Henri Lansbury: “I Knew I Had Cancer… But I Didn’t Want to Stop Playing”

0:00Hello and welcome to That Peter Crouch podcast. Notorious S.I.D. and Chris Stark with me. Sid, you're in a different spot here because we've obviously got a guest today. Yeah. Do you like it there? Yeah, this chair. Yeah, I mean, I feel as though I'm out of the circle. A little bit. I do feel as though I've just been sort of, you know, like... Yeah, we're actually calm. A little bit, yeah. I've been leaning in a couple of times. But yeah, listen, I've got a guest. I love having guests on. Yeah, it's great to have a guest on, isn't it? Yeah, I agree. I do think... It's definitely so, because we're going to have it, just so you know, we're going to have a couple of weeks break, which I think you've got the details for, Crouchy, but I do question the setup we have in the Chumble One Bar.

0:41Do you? Yeah, because I think everything, it looks awesome, the Chumble One Bar, but I think the chair situation still, we haven't... We haven't nailed it? I don't think we've nailed it, mate. I think it's right you've got a throne, but then we've had weird situations where the chairs have broken at one point. Yeah. Big Duncan, you know, it was ridiculous having to share a sofa with him. My and Keone in the middle there didn't look comfortable with it, did he? I mean, that was a low point, wasn't it? I just don't know if we need to... No bar has this set up as far as I can see anyway. It's an odd one.

1:10Well, maybe that's something we look at for next season. Because, you know, if you don't know, we are going to take a little break. It's only a three-week period where we don't release. It's, you know, various holidays. I was getting accused of losing the dressing room. Rather than us all be split up, rather we have a three-week break. we'll be back the week before the Premier League season starts so you can get that in a diary by all means look around but make sure you come back you know we won't have a problem if you flick to die of a CEO or something like that for a couple of them absolutely not it's big at the moment there's loads there's loads of big podcasts out there you know the Therapy Crouch is a good one to listen to as well that would be my go to by all means go to the Therapy Crouch go have a play with the newsagents or something make sure you come back Chris attire today it's very do you know what it is it's very glass though is it really no no I'm a fan thank you well we are sort of in festival season still aren't we did anybody watch I watched a lot of it how good was it you've done it haven't you yeah I love it I've got to go it's not on next year is it it's back on 2027 but yeah when you walked through the door today you got a little ripple didn't you well we did and thank you for that I did appreciate it it was marinated and sarcasm but it was It was a lovely moment.

2:26It wasn't. What was it, Seriously? The shirt's obviously got little holes in it. It feels like something that maybe take that might have worn in the early days. But it does mean you can see my sexy body. That's what I mean. Yeah, yeah. But you can't see it. It's nice. Does it poke through a cage? I can imagine Jason Orange in that in the early 90s. Fucking hell. so just just on the Glastonbury thing though moving on are we no no not necessarily not necessarily no end of podcasts at Glastonbury I saw this year there was there was loads of them was there yeah I don't know why we haven't done this yet you're saying we should be there well we've done the Isle of Y haven't we it's what I mean you know that went well have you done Glastonbury never shut up never mate a man of your colliber a man of your colliber in the musical scene and you've not done that that surprises me yeah but surprises me wow and every year they'd pick the presenters for it and I was always like I'll just sort it out for next year and before you know it have you not gone then out of just a stance to go well if you've not picked me for work I'm not going to go there and enjoy it just as a rave yeah I I sort of I thought I just held out for the work freebie if I'm honest yeah I get that and it's not paid off okay so again it'd be great to do the podcast from Glastonbury wouldn't it well it was two years 2027 yeah that's just just as a kind of I don't know how you go about doing it I saw some proper like hold on Crouchfest at Glaston is that what you're saying I think is that what you're saying what you're suggesting I'm I'm saying that could be wow something couldn't it a Glastonbury Crouchfest is it kind of goes up to Lucas Podsky yes I forgot about that a Glastonbury Crouchfest is because I think a lot of podcasts go to Glastonbury and some of them do live shows I think we'll be able to get a few people in a few people involved that ran that a million percent that festival listen let's be honest right if we can do Wembley Arena on a show where no one knew what was going to happen I feel like we can do Glaston okay we do it properly if we do it just run that in the diary please Ross oh he already has he already has what I love You know when we say these and we go, right, get that, because there's quite a to-do list with this podcast.

