining the Jolly Roger symbol – has awaits insults display name bell-ringing a demented INCREDIBLY made them a beloved second on her chest nutter by night INTENSE AT team for many – yet there’s during match peacock ALL TIMES more to St Pauli than politics. Did you Has never Beat Mike Made the Quit law Actually Carles Vinas and Natxo Parra know? actually been Tyson in news after his degree to worked in take you on a journey, from the in a Tango ad – Argentina’s shop sold zero become the a London historical roots of football in Notable rumoured to Dancing With team mascot, bank, as the northern port city, through incidents prefer Fanta The Stars books in as you do it happens the reign of the Third Reich and a whole day beyond. Along the way, we meet ex-players, diehard fans, Kicked out of Said she’d run Angered Fell from THAT TIME HE social workers, historians and two games in naked through Southampton great height SHOUTED others, and travel the globe to a row in 2019 by urinating when a goal find out how St Pauli fans make Asuncion if on the seats celebration A LOT WHEN a difference to impoverished, Paraguay won at St Mary’s went wrong ARSENAL WON far-flung communities. at Italia 90 World Cup AT OLD At the heart of it, however, TRAFFORD is the football. In any normal year, matchdays at St Pauli are Outcome Banned for Paraguay Very swiftly Became Spent next like nothing many visiting fans two years, by didn’t win became John a priest after 23 years trying have seen before – a unique his own club World Cup – atmosphere, with affordable – they knew she said she’d ‘Banned By escaping to be LESS ticket prices giving all fans an when they’d do it anyway Southampton injury, INCREDIBLY opportunity to see their team. been Tango-ed Football Club’ thank God INTENSE. Another football experience is Westwood AAAAARGH! possible. St Pauli lead the way. Ed McCambridge FourFourTwo February 2021 21

UPFROnT What do you miss the most about going to a match? The sheer noise inside the ground. I’ve been to plenty of music gigs – where you have loads of noise from the band playing and fans singing – but when you go to a football match, there’s something very unique about the atmosphere. I don’t think the buzz you get from that – the overwhelming and visceral feeling of an enormous amount of noise from a massive group of people – ever goes away. MAT What’s your favourite goal you’ve HORnE ever seen? MAT HORNETOTTENHAM HOTSPUR Des Walker’s own goal in the 1991 FA Cup Final was very, very enjoyable. I’d The Gavin & Stacey taken so much stick from Forest’s fans, and then he scored the most incredible star on making it big with diving header during extra time to gift Spurs the trophy. Son in South Korea, Peter Beardsley’s love of musicals – and how Clive Allen ruined his life Who from your club’s past would you bring back for the current side? What was the first match was playing for us, and I loved Berba. against the cast of Casualty, Michael Carrick. Shortly before he was you ever saw live? When I walked past him, I reacted in which was filmed in Bristol sold to Manchester United in 2006, he It was Nottingham Forest vs a childlike, “Oooh!” way – lost for words at the time. We went 2-0 became the ultimate playmaker – you Spurs, at the City Ground in and in awe of the man. Clive was right down early on, but ended only really recognised it properly if you 1989. I’m from Nottingham, behind him, then he turned to me and up winning 5-3 and I scored went to games. You could see that he so sat with Forest fans – but said, “He is a human being, you know?” a hat-trick. I remember one just controlled matches by that point. we won 2-1. I’d been Spurs I thought, ‘Oh Clive, you’ve just f**king effort in particular, though: He’s the player that Tottenham need from the age of seven. I was ruined my life!’ with that rather curt I was about 20 yards out right now – the kind of player that Eric really into football, but didn’t response. His little quip destroyed me. Dier should be striving to become, but have a team. My dad asked with my back to goal, then I don’t think ever will. me if I wanted a football kit What was your finest moment as lobbed both centre-backs for Christmas, so I looked in a player? and the goalkeeper. It was Which player do you like even though my 1986 Panini sticker album I played in a charity game when I was so beautiful. they never played for your club? and chose Spurs’ – the Hummel doing Teachers for Channel 4 – our cast I always wish that Yossi Benayoun had one with arrows going across it. I was How has watching football changed gone to Tottenham – I thought he was a young full-kit wanker, but from there for you since you were a kid? a great player. He did well at Liverpool I became a Spurs fan. The innocence of watching football as after leaving West Ham, but I’m not a kid has gone – especially having met sure he ever reached his full potential Who was your childhood hero and did players, and understanding how much and think we should have bought him. you ever meet them? money is involved. Cynicism can tend Clive Allen [above right]. They say never to creep in. But I’ve also never got too Where’s the best place you’ve ever meet your heroes, and in this instance annoyed or upset when things haven’t watched a game? it’s very true. I did a pitchside thing for gone well for Tottenham. Growing up It’s the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Soccer AM a few years ago, on the day surrounded by Forest supporters and I have to say. I was fortunate enough of the North London derby. The players having to take their abuse, like when to be treated to the full VIP experience. were warming up before kick-off, and we lost the 1987 FA Cup Final against There I was, sitting in the restaurant, Clive was part of the coaching team. It Coventry... things like that were really eating dinner alongside Gary Mabbutt was when Dimitar Berbatov [above left] hurtful, and I trained myself to accept and seeing the chef – Michel Roux Jr – that it’s only a game. go round explaining what else was on the menu that day. It’s a post-prawn sandwich world now – we’re way, way beyond prawn sandwiches at the new White Hart Lane! What’s the funniest and/or strangest thing you’ve ever seen or heard at a match? Blokes with their tops off in the winter. I know it’s not a unique thing, but it’s such an unusual thing to do: walk into a group of 30,000 people in freezing temperatures and think, ‘I know what I’m gonna do – I’m gonna start taking my clothes off’. 22 February 2021 FourFourTwo

UPFROnT Which player would you choose as THE OTHER AFCOn your room-mate? Son Heung-min. He joined Twitter for Africa’s top teams duel, but there’s a twist (and a Northern Irishman) a while, followed me, and I could never work out why – then he left. I’d like to The Africa Cup of Nations was originally due to take “I hear CHAN is the most scouted tournament in hang out with him and find out how on place this month – coronavirus put paid to that, but the world,” McKinstry tells FFT. “Most of the players at Earth he came to follow me on Twitter. it’s been replaced by one of the strangest football AFCON are at European clubs. CHAN brings together I don’t know whether Gavin & Stacey tournaments in the world. the top domestic players in Africa – scouts can pick up is big in South Korea, but I’d love to get a player and the transfer fee might only be €100,000. to the bottom of that. With AFCON postponed to 2022, say hello to CHAN, For a Ugandan club, that’s a huge amount that can or the African Nations Championship. Delayed from help develop the next generation.” Who’s your current favourite player? its initial date of April 2020, it features Africa’s leading Again, Son [above]. I just love the way nations like AFCON – but they are only allowed to pick CHAN does present some issues. McKinstry has won he plays and the happiness with which players from their country’s own domestic division. the CECAFA Cup with Uganda and they are on course he does it. I love watching a footballer to reach AFCON, but he will have a much-changed who has somehow found his team that That would cause chaos at the Euros: no Cristiano squad for this event. “With Rwanda, most of our side have made him a superstar. Ronaldo for holders Portugal and no Gareth Bale for played domestically,” he says. “Here, when I name an Wales. France would basically have Kylian Mbappe AFCON squad there may be three playing in Uganda.” Where’s the strangest place you’ve on his own – England would lose to him on penalties. ever met a manager or player? McKinstry is targeting the knockout stages, while I was a huge fan of the musical Legally The format has a similarly varying effect in Africa – giving youngsters a chance to earn lucrative moves. Blonde, and went to see the show four Morocco won the last tournament in 2018, but Libya He’s ambitious, too, snubbing interest from African times. The third time I went, this guy were more surprising champs in 2014. AFCON holders Champions League clubs as he wants to take Uganda walked in and was obviously a bit late. Algeria failed to qualify for this year’s CHAN, together to a World Cup. “They finished second in a qualifying Now, this doesn’t answer the question with Nigeria, Senegal and the Ivory Coast. group with Egypt, Ghana and Congo for 2018,” he fully as I didn’t actually meet him, but says. “This time, it’s Mali, Kenya and Rwanda – a big bearing in mind this is a performance That offers opportunities for countries like Uganda, opportunity, but topping the group isn’t enough. You of Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre, managed by Northern Irishman Johnathan McKinstry. need to win a play-off as well. In 2026, nine African that man was Peter Beardsley. It has It’s the 35-year-old’s third international job in Africa teams will qualify. If you’re able to go to a World Cup, to be the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. – he first moved to the continent to coach at the Right that’s something so few coaches get to do.” I didn’t know he was so into musicals to Dream Academy in Ghana and the Craig Bellamy – it was extraordinary. Foundation in Sierra Leone, stepping up to guide the First though, it’s the African Nations Championship. Sierra Leone national team and steering them to an If anything can set McKinstry and his young stars on What’s the most important piece of all-time high of 50th in FIFA’s rankings. He then took the road to success, perhaps CHAN can. memorabilia that you have or wish tiny Rwanda to the final of the regional CECAFA Cup Chris Flanagan you still had? in 2015, and the quarter-finals of CHAN a year later. I wish I had that first Spurs kit my dad bought me for Christmas. I do have the shirt from two seasons later, though. It still smells of 1988, but I wish I had that original Hummel top. If you had to pick four Gavin & Stacey co-stars to make a dream five-a-side team, who gets the nod? I’d have Larry Lamb in goal, because he’s very tall. James Corden is going in midfield – despite his form, he’s pretty light on his feet. I’d put Ruth Jones in defence and Joanna Page, who plays Stacey, out on the wing. I’d be upfront as the striker. Niall Doherty FourFourTwo February 2021 23

UPFROnT INTERVIEW SAM KE After starring in the US and with Australia, the strike ace has already begun to bag honours at Chelsea in the WSL You joined Chelsea from Chicago Red match together. I play to win trophies There have been travel restrictions efforts – we wanted to win it in normal Stars in November 2019. How did the with the team, rather than focusing on in and out of Australia over the past circumstances, but that wasn’t in our move happen? personal achievements and accolades. 12 months. Has that affected you? control. I hadn’t had the opportunity to Europe had been high on my agenda I’m always grateful to get recognition, The hard part has been not being able play in the Champions League before for a long time, so it was always about though. [Smiles] to go home. Especially for Christmas – this season, so it’s an exciting time for when I would make the move. I spoke it’s been really strange not seeing my me and the team. Of course we want with Emma Hayes, the manager here How did you find the adjustment of family, but there’s FaceTime and Zoom to win it, but I’m not thinking too far at Chelsea, and I liked what she had living in London? to stay in touch. If not being able to see ahead. We have a great side on paper to say, what the team were doing and It’s been very good so far. In America my family means I can carry on playing and have to keep playing to our best. how they played. It felt like the right I played throughout the summer, and football, then I guess that’s some kind move. It was more than simply football it was the same in Australia, so it does of positive, as we all want to play. I’ve You said when you arrived that you – it was the team culture, and I found take time getting used to it being a bit had plenty of Zoom calls over the past felt the WSL was the best league in that attractive. It’s not just about what different. But I feel like I’ve settled in year, with the team, friends and family. Europe. What do you think now you we do on the pitch, it’s about what we London and the way of living quite well. It has been testing times for everyone, have been here for more than a year? do off it, too. I’ve really enjoyed it since but I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve It’s growing fast. There’s more support arriving in England. I’ve felt challenged been catching up with a few Aussies – for the game now and it’s stepped up, because it’s different to America and it’s ace to lean on them and vice versa. which is such a good thing. You should requires a different mentality. I feel like There are many Aussies in London, too. be rewarded for pushing teams. With I’ve settled quickly. the work we’ve done at Chelsea, we’ve Chelsea topped a curtailed WSL last earned it. The WSL can definitely be the You were the NWSL’s leading scorer season on points per game, despite best league in the world. for three straight years in the United Manchester City having more points. States, and were 5th and 7th in the How did it feel to win a title like that, Aussie rules footballers, a boxer and two most recent Ballon d’Or votes. Is and are you targeting success in the jockey are in your family. Were you the aim to top score in England, too? Champions League now? always destined to be a sports star? I want to be the top goalscorer, but it’s It was nice to win the league. The girls My mum played netball, and grandad a team effort and we want to win every deserved it. We were rewarded for our was a boxer. I was practically dragged 24 February 2021 FourFourTwo

