Kane vs Shearer, Bruno's United Legacy & Our Best Community Questions | Stick to Football

0:00Just before we get started, I just wanted to say a big thank you to our partner Skybet and please don't forget to subscribe if you like. I hope you enjoy this episode.

0:30across the U.S., offering both virtual and in-person sessions, nights and weekends. There are no subscriptions, no long-term commitments. You just pay per session. Grow helps you find therapy on your time. The therapist you want takes your insurance on Grow. Grow accepts over 125 insurance plans. Sessions average$21 with insurance and some pay as little as$0 depending on their plan. Visit growtherapy.com slash start now today to get started. That's growtherapy.com slash start now. Growtherapy.com slash start now. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. Recently, I was talking with a friend about my career, how I was starting to feel stuck at work.

1:16I had a good job on paper, but something was off. I didn't know if I needed a new role, a new field, or just more confidence to ask for what I deserved. My friend mentioned career coaching and said that working with a coach was like therapy for your career. At first, I was like, okay, what exactly does that mean, and what am I supposed to do with that information? Let's just say I had my doubts, until I tried it. My coach helped me figure things out. She listened, really listened, and helped me go from where I was to where I wanted to be. We built a plan. She kept me accountable every step of the way.

1:54And now, months later, I'm in a completely different place. If you've hit a wall at work, you too can benefit from career therapy. Visit strawberry.me slash career to get matched with a coach today. That's strawberry.me slash career. Hi, this is Mark Bittman from the podcast Food with Mark Bittman. Have you ever considered how the smallest details can create real emotion? Lexus does. At Lexus, master craftsmen called Takumi are involved not just in physical craftsmanship, but in sensory details. Things like how a door closes, the click of a switch, the acoustic feedback of controls. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing.

2:38Experience amazing at your Lexus dealer.

2:44Which team-mate would you swap houses with for a week? Hoses. The hoses are his situation.

2:53Have you ever changed your opinion about a player or a manager after meeting them personally? Goal kick and you're going up for a hitter. You jump and I just stand. I don't jump at all. Is it a foul? I don't think it's a foul. You don't think it's a foul? I do. Which player do you wish you'd played with more? Maradona. Oh, more than I didn't think. That was for football reasons as well.

3:25Right, Harry Kane's on the verge of becoming the quickest to score 100 goals in the Bundesliga. Rank these English strikers. Harry Kane, Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney. Oh, so difficult. It's a silly one, isn't it? All that does is cause problems and arguments. So we have to pick an order, the best. Yeah, I mean, you've got Wayne Rooney's number one. Wayne Rooney, yeah. I class the others as more number two. Yeah. No.

3:55Ian Wright: You're not putting Shearer over Harry Kane? Yeah, I am. Yeah. I've heard that to someone. Are you doing it on how he plays? He's getting on just the goals. I just think if the both say, let's say England's number nine. Can we fix one at Wayne Rooney? Can we fix Wayne Rooney there? Wayne Rooney. Can we fix Wayne Rooney? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can we fix Michael Owen? He's a great player, Michael, but can we fix him at four? Because of injuries. Jamie, speak. So it's Shearer and Kane then? No, I get it. I think, I said this a few days ago, but for me, I think Kane's English greatest striker. Now, I don't class Wayne as a, when I'm thinking of that, I'm thinking of sort of like someone, the number nine, the goal scorer.

4:36I class Wayne as more as a, you know, a great player as rather than just a centre forward. but I just think a lot of people would say Shearer over Kane but I don't know what the actual it'll just be oh I like him better his numbers are far better at an international level he's been a top goal scorer at a World Cup he's gone abroad and absolutely I mean he's played for one of the biggest clubs in the world and he's absolutely smashing the records to bits he's played for a Tottenham who've never been the best team and his record in the Premier League is as good as Shearer's Alan was like that though most of his career went from Southampton

5:07Ian Wright: to what he'd done at Blackburn I know but he played for a Newcastle team who almost won the league one season and then he signs the next season so he's playing for like one of the best teams in the league for two or three years at Newcastle Blackburn were the top two teams for like three years what about this as a compromise I think for me I would say that Shearer's number two and Kane's number three okay but what I'm saying is what's your argument for that if Kane does look I agree there's not much in it to be fair they're probably similar but there's no argument you're not giving me I think Shearer's the greatest goal scorer in Premier League history and I think if Kane comes back...