4:52Who's the first email you send it to? Yeah, nice. Yeah, yeah. So they're on it already. No, yeah, they're not messing about. We don't mucking around. Emily Uvis would love us there. We're non-offensive. We're, you know. Not always. It's mild offence at most, isn't it? We're very inclusive. Yeah. This podcast. I feel like, yeah. There's lots of people at Glassdale. We've got the fashion. We certainly have. Nailed. Yeah, totally nailed that. We're getting away from the main point of today's podcast, which is Henry Lansbury, who are obviously really excited that we're going to talk to today. Are you mates with him?

5:30Yeah, we are mates with him, yeah. And obviously, you know, he knows a lot of people that we know. Good lad, really good lad. Like one of football's good guys, really. And obviously, you know, he's had his issues. He's been a fantastic player, came through at Arsenal, very similar to Sid's. And also, you know, a lot of comparisons to you. He had testicular cancer, which he's been very open and honest about talking about. But it'd be nice to get into that situation as a footballer, how you overcome it. And especially with kind of the way we talk about the way we came through, it was very much like man up and don't tell anyone anything that could hinder your performance or take you out of the team.

6:07So it'd be interesting to hear his take on it. Yeah, definitely. He's really chilled as well. His character, his personality is a real cool, calm guy. You'll enjoy this. Yeah, you will. just before we get into it just the AI girlfriend stuff it's really kind of taken off you've kept me busy this week I have kept you busy obviously the first time I saw it plenty of people have seen that now SIDS, we took a picture of SIDS and you was blown away felt like she came from behind me and ended up with you what's become apparent since listening to that podcast back you weren't aware technology had moved on so much.

6:46I didn't know it was so groundbreaking. This AI thing has suddenly, it's something that I think you knew about, but suddenly you've gone, whoa, that can make Sid's look like he's got a girlfriend in the Chumba one bar. Yeah, which is, you know, I thought, not on my watch. But having said that, I've made you do it all week. I've been sending various pictures of Dad, Ross. I've heard more from Crouchy in the last seven days than I have in the last seven days. I loved it. You loved it. There is alarm from the sound rat. Everyone keeps firing. But you do, as if he can't operate the technology as well.

7:23So he has to get, he's with, whoever he's with on any given day goes, have you seen about the AI girlfriend? He's mentioned it every day. Well, you know, I've got the, on my phone is quite often like a person, like Claire Travel, you know, there's always someone in their role. I've changed Chris Stark in my phone book to Chris AI girlfriend.

7:46and he's just banging them out for me it's great how did the abby's dad wouldn't go down he didn't go down well I think you know certainly people of a certain age as well don't really are still very kind of dubious about the situation you know well obviously Sue's wife was very much like that's funny that's not funny yeah bearing in mind I was crying

8:14well I very much think it is it's actually made me re-evaluate what I what I sort of like on especially on Instagram when it says Steve Sidwell 14 likes you know I'm about to sort of take two I'm still liking it yeah yeah yeah have we talked about this on the podcast but it's made me re-evaluate that I'm just going to put it out there well I think you're yeah what you've got to be careful of is that you like too much AI stuff because the next lesson I'm going to give you in AI here boys is it's learning what you like and what you don't like so when you when you algorithms yeah algorithms so when you click on something to like it you you know you see someone on their Instagram and you click like it's compiling more and more things than I know and And then it knows Stephen Sidwell likes it.

9:06Stephen Sidwell doesn't like this. And it is going to send you more of that sort of stuff. Interesting. Keep it coming. We'll suffer for it.

9:21All right. Henry Lansbury, ladies and gentlemen.

9:29Henry, all right, mate? All good. Pleasure to have you on. Thank you for having me, mate. moving forward to this yeah of course mate so you've been away recently

9:42I went on a little trip to Las Vegas okay alright yeah how'd it go all good sightseeing was unbelievable yeah yeah lovely this time of year innit I've heard yeah I've never been yeah have you not been well we nearly had a chance nearly the podcast was out there at one point you'd seem to have fixed something yeah that was sadly went away yeah unfortunately it has yeah Is it as good as it seems? Because I've only ever seen the movies. I'll jump on the podcast if you're doing it out there. Yeah, yeah, it is good. I haven't been for a long time. My circumstances have changed since I last went. All good fun.