UPFROnT THE VIEW FROM THE STAnDS Is there an issue you feel strongly about? Contact us: [email protected] around to every arena, watching sport! FourFourTwoUK My dad and uncles played football too, FourFourTwo so sport’s definitely in the genes. REF’S ARE REAL 4 STAR You’ve said the WSL is quite physical, LETTER but you played Aussie rules as a kid It was great to read your article on – it can’t be as physical as that?! Douglas Ross [FFT 321], who juggles DIEGO: ONE OF A KIND No, the WSL definitely isn’t as physical politics with refereeing. I thought it compared to Aussie rules! I played that was refreshing to hear from a ref’s I watched Asif Kapadia’s amazing documentary with boys, so as you can imagine, the side, to get a slant on how they see again in awe. Setting aside the stuff Diego had to physicalities were demanding. football through their eyes. It makes deal with off the pitch, the on-field assaults he also them sound almost human… But it suffered every game were criminal. Even before the You’ve previously said that you hated also got me thinking more about the Hand of God, England players cynically fouled him football as a kid. What changed? long-time issue regarding referees on several occasions. I remember watching as a kid As I grew older, I learned to appreciate being interviewed after a game, and feeling so hard done by... for all of four minutes. the game so much more. I didn’t really having the opportunity to justify their When he scored the greatest goal I’ve ever seen, understand it and the way the sport decisions. I feel it would take away I forgave him almost instantly. He was a genius. was viewed – it was kind of frowned the conspiracy theory reactions we Can you imagine Ronaldo or Messi taking kickings upon, with the dieting and the rolling get from some fans, and give the like that and getting on with it? Didn’t think so. around. Now I appreciate the skills and officials a chance to be respected for George Simpson, via email dedication it requires more than I did the difficult job they do. By the way, when I was young. I don’t think Mr Ross would need to JUDE THE JOY pressure is cranked up on him in the consider giving up his refereeing for only way Britain’s media know how, Back in 2009, you made your debut politics in the near future – being the How refreshing it was to read your I’d like to wish an impressive young for Australia – two years later, you Scottish Tory Leader and reffing in interview with a genuinely engaging man good luck. Not that it seems as were on the cover of the Australian the Highland League are about on young footballer in the last issue though he needs much of it. FourFourTwo. Australia will host the par with one another! [FFT 321]. It’s not hard to see why Helena Fox, via email Women’s World Cup in 2023 – could David Kelly, via email Jude Bellingham was playing for you be the face of that tournament? Birmingham at 16 and got It was so exciting to be on the cover AGENTS OF DESTRUCTION his big move to Borussia of FourFourTwo at such a young age – Dortmund. Given the first I think the whole team will be the face “Bla bla is not important... When you England cap that followed of the tournament in 2023. I have to don’t know what’s going on inside not long after, it looks like pinch myself when I think about that don’t talk.” So posted Paul Pogba on Gareth Southgate is a big tournament – representing my country Instagram in December, after yet fan as well. So before the on home soil, in front of my family and more speculation about his future. friends, will be an amazing feeling and Fair enough – until he remembers so good for Australia. There are great that talk started with his rent-a-gob things happening in women’s football, agent. A week earlier, Mino Raiola and I’m ready to do my country proud. had declared Pogba “unhappy” and revealed, “I feel the best solution for At the 2019 World Cup, you scored the parties is to sell him in the next against Italy and copied Tim Cahill’s market.” Personally, I couldn’t care famous corner flag celebration. Was less what he does – but yet again, we he an inspiration for you? have an agent looking out for No.1 Tim Cahill is the greatest Socceroo ever! and No.1 only. They’re the absolute Timmy has been unbelievable on and scourge of football. off the field – he was Mr Reliable, and Chris Tiller, via email he’s always treated us women with so much respect. He sent me a message WIN! Ice Pred T-shirt for Star Letter and an A4 print of on Instagram during lockdown, just to choice for Spine Line, courtesy of Art of Football check in with me – he’s a really cool guy. I hope that when I finish playing, 321 SPINE LINE: “‘Fritz and Ottmar Walter’ were brothers who won the World Cup in 1954 – people look up to me in the way that followed by the Charltons in 1966,” says Dave Staddon. Get that man a T-shirt! #FFTSpineLine they look up to him. Sonia Randev

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PREMIER FRANK LAMPARD • DENNIS BERGKAMP • VINCENT KOMPAN LEAGUE 100 • NICOLAS ANELKA • ERIC CANTONA • STEVEN GERRARD •  AMIE VARDY • PETER SCHMEICHEL • JURGEN KLINSMANN YJ ! 1992 2021

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 Football didn’t begin in 1992, but an era that would alter England’s game forever did. After almost three decades of thrills and spills, FourFourTwo ranks the ultimate icons who defined a generation Words Mark White, Joe Brewin, Ed McCambridge, Richard Jolly

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 99 ANDREI KANCHELSKIS MANCHESTER UNITED, EVERTON, MANCHESTER CITY, SOUTHAMPTON LEGACY Alex Ferguson’s love of fast and skilful wingers can be traced back to Kanchelskis’ £650,000 arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk. The nimble Russian helped United secure back-to-back Premier League titles from 1993, but couldn’t prevent a high-profile spat with his boss. Instead, he became a cult hero at Everton before shorter stints at Manchester City and Southampton. HIGHLIGHT A hat-trick against Man City in November 1994 and double for the Toffees at Anfield a year later. Andrei liked a derby. 98 BRAD FRIEDEL LIVERPOOL, BLACKBURN, ASTON VILLA, TOTTENHAM LEGACY The American stopper holds the record for the most consecutive Premier League appearances. Between August 2004 and October 2012, Friedel played 310 straight matches – comprising eight years, six managers and three clubs. A fine leader, communicator and goalkeeper. HIGHLIGHT Friedel bagged a 90th-minute equaliser for Blackburn against Charlton in February 2004… only for the Addicks to net an even later winner to take the spoils 3-2. 100 PETER team-mates appreciated Crouch’s all-round forward play, CROUCH but the simple knowledge that hopeful crosses into the box were never futile certainly did no harm. There was more than that, of course: just rewatch that outrageous ASTON VILLA, SOUTHAMPTON, LIVERPOOL, PORTSMOUTH, effort for Stoke against Manchester City in March 2012. TOTTENHAM, STOKE, BURNLEY In July 2008, Crouch was reunited with Redknapp at Portsmouth in an £11 million move, then again at Spurs for £10m one year later. ’Arry made the targetman one LEGACY Crouch might be best known for of his first signings after landing the job in north London. his lofty stature, robotic dance moves and The striker was often used as an impact substitute, but good-natured podcast patter – but real fans achieved cult status at White Hart Lane by netting the know there was so much more to his game. goal against Manchester City which effectively secured The Spurs academy graduate cut his teeth in Sweden Spurs’ spot in the Champions League/European Cup for and the second tier before finally getting his top-flight the first time since 1962. chance with Aston Villa in 2001. Graham Taylor fancied Crouch’s languid playing style allowed him to extend him; David O’Leary didn’t. his career until the ripe old age of It wasn’t until Crouch was flogged C R O U C H I S O N E O F T H E 38. At Stoke, and later Burnley, the to Southampton in 2004 that his unmistakable sight of him warming Premier League career got going. F E W P L A Y E R S W H O I S up continued to perk up hopeful He netted only three goals before crowds until as late as 2019. Christmas, but Harry Redknapp’s UNIVERSALLY ADMIRED As one of just 29 players to have arrival – and James Beattie’s January struck a century of Premier League sale – paved the way for nine goals B Y A N Y T E A M ’ S FA N S goals, Crouch’s place in history is in the new year. They couldn’t keep assured. He is among even more the Saints up, but did earn Crouch exclusive company in one regard – his first England call-up and a shock a player universally admired by fans transfer to Liverpool in 2005. of every team. Those headers, loose limbs, velcro touch, He promptly went 18 matches without a goal. “I really occasional eye for the spectacular and happy-go-lucky wanted to head back to Southampton as fast as possible,” personality made him impossible to dislike – unless you he told FFT in 2018. “I was thinking, ‘What have I done?’” were a centre-back marking him at a corner, that is. Finally, he broke his Reds duck with a wildly deflected Not bad for a guy once referred to as “the 20ft chicken” effort that somehow lobbed Wigan keeper Mike Pollitt – by rival non-league fans at Dulwich Hamlet. the first of a brace that afternoon. HIGHLIGHT Right foot, left foot, header: Crouch’s perfect They accounted for two of 108 Premier League goals, hat-trick at Anfield – the only treble in his career – guided of which a record 53 were headers. At each of his clubs, Liverpool to a 4-1 win over Arsenal in March 2007. 30 February 2021 FourFourTwo

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 97 PEPE REINA THE MISSING CLUBS LIVERPOOL, ASTON VILLA None of our top 100 represented these Premier LEGACY Hailed as “the best 95EMILE League teams – if you don’t include Harry Kane’s keeper in Spain” by Liverpool HESKEY three matches for Norwich – but each had a star manager Rafael Benitez upon his 2005 arrival from Villarreal, LEICESTER, LIVERPOOL, BIRMINGHAM, BARNSLEY Reina’s first task was to oust WIGAN, ASTON VILLA Champions League final legend Jerzy Dudek. Neil Redfearn It wasn’t even a fight: Reina immediately LEGACY Heskey’s 110 Premier League goals grabbed the No.1 shirt, racking up 134 clean place him 23rd in the all-time scoring chart, Tykes fans boasted it was just like watching Brazil sheets in 285 Premier League appearances but the Leicester man was always valued for when their side got promoted – Redfearn took the for the Reds – earning him the Golden Glove more than his bare numbers. His total may role of Zico, scoring double figures from midfield in award in three consecutive campaigns.   have been helped by longevity over innate scoring talent their solitary Premier League season of 1997-98. HIGHLIGHT Breaking Liverpool’s record of – only six players have exceeded Heskey’s 516 top-flight consecutive Premier League clean sheets appearances – but he earned every single strike through BLACKPOOL (eight) during his first, rock-solid season. his tireless work ethic and selfless style. The rule of thumb was very simple: pair your best striker Charlie Adam 96 STEVE BRUCE with Heskey, sit back and enjoy the results. No matter the MANCHESTER UNITED partner – Robbie Fowler or Michael Owen at Liverpool, Seasiders fans were never parched for entertainment Gabriel Agbonlahor at Aston Villa – the 6ft 2in frontman in a goal-crazy top flight campaign – the Tangerines LEGACY Bruce’s contributions proved the perfect foil. “Fowler had more natural talent; netted as many as fifth-placed Tottenham in 2010-11, to early-90s Manchester United Ronaldo, Shearer, Rooney [too]... but it’s about how you with midfielder Adam scoring 12 times. deserve much greater credit. As complement each other,” Owen once recalled. one half of a formidable defensive Heskey may never have troubled Golden Boot lists, but BRIGHTON partnership with Gary Pallister, the affable his managers didn’t seem to care. Neither did he. Northumbrian helped United win three of “I never considered myself a prolific scorer, but I knew Lewis Dunk the opening four Premier Leagues – the first what else I brought to the table: I created a lot, could hold as skipper, via one almighty intervention... the ball up and understood my roles,” he told FFT. The centre-back has helped secure four consecutive HIGHLIGHT Brucie’s brace – superb headers Nevertheless, he still smashed home 14 league goals for seasons in the top flight for the Sussex side, and also in the 86th and 96th minutes – gave United Liverpool during their 2000-01 treble-winning season, became the first Brighton player to represent England a fabled 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday firing Gerard Houllier’s side to a third-place league finish. since Steve Foster in 1982. Consistency personified. in April 1993. Fergie’s side never looked back, Such skills were evident early. The future 62-cap England sealing the title with two matches to spare. international made his Premier League debut at just 17 CARDIFF for local club Leicester, who were relegated shortly after his bow but bounced back at the first attempt. Upon their Peter Whittingham return, Heskey – then a nippy wide forward – hit 10 goals in consecutive campaigns, in between coming second to Cardiff’s maiden promotion to the Premier League David Beckham for the 1996-97 PFA Young Player of the would never have happened without Whittingham’s Year award (ahead of Fowler). There was little doubting wand of a left foot, and he remained their linchpin in the Foxes prodigy’s potential. the top tier. He tragically died last year, aged just 35. The goals didn’t quite flow as expected from there, but Liverpool’s decision to make Heskey their record signing CRYSTAL PALACE for £11m in March 2000 – then the third-most expensive domestic transfer in English football history – sent a clear Wilfried Zaha message. There always appeared to be something that only those on the inside truly appreciated. Across two spells at Selhurst Park, Zaha has become “Heskey may be heavily criticised by some English fans, a Palace legend – he’s consistently been the Eagles’ but I don’t see it like that,” noted former FIFA World Player star man in the seven years since his return from an of the Year Rivaldo in 2002. “I played against him a couple ill-fated spell at Manchester United. Now excelling as of times for Barcelona and realised what a quality player a clinical centre-forward after years playing out wide. he is. If you ask me which Englishman I think would be able to cope with playing in my team, Brazil, I say Heskey.” DERBY HIGHLIGHT A cracker against Coventry for Leicester in November 1999 was the very best of Heskey: terrific chest Stefano Eranio control, then a brilliant finish moving away from goal. When Rams supporters picked their all-time greatest XIs for the city’s local newspaper, almost all of them chose the classy ex-Genoa, Milan and Italy midfielder who graced Pride Park between 1997 and 2001. HUDDERSFIELD Aaron Mooy The Australian’s Premier League dream seemed over when he left Bolton at 19, but after a stint back Down Under, he returned seven years later to thrive on the other side of the Pennines with David Wagner’s men. HULL Geovanni The Brazilian schemer epitomised the Tigers’ feelgood days, immediately after their Premier League arrival in 2008. His stunning equaliser against Arsenal quickly earned him BBC Goal of the Month that September. FourFourTwo February 2021 31