5:41But if Kane were to stay, do you get it? I know, and Kane could come back and do that and we might be talking in two, three years where we say Kane is above Shearer. So Kane's got to come back and beat him in the Premier League goal squad for Kane to go back. I just think sometimes, yeah, I just think Alan Shearer at the moment, look, I think both of them are amazing. Both of them, to be fair, are so similar in terms of personality, character, you know, just performance levels, consistency, strength, mental strength, everything. They've got everything in those two as football players, everything.

6:07there is no weakness in those two they're that flawless I think I also think Kane I feel like I'm criticising Shearer but he he can almost play that he's like a better footballer in terms of Shearer was always the number nine and I get it it was amazing I remember

6:22Ian Wright: Harry's come at a different time in the way that strikers play as well Kane the way there was a spell I think in the Premier League was Kane was arguably the best passer of the ball in the Premier League was passing we used to just drop deep Shearer's crossing was unbelievable right you finally made an argument you've made a debate you know I think Shira the style of play that Shira was playing and he's got a tattoo have you got a tattoo listen listen I love Harry Kane in respects of let's have a vote Ian let's have a vote for now I'm saying now Shira but maybe in a couple of years when Harry's finished it may be Harry but I'm going Shira now Shira I'd go Shira Kane Shira let's have an argument 3 to Shira 2 to Kane Shira no I said at the beginning.

7:07Ian Wright: Yeah, but that was the time. That was the time. Oh, that was the time, yeah. Yeah, but you can't go on what you think of them in the clear. Within the fucking time. Roy, were they sneaky elbows, though? Yeah, sneaky elbows, yeah. Were they sneaky, though? I thought Alan was just, to be fair. No, no, I don't fall for that one. He's just honest. No. No, I thought Alan was just, to be fair, nasty. I'll be honest with you. I must say, he was nasty, Alan. I mean, he was horrible. He's the best number. Yeah, but that makes it hard to play against. I bet you... No, but it's easy to come up by it You know what I mean?

7:36If he was in your team, you'd want something like that. No, I wouldn't. I don't like nasty people. Roy, you are Mr. Nasty.

7:41Ian Wright: I don't want nasty people. He's not... Yeah, but we're talking about... He was nasty. Not nasty, like... He was. Sneaky elbows, back of the head. Yeah, but we're talking... Nasty's, like, trying to stamp you. No, no, not sneaky. I don't mind people stamping on me. Sneaky elbows. No, I'm telling you. I'll show you the videos later, all right?

8:02OK, so which teammate... would you swap houses with for a week? Houses? The hoaxes are his situation.

8:11Ian Wright: No, no. No, no, no. No, no, no. You mean you have to take your family in? You can't, like, leave these houses there. Yeah, the family is there. It should be the family. It's a material thing. You just need to do his house. It's not wife swap. That's what he thought of. That's what he sounded like. You went straight to wife swap. Oh, no, I just mean... Like, your lifestyle. Your lifestyle. I know something. That's a stupid... I don't know, gal. How do you go Bex's house that he has in the country? You know what's said here? Did you write this question? I'm writing Audrey him. Okay, now Bex in Miami, lovely.

8:46His house in the country, I just love his house. Oh, don't want to cost, what does it? Make some honey, make some wine. Actually, you know what? He sent us some honey, actually. I should have bought it. You said message him and he'll reply and he didn't. That's how it starts. They send your honey to the stand. Hello, honey. You know what? I think my mate lives next to you by the beach, Rachel Brown. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's always having a bike with the kids. Did she buy that before you moved in? But I'd like to live there because it's by the beach. So Jill wants to live next to you, Cara? Yeah, I'm coming to see you.