10:17Yeah, it is good. And Sid, as our sort of resident travel agent, what do you recommend at Vegas? Well, I've been there 16 times. 16 times? What the hell? I went four times once in one summer. I flew out I went out there come back for a day and then flew back out the next day did you? what if you just went this is shit alone that was great out there how do you wangle four times like that's not four separate stag do's is it? two stag do's and two boys ones in between yeah I don't understand how you get away with that it is like adults playground it's it's powerful so top tip for anyone listening thinking of booking a trip to Las Vegas Sid's travel tips it's hard it's hard graft it's hard graft top tip is you've got to go through that first night power through a lot of people go and have an hour half an hour power nap in the room and they don't wake up to the next day yeah I've done that what's the point you'd like to recommend what hotel wise yeah I like the encore in terms of in terms of hotel if you want probably location the Cosmo's probably great yeah oh there you go Yeah, no, I highly recommend that.

11:32Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. All right. This is loads to get into, mate. But similar kind of start to your football career as Sid's at Arsenal, coming through. How was that? How did it come about? How did you enjoy yourself there? Yeah, it was amazing. Coming through at Arsenal was probably one of the best blessings that I've ever had in football. The way they teach you how to play football and then I left school early to go in full time. and then being around the first team and like you're looking at the players like fucking hell like I'm actually here with these guys and got Wenger Pat Rice and maybe it was just like for me probably the best experience growing up yeah what was I mean who was in your you had a fantastic youth team who was in your group yeah he was good so we had like Wilsch was a year younger but played with us Emmanuel Frimpong Francis Cochland Sanchez what Luke Halin was he in there A year younger, but yeah, you tipped up now and again.

12:32But no, our squad was brilliant. Obviously won the youth cup, but then... But coming through the youth team with them, we stuck together the whole way, and we battered teams like 10, 11, and it's... Like everyone... The lads were massive. Yeah. So until they started to catch up, that's when the game started evening out, like 16. Yeah, because I remember the buzz around that Arsenal youth team at that time, and obviously when you're kind of coming through at that age, and you played for England kind of every level coming through. How difficult is that to cope with it? Because there was a real buzz around you as a player as well at that time.

13:06Yeah, I don't know. I don't just got on with it. I think as you're a kid, you're fearless, aren't you? The reason I'm asking is because there was absolutely no buzz around me at that age.

13:22You're fearless until it's like really your job isn't it until you realise like football is like it was probably only until my first loan spell when I went to Scunford that I kicked in like this is real life we've got labs yeah because you're at Arsenal and like you said it's kind of like you're on that trajectory aren't you of you caught up in an Arsenal bubble a little bit I think I was at Tottenham a little bit you know I went on loan to Dulwich Hamlet and they actually go well not quite made it at this club yet you know you still had you had a massive Arsenal association in terms of your loans because I always remember, I remember when you started at Watford, it was very much like we had an Arsenal player at Watford and you were in a good time.

14:03There was a couple of good loanees at that point that you were coming into Watford, but it felt like a star sign-in from Arsenal. So you were in that Arsenal glow at that point. Well, yeah, I didn't see it that way, but... Did you not? No, not for myself. I just wanted to play games. And as soon as you taste first-team football, you're like, oh, I don't want to go back to reserves or 18s or want to go and play. And yeah, going to Watford was fun. Obviously, we were fighting relegational season but we had me, Tom Cleverley. We had a good little team there but like, you realise when you get an English core group, it makes such a difference.

14:38You actually want to play for them, do you know what I mean? That split in the dressing room a bit, it kills a vibe. But Watford, West Ham, Norwich, and even Luton at the end of it was more English core and it's such a difference. I don't know exactly what you mean because I was a good few years older than you. But when you come through Arsenal, it's like the Arsenal, isn't it? Like when you're there, it's like the old fashioned, right? It's the Arsenal. You've got a winning mentality. As you say, you get the best sort of footballing education, but you get caught up in this football arrogance where looking back at it now, I'm like, wow, did I?