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 94 JAMIE CARRAGHER LIVERPOOL LEGACY The one-club man willingly played anywhere he was needed in his early Reds career, moving to a permanent home at centre-back under Rafael Benitez. His strong leadership made him an Anfield pillar for 17 years. “Carragher was the most difficult opponent in terms of aggression,” revealed Didier Drogba. HIGHLIGHT An 18-year-old Carra slotted into midfield on his full Liverpool debut at home to Aston Villa in January 1997 – and headed the opening goal in a 3-0 victory. 93 JAMES MILNER LEEDS, NEWCASTLE, ASTON VILLA, MANCHESTER CITY, LIVERPOOL LEGACY Milner has enjoyed the career of a dozen different players. He’s been the Premier League’s youngest-ever scorer, a touchline-hugging wideman under Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle, and a goal-getter with Aston Villa. Now 35, the shapeshifting Yorkshireman has settled into his final position as Liverpool’s Mr Reliable in midfield… or is that right-back? A colossus. HIGHLIGHT Sure, Millie’s a three-time title winner, but that goal for Leeds in 2002 – aged 16 years, 356 days – takes some beating. 91DION would suffice. On a nerve-jangling afternoon, Dublin’s DUBLIN early goal sent Gordon Strachan’s side on their way to safety, in one of English football’s great escapology acts. He stayed to joint-top the Premier League goal charts MANCHESTER UNITED, COVENTRY, ASTON VILLA with 18 in 1997-98, spurning the advances of Blackburn to join Aston Villa for £5.75m after a harsh omission from England’s France 98 squad. Dublin couldn’t quite match LEGACY Quiz question: who scored the winner his output down the A45, but was a fan favourite at Villa in Manchester United’s first Premier League Park, helped by two braces and a hat-trick in his opening victory? This guy did. three games for John Gregory’s men. Just over a week after Dublin’s 88th-minute Dublin, though, achieved something deeper still with poacher’s finish against Southampton, his third United each passing campaign. The talisman took on cult status appearance, the towering striker broke his leg at home to in the ’90s, with his long-legged stride, rocket shot and Crystal Palace. While Dublin was sidelined, United signed infectious energy endearing him to those who watched Eric Cantona from Leeds to kick-start a trophy-laden new on. He bounced back to play for Villa just three months era at Old Trafford. after sustaining a broken neck that “I don’t have any regrets, although HE WAS A CULT HERO could have ended his career in 1999, I’d love to know what could have once nutmegged Bolton goalkeeper 92 KASPER SCHMEICHEL happened if I’d been able to sustain W I T H A L O N G S T R I D E , Keith Branagan with a side-footed MANCHESTER CITY, LEICESTER a longer spell in the United team,” volley before standing perfectly still LEGACY Being the son of a legend Dublin pondered to FFT on his Sliding ROCKET SHOT AND in celebration, and even played at didn’t give Schmeichel much of Doors moment in 2019. centre-back for Villa – as if that was a leg-up. He had to work his way up off the Manchester City bench, Still, Dublin did just fine away from INFECTIOUS ENERGY a perfectly normal thing for a striker eventually reaching the Premier League with Manchester. Flogged to Coventry in to do. Long before social media, he Leicester in 2014. Then he helped the Foxes maintain their top-flight status before the September 1994, the forward hit the also scored one of the cheekiest natural conclusion of, er, winning the bloody thing. The 34-year-old has rarely put a glove ground running, netting eight times goals in history, robbing Shay Given wrong since and is already a Leicester icon. HIGHLIGHT Five straight clean sheets near in his first 10 games. He bagged 13 or more in his first in 1997 by hiding behind the keeper. the end of 2015-16, when everybody began to believe in the impossible. four seasons at Highfield Road, and played an integral If that’s not enough, Dublin once lived with actor Jason role in keeping the Sky Blues up in a frantic end to the Statham, went on to invent his own percussion instrument 1996-97 season. With six daunting matches to go, Cov (The Dube) and now successfully presents Homes Under were bottom. Then they won at Liverpool with a late the Hammer. Dion, we salute you. Dublin goal, before beating Chelsea with another strike HIGHLIGHT An explosive hat-trick for Coventry against from their talisman. Dublin also earned Cov a point at Sheffield Wednesday in December 1995, coming during Arsenal before their final-day showdown against Spurs, a purple patch where Dublin began to assert himself as where only a win – and other results going their way – one of the premier marksmen in English football. 32 February 2021 FourFourTwo

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 87KEVIN IPSWICH PHILLIPS Marcus Stewart SUNDERLAND, SOUTHAMPTON, ASTON VILLA, BIRMINGHAM, CRYSTAL PALACE A consistent goalscorer in the Football League, the Tractor Boys’ talisman then struck 19 times in his 90 GILBERTO SILVA LEGACY As a youngster with Southampton, debut top-flight season in 2000-01 – only Chelsea’s ARSENAL Phillips would clean Alan Shearer’s boots. By Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink managed more that term. 2000, the strike pair were on either side of the LEGACY Arsene Wenger built Sunderland-Newcastle divide and Phillips was NORWICH a cathedral of beautiful football pipping his senior to the Premier League Golden Boot. at Arsenal, with silky attacking In fact, Phillips outscored anyone in Europe in his first Chris Sutton players his architects. Behind top-flight season, as the Black Cats finished seventh. He them, though, sat Gilberto: the ‘invisible wall’ is the only Englishman to win the European Golden Shoe. Capable of playing in defence as well as his more who swept up, battled hard and helped to As it transpired, Rodney Marsh’s assertion that ‘Super regular position upfront, Sutton steered the Canaries provide an artistic Gunners side with a tough Kev’ wouldn’t score more than six goals was about as to third in the first Premier League campaign, then shell. His understated influence underpinned accurate as an octopus playing darts. “We got smashed posted 25 goals in 1993-94. That summer, Blackburn Arsenal: the Invincibles owed their creativity 4-0 at Chelsea on the opening weekend – I think I only forked out a British record £5m for the versatile star. to the ball-winner who let them flourish. touched the ball about five times and thought, ‘Rodney HIGHLIGHT Going unbeaten in 2003-04 was could be right!’” Phillips chuckled to FFT in 2019. OLDHAM a team effort, but two goals to win the first In fact, the striker began with 13 in his first 12 games, North London derby at the Emirates Stadium including an iconic winner against Newcastle in front of Gunnar Halle in December 2006 were all Gilberto’s. a seething, dropped Shearer at St James’ Park. He struck another three doubles before Christmas, most notably at The Premier League’s first two seasons both featured 89 STEVE McMANAMAN home to Chelsea in a 4-1 redemption victory. Although the Latics – Norwegian right-back Halle bobbled home LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER CITY Sunderland went 11 matches without a win from Boxing the goal that kept them up in 1992-93 and impressed Day, Phillips still scored six – including two more against again before eventual relegation, later joining Leeds. LEGACY Rarely is a side’s most Newcastle. “The Premier League hadn’t come up against talented player also its most a pairing like me and Niall Quinn before,” said Phillips. READING hard-working – McManaman The arch poacher plundered 14 during 2000-01 as the was the exception. He almost Wearsiders came seventh again, but trouble lay ahead. Stephen Hunt scorched the Anfield turf with By April 2002, his goals were keeping Peter Reid’s outfit his fierce running, yet so much of the Reds’ afloat in the top flight on the final day of the season. After helping the Royals bag promotion with a record play went through him. He became El Macca In 2002-03, the Black Cats finished bottom with the 106 points, the bustling Irish wideman powered the when departing for Real Madrid in 1999, but Premier League’s (then) worst points total. Southampton Berkshire side to eighth in their debut Premier League epitomised everything positive about ’90s pounced to bring him back to the south coast for £3.25m, campaign in 2006-07 – the club’s best ever season. Liverpool with his flair and determination. where he forged a fine partnership with James Beattie. HIGHLIGHT A looping corker against Arsenal When Beattie moved to Everton, Phillips struggled without SHEFFIELD UNITED in November 1997 – one of his 11 goals that a pacy forward and was again relegated in 2004-05. season – summed up the Scouser’s cocksure The eight-cap England man had spells with Aston Villa Brian Deane confidence. Great hair, too. and Birmingham, and by late 2013 was still coming off the bench for Crystal Palace at 40, before finally heading If a list of the greatest ever Premier League players back to the Championship. had been compiled at 3.05pm on August 15, 1992, There, Phillips joined promotion-winning Leicester to the Blades’ icon would have been top. He nodded the play alongside Jamie Vardy, following the previous term’s league’s first ever goal, against Manchester United. loanee Harry Kane. That trio are the only Englishmen to have won 21st century top-tier Golden Boots – but Phillips SWANSEA did so with the most goals. A remarkable campaign from a remarkable finisher. Michu HIGHLIGHT A sumptuous drive in that 4-1 win against Chelsea. “It was a 25-yard dipping volley then,” smiled The Spaniard scored twice in a 5-0 win at QPR on his Phillips. “It’s [become] a 40-yard volley.” It was brilliant. Premier League bow – notching 18 goals in 2012-13. His bargain £2m fee became the yardstick by which to 88 FERNANDINHO measure transfer value. “£18m? That’s nine Michus.” MANCHESTER CITY SWINDON LEGACY The 35-year-old has sharpened his positional sense, Jan Aage Fjortoft passing and tactical awareness to become indispensable for Signed following Swindon’s promotion in 1993, the Manchester City. “Everything Norwegian netted 12 times in the top flight, including we’ve done wouldn’t have been possible a hat-trick against Coventry. The Robins still finished without him,” Pep Guardiola hummed of the bottom, shipping a century of goals at the other end. Brazilian utility man ahead of 2017-18 glory. HIGHLIGHT City pinched the 2018-19 title WATFORD by just a point thanks to their humdinger of a win over Liverpool in January. Fernandinho, Troy Deeney recently back from injury, was outstanding in a 2-1 classic, won by the barest of margins. The grizzled striker smashed 47 goals in five Premier League seasons for the Hornets – in 2016, he was the subject of a £25m approach from reigning champions Leicester, but Watford wisely refused to let him leave. WIMBLEDON Robbie Earle Signed from Port Vale in 1991, the midfielder served Wimbledon for the entirety of their Premier League stretch – earning himself a crucial role for Jamaica at France 98, where he scored their first World Cup goal. FourFourTwo February 2021 33