9:24More than welcome. Right, eh? And then he wants to move. Swap houses. It could be the president. Is it just a house? I'm serious. It's a house sort of situation. Yeah, house swap. It could be any famous house, anything. Stevie's house is unbelievable. Oh, my God. Is that in Portugal?

9:37Ian Wright: All of them. I tell you what, now you think of it, I remember I went to Patrick Vera's house in Amsterdam. My God, I was like... I was like, Nancy, I'm struggling, Nancy. This is where Patrick's living. We're struggling, man. It was an amazing house. Yeah. Unbelievable house Patrick had in Amsterdam. You go in the door... Did he earn more money than Roy, then? No, honestly. He got his contract with you. It's just like you drove up the road and it's just on the road. The road's right there and you go in and it just opened like the TARDIS. Yeah. Amazing house. It's like Patrick Vieira's house. Yeah.

10:13He always smells them. Truthfully, to honestly, I'm happy with my place. Of course you are. Honestly, I wouldn't shop a friend of mine. I'm quite contented with my house. You have got a nice house. It's gorgeous. You have got a nice house. It's a lovely house, yeah. It's an amazing house.

10:31Have you ever changed your opinion about a player or a manager after meeting them personally? You? I've had loads. Him?

10:41Ian Wright: I have to say, Roy is somebody I've changed my opinion on. I love him. What was your opinion first? I didn't know how to take, when we played, I didn't know how to take, because he always looked at you disdainly. I didn't like Ian. That's a shash. No, let me explain. He looked at you in a way where, you know, because you're my opponent. He never gave you anything in his face, right? So that's what I'm talking about. Yeah. Right? So he was like that. I never thought he was somebody that I'd ever want to be around or talk to because he just sounded such a dickhead. But when you'd speak to the people, because at the time, you know what I mean, it was a different time for Roy when he was playing.

11:18Ian Wright: All I heard about him, I would never feel that me and him would be like we are now because he was a nightmare, apparently. You are a nightmare, right? And then he was a great, obviously he was a great player as well. so I dislike the fact that he was so cool off the pitch because he could do all that stuff with the guys. Oh, all the lads love me. And then he was a great player. And so, you know what I mean, he's that kind of person that you admired and was jealous of at the same time. Envy, he's great, he was great. I never had a bad opinion at all because I did like him, but someone that I now love, actually, after having on here, Oli Gunnar Solskjaer, he was so lovely.

11:50And obviously I only seen him on the TV and stuff, but just such a nice guy. But I didn't have a bad opinion first. I would actually say you Yeah you should do I can't believe that you're actually quite funny You do make me laugh I never thought that would happen I say Bruno Oh you mean as a player like him Yeah no I met him for half an hour And I thought he was Did you back down after you said he didn't run back No I met him for half an hour and I thought to be fair You speak to people about him In terms of at the club and they say he's a good type and he's hard-working. He really looks after the staff.

12:32And that was the thing that impressed me most when the staff said he looked after the staff, looks after the people. So, yeah, I'd say Bruno. I've always been open-minded, but people are... Oh, no, no, I don't.

12:42Ian Wright: What are we doing? What are we doing here? Are we doing a serious thing or not, Gary? Exactly. No, I forgot about it. Jesus, let's not do it. Don't do it. We're talking about it when we're having a tea off. We're not giving it to you. He's been open-minded. I want to know who he's going to say, though. I can't finish it now. I'll leave it. Yeah, nice. Carry on. Get some rays, bro. Get some rays.

13:24The rest is between you and a therapist who actually gets it. Grow connects you with thousands of high-quality licensed therapists across the U.S., offering both virtual and in-person sessions, nights and weekends. There are no subscriptions, no long-term commitments. You just pay per session. Grow helps you find therapy on your time. The therapist you want takes your insurance on Grow. Grow accepts over 125 insurance plans. Sessions average$21 with insurance and some pay as little as$0 depending on their plan. Visit growtherapy.com slash start now today to get started. That's growtherapy.com slash start now.