15:14You're so just like fearless, aren't you? Because you've got this, like when he was going to teams on loan, it's like a marquee kind of sign he's like I've got someone from Arsenal but you don't really see it like that do you because you're just sort of used to playing week in week out battering teams playing well then you go to someone you go right I need to prove myself now but when you walk through the door it's like wow alright we've got we've got this sort of this plan now but when you're in it you're in it but I suppose now when you look back at it you go bloody hell wow it was like it was some time I suppose that for like two or three days a few people said how's Arsenal how's this how's that is it done differently and you're like oh I don't know just go and train every day work hard but then when you go to different clubs you see the difference like the facilities the whole aura around the club like you're at Arsenal it's like you're actually walking with your shoulders a bit broader but no it's just experience for me going out and playing games but you're at that age so you're at Arsenal and going on loans how old are you roughly then for the I was what was I 17, 18 when I first went out on loan see this is what I wonder about all you boys like how much if you're at a club like Arsenal how much do your mates love it as well and how much does that have an impact on your life because it's an unbelievably cool thing to be part of Arsenal at that age isn't it does your mates love the fact that you're doing that make it make maybe those loan moves slightly harder my mates used to come and travel up to the games just for a night out so obviously they're at that age now all your mates would go over it where are you playing and I said I'm coming I said alright leave the coach and we'll stay up for a night and then go out all of those loans I'm just trying to think they're like Watford I've been there I've had a few nights out in Watford I know what that's like Norwich I went on loan myself there so shout out to Mercy Nightclub been there West Ham East London I know I've been out in East London but Scunford talk us through that one what's that like imagine I've left Arsenal right and I'm going up to Scunford when the agent told me you're going to Scunford I was like where the fuck is scum for i've never heard of it and i've got up there and uh he was like no good bunch of lads good team and that's all perfect go out there and uh i think the first day i got there was absolutely teeing down and got to the stadium got changed and that i was like where's the training ground so we don't have one like get changed at the stadium and drive to like the farmer's field training the farmer's field in like a tin shed there was rats running across it honestly bit of Astro really yeah yeah and I was like wow this is like real football like these are playing for their lives isn't they and I think that's when it hit home I was like shit I better turn up now and be grateful for where I've come from because I think when you're at Arsenal all the way through kids nowadays do not know how good it is yeah they need to go on for me kids need to go on loan straight away because you sit there play 18s 21s it doesn't mean anything yeah but yeah when I got to Scunthorpe I lived in Lincoln and obviously it's a uni town so you can imagine I was in the silent discos and Home Nightclub really?

18:23I think it's Home Nightclub okay yeah I think I've DJ'd there a few times really? there's a kebab place called Charcoal Grill and I always liked it because when they gave you a kebab they'd give you a little hat so you'd get all these people leaving the kebab place with these little paper hats nicely done little quirk of Lincoln little touch we just touch on how good a silent disco is as well by the way I'm a big fan of them big respect I have never done one you know what's so good is like you put them on you know obviously the premise right so you got the tunes and when you take it off and just look at people everyone dancing and there's no music on it's phenomenal yeah but can I say from a DJ's point of view they're a nightmare because people can come to the front you can have a thousand people with headphones on and they come to the front and they can literally just talk to you and shout their requests at you, you can't ignore them.

19:14Do you know what I mean? Yeah. So they're literally like, play it now. You can hear them as well. Now. Come on, lad. And then especially this podcast, they're all at the front. Yeah. Piss off, Carl. Barbecue cunt. So, you know, it's like, oh, yeah. How was it at Scunthorpe though? Like, was that a moment for you? Like, did you, well, obviously you go, I don't know, from London Colney to that training ground, you know, talking, that training ground's obviously a big shift, really. And also the football-wise, did it, I don't know, did it make you more determined? Yeah, definitely. I think my first game, I played a one-two with someone and they just left an elbow straight in my face.

19:56Really? And it was like, you know Arsenal now, mate. I was like, oh, all right, mate. We have to get up and show the character, didn't it? And I thought we got promoted that year as well. So it was a good little loan spell for me. but like a good like what were the lads like in the dress room around you like were they at first a bit standoffish like who does he think he is or that kind of thing or did you integrate straight away no I'm quite an open person so I like to banter straight away so whatever happens happens I jump straight into it and no they were welcoming and then like I say it's a good group like you plan a Saturday you get 11, 12 you out after the game and you don't mind fighting for them because you've seen them piss falling down the street do you know what I mean that's the difference like team bonding that way is that's really important that's such an important part of being part of a team I'd probably say it's probably one of the biggest parts for me if you get on with your teammates you don't mind someone running past him your dude's running do you know what I mean so yeah team bonding's togetherness is probably the main factor of getting through all the shit times in football I think that's the that's the biggest one isn't it when you come from a big club on loan you feel as though you've got to just set your stall out straight away to integrate with the lads.