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 85 ROMELU LUKAKU CHELSEA, WEST BROM, EVERTON, MANCHESTER UNITED LEGACY Future historians may struggle to summarise Lukaku’s career. His Old Trafford tenure was largely unhappy, his stints at both Everton and West Brom spectacular. Ultimately, the Belgian’s record – 113 goals in 252 appearances – stands up for itself. Lukaku remains the youngest ever foreign player to hit a ton of Premier League goals, aged just 24. HIGHLIGHT On as a sub in Alex Ferguson’s last match as United gaffer, Rom’s perfect hat-trick helped West Brom to a 5-5 draw. 84 MARC OVERMARS ARSENAL LEGACY The jet-propelled Dutchman took time to catch alight after joining from Ajax in the summer of 1997, but was crucial to Arsenal’s subsequent Double-winning campaign. The winger was good for big goals on the biggest occasions, including a brace as Arsene Wenger’s outfit wrapped up the title against Everton. HIGHLIGHT His slotted finish at Old Trafford in March 1998 was essential to the Gunners overturning a nine-point (and three-match) deficit to Manchester United before kick-off. 86STAN Villa chairman Doug Ellis suggested his striker’s 1999 83 JUNINHO COLLYMORE stint in the Priory was “a holiday’, according to Collymore, MIDDLESBROUGH who criticised his team-mates’ lack of support. LEGACY Juninho loved Boro so A switch to Leicester in February 2000 was Collymore’s much he signed for them three times: initially as a fancy new CRYSTAL PALACE, NOTTINGHAM FOREST, LIVERPOOL, career in a microcosm. Days after signing, he drunkenly arrival from Brazil in October 1995, then again in 1999 and ASTON VILLA, LEICESTER, BRADFORD decorated a La Manga hotel with a fire extinguisher; new 2002. His star may have diminished with each return, but the schemer’s twinkle-toed boss Martin O’Neill let him off with a royal wrist slap, then displays at the tip of Bryan Robson’s midfield in his first spell secure his standing as one of watched his new striker hammer home a brilliant hat-trick British football’s most-loved imports. HIGHLIGHT In a Boro career of near misses, LEGACY In April 1996, Collymore was closing against Sunderland on his Filbert Street debut. Four games finishing as runner-up to Gianfranco Zola for the FWA Player of the Year award in 1996-97 in. Closing in on devastating Newcastle’s title later, Collymore broke his leg. O’Neill left soon after, to be was an indication of Juninho’s class. ambitions in that breathless classic, yes, but replaced by another imminent nemesis in Taylor. Within 82 TIM CAHILL EVERTON also on the brightest of futures. Collymore was six months Collymore was gone. LEGACY Cahill is one of the 25 years old and Liverpool’s starting striker in a formidable And so, after a three-month stint with cash-strapped all-time great Premier League bargains. For £1.5m in 2004, 42-goal partnership with Robbie Fowler, having fired 22 Bradford, Collymore reached that wilderness of loneliness Everton bagged a player who would decorate matches with the season prior at Nottingham Forest. and pain. It shouldn’t have ended like that. aerial brilliance and corner flag punishment for eight campaigns. The Aussie averaged And then it all went wrong. Eleven The 1994-95 Stan was a whirlwind a goal every four games across 226 league appearances, and is loved at Goodison Park. months later, he was on the bench of athleticism and lethal class. Forest HIGHLIGHT No post-war Everton player has finished third upon their return to the scored more Merseyside derby league goals S E A R C H ‘ C O L LY M O R Ewatching the same fixture – another (five). A late Anfield strike in January 2009 astonishing 4-3 victory. Two months big time, qualifying for the UEFA Cup snaffled a draw, en route to finishing fifth. thanks to their unplayable frontman. V S W I M B L E D O N ’ O Nafter that, he watched Michael Owen net his first Liverpool goal on debut Y O U T U B E A N D M A R V E L Fans had enjoyed Teddy Sheringham against Wimbledon. and Nigel Clough before that, but By early 2001, Collymore’s top-tier AT A FORCE OF NATURE neither thrilled like a peak Collymore. career was finished. “I didn’t see any On the pitch, there wasn’t much he beauty in football any more,” he later couldn’t do. Off it, sadly, there wasn’t wrote. “I didn’t see any friendship or much he could do right, struggling even fraternity. I just saw a wilderness of loneliness and on in a world that couldn’t understand his issues, often pain. By the end I felt like some sort of f**king circus act.” made worse at his own accord. If Owen’s emergence had eventually nudged him out But remember the footballer, remember the good. Fire of Liverpool under a cloud by May 1997, what followed up YouTube, search ‘Collymore vs Wimbledon’ and marvel was much more serious – a battle with his own head that at the force of nature that was Stanley Victor Collymore. seemed unwinnable. While Collymore clashed with John HIGHLIGHT Look no further than Newcastle. After teeing Gregory at Aston Villa and later Peter Taylor at Leicester, up Fowler for the first goal, Collymore hit two of his own, his mental health struggles also brought with them a lack the second, a 92nd-minute jackhammer that sent Kevin of understanding around him. Keegan sinking to the advertising boards. Pure theatre. 34 February 2021 FourFourTwo

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 8 1 DAVID however, with The Independent sniffing at a footballer 80 ROBBIE KEANE BATTY “whose distribution never matched his more destructive COVENTRY, LEEDS, TOTTENHAM, skills”. Years later, few would have agreed. LIVERPOOL, WEST HAM, ASTON VILLA It was certainly Rovers’ gain. Batty went on to establish LEGACY Keane is remembered for his trademark cartwheel LEEDS, BLACKBURN, NEWCASTLE a steely midfield partnership with Tim Sherwood as they following 126 Premier League goals, including six straight finished second in 1993-94, but then suffered a broken seasons of double-digit returns in his first Spurs spell. As Edgar Davids found foot which ruled him out for the majority of their golden out, he was also nails. “He went bang – one punch, gone,” said ex-Tottenham team-mate LEGACY Batty wasn’t like other players. While campaign a year later. The midfielder refused his winners’ Jamie O’Hara of one training ground fracas. “Davids picked himself up and walked off.” Gareth Southgate’s Euro 96 penalty miss ate medal, having only featured five times. HIGHLIGHT Britain’s most expensive teen in 1999 tied Derby’s Jacob Laursen up in knots away at the future England manager, his Three He asked to leave Ewood Park in 1996 after infamously during a superb two-goal debut for Coventry. Lions team-mate had no such demons after scrapping with team-mate Graeme Le Saux in the difficult 79 FREDDIE LJUNGBERG ARSENAL, WEST HAM missing at a World Cup two years later. sequel to Rovers’ title defence. Newcastle manager Kevin LEGACY While Robert Pires was “After the game it was like, ‘Unlucky Dave’ and he was Keegan jumped at the chance to add “the last piece in cultured and delicate down the left flank for Arsenal, there was like, ‘What?’” Paul Merson told the Quickly Kevin podcast. my jigsaw” to complement Les Ferdinand, Tino Asprilla, nothing subtle about Ljungberg. The Swede was fearless, feisty “David Beckham’s in the dressing Peter Beardsley and David Ginola and would frequently slip past centre-backs unnoticed to grab big goals. A generation of room crying his eyes out because BATTY’S IDEA OF ahead of him. Again, though, Batty children dyed their hair pink thanks to Freddie he’s been sent off and let everyone was a nearly man; part of a side that – the Gunners’ action man. HIGHLIGHT Injury to Pires forced Ljungberg down, and David Batty’s sitting there A PRE-SEASON GAME were runners-up twice. to the left in 2001-02’s run-in, but he popped getting changed.” He departed St James’ Park weeks up with six goals and helped to create Sylvain Wiltord’s strike to win the title at Old Trafford. For anyone who watched him in his after France 98, returning to Leeds as elder statesman of David O’Leary’s W A S H A C K I N G T H Epomp, it’s baffling to imagine such off-field nonchalance. He grafted. new era. Injuries limited his impact, but Batty nonetheless helped his O P P O S I T I O N T O B I T SAs a teenager at Elland Road, he was made to drink sherry and raw egg by local club fly through Europe on the Billy Bremner, the legendary midfield crest of a wave. general who Leeds fans hoped he would emulate. He was The end was sudden. In 2004, when Leeds went down similarly combative: the local boy’s idea of injecting fun amid financial disaster, the Whites hero retired. He didn’t into the 1992 pre-season Makita Tournament involved go into coaching. He isn’t seen proffering his opinions on hacking Roberto Mancini’s riled Sampdoria team to bits, TV every week. He barely does interviews. Famously, Batty with a mischievous grin. was the only member of Blackburn’s 1995 title winners “It was a friendly, wasn’t it?” he shrugged during a rare not to turn up for their reunion 20 years later. interview. “So you could do what you wanted.” Football was his job. Ultimately, Batty was just another Batty helped Leeds secure promotion in 1990, before bloke with a life outside work – and loved for it. winning the last First Division title. Boss Howard Wilkinson HIGHLIGHT Re-signing for his hometown team in 1998, let him move to Blackburn for £2.75m in October 1993, greeted by “Batty’s coming home” from the stands. 78 ROBERTO FIRMINO LIVERPOOL LEGACY The Brazilian was once a promising, yet inconsistent attacking midfielder – then perfected the false nine role under manager Jurgen Klopp. Now, his vision and positional nomadism are the template for how traditional forwards – even Harry Kane – can improve their skill set. “I would feel really embarrassed if I had to mention all the qualities of Bobby Firmino,” tooted Klopp in November. HIGHLIGHT Three assists for three different players as Liverpool trounced Southampton 4-0 in February 2020 was Firmino at his finest. 77 MICHAEL ESSIEN CHELSEA LEGACY Whether Essien was bludgeoning footballs from 30 yards, charging through a sea of midfield legs or crunching into tackles, he did everything with the utmost commitment. The Ghanaian could also read a game like few others, and was a linchpin in eight seasons at Stamford Bridge for Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. HIGHLIGHT Essien’s stonker against Arsenal in December 2006 combined brawn with beauty; a glorious outside-of-the-boot strike which almost decapitated Didier Drogba.

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 76GARY SPEED LEEDS, EVERTON, NEWCASTLE, BOLTON Ian Murtagh, who has reported on at me with Newcastle for a quarter of a century, disdain. “Are remembers a brilliant, beloved figure you joking?” Speed was modest whose tragic passing shocked the and a realist. He knew football world almost a decade ago he was good – very good, even – but the Welshman never got too big for his boots. The left-footed midfielder would get into Just before Gary Speed finally retired aged 40, having many supporters’ best XIs of the Premier made almost 850 appearances in English football, the League era at Leeds, Everton, Newcastle midfielder decided he needed another challenge. He and Bolton, whom he joined after being sold was about to join the Sheffield United coaching staff, behind Sir Bobby’s back just six months after but that wasn’t enough for the all-action Welshman. becoming the 400-club’s founding member. So, he took up long-distance running, and in April Sam Allardyce’s joy was in stark contrast to 2010 entered the London Marathon to raise funds for Robson’s despair. “My life is enriched having the Sir Bobby Robson and John Hartson Foundations. known Gary,” Big Sam later claimed. I spent a day with Gary at the Blades’ training ground Sir Bobby, meanwhile, mourned the huge in the build-up to the big race, and couldn’t understand void that Speed’s exit would cause when he how someone who claimed he wasn’t fit enough to play left St James’ Park in 2004. “We’ll miss him football should put himself through 26 miles of torture. on the pitch, we’ll miss him in the dressing “It’s a different kind of fitness,” he said. “I don’t have room, we’ll miss him on the training ground, the power to play at a decent level any more, but if you’re we’ll miss him in the restaurant,” said the plodding in a marathon, then I’ll be former England boss, in able to plod all day.” “YOUnGSTERS WERE true Churchillian style. Nearly a decade after his tragic death, the Plodding? Well, he plodded his TOLD, ‘IF YOU WAnT Speed’s Toon career man who represented Wales 85 times and A ROLE MODEL, GARY went on to manage his country after a short way to smash his pre-race target SPEED’S YOUR MAn’” hadn’t exactly got off to stint at Bramall Lane is still regarded as one of beating the four-hour mark. the best start, however. of the finest professionals of the modern era. Played wide by Kenny So many former team-mates reminisce about But that was typical Speed, the Dalglish early on, he had Speed’s insatiable work-rate, willingness to man blessed with model good looks his critics in the stands do the dirty work, make decoy runs to create who could seemingly turn his hand but soon became crucial space for others, and an instinctive ability of to anything. He mastered the guitar to the Magpies’ line-up. having time on the ball when there was none. as a young player and became the And then, of course, there were the goals – life and soul at every party. Robson considered him 135 of them across a 23-year career, so many via commanding bullet headers. Speed was Those handsome features got me into a spot of bother among his ever-reliable ‘blue-chip brigade’, equally capable of a crisp left-footed drive or a smart close-range finish after one of those with the midfielder within days of him joining Sir Bobby’s along with Speed’s midfield partner Rob Lee, trademark late runs into the box. Newcastle from Everton. I’d read that Speed had scooped right-back Warren Barton, goalkeeper Shay The tragedy of Speed’s death on that bleak November 2011 morning is still one his mates ‘Heartthrob of the Year’ in a teenage girls’ magazine, and Given and close friend Alan Shearer. But the struggle to come to terms with. wrote that he’d come to St James’ Park looking to add to pass master was popular with all; young and “Could you have done any more, could you help? I don’t know,” says Given, whose tears this latest honour. “Thanks, mate,” he said when we met. old, loud and quiet, rebels and diplomats. as Aston Villa faced Swansea – within hours of Speed’s death being announced – remain “Can you imagine the bloody stick I’ve taken for that?” Arch-firebrand Craig Bellamy, who endured one of the most evocative images of an awful day. “Gary as a person was among the most It was no more than a gentle ticking off, though. Speed a difficult off-field relationship with Shearer, bubbly characters you’ll ever meet. He was always up for a laugh – even his laugh used was incapable of worse. loved Speed like a big brother. to make me laugh. Indeed, you were more likely to be thanked than chided According to Jonathan Woodgate, who had “You just think he’d be the last person [to take his own life]. I know a lot of people say by him – as I found out when he rang me after the Daily grown up at Elland Road hearing stories of that when someone does, but genuinely, you would never have seen it coming.” Star had carried a spread on his marathon preparations. Speed’s exploits, getting into his good books Almost 10 years on, though, it’s the smiling Gary enjoyed the piece so much that he asked if he could was one of his primary aims upon moving to and successful image of Gary Speed that will endure. It’s the only fitting way to remember include it on his JustGiving page. The honour, of course, Newcastle in 2003. one of the greats. was all mine. “When I turned up, I realised that not only As a player, Speed won the First Division title at Leeds, was I signing for a top manager in Sir Bobby, achieved his boyhood ambition by pulling on the blue but I’d be playing alongside two unbelievable shirt of Everton and played in the Champions pros in Alan and Gary,” the ex-defender League for Newcastle. tells FFT. “I wanted to impress them just On February 7, 2004, he became the first as much as I did the manager. footballer to achieve 400 Premier League “I got to know Speedo well and always appearances. Ahead of the big game for stayed in touch with him. You could the Magpies against Leicester, I asked always speak to him, you him to name his all-time Premier could always rely on him. League XI. His selection contained When it came to training all the usual suspects – Schmeichel, well every single day, he Adams, Keane, Henry, Giggs and his set the template. Throughout big pal Shearer – but it also revealed the game, young players were something about the individual. invariably told, ‘If you’re looking “No place for Gary Speed in that for a role model, Gary Speed’s midfield?” I naively asked. He looked your man.’” 36 February 2021 FourFourTwo