14:06growtherapy.com slash start now. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. Recently, I was talking with a friend about my career, how I was starting to feel stuck at work. I had a good job on paper, but something was off. I didn't know if I needed a new role, a new field, or just more confidence to ask for what I deserved. My friend mentioned career coaching and said that working with a coach was like therapy for your career. At first, I was like, okay, what exactly does that mean, and what am I supposed to do with that information? Let's just say I had my doubts, until I tried it.

14:44My coach helped me figure things out. She listened, really listened, and helped me go from where I was to where I wanted to be. We built a plan. She kept me accountable every step of the way. And now, months later, I'm in a completely different place. If you've hit a wall at work, you too can benefit from career therapy. Visit strawberry.me slash career to get matched with a coach today. That's strawberry.me slash career. Here's a tip for you. There's a podcast out there with fans waiting to be your next customer. They tune in every week. They trust the host. And that host wants to talk about brands like yours in their own words to their audience.

15:25The problem is you just haven't been introduced yet. We're Acast, where that introduction happens. As the world's largest podcast marketplace, we let you browse shows, see who's listening, and book host-read sponsorships or run your own ads all from one platform. Transparent pricing, real-time data, complete control. Start advertising on podcasts by visiting acast.com slash advertise.

15:53We've got some questions for you here, Ange. What's the one thing you'd change in football? Oh, mate. That's not me. Do you like the long throw? Oh, my God. That's the leaf blower moment for me, mate. Roy's leaf blowers. I'll tell you what I don't like, right, about the long throw. And people are going to say, oh, you know, he doesn't like set pieces. It's very, very effective. But the way the game is getting officiated now with the VAR especially, right, because I don't – and I'll get onto that in a sec – but I don't think the founding fathers of our game created it so that you can score goals or take advantage by using your hands.

16:36In fact, they took it away. I think there's a reason they said, you know what, to take a throw in, you've actually got to have both feet, you've got to put it over your head rather than just throwing it in because they wanted to limit the effectiveness of the hand. It's football, mate. And what we've done now, what we've created with the long throws but more the officiating. Now, people say goalkeepers were a protected species. Yes, they were for a reason in that once you create congestion in that six-yard box, you can't allow goalkeepers to do their job. You can't. They can't do it. And it does my head in when I hear, you know, referees and the head of referees saying, oh, but players are just standing their ground.

17:17That's a foul. If I was on Monday Night Football with you, because I know you love doing it, I'd show you a live demonstration. If you're a centre-half... Do it now with a munch. Do it now with a munch. Come here, come here. So if you're going up for a header, right, you're a goal kick and you're going up for a header, you jump and I just stand. I don't jump at all. Is it a foul? I don't think it's a foul. You don't think it's a foul? I do. Because I'm impeding you. Yeah. I'm not going for the ball. As a centre-back, I'd expect you to do that. Do you expect me to jump or not? No, but if you hold your ground, I see centre-fours do that all the time.

17:51It's a goal kick. OK, you watch on the weekend. Any striker that does that, and then the centre-back wins the head and then falls over him. He's impeding him. It's a foul. But they'll call a foul. Because they'll say he's almost creating an arc for the player to fall over. That's exactly what they're doing to goalkeepers. The ball's in the air. I'm not going for the ball. I'm standing on ground. What I'm doing is I'm obstructing the goalkeeper from doing his job. I do think in terms of actually what you're talking about, the long throw-ins and sort of on the corner kicks now where the goalkeeper can't actually do anything, I do think that something has to change.

18:25So what's that going to create? What's that going to create? That's going to create teams now saying, well, let's find a long throw specialist. Let's just... Have a long throw, Ange. You're ahead of your time. you'd get the highest contract I've been saying that this season and that like I understand managers and teams you talk about the pressure how much is at stake in terms of money trying to sort of squeeze every last inch out of trying to win a game whether okay we'll get the ball in the box a long throw and that's always been a case with the smaller teams okay we're not as good at football as you we don't have to tackle good players this is our chance to get the ball I accept that it's just when I see every team do it and even my own team by the way And I think Liverpool have bought Vier to Necateke.