21:09So we're a pretty similar player. So for me, it would have been like, right, I don't want them to think that I'm some fancy down that's coming from Arsenal and just sort of tiptoe football. So just crash straight into a tackle, let them know that I'm here for the cause and whatever goes on during that season. You'd have been probably scoring goals, try and create and score and assist as many goals as possible. A winger would be, give me the ball. If it's not working, I'll just still always ask for the ball. I won't shy away from it. So I think you probably integrated into it easier because the robust player that you was, scoring goals as well, but putting a few people in their arse, they go, look, I'm here for the cause and hopefully we get promoted.

21:44And you can see you got promoted as well in that season. Yeah, probably that, yeah. For a few players, yeah. There you go. What was your favourite of the load spells? You had four, right, while you were still at Arsenal. What was your favourite? Probably Norwich. Scored some important goals, right? Yeah. In that period. Yeah, Norwich. Yeah, Norwich probably my best one. I think obviously Paul Lambert down there was brilliant with me. I had him at Stoke, Paul Lumber. Yeah, I really got on the road. Yeah, he was really good with me as well. And then the lads there, just normal lads that just want to work hard and win games of football, which is every day you see it in training.

22:19And it does make such a difference going into a team like that. And we had some good players there. Wes Houlihan, Grant Holt, Russell Martin. So it was a solid, solid team. But then, obviously, you've got the city there as well. Everything just revolves around the football club so it's like we won a game I think one of my first games and the lad I went to to school with Corey Smith was playing there as well he's like right we're going to go out in town tonight I was like what's it like he was like just wait literally got out of the taxi at the top of the street it's like Malia isn't it it's like Malia obviously after the game everyone's out in the park the Anglian back the Anglian Malia right he was going off so I really drove the time down there yeah yeah fair play so you end up kind of leave it going to Forest right so Forest was probably the best period of your career you'd say you probably had the best connection with the fans you played there the longest definitely scored the most goals and it was some really important goals as well did you love it there?

23:20Yeah like I say the whole fact it was a massive club and like you don't realise until you actually go there like the stadium's still quite old school so you're close to the pitch and the fans love football and yeah I just settled right in there and then Billy Davis come along and got on well with him, but such a great man management just told me to be free. And it was like, oh, that's what you actually need. When I first started, I was trying so hard at the start and he was like, just relax, just go and play. And then as soon as my first goal went in, it was just like weight off the shoulders and then just took off from there.

23:54Now, obviously, you know, it's been a bit of a subject on this podcast with Chris, with his kind of recent diagnosis and you've had the same situation, but you didn't talk about it kind of while you were still playing. You talked about it afterwards but how difficult was that and when did you find out and how did you deal with that being a professional footballer and coping with that situation? So I found it. I was just in the shower one day after training and I was like, what's this on my nut? Like, I feel it. But as a man, you don't want to tell anyone, do you? You're like, it'll be all right.

24:29It'll go or something like that. And then a couple of months went past. I was sitting in the flat and I was just constantly constantly playing with it and I was like you say right got to policy and I was going to go away or something like that and I was like you know what let me go get it checked out so I thought I popped down to the local hospital and there was a two week waiting list blah blah I was like so I'm going to have to call So you didn't want to go to the club No Doctor and say why was that? I don't know I think it was just a man thing I didn't want no one to know and if what I knew now I would have gone straight to him and like literally taking the cape off and then just gone straight to him but I tried to go to the doctor but when I called him I was like I found a lump on my nut I need to get checked out because I'm going on holiday next week and he was like alright no worries book you and go to Bushy's Spies and literally went down there got tested guided an ultrasound he was like alright I was speeching a bit so as I left got in the car the doctor called me saying oh you're going back in for surgery tonight so I was like I said alright so when I mum and dad are there and me and me ex-missive at the time and I was packing the bag and I was like where are you going I was like I'm just going in for surgery I've just got to take my nut out I've got a lump in it and they were like what?