PREMIER LEAGUE 100

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 74 PATRICE EVRA MANCHESTER UNITED, WEST HAM LEGACY Alex Ferguson likened finding a decent full-back to “searching for a rare bird” in his 2013 autobiography. In Evra, he found what he was looking for. “He was quick, had superb technique and a strong personality,” wrote Fergie. United paid Monaco just £5.5m for the Frenchman in 2006, receiving more than eight years of fantastic service in return. HIGHLIGHT It takes strength to recover from being subbed at half-time on your debut. He hung on, delivering a terrific goal-and-assist display against Everton later that year. 73 SAMI HYYPIA LIVERPOOL LEGACY The £2.6m arrival from Dutch outfit Willem II in 1999 was no headline-maker. Yet the centre-back soon transformed Gerard Houllier’s Merseysiders into a different beast; from leaking 49 goals in 1998-99, the Reds conceded only 30 in two of the next three league campaigns. “He was so consistent, it was a shock if he had a bad game,” Jamie Carragher told FFT. HIGHLIGHT The Kop’s mosaic tribute for the Finn’s final Liverpool match in May 2009 was a fitting way to honour him. 75JURGEN Soon, focus switched to the German’s pedigree. He had 72 DAVID DE GEA KLINSMANN been prolific at Stuttgart, Inter and Monaco before moving MANCHESTER UNITED to north London, and the press soon realised Klinsmann was about more than quick quips. LEGACY Schalke giant Manuel Neuer had been sought by Alex TOTTENHAM Naturally, he opened with a goal on his Premier League Ferguson in 2011, but United’s goalkeeping coach Eric Steele debut: a trademark thumping header at Hillsborough, believed the younger De Gea was a sounder option. “In three years, he’ll followed by his now-legendary diving celebration. In an be better,” stated Steele. After a wobbly start, De Gea grew into a world-class stopper who LEGACY ‘Klinsmann To Be Diving Force’ cackled Ossie Ardiles team built to score, Klinsmann thrived. “It bailed an ailing Red Devils side out for years, and was their player of the season in four of the Daily Express after Spurs’ £2m capture of wasn’t ridiculous at all playing with five attacking players,” the five campaigns from 2013-14. HIGHLIGHT An unbeatable, 14-save display the Germany marksman in July 1994. Having he insisted to FFT. “I had a lot of fun, and I still think that against Arsenal in 2017 helped United pinch a 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium. arrived at White Hart Lane from Monaco at had we been more consistent defensively, and not made 71 JIMMY FLOYD HASSELBAINK the age of 30, the experienced frontman’s reputation for so many individual mistakes at the back, we could have LEEDS, CHELSEA, MIDDLESBORUGH, CHARLTON scoring goals was only overshadowed by his predilection played that system.” LEGACY After netting 24 goals for amateur dramatics. The Guardian’s Andrew Anthony, who had written an for Boavista in 1996-97, Dutch ball-batterer Hasselbaink picked The 1990 World Cup Final had featured one particularly article called ‘Why I Hate Jurgen Klinsmann’ following Leeds ahead of Werder Bremen – then plundered 34 goals over heinous act of thespianism from the poacher’s arrival, wrote another two Premier League seasons. After leaving for a prolific year at Atletico Madrid, Chelsea paid him; a textbook stretch-armed leap “IT WASN’T CRAZY two months later titled ‘Why I Love £15m for him in 2000, and were rewarded by over a challenge, followed by rolls, Jurgen Klinsmann’. With that, the back-to-back scoring seasons of 23. HIGHLIGHT A thunderbolt at Old Trafford in cries and the requirement of a full PLAYING WITH FIVE marksman got on with what Spurs 2000 was one of numerous Jimmy specials, medical team. Replays indicated had paid for: scoring. He bagged 20 opening the scoring in a see-saw 3-3 draw. minimal contact, yet defender Pedro ATTACKERS AT ALL in 41 league games across 1994-95, Monzon became the first man to be helping Spurs finish seventh. sent off in a World Cup final as – I HAD SOME FUN” His sale to Bayern Munich after just Klinsmann & Co lifted the trophy. one campaign was heartbreaking for But upon his grand unveiling to Spurs fans – and angered chairman a xenophobic press pack, Spurs’ new Alan Sugar, who believed the get-out man had the perfect line. “Maybe I can ask you the first clause in Klinsmann’s contract only applied if the club question,” he smirked with anticipation. “Are there any was relegated. The small print didn’t denote as much. diving schools in London?” Reflecting on his introduction Klinsi wasn’t gone for long, however, returning on loan to FFT in 2011, the German said, “Making the joke helped from Sampdoria in 1997 to save Spurs from the drop. Nine begin to change the perceptions. It came from a German goals in 15 post-Christmas appearances dragged them to guy I’d met in southern France who’d lived in England for safety, securing his legendary status forever. many years. He said, ‘When you meet the media, why HIGHLIGHT Klinsmann’s four-goal haul at Wimbledon in don’t you take a backpack and pull a snorkel and goggles May 1998 sealed troubled Tottenham’s top-flight status out of it?’ In the end, I only said the joke. It just worked.” with a match to spare. 38 February 2021 FourFourTwo

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 70 EMMANUEL PETIT 66FERNANDO Steven Gerrard claimed that the talisman turned “all of ARSENAL, CHELSEA TORRES my bad passes into good ones”. Chelsea again hovered as Torres headed for Euro 2008, but the player himself stated LEGACY Where Patrick Vieira his desire to play on at Anfield “for many years”. “It’s been was fire and might, Petit may be reflected on as the cooler LIVERPOOL, CHELSEA quite easy for me [so far],” he added, correctly. antithesis. In reality, the sultry Frenchman embodied Arsenal’s On the first weekend of his second season, he showed late-90s passion, and played with similar bite to his midfield partner. ‘Manny Small’ helped why by curling home a beauty at home to Sunderland. His to deliver Wenger’s first Double, and later moved to Stamford Bridge via one unhappy LEGACY In hindsight, it should have been very 2008-09 was littered with niggly injuries, but he struck 14 season at Barcelona. HIGHLIGHT As Arsenal gunned towards the easy to foresee that Torres would outsmart the league goals in 24 appearances anyway. Knee problems finish line in 1998, Petit’s terrific goal decided a tight April encounter against Derby which Premier League’s bruising defenders – after all, dogged a tough third campaign too, but Torres managed set up their imminent trophy lift at Highbury. he had once been Diego Simeone’s captain at more goals – 18 – in even fewer outings (22). 69 LUKA MODRIC TOTTENHAM just 19 when the pair played together at Atletico Madrid. Roman Abramovich continued to lurk. Having tried to LEGACY Harry Redknapp telling ‘El Nino’ was a precocious talent with searing pace, but he sign him in 2003, 2005 and 2006, Chelsea’s owner finally his players to “just give the ball to Luka” might have appeared also commanded the respect of men landed his man for £50m. Reds were a rudimentary approach – but watching the Croatian, it didn’t from a tender age. GERRARD SAID THE heartbroken – but behind the scenes, take a genius to understand why. Although It was compatriot Rafael Benitez Torres’ former colleagues knew the he initially struggled, Modric’s mastery of the ball soon came to the fore over four brilliant S PA N I A R D T U R N E Dwho managed to convince La Liga’s deal was excellent. “We didn’t want seasons at White Hart Lane. to stop him signing,” Jamie Carragher HIGHLIGHT In an outstanding 2010-11, he hottest prospect to swap sunny Spain was otherworldly in a goalless draw against for the watercolour sprawl of English “ A L L M Y B A D PA S S E S later admitted. “I was shocked by the Manchester United; later, Fergie would name football. Liverpool pipped Chelsea to money they paid.” him his player of the season. his services in 2007, paying around INTO GOOD ONES” The proof was in his performances. £20m and letting Luis Garcia leave in Torres notched a late breakaway goal the opposite direction. in Barcelona as Chelsea reached the Pressure for a speedy start was on, 2012 Champions League Final, but but the Spaniard was quick to deliver. He set a new record such moments were the exception rather than rule of his as the most prolific foreigner in a debut season, usurping career at Stamford Bridge. The blond-haired boy was now Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 23-goal collection of six campaigns dark on top, and netted just eight league goals in his best earlier with a 24th on the final day of 2007-08. He was an season for the Blues. At times, it was difficult to watch. instant Kop hero and the subject of a classic Nike advert, Torres’ Premier League story was not one of longevity, which reflected his cult standing. then, but had a much shorter fuse. The fireworks, while Torres looked like the complete striker: defenders knew brief, were also quite brilliant. about his Bugatti-esque acceleration and intelligence, but HIGHLIGHT Liverpool hammered Manchester United 4-1 his power staggered them. For such a slender forward, he at Old Trafford in March 2009, with Torres using Nemanja was hard to bustle off the ball – you would only get within Vidic and Rio Ferdinand as his playthings. The Spaniard’s a yard of him when he burned beyond or released a shot. goal that afternoon is always his go-to highlight. 68 JERMAIN DEFOE WEST HAM, TOTTENHAM, PORTSMOUTH, SUNDERLAND, BOURNEMOUTH LEGACY Only seven men have scored more Premier League goals than Defoe, who struck 162 times for five teams. The Londoner carved out a career of expertly hanging on defenders’ shoulders, posting 10 double-digit top-flight seasons in a streak of healthy goal-getting. Anyone who can net 15 goals in back-to-back campaigns for Sunderland deserves a nod. HIGHLIGHT Five second-half goals in a 9-1 Tottenham drubbing of Wigan had Redknapp hailing Defoe as the best finisher in England. 67 CARLOS TEVEZ WEST HAM, MANCHESTER UNITED, MANCHESTER CITY LEGACY At first, the circus of Tevez’s disputed move to West Ham seemed silly – his first 16 league games passed without a goal, as the Hammers looked doomed. Then it all changed – seven strikes in the run-in saved the Londoners, before the Argentine proved his class in title triumphs at both Manchester clubs. Life was rarely quiet. HIGHLIGHT With West Ham requiring a win on the final day of 2006-07 at Old Trafford, Super Tev stepped up, netting the only goal.