19:07I throw him, get the ball in his crickets. You can't get them on the fin. So when I see everybody do, that's what pisses me off a bit with it. But the thing is, and what kills me about it, is that people talk about it being some sort of scientific. It's the equivalent of throwing it into the mixer, mate. It's just throwing it into a good place. And what's going to happen is more and more clubs are going to just congest that area more and more. And I don't think that's what we want to see. I don't think that's football. Like I said, I don't think the game was designed that you use your hands to create an opportunity, in my opinion, right?

19:39I think for the last 15 or 20 years, we've always been keepers are well protected. So I think there's an element of like, you're getting your own back. Because you know what it was like? There's a bit of that. The cross would come in, the referee would blow, what's that for? And they'd go, oh, it was a foul on the keeper. No one touched him.

19:58In February, the first Serie A match will be played outside of Italy. AC Milan will play Como in Perth. What do we make of this? Did you see the Spanish game? It's got cancelled, didn't it? What do we make of this? That's a long journey. I'm not having it. Isn't it? Why? I'm not having it. We don't need it, do we? They might need it to promote our league. I don't think we do. It won't be the same. It can't be the same. No. It can't be the same. I'm not having the game. I'm not having the game. Intensity, the level of it. Not for the fact... They play American football, right? I've been to American football.

20:27Is this a good or a bad example? I don't know. and I've gone to watch American football, obviously, in America, in the stadiums, and then they play games. And I've gone to great occasions, but it's not the same. It's not the same. It's not the same vibe. It's different.

20:41Ian Wright: So from the fans' point of view, like the fans all the way, they can't get to that game. To bring the game to them so they can witness the team in a competitive game in their country is something that I don't see as one game is a bad thing for them. We're talking about fans waking up at twos and threes anymore just to watch the team because they love them. If you could take it there one time, I don't know. It's something that people say... But surely it might be the same, righty, would it? It might not be the same. So four teams are away from home. There's a lot to go on in this... Which home game is it?

21:13Ian Wright: But the thing is, we're talking about something for what they're doing for the fans to be able to go in and see their team in a competitive league game. I can feel something. I suspect, righty, looking at it, I don't know and to be fair, I should probably have looked at it but the integrity of the competition is the big one but the second thing is I suspect when you say about the fans over there I bet the tickets are a fortune by the way I bet it's not like accessible so that all the kids that you're talking about that want to watch football it'll be like they'll make as much money out of it as possible which will mean tickets will be$200 or something stupid which means I don't think it'll become something that the kids that you're probably thinking about or the fans that you're thinking about will find it easy to go and get who's playing did you say Nev?

21:51AC Milan versus Colman so if one of these teams miss out at the end of the season for a Champions League spot or whatever it might be and you go whatever, because Cormor doing well, obviously Milan are always going to be there. Really well, yeah, that's Fabregas. So come the end of the season, that's your home match, and you miss out, you go, we took our team all the way over there. Yeah. And we've missed out on it.

22:09Ian Wright: What about your fans who live, you know what I mean? I don't know. That's the chance you take, but you could feel like they started it, maybe the inception of the idea is to bring it to people who can't see it. Oh yeah, so, but then it's like everything, Roy, they weaponise it. So what happens then, if it just went really well, and everyone was, so there's going to be a lot more games over there then. I just think we've won the 39th game. The one thing that I would say is that, let's say, for instance, this could be quite controversial, let's say the FA Cup final as an example. I know it's going to be at Wembley, but let's say every five years or every three years it's held in a different continent.

22:43You know, it goes to Africa, it goes to Europe, it goes to... I mean, the FA Cup has been...

22:48Ian Wright: Yeah, but that's a neutral ground, though. It's like Wembley, both teams... That's what I'm saying to you. That might work, that might work. Oh, the FA Cup semis. So the FA Cup semis, right, forget the FA Cup, final leave it at Wembley League Cup the FA Cup semi-final which are at Wembley they could be games that are neutral ground you could potentially do it with that where you're not damaging integrity that would be I think that would be something of a we complain about travelling stuff now though in games imagine them putting more travel on as well the whole idea people love in English football is tradition and walking to the stadium and then you go to a stadium over there that's not designed for maybe soccer Premier League is a no no for the fans if you get to Wembley it's a day out for the fans it feels like It feels like a very...