25:42Wow but I didn't like to tell no one so I just found it done in and out and then so I went back there obviously told my best mate still is what I say Kieran Gibbs at the time and he was like what? he said alright I'll come I'll come meet you in the morning literally I've had surgery that night woken up and he's by my bed so I went alright one ball I was like straight away I was like here we go but it's the best way the best way I find to talk about it is having banter about it as soon as you loosen someone up like they'll go and get checked and after I've come out and spoke about it the amount of messages I'm getting saying oh thanks for speaking about it I went down to the doctor he's got it checked I'm alright well look it was massive when you spoke about it because especially in the world of football I would say it's not a topic that is often been discussed i don't think there's many um prominent footballers like yourself that that talk about this topic um so when you did i obviously and i've seen the reaction to it even through this podcast and talking on that does save a lot of lives and i think normalizing this conversation means that if someone does find something in the shower or or has even just a couple of questions or whatever it is you don't need to have that gap that you add where it was a bit like oh i don't really want to tell anyone it's perfectly normal to go tell a doctor or tell someone who can get you a doctor's appointment do whatever you can to to get one on the surgery thing there's a few things to break down here but you've just reminded me of something one of the weirdest moments i found with the surgery because it does all move quite quickly they go look we recommend you get rid of it they won't always recommend you get rid of it but they for me they recommend they got it sounded the same with you and it moves quite quick anyway going into surgery what i found so odd about the whole situation is is and i was a bit high on some sort of morphine or something but they drew an arrow on my leg to to the right to the correct bollock to remove and i just thought has technology not moved on enough that a surgeon's got to put an arrow just to remind themselves which which what one is it I stood there in the mirror in front of this bed, this hospital bed, just staring at myself in the mirror with this giant arrow pointing at that bollock.

28:02And I just thought, how's it come to this?

28:08I think the best, the best way to deal with something obviously life changing news like that is to, is to now, you know, be able to laugh about it, you know? And I think there are people out there that are that nervous about opening up. that they're going to live with that and end up causing themselves a real big problem. Whereas you can now, with you two coming out and talking about it, you can then kind of go, do you know what? In a couple of years time, you're going to be sitting there like us, laughing about it. You know? The fact that you can laugh about it is an amazing thing. The worst thing is the worry.

28:40Like, why are you going to put yourself under more worry than you're sitting there with it, your brain's going mentally, you won't be able to focus on anything else except that. As soon as that's off your chest, did you ever did you we did that when it was all done did you have a summer to kind of get yourself back to full fitness or it wasn't mid-season yeah i carried on playing um i didn't really tell i told the lads in the change room obviously they knew what happened and how did you do that what did you did you sort of did someone speak on your behalf or did you as in when you were having the surgery or anything like that or or was it more did you feel you had to go and tell your teammates no it was more when I went back in I was just chatting to them about it and obviously word gets round someone always opens their mouth in a football club and got round to their boys and they asked if you were alright and that and I was like yeah come and have a look at it in the shower if you want and we started having a measure up of fake nuts but no one else had one so me and you can have a measure up just before anyone gets any ideas here I'm not we're getting out we're not getting out we've all been so open and honest Chris have you got a fakey yes we can have a measure up can't we I've got a fake in there as well right so I've heard have you tried putting a torch to it no I haven't I've heard a rumour if you put a torch to it it's glow in the dark sort of thing like you can not one of them golf balls it's like a little disco ball what so you've heard that and you've not tried it not tried it that'd be the first have you not tried that yeah we can do it live on the podcast turn the lights down everyone who's got a flash on their phone there we go have you named it no can't say I have no it's a weird one getting a fake did they give you an option on sizes yes like a boob job oh a massive yeah