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 THE ENTERTAINERS 6 5 MATT “Outrageous, sickening goals,” eulogised Barcelona idol LE TISSIER Xavi, who developed an obsession with Le Tissier. The Saints hero’s favourite was his 40-yard strike against Blackburn, in part because the beaten goalkeeper was his SOUTHAMPTON friend, Tim Flowers. But consider his 1993 double against Newcastle: the first started with a backheel flick, before he juggled the ball past two defenders and rolled home; LEGACY St Mary’s Stadium might never have for the second, he nudged the ball up with his thigh for been built had Southampton not remained in a dipping volley from 25 yards. It was extra satisfying for the top flight for 27 years – many of them due Le Tiss, who had been dropped for the previous five games to Le Tissier and his feats of crucial escapology. by long-ball merchant Ian Branfoot. It was no coincidence that a man with a fondness for the That most emphatic of comebacks started a run of form last minute and tense run-ins weighed in with eight goals that remains virtually unrivalled. Saints scored 49 goals on season final days for the south in 1993-94; Le Tissier netted 25 and coast outfit. THE SAINTS HERO’S assisted another 10, meaning he 64 DIMITAR BERBATOV He was certainly the best penalty was directly involved in 71 per cent TOTTENHAM, MANCHESTER UNITED, FULHAM taker in the history of the Premier FAVOURITE GOAL WAS of their total. League – Mark Crossley’s famous HIS 40-YARD STRIKE The following year, he notched 19 LEGACY Berbatov shared the save in March 1993 gave Le Tissier AGAINST BLACKBURN Premier League Golden Boot in a meagre 98 per cent success rate and assisted 15. No one has come 2010-11, but in one of his boss’ across his career – and arguably the closer to being a one-man team. Few most brutal decisions, wasn’t foremost bottom-half player in the others have combined loyalty with even named among the substitutes for the rebranded division. Criminally, the such brilliance. Champions League final that followed. But HIGHLIGHT That final game at The such is the lot of the misunderstood genius: according to Alex Ferguson, running statistics Guernsey demigod never finished Dell, Southampton’s home for 103 actually showed that Berbatov covered more ground than Wayne Rooney. above 10th in the renamed league. years. Its greatest player came on with 16 minutes left However, on a field of athletes he invariably looked the artist: operating in his world, at But perhaps no other player had ever assembled such against Arsenal; even by his standards, the 32-year-old his speed, a man apart from everyone else. There were occasions when the Bulgarian a collection of goals; a compendium of free-kicks, volleys Le Tissier looked out of shape. But when the ball fell his mooched around, his sleeves pulled over his hands like a student who had forgotten his and inch-perfect long-range efforts that were necessary way, he swivelled to dispatch a magnificent left-footed coat – but Berbatov, who famously learned his English from watching The Godfather, to prevent him from doing any more running. half-volley. It proved his last goal, as well as the ground’s. acquired a cult following of his own. No one else plucked a sweeping pass out of the air as effortlessly. Maybe it was the product of a childhood smashing basketballs and pigs’ bladders around, but only Dennis Bergkamp in Premier League history blended technical perfection with elegance in a similar way. Perhaps Berbatov’s body language made him seem still more languid. The frontman had a fondness for nutmegs and volleys – often, it felt as though the most energetic thing he did was scissor-kicks. His two Premier League crowns came with Manchester United, but his influence was possibly greater at Tottenham: the striker’s instinctive understanding with Robbie Keane yielded 91 goals in all competitions across two seasons before Ferguson came calling. They were an attacking duo of such lethal chemistry that it made them the Harry Kane and Son Heung-min of their day. This iconoclast might have looked like a bit of a loner, but it also meant Berbatov fitted firmly into Spurs’ tradition of stylish crowd darlings. He would have had it no other way. HIGHLIGHT His September 2010 hat-trick for United against Liverpool featured a fine overhead kick. It also proved the last league treble against the Merseysiders for a decade, until Ollie Watkins’ shock glut for Aston Villa in October 2020.

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 6 2 JAY-JAY Okocha was the Ronaldinho of the Reebok. More than OKOCHA anyone else, he made Bolton fashionable with a dazzling array of flicks and tricks, rabonas and stepovers. He could fool foes using his fancy footwork, allied with seemingly BOLTON elastic legs that appeared to bend during some skills. Few have found more imaginative ways to lift a ball; indeed, one mind-boggling piece of magic involved a rainbow flick LEGACY Bolton’s greatest player since Nat over a baffled Ray Parlour. Lofthouse: a status their subsequent decline Okocha feels the least likely of Allardyce captains, but into League Two means the Nigerian is likely fought back after a false start with Wanderers – he was to keep for years to come. hauled off at half-time on his debut, as Henrik Pedersen It never felt normal that Okocha played for Bolton, but came on against Fulham – to assume the armband after today it seems even more surreal. Sam Allardyce may now a year. By then, he had been the driving force in winning be a byword for dullness and direct a relegation battle – the Nigerian 63 PAOLO DI CANIO football, but 19 years ago he was O K O C H A M A D E B O LT O N scored in four of Bolton’s last five SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY, a pioneering force, assembling the victories, netting deciders in three of WEST HAM, CHARLTON Reebok Galacticos by melding Youri FASHIONABLE WITH them. In 2003-04, he took Bolton to LEGACY There’s a reason why Djorkaeff with Okocha; those 2002 HIS DAZZLING ARRAY only their second cup final since the every subsequent West Ham flair signings were then followed by Ivan OF FLICKS AND TRICKS 1950s; his performance in the first player has been compared to Di Campo and Fernando Hierro. They leg of the semis against Aston Villa, Canio: he still represents the gold reinvented a yo-yo club as annual including an extraordinary free-kick, standard. The Italian is arguably Hammers top-eight finishers, combining was probably his best for the Trotters. fans’ favourite player of the Premier League Allardyce’s pragmatism with style era – surely the finest dribbler and volleyer Okocha packed a vicious long shot in their history – and a maverick who felt different in everything he did. and a swagger. and even a long throw, which almost Di Canio offered excitement and identity. Combustible, controversial and charismatic, “We agreed a deal at Charles de Gaulle airport, and he definitely endeared him to Allardyce. He was, as the club he overshadowed the exciting generation of homegrown talents who went on to scale promised to follow the next day to complete paperwork,” merchandise used to say, so good they named him twice. greater heights – although none performed with such elan or such unpredictability. He Allardyce later wrote. “Would he turn up? He drove all the HIGHLIGHT Pick from the solo run and missile to defeat was the master of the feint, often beating the defender or goalkeeper an extra time way from Paris Saint-Germain to Bolton, parked, got out West Ham and help keep Bolton up in 2003… or the dance before shooting. Even Di Canio’s penalties – one famously wrestled off a furious Frank of his car, marched into the Reebok and signed. Quality.” with Big Sam when survival was secured. Lampard – could be Panenkas. The icon was a mass of contradictions: the player banned for 11 games after shoving referee Paul Alcock, but also the winner of FIFA’s Fair Play award, for catching a cross rather than scoring because Everton keeper Paul Gerrard was injured. His West Ham career ended in the ignominy of relegation; his spell at Sheffield Wednesday in disgrace for pushing Alcock. But in between, Di Canio was simply one of the best footballers in the division. His 16 Premier League goals in 1999-2000 remain the highest haul from a West Ham player, and were complemented by 13 assists. Alex Ferguson wanted to sign the Italian in 2001 and, given his temper, his swagger and his catalytic qualities, he bore certain similarities to Eric Cantona. Instead, he was Upton Park’s Cantona. HIGHLIGHT Egil Olsen’s notoriously direct Wimbledon were rarely associated with things of beauty... that is, until Trevor Sinclair launched a 50-yard diagonal pass against them. Rather than controlling, Di Canio met it on the volley with a scissor-kick that flew past Neil Sullivan. In its technique, audacity and execution, it’s among the top Premier League efforts of all time. His 2002 volley at Chelsea was almost as good, though.

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 6 1 RIYAD nine. Bandy-legged and ludicrously languid, the Algerian 60 MICHAEL CARRICK MAHREZ was quick-stepping through rearguards with jaw-dropping WEST HAM, TOTTENHAM, regularity, with the killer instinct to match. MANCHESTER UNITED It quickly became clear that this was no purple patch: it LEGACY Manchester United almost didn’t sign Carrick in LEICESTER, MANCHESTER CITY was a major breakthrough. In tandem with Jamie Vardy, 2006, when chief executive David Gill phoned a golfing Mahrez sucker-punched unsuspecting rivals at lightning Alex Ferguson to say Spurs had upped the price – “typical Daniel Levy,” speed as soon as possession was turned over. Throughout hissed the Scot. Some baulked at the £18m price tag, but Carrick’s class across 450-plus LEGACY “I didn’t know Leicester,” Mahrez told a breathtaking season, Mahrez hit 17 goals and assisted appearances brought five Premier League titles and proved he was worth every penny. FFT two years after his defining transfer to the 11 as Leicester powered towards Premier League glory. HIGHLIGHT Being crowned United’s Player of the Year in 2013, as the Red Devils won then-Championship club. “In France, I thought His 14th goal of the campaign, the second in a 3-1 win at a final Premier League title under Fergie. they were a rugby club.” It’s safe to assume Manchester City in early February, was the moment Foxes 59 GARY NEVILLE MANCHESTER UNITED the feelings were mutual. fans believed in a miracle. LEGACY Younger generations Signed on the recommendation of Leicester’s expert A relentless side romped to the title. “When you start recognise the straight-talking pundit, but those who watched talent spotters, the winger’s bargain arrival from Ligue 2 winning games, you gain even more confidence,” Mahrez G-Nev play will recall his days as a boisterous right-back over side Le Havre was greeted with little summed up matter-of-factly to FFT. almost 20 years at United. His intelligence, tough tackling and top-notch crossing made more than Partridge GIF shrugs by T H E D E F E N D E R S K N O W Vardy may have scored more goals him an Old Trafford mainstay, even as his supporters. A street footballer who and N’Golo Kante became a global manager rebuilt several title-winning sides. HIGHLIGHT Zealous celebrations after a late cut his teeth at fourth-tier outfit H I S T R A D E M A R K C H O P sensation, but Mahrez was crowned Rio Ferdinand winner against Liverpool at Old Quimper, Mahrez hadn’t even been PFA Players’ Player of the Year after Trafford in January 2006 secured legendary status among Red Devils. And an FA fine. Boo. the Le Havre player that Leicester’s INSIDE IS COMING – providing the artistry that kept teams recruitment chief Steve Walsh was on the back foot all season. Defences hot for – that honour belonged to B U T C A N D O N O T H I N G knew exactly what was coming – the Ryan Mendes, who later floundered nightmarish, trademark chop inside at Nottingham Forest. – but could do nothing about it. But the 22-year-old Mahrez’s velvet The winger was finally flogged to touch and dribbling impressed Leicester, who swooped Manchester City two summers later for £60m. While not midway through their 2013-14 promotion campaign. In always a guaranteed starter for Pep Guardiola’s side in the the Premier League return that followed, Nigel Pearson’s two and a half years since, Mahrez deserves his place at Foxes survived with a late-season flourish, but Mahrez the elite level. He has a second Premier League winners’ struggled to assert himself until a swashbuckling run-in. medal, after seven more goals and four assists in 2018-19. There was no indication of what happened next. With At his best, there are few you would rather watch. Claudio Ranieri an underwhelming replacement after HIGHLIGHT Scoring Leicester’s second in that masterful Pearson’s acrimonious exit, relegation was widely tipped. win at the Etihad Stadium in February 2016, hopping over Yet Mahrez notched four goals across the opening three Nicolas Otamendi, then wrong-footing Martin Demichelis weekends, as Leicester took seven points from a possible to fire past Joe Hart. Dilly ding, dilly dong: it was really on. 58 LES FERDINAND QPR, NEWCASTLE, TOTTENHAM, WEST HAM, LEICESTER, BOLTON LEGACY For the first six years of the Premier League, only Alan Shearer hit more goals. ‘Sir Les’ shone in a functional QPR team, then plundered 41 league strikes over back-to-back seasons for Newcastle’s ‘Entertainers’. A move to Spurs didn’t take off, but at Leicester a 37-year-old Ferdinand’s dozen goals showed his class. HIGHLIGHT Ferdinand headed the Magpies’ third goal in the 5-0 gubbing of Manchester United from Shearer’s centre – a partnership which sadly lasted just a single campaign. 57 DAVID SEAMAN ARSENAL, MANCHESTER CITY LEGACY Somehow, Seaman made his £1.3m British record move (for a goalkeeper) from QPR to Arsenal in 1990 look like a steal. He delivered 141 clean sheets in 344 Premier League matches, en route to two titles (after another in 1990-91) and more than a decade of reliable service. HIGHLIGHT Posting 19 shutouts and leaking only 15 goals during a silverware-less season is hardly fair, but that was Seaman’s superb 1998-99. Arsenal finished one point behind Treble-winning Manchester United.