23:27Premier League's a no for me. You're saying no, because you'd have to travel to do the club. Yeah, but then you're dismissing the FA Cup tradition. No, no. I'm just saying the FA Cup semi-finals, which I don't think fans, to be fair, like going to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-finals anyway. I think there's a big... Oh, yeah, there's another argument for us to go back to Villa Park or... Yeah. ...Hillersboro or wherever it was. But, yeah, I get that, Chad.

23:44Ian Wright: But they're playing a different country. Yeah, but you know it's going to happen because they've got to monetise everything. They've got to try and find another way out. Can we bring in more? how much more money can you bring I don't know I think the Spanish though looks like they've pushed back a little bit don't they because Barcelona were going to play again and that's been cancelled so I think there's a bit of a rumble over there and they've apologised they've actually apologised saying the fact that they were thinking about bringing it somewhere else yeah

24:17which player do you wish you'd played with more Maradona Oh, more than I didn't think. That was for football reasons as well.

24:30That would be a good name. Who would I have liked to play with more? I'd go righty, not because he's sitting here. I'd love playing with righty. I mean, there's a lot of films where I've literally got my hands in the air when he's going through because he just... You can play on wavelength with players and I knew what right he was going to do and he knew what I was going to do and that makes your job very, very easy. And he had that enthusiasm where it carried you through. There have been dark days in my life where I'd come in where his enthusiasm would pick you up. Do you know what I mean? I've never seen that, Merce.

25:07Ian Wright: I think it was... We let her dub it out, let's see. Yeah, yeah. I think I scored in the cup final and I went through from the afternoon and I think when you watch it back... I think I scored. I did score in the game. He did score, a little dink. But Murs already had his arm up when I was going through. It's the biggest compliment I think I've ever had in respect of what someone thinks. He already had his arms up. You're scoring. I used to score goals, yeah, that I never see anymore. Chipping the goalie. Yeah, I don't remember. Has anybody ever chipped the goalie anymore? Ever? It's true that. No one ever chips the goalie.

25:36Ian Wright: The other day I saw. Oh, yeah, yeah. That's a welding. You're not talking about a dink over the goalkeeper as you go through one-on-one. No, I'm talking about the chip. You remember the tis when he does Schmeichel from about... And he was in his six-yard ball. Righty against Leeds when it was... Charlie Palbert. Charlie Palbert. The goalkeepers were off their line. Did Bruno try at the other? Yorval away. Remember Yorval away? Yeah, they were a good run. Right. They were a good run. They were a good run. Time. Time. I think they beat Scarborough at home four before that. Everybody went down there thinking we were going to lose that game.

26:10Ian Wright: So it's for them. It's the following year after the Wrexham game. Yeah, because that's when I was able... I couldn't play in that game. Yeah, because you wouldn't have lost otherwise. Of course he wouldn't have. Of course he wouldn't have.

26:27When everything is moving all at once, your workforce, your tech stack, your business, you don't need more tools. You need one solution. That's why Paylocity built a single platform to connect HR, finance, and IT with AI-driven insights and automated workflows that simplify the complex and power what's next. Because when everything comes together in one place, growth comes easy. Experience one place for all your HCM needs. Start now at paylocity.com slash one. Recently, I was talking with a friend about my career, how I was starting to feel stuck at work. I had a good job on paper, but something was off.

27:06I didn't know if I needed a new role, a new field, or just more confidence to ask for what I deserved. My friend mentioned career coaching and said that working with a coach was like therapy for your career. At first, I was like, okay, what exactly does that mean, and what am I supposed to do with that information? Let's just say I had my doubts, until I tried it. My coach helped me figure things out. She listened, really listened, and helped me go from where I was to where I wanted to be. We built a plan. She kept me accountable every step of the way. And now, months later, I'm in a completely different place.

27:43If you've hit a wall at work, you too can benefit from career therapy. Visit strawberry.me slash career to get matched with a coach today. That's strawberry.me slash career.

27:59Bruno would easily get into an all-time Man United 11. I just saw a Man United 11 the other day and Bruno was in it. I can't remember who it was that did it. so Bruno gets into an all-time Manchester United 11 let's get how many are you playing in the middle three let's get Bruno's stats or two his stats are incredible to be fair you know his stats

28:18Ian Wright: did they put an 11 there so as we can find out who would be replacing no one to get in the snowman yet yeah but they haven't put him in an 11 so we can say he can't get in there in front of such and such it's a statement it's a statement well I don't like this game girl what It's too much loose ends with this game. But what do you class as a good player? Is it stats? I think Brewer's a top player, but to get into Manchester United's all-time level, I don't think so. Yeah, I think it'd be hard. Well, you think you've got Cantona, all the midfielders, you've got Cantona, you've got all the attacking players.

29:00I just don't think, just on stats alone. Yeah, 101 assists, 105 goals. That's what he's got. That is unbelievable, by the way. Brilliant stats. Amazing. No, it is. They're unbelievable. They're incredible. But to be fair, you talk... But that's not the question you ask. But you are talking about getting in front of people like Bobby Charlton in that attacking field position and attacking sort of... Best. Best Charlton, Scholes... And what if Bruno leads in the next couple of years and he's not got even a couple of league titles under his belt or... That shouldn't count as well. Part of your greatness has to be getting your hands on trophies.

29:28On trophies, yeah. It has to be. It has to be. Without a doubt. If you're comparing them to all the players you've just mentioned there. Great players, great characters. Robson. Or Robson. In his position, Robson. Yeah, yeah, there's loads. Those creative.

29:40Ian Wright: Yeah, of course. That's such an unpopular question. I don't like that question at all, bro. Right, he's eaten all these. Shouldn't have asked that one. What's Bruno? As a matter of fact, what's Bruno won at United? What's he won? Is it trophy-wise? FA Cup? League Cup. Twice? How long has he been? Has he won the FA Cup twice? How long has he been at the club? Five, six years now. League Cup, the one. Let's have a look. He's been longer. It's longer than that. It is. He's won the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. Right, so if he left United in summer, if he moves after the World Cup... Look, the counter-argument to that is that up until 93, when Brian Robson was 35-36, he'd only won two or three FA Cups at United.

30:19So my point is, the greatness of Brian Robson as a player when he was playing for England, playing for United... Steven Gerrard at Liverpool, obviously won the Champions League, but he also only won Cups. So I think there are sometimes a player that does stay with a club that holds that club together through a difficult time. I think Bruno has been a shining light for United. But I think regardless, I don't think he gets... At least I get so much respect from him. I think what he's doing in a poor Man United team what's been for the last few years. He's been by far the standout player and his stats are very good.

30:52But to get in the team ahead of some of the players over Man United's history, I couldn't put him in there. No. Sometimes there's players, and I've looked at players over the years who've played for teams and they've got amazing stats but the team doesn't really make progress. I'd rather almost say to players, and I just don't mean Bruno, I'd rather your stats were a bit less but your team were winning a bit more. Yeah. Does that make sense? Yeah, it does. It can't be just about stats. It's like scoring goals and not winning no trophies. You know what I mean?

31:18Ian Wright: That's what it feels like. All the players you played with, you're going into the biggest game, who's beside you in the midfield? Like, you don't look at stats, it's like who would you want beside you? What have you got, Gaz? From my United days. yeah he could pick Incy scores you maybe yeah but he was good he wanted to battle with yeah Incy people still underestimate Paulins because that's his time at Liverpool yeah Incy midfield so when Incy left United I thought it was a big blow because a young lad that summer Sparky left and Incy left and like we were obviously young players at the time we were actually breaking in we played in that final before they left the one against Everton when Everton beat us and it was a blow that because them two were massive characters in the dressing room I mean, Incy was amazing with the young players.