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 55 GARETH BALE TOTTENHAM LEGACY Bale went 24 Premier League matches without a win for Tottenham, stretching from his bow in August 2007 through to September 2009. Four years after that first win, he was the planet’s most expensive player. The Welshman’s evolution from skinny left-back to world-class attacker culminated in an explosive 2012-13 – one of the greatest individual campaigns in English football – in which he scored 21 league goals. HIGHLIGHT A 90th-minute rocket to down West Ham at Upton Park in February 2013 encapsulated Bale at his best. Devastating. 54 DWIGHT YORKE ASTON VILLA, MANCHESTER UNITED, BLACKBURN, BIRMINGHAM, SUNDERLAND LEGACY Yorke had already hit 60 Premier League goals by the time he arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 1998 – but better was to come. Alongside Andy Cole, the £12.6m man from Aston Villa registered 18 league strikes during United’s Treble-winning campaign, pocketing himself the Golden Boot for good measure. HIGHLIGHT A hat-trick and assist in a 6-1 stuffing of title rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford in February 2001 showcased Yorke’s class. 56NICOLAS “I thought, ‘So that’s how it is. This is how you thank me. 53 RAHEEM STERLING ANELKA I’m going to play, score my goals, and just when you’re LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER CITY all cheering for Anelka, that’s when I’m going to leave’.” LEGACY Sterling was almost Short-lived spells with Madrid and PSG led to an English a title winner at 19; key in the fearsome Liverpool frontline of ARSENAL, LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER CITY, BOLTON, return with Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool. Anelka wanted to 2013-14. Many mocked City for shelling out £52m to sign him CHELSEA, WEST BROM remain at Anfield, but Houllier wasn’t so keen. Instead, in 2015 nonetheless, but they were wrong to: Sterling has since honed his forward play Kevin Keegan’s middling Manchester City made him their to become a phenomenon for Pep Guardiola, helping City win consecutive Premier League record signing for £13m in 2002 – he notched 30 league crowns in the process. An inspirational ace. HIGHLIGHT Being named PFA Young Player LEGACY Anelka was 17 years old when he goals across his first two seasons. of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year as the Sky Blues pipped old club Liverpool to the swapped PSG for Arsenal in a £500,000 deal Champions League football with Fenerbahce followed title by a point in 2018-19. in February 1997, becoming Arsene Wenger’s in 2005, but England continued to tempt Anelka back. 52 RICARDO CARVALHO CHELSEA first official signing at Highbury. A successful 18 months at Bolton yielded 21 goals in 53 LEGACY “Carvalho was horrible Without an early fatherly Wenger intervention, though, matches and resulted in a January 2008 move to Chelsea. to play against,” Bobby Zamora told FFT in 2020. “He’d always things could have ended quite abruptly. When an afflicted Since joining Arsenal, the forward hadn’t stuck around know where the referee was, and he’d be getting in these Anelka didn’t show up for the Gunners’ last game of the anywhere for more than two and a half seasons, but he little fouls when nobody was looking.” The Portuguese defender followed manager Jose 1996-97 season at Derby, Wenger found a home in SW6. He bagged 19 Mourinho in swapping Porto for Chelsea in 2004, forming a watertight partnership with found him packing his bags. “Make league goals in 2008-09 to snatch John Terry on the way to three league titles. the Golden Boot ahead of Cristiano HIGHLIGHT With Carvalho in tow, Chelsea A N E L K A ’ S B R I L L I A N Tan effort,” the Arsenal supremo told conceded just 15 goals as they sealed their him, “and it will pay off.” Anelka was FINISH AGAINST UNITED Ronaldo, and won a second Premier maiden Premier League triumph in 2004-05. convinced to travel. League and FA Cup Double in 2010 When Paul Merson went off injured MARKED THE ARRIVAL – 12 years after his first. after only nine minutes, on went the There was a swansong for Anelka youngster to set up two Ian Wright OF A REAL PROSPECT at West Brom in 2013-14 but, like goals in a 3-1 victory. many of his footballing experiences, In November 1997, the Frenchman it was tinged with regret. He scored netted the opening goal in a 3-2 win two league goals for the Thostles, over title rivals Manchester United on his second start of infamously celebrating the latter at West Ham with his the campaign. The Gunners’ famous Double followed – as quenelle gesture popularised by comedian pal Dieudonne. did the PFA Young Player of the Year award a season later, He denied its links to racism and anti-Semitism, instead having top-scored for Arsenal with 17 goals. insisting the act was directed at boss Steve Clarke. But discontent was never far away. Years later, Anelka Sadly, that summed it all up – it was always him against revealed he had been plotting his exit – to Real Madrid, for the world. Sometimes, the world bit back harder. a huge £22m in 1999 – ever since discovering a poll where HIGHLIGHT Anelka’s brilliant, rifled finish against United Arsenal supporters doubted his ability to succeed Wright. at Highbury in November 1997 was crucial to Arsenal’s “Seeing the result hit me hard,” he sniffed. Double and marked the real arrival of a thrilling prospect. FourFourTwo February 2021 43

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 “COLLYMORE CLOSInG In!” Martin Tyler has been the voice of Sky Sports since the inception of the Premier League – so FourFourTwo picked out some of the most extraordinary top-flight matches he’s commentated on, and asked him to share his memories of them Interview Chris Flanagan although for him the shot was presumably quite an easy option! It was cute from acute.” TOTTENHAM 3-5 MANCHESTER UNITED (SEPTEMBER 2001) LIVERPOOL 4-3 NEWCASTLE “Lightning struck twice for Glenn Hoddle in the same year – twice his team squandered (APRIL 1996) a 3-0 lead and I had to interview him on both occasions! He was Southampton’s manager “This is the best game I’ve ever commentated which was such a significant game in the title Above “Sorry Tino, when they lost 4-3 to Tranmere in an FA Cup on. It had everything that would attract you race. Peter Schmeichel was a hero that night, I’ve just cost you fifth round replay. Glenn’s a good friend of to football: drama and significance, because then he conceded five here. a Premier League mine and I wasn’t supposed to interview him both teams were going for the title. People winner’s medal!” that time, but unfortunately Clare Tomlinson forget that Liverpool were, too. “It was quite early in the season and nearly banged her head on a crush barrier and had the final hurrah for ‘The Entertainers’ – Kevin to go to hospital. “It was a rollercoaster match – Liverpool Keegan left less than three months later. We scored after a couple of minutes, but didn’t thought we were looking at the champions. “Against Manchester United, Dean Richards lead again until stoppage time when Stan In the end, we were – they lost 5-0.” scored on his debut – it was really sad what Collymore closed in… later happened to him, passing away at 36. CHELSEA 2-3 ARSENAL “On the night I remarked, ‘This is one of the “Once United scored their first goal after greatest games ever,’ so it isn’t just hindsight. (OCTOBER 1999) half-time and got the bit between their teeth, During lockdown, I watched it again with my you could see the fear. Spurs let them back son – he’d never seen the match and said, “This was just astonishing – particularly the in, then I had to go and interview Glenn. It ‘Yeah, you’re not wrong’. He would have told goal that sealed Nwankwo Kanu’s hat-trick, took him a while before he came out to talk.” me if I was! after Arsenal had been 2-0 down with only 15 minutes left. Kanu wasn’t the fittest, but ARSENAL 4-4 TOTTENHAM “We had to be moved on from the ground over a short distance he was exceptional. afterwards – we’d been in the presence of (OCTOBER 2008) greatness and didn’t want to go home, so “His late winner from an outrageous angle myself, Andy Gray and the producers stopped showed great technique and fantastic belief “All commentators like games with lots of at a pub on the outskirts of Liverpool to keep – he wasn’t trying to find an easier option, goals – the skill isn’t finding the words, it’s the moment going. keeping up with it. Arsenal were 4-2 up with two minutes to go, before Jermaine Jenas “Then, 18 years later, I was at the opening and Aaron Lennon scored. game of the 2014 World Cup and was going up in the lift to my commentary position with “Harry Redknapp had just been appointed Collymore. As the doors opened, somebody at Spurs and David Bentley scored a brilliant came into the lift. He spotted Stan and said, early goal, but my memories of that match ‘You! You cost me a Premier League winner’s are of the spectacular finish. medal!’ It was Tino Asprilla. I didn’t know he spoke that much English.” “I’ve always called the Premier League the league of late goals – it’s a useful phrase to NEWCASTLE 5-0 MANCHESTER UNITED pull out if the game’s tailing off a bit, but this match lived up to the billing.” (OCTOBER 1996) MANCHESTER CITY 3-2 QPR “A day when absolutely everything went right for the Magpies. Philippe Albert now works for (MAY 2012) Belgian television, and this game is always the starting point of a conversation with him. “I stand by the words I was lucky enough to find at the time – ‘I swear you’ll never see “I didn’t commentate on the match in the anything like this ever again’. Mark Hughes previous season when Man United won 1-0, 44 February 2021 FourFourTwo

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 “I’VE HEARD THAT SERGIO DOES An IMPRESSIOn OF ‘AGUEROOOOOO’. I’D LOVE TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT” was the QPR manager – I saw him the next running around like a lunatic straight after day at the LMA dinner, and he told me Sergio Aguero’s goal summed up the mayhem.” Aguero’s goal was the noisiest moment he’d ever heard in a football ground. LEICESTER 3-1 EVERTON “When Aguero took a touch, I knew he was (MAY 2016) going to score – if it allowed me to get some air into my lungs to scream, ‘Agueroooooo’, “I used to say Arsenal’s Invincibles season in Above Leicester win starting in the old ground and finishing in I’ll never know! I’ve been doing the job since 2003-04 was the great achievement of the the league in 2016 the new stadium. That really was perfect.” 1974, and it was a moment that all of those Premier League years, but then Leicester won Top Sergio Aguero. years had prepared me for. It was Aguero’s the league by 10 points. It was emphatic, and QPR. Stoppage time. LEEDS 1-1 MANCHESTER CITY moment, it was Edin Dzeko’s moment and it a journey that lifted the spirits of even the You know the rest... was Man City’s moment. My commentary just most cynical football people. (OCTOBER 2020) happened – I didn’t do it for effect, I did it because I love football and you simply react “We actually had some sound issues when “People might be surprised about this, and to what happens. they lifted the trophy at home to Everton – maybe it won’t be remembered because of fortunately I just got my line out as captain the scoreline, but those who saw it will never “It was an exceptional scenario, although Wes Morgan held it up. Afterwards, Leicester’s forget it. Two visionaries, Pep Guardiola and not unique – people have made comparisons players didn’t want to leave the pitch – if they Marcelo Bielsa, were just so full of attacking with Arsenal’s victory at Anfield in 1989 and hadn’t had other responsibilities in their lives, ambition. Every time the ball turned over, the Brian Moore’s famous words, and England’s they’d probably still be celebrating at the King other team went straight on the offensive. 1966 World Cup win with Ken Wolstenholme. Power Stadium now.” To be on that list is very humbling. I was lucky “Apparently Bielsa said he didn’t feel Leeds to have the mic – and as a former manager TOTTENHAM 2-1 MANCHESTER UNITED played very well, but that view wasn’t shared said to me months later, ‘At least you didn’t up in the commentary box! Myself and Gary mess it up’. (MAY 2017) Neville kept thinking, ‘Wow, here they come again, isn’t this fantastic?’ “I haven’t spoken to Sergio about it, but “This was Tottenham’s last match at White apparently he does an impression of it! Part Hart Lane, and they went through their final “Neither team deserved to lose. I wish the of me would like to stand there on the pitch, season there unbeaten. game hadn’t finished.” exactly where he did it, and say, ‘This is how it happened – I know what it means to you, “The closing ceremony was amazing. They and this is what it meant to me’. If he asked brought out former managers and legendary me to talk about it, I’d be only too pleased, players, and it was a historian’s delight. I was but I don’t want to initiate it. flattered to be asked for my notes from the match, to go into a time capsule under the “I’d also like to mention Tony Mills, Sky’s new stadium – I don’t know if they ever got match director that afternoon, because the there, but I handed them over! pictures were astonishing and don’t get all the credit they deserve. That shot of Joe Hart “Then, right before the end of the closing ceremony, it rained and there was a rainbow FourFourTwo February 2021 45