32:03He was hard with us, but he was amazing with us, you know. He really looked after us properly, Incy. Well, we go back again. Dinosaurs go back to when we played. But all these players we kind of throw, we mention, and we talk about the modern player, Incy, Sparky, all these lads, Raymond, whatever. Proper characters. It's the characters that get you over the line in certain games or when you have a difficult few months. And it's the guys in the background who are the fringe players. I was at Wes at Solfer. All these lads who come in and might play. you talk about 15-20 games but they were ready they were really top pros I still think he's showed a lot of cards don't Bruno Bruno he has yeah he plays very rarely miss a game does he oh yeah I give him credit for all that stuff he's always available

32:50what would be your number one tip to a young striker hit the tag yeah hit the tag exactly don't miss Don't lean back. Don't lean back. Practice, practice, practice. And then it's just... But it's about confidence and belief. You've got to be in... Exactly when that ball is about to be hit, you need to be... Can you coach that? I've asked Ray this for a new year ago. Can you coach that instinct for a striker? Are they born Ian Rush, Michael Owen, all year long? Being in the right place at the right time.

33:24Ian Wright: Can that be coached? I think that. That's repetition. A repetition to finish him, I've read the cross-rated anticipations. It's the whole package of knowing your players, knowing football, drawing from experience, where's Bex likely to cross it, where's Giggs likely. Yeah, but I remember watching, I used to watch Rush and watch Lineker, and they'd be moving when the ball's in the air, and the ball would come to them. What is that coaching I'm saying? I don't know, Roy. Experience as well, because you've been there so many times, and most likely it's going to end there. Yeah. So, you're gambling, Roy.

33:57You're gambling. Otherwise, always be an optimist. I always believe the ball's going to come to you as well.

34:02Ian Wright: How often are you ready to go in there? A lot of your goals, you know. No, go on. Sorry, Jim. No, no, go on, Jim. A lot of peeling off the centre half, getting it on your chest off a long ball and scoring. You don't see a lot of that now, do you? You know, like a winger looking for the kind of diagonal, the go bit. One of the best assists I've had, eh? Long pass away to Charlton. Are we having a video? One video. On your chest. What's the reserve game? So your advice for a striker is being optimist? Yeah, being optimist. Hope for a mistake by the keeper, defender. Do you know what a bit frustrating to me when you're watching games at weekends and there's a strike in a position and they go, oh, he wasn't expecting it.

34:40They thought the defender was going to get it. No, you should always be ready for him. If someone slips or misses it, I thought he was going to clear it. Who was that? Everton, Sunderland Everton. Barry from... Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's going to get over that, of course, yeah. You know, the best optimist I used to watch would be Aguero. He'd always think the centre-half's going to miss it and you could watch him and he wasn't right nine times out of ten but he was so good at that. Think and what if. Goulter, you had a good assist. Forrest, remember? You missed a ball and it sliced off you and it just landed in my feet.

35:10I saw where you got four, Ali. Was that?

35:14Ian Wright: When did you get four in? Came off the bench, huh? It was four in 20 minutes. Wow. Came off the bench and did that as well. Yeah, against Forrest. That's game over 4-1. I didn't get four in 20 minutes. I know four in 20 minutes. Four in 20 minutes. yeah I think one of them was my sister first one I almost missed that one two of them he's a poor ball in poor ball then he didn't go and celebrate he does his own thing yeah yeah so the away fans yeah my kids always kiss the badge sometimes they see the gold he comes on telly and he's like Gary he used to kiss you yeah everyone I love it I love you right let's go horrible kiss tell them horrible Never kiss me.

35:58Ian Wright: Imagine he tried to come to kiss you. Somebody kissed him. He just sticks toes on the lips. I think there was tongues, I think. It was really sloppy and wet. It was a big game. When he goes to the eye and does it. Beautiful. Was it like on the head? A little tickle up the touch. A little tickle up the touch. I bet you didn't want to. I'll see you after the game. He's got a little tickle up the touch. Come on.

36:29This has been a Global and the Overlap production.

36:55perfect audience, set your budget and launch. And if you want a hand, our podcast specialists are there to help you launch with confidence. This is podcast advertising without barriers. Get started at acast.com slash advertise.

37:12Thanks for listening. And thanks to our partner Skybet. If you want more, please subscribe and you won't miss an episode.