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 “PEOPLE SAID I WAS MORE FOCUSED On MODELLInG AnD L’OREAL – I WAnTED TO PROVE THEM WROnG” David Ginola arrived in England with journalists asking him who he was. After four campaigns of thrilling wing play, they were clambering over one another to vote him the league’s best player. Oh, he was worth it all right... Words Chris Flanagan 5 1 DAVID they know everything about them. But I was a surprise for GINOLA them, a discovery, that ‘Oh, this is a great player’.” NEWCASTLE, TOTTENHAM, ASTON VILLA, EVERTON Ginola was Premier League Player of the Month just four matches into his time at Newcastle, and would become Nearly 26 years on, David Ginola can still one of the biggest stars of the next few seasons – named remember the bafflement he felt at his both PFA and Football Writers’ Association Player of the first press conference in English football. Year after moving on to Tottenham in 1997. Ginola had just joined Newcastle from Paris With his good looks, musketeer locks and swashbuckling Saint-Germain for £2.5m – a considerable sum in 1995. dribbling, the French left-winger stood out so much that He had reached the semi-finals of the Champions League he sometimes resembled the lone pro on the field, carving months earlier and been targeted by Europe’s biggest his way through a rearguard of over-matched amateurs. clubs. He was poised to become the second Frenchman Few could dazzle quite like David Ginola. to play in the Premier League, after Eric Cantona. But not everyone was aware of his talents. THE CRUYFF U-TURN “When I arrived at the first press conference, a journalist Newcastle was not Ginola’s dream move in the summer said, ‘Can you tell us who you are?’” says Ginola, smiling of 1995 – initially, at least. Having helped PSG eliminate as he reminisces to FourFourTwo. “In Paris, we’d won the Barcelona from the Champions League, the 28-year-old league title, we’d won the cup twice and I’d been French looked set to link up with his childhood hero Johan Cruyff player of the year. But I was completely unknown to the at the Camp Nou. English press, which surprised me. “I had two posters in my bedroom when I was young – “I replied, ‘What do you mean, who am I?!’ The English one of Cruyff and one of Diego Maradona,” reveals Ginola. press didn’t know much about French players then – now, “Cruyff was my inspiration – the way he played, the way he behaved. I met him at a golf tournament in Tarragona, south of Barcelona, and he told me I was his priority that

PREMIER LEAGUE 100

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 pre-season. Barça under Cruyff played some a stunning long-range strike to extend the experience that in France – it was good there, of the greatest football ever, so it would have Magpies’ winning start. but not that much. The reception I always been something magic. received at St James’ Park was like being at “The media in France said English football home with your family – they cheered when “Everything was organised, but he said he wouldn’t suit my game, and I always wanted you did things, and they expected a lot from had to get rid of two foreign players before to prove people wrong,” he says. “I remember you. It was great, to be honest. It was great signing me – Hristo Stoichkov and Gheorghe that game against Sheffield Wednesday. Our playing for Newcastle.” Hagi. They couldn’t find clubs for them, and players were taking the mickey out of me, as I got a call from Cruyff saying, ‘I’m sorry, we I was coming from Paris with my fashion, and By mid-winter, Ginola’s performances had can’t make the move’.” they said, ‘David, do you know much about helped Newcastle surge clear at the top of Sheffield?’ I said, ‘Er, no, not really’. They said, the table. “I’d call my mum and she’d ask, Soon, Ginola discovered that Kevin Keegan ‘You’ll see, it’s a very tough place’. I replied, ‘How’s the weather there today?’” he reflects. wanted him at Newcastle. “I found that very ‘That’s OK, wherever we play, it will be fine’. “I’d say, ‘The weather is grey and it’s pouring attractive,” he says. “When I was about nine years old, I told my dad that I wanted to be “I tried to do my stuff during that game, down with rain’. She’d say, ‘David, the sun a footballer. I said that while I was watching and it was appreciated. On the way back is in your heart and in your soul’. Liverpool vs Saint-Etienne in the European to Newcastle, we had a drink in town with “I went to training every morning with Cup, when Keegan was playing for Liverpool. the lads to celebrate, and the Newcastle that in mind – give sunshine to people. If I had a good phone conversation with Terry fans were falling on their knees! I didn’t you do that, you usually get something McDermott, the assistant at Newcastle, and said, ‘OK then, let’s do it’.” Newcastle weren’t the only English team interested. “I gave my word to Terry in the afternoon, then around midnight I got a call from David Dein at Arsenal,” recalls Ginola. “He asked, ‘Have you signed for anybody?’ I said, ‘Well… why?’ and he said, ‘Because we want to sign you’. I said, ‘Actually, I gave my word to Newcastle, sorry – the deal is done’.” Had Dein’s call come a day earlier, Ginola admits that he might have been tempted to choose the Gunners. “Arsenal were one of the biggest clubs in the country, while Newcastle had just moved from the First Division to the Premier League and still had to prove they were a great side,” he says. “The decision would probably have been different. But when I called my dad and said, ‘I’m signing for Newcastle and working with Kevin Keegan,’ he was happy.” Ginola was joining an ambitious outfit, just as he had done twice before in France, albeit with limited success. He had moved to Matra Racing from Toulon in 1988, only for the club to suffer financial problems and relegation to the amateur leagues. He rocked up at recently promoted Brest, who finished 11th but were kicked out of the top flight because of their own money woes. Months into the 1991-92 season, they filed for bankruptcy, permitting Ginola to join PSG as a free agent, where his obvious talent was harnessed in the quest for titles. At Newcastle, he experienced none of the issues he’d had with Matra Racing or Brest. Although he was surprised to be employed on the left flank, having often operated as a No.10 in Paris, ‘Le Magnifique’ loved every second of his time under Keegan. “He got the best out of every player,” says the Frenchman. “He said, ‘David, I know what you’re capable of – just do what you’re good at. I don’t want you to defend much – give me your best in attack and put as many balls into the box as possible for Les Ferdinand’. “I tried to entertain and be very positive in every match. In England, the game was a lot quicker; it was intense, exciting, instinctive. I liked it. That’s how we played at Newcastle – instinctive football.” The August 1995 Player of the Month prize soon dispelled any doubts that Ginola would succeed. In the third game of the campaign at Sheffield Wednesday, he smashed home 48 February 2021 FourFourTwo

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 “I TRIED TO EnTERTAIn AnD BE POSITIVE – AT nEWCASTLE WE PLAYED InSTInCTIVE FOOTBALL” Darren Peacock, Rob Lee... I can’t name all of them, but brilliant players.” Ginola was awarded BBC Goal of the Month for a sensational UEFA Cup effort at home to Ferencvaros in October, when he juggled the ball outside the penalty area before volleying it into the top corner. But his stay at St James’ Park lasted just two seasons, having grown unhappy under new manager Kenny Dalglish following Keegan’s shock mid-campaign exit in January 1997. It had been Keegan who’d blocked another opportunity to join Barcelona before the start of 1996-97. “Keegan called me and said, ‘David, we’re not going to sell you’,” explains Ginola. “I said, ‘Gaffer, if you were in my position at 29, this is the last chance for me to go to one of the biggest clubs in the world – you have to sell me’. He said, ‘Last year I let Andy Cole go to Manchester United and was almost killed by the fans – if I let you leave now, it’s going to be a massive issue for me’. “I could understand it, and told him that because I felt great at Newcastle, I’d carry on working like I did in the first season. But at the time I thought the decision was a selfish way of thinking, especially because he left six months later. “Newcastle without Keegan was different – the way we trained and the approach. Kevin is a kind and gentle person, putting an arm around your shoulder. Dalglish was colder, and I soon realised that I wasn’t the type of player he’d sign or keep.” SUGAR SWEETENS A DEAL back. Then we were top of the league and 12 Clockwise from top 1-0 is enough. It was a lack of experience. It Ginola’s departure from Newcastle would be points clear – it was out of the blue. Nobody On the run with the was a shame, because to arrive in England sealed thanks to a mad speedboat ride on had expected Newcastle to do quite so well, Magpies; flying the and win the league in my first season would the Mediterranean. He was back in the south and so quickly.” flag in the Premier have been something amazing.” of France for the summer – having grown up League; Ginola was a few miles from Saint-Tropez – when Spurs’ In the end, the title race pivoted on a battle never trusted by Les Newcastle briefly led the league again the £2.5m offer was accepted. against his compatriot Cantona. Bleus; working with following season, after Ginola scored another hero Keegan made cracker as Manchester United were thrashed “[Chairman] Alan Sugar said, ‘I’m anchored “It was a big rivalry set up by the press, but David’s dad happy 5-0 on their St James’ Park return. in Villefranche-sur-Mer, just outside Monaco it wasn’t the case,” insists Ginola. “Eric was – can you come and see me on my boat?’” playing very well for Manchester United, and “In the dressing room after the game, we continues Ginola. “I was going to make the I tried to help my team. His goal at St James’ thought, ‘We’ve just done something great deal on the boat but it was July 14, which is Park [in United’s 1-0 March win] was key. We there’,” he says. “We had incredible players – a national holiday in France. A lot of the roads were disappointed, as we played so well, we Alan Shearer had joined that summer, plus are busy, so I thought, ‘If I drive by car from entertained so much, and I think we deserved Les Ferdinand, Peter Beardsley and Faustino Saint-Tropez to Monaco, it’ll take ages – three to win the league that year. Asprilla. Many of the players I’d never heard or four hours’. of when I first arrived but realised were great, “Maybe we could have done some things like Lee Clark, Steve Watson, Keith Gillespie, “I called a friend and said, ‘I need to go to differently, managing the last 20 minutes of Robbie Elliott, John Beresford, David Batty, Monaco as quickly as possible’. He said, ‘Give matches when it was 1-1 or 1-0. Sometimes me an hour,’ then called back and said, ‘I’ve got a boat’. We left Saint-Tropez in the boat, going at 40 knots [45mph] on the sea. It was wild! In 58 minutes, we arrived. “Sugar was standing on the side of his boat – 50 metres long, a big thing called Louisiana – and kept shouting at us. I couldn’t work out what he was trying to say, but he was making FourFourTwo February 2021 49

PREMIER LEAGUE 100 lots of arm gestures. I thought, ‘What’s going Maybe it was the fact the players, the staff responsibility. My family travelled to see some on? Maybe he’s changed his mind!’ and the fans were relying on me a lot. I liked of my games and said, ‘When the ball comes that pressure – it gave me even more power to you, there’s a silence in the stadium – we “He was really annoyed about the noise of and I felt that from the beginning. I thought, can sense the anticipation building because the speedboat, but then he spotted me and ‘Let’s make the club better’. the fans expect you to do something great’. said, ‘Oh, it’s you!’ I asked him why he’d been I enjoyed that – I always knew I needed to do shouting and waving at us and he said, ‘I’ve “I’d speak to supporters after games, and something on the pitch.” just spent a week with my grandchild. I need some people cried, saying, ‘David, thank you some quiet now!’ so much. We’re playing such bad football but That summer, Ginola had to watch on as you’re giving us something to cheer us all up’. France won the 1998 World Cup Final in Paris, “I went on his boat and he told me about Wow, when people are crying, that’s a huge believing he had the talent to be a part of it. Tottenham, then after dinner it was dark and He had been blamed by some – including he said, ‘You’re not going back to Saint-Tropez “10-0? YOU’RE DROPPED” former boss Gerard Houllier – for Les Bleus’ on a speedboat tonight, it’s dangerous. You’re failure to qualify for the 1994 tournament, a Spurs player now, and you can sleep here’. David Ginola’s final cap for him again – Zinedine Zidane when he had opted not to protect the ball in We talked more and he made plans, saying, France came in September scored his first competitive the corner for the closing seconds of a vital ‘You’re going to arrive at White Hart Lane and 1995 – in a 10-0 tonking of goal for France, while Youri game against Bulgaria. we’ll make a bottle of Gin Ola.’” Azerbaijan. He made his 17th Djorkaeff’s brace and three Les Bleus outing as a substitute assists cemented his own In 1998-99, however, Ginola emphatically Tottenham had finished 10th prior to the in Euro 96 qualifying, helping credentials. Both became key displayed his ability, despite the early-season Frenchman’s arrival and slipped to 14th in his his country to the biggest win creative forces in the World arrival of renowned disciplinarian George first campaign at the club, battling against in their history. Yet, manager Cup-winning team of 1998. Graham as manager. “The press said George relegation for much of the 1997-98 season. Aime Jacquet never selected Ginola was left out in the cold. Graham wasn’t suitable for me – he wasn’t Despite that, he was a star player for his new the coach who’d give me the opportunity to side and knew he had made the right move. express myself in the team,” he remembers. “But that was wrong. They didn’t know the “Even if the club wasn’t pretending to win person I was. That season was something things, I tried to be very consistent with my performances,” he insists. “I felt great there. 50 February 2021 FourFourTwo