30:35yeah he said to me oh what size do you want I was like oh I don't know you decide he's like I'll try and match it to the other one I was like are you going to start touching the other one yeah um no because I had the same conversation because you do sort of want their sort of artistic expertise on the situation don't don't you I tell you there's a funny story my mates know about it so when when I first had it in that I um obviously started having sex again and I noticed it wasn't dropping and I was like I've got hard on here so it's literally and then my ball was like I'm sorry Gnardo like that yeah yeah put no string in there so it loosens up a bit yeah but he hasn't so when I saw I played a game and I scored I scored against Fila and I ran off with the ball going like that you've got to celebrate like that and I've done a celebration and they were cracking hold on hold on there's a celebration of you like that yeah we need that what with the match ball you had the match ball so I got the ball as well and then I put my put it there yeah it was a fun I just feel boys at home we'll get all sorts of people doing that now but it is weird to fake you because you've got to sort of poke it down a little bit sometimes just gets in the way it's just like you've just got yeah it's just it's just a new one in there what was it like when you went back obviously you said you can't remember when it was if it was in season or out season but when you went back and played was you conscious was you first of all was you conscious of it at all or was it just like Casey not really I'm quite a like laid back person so I literally just just got on with it that's the reason I didn't come out of it because I didn't want no sympathy like if I had a bad game or anything like that oh he's got he's had cancer I didn't want any of that stigma like just want to play football and then I did say to him once I've finished I will try and help more people out and because like you say now you're going through your testing stages the testing bit is the worst bit it's the waiting for the results but like we said earlier you've got to be so positive in your brain like it's not coming back you've just got to tell yourself and then kick on from there and obviously now down the road I'm on a long way, I'm quite clear now, so hopefully nothing comes back.

32:47Yeah, and they break it all down for you and you get a lot of information, you do need to process it all. I find it so interesting what you say about the importance of team bonding and all of that, but then in the same breath you almost, it is a private issue, so I understand why you wouldn't immediately discuss it publicly, but feeling like you didn't want sympathy or didn't want that kind of conversation at points. So you waited until later. But with football and team bonding and blokes looking after blokes, it would be great to have this conversation normalised because the chances are in your football team, there's a very good chance someone is going to suffer from cancer of some form.

33:29And testicular cancer is obviously a male issue that we need to get past a certain mindset and stigma with it. so yeah I guess I guess what you're saying is right mate in that we do need to encourage this conversation you know with everyone who plays football supports football and if we can get it normalised in stadiums and stuff like that it will literally save lives so well done for doing that mate yeah well done mate but we have a saying on this podcast back stronger and it's exactly what you did yeah would obviously we talked about Forest being here but you go to Aston Villa as well what would what would have been your highlights in your career probably Forest or Villa Forest Forest for me I didn't really get going at Villa I picked up a couple of injuries couldn't get in and just couldn't couldn't get going one of them things it's just so disappointing who was manager there when you were there Bruce here Steve Bruce yeah he was brilliant as well man manager type brilliant but yeah I just couldn't get going I had a great season at Forest but I just felt like I was getting stale I thought the club at the time was in a bit of a difficult period so So I had six months left of the contract.

34:37Then I went to Villa, like flying off, coming from Forest. And it just didn't work out, which is one of the things. But as soon as you turn up, you know, it's a massive club, isn't it? It was almost like being back at Arsenal, training ground, a stadium. No, I was just gutted it didn't work out the way it went. But another promotion on the belt. That's a shame that says, isn't it? Because we're a pair of Villa legends. Exactly the same as me, do you think? hand me no statues of other people I don't know but the thing is you're a little bit different because you was there probably just a bit too early wasn't it yeah it's the one that got away from me like it's such a good club and it's a place that you really want to do wanting to do well and I felt I went there too early I think it was 1920 no probably 2021 and just wasn't ready unfortunately it's such a shame because it just to be a success there and it felt like I mean it's great to see them doing so well now because it's a great club yeah it was exactly the same I was like 25 26 it was after Chelsea so it was like the stepping stone to really go back up and same thing caught a few injuries and I've said it before about stuff that happened off the pitch with Malitlan not well so yeah just didn't get going which is a shame because like you say it's a proper football club isn't it yeah it's decent just quickly you've gone in goal haven't you you've had to be thrown in the net a couple of times in games Sam Allardyce yeah Sam Allardyce at West Ham yeah he dropped a keeper off the bench because I said I could play in goal and he took an extra outfield player can you?

36:16yeah I love playing so where does that come from then so obviously growing up we've all had stints in goal and that but when you're at Arsenal you can't just like throw yourself in goal so no I'd just be playing in the park and that because my mates would be like oh you're too good going goal and then And obviously when I was younger, I just loved diving about in the mud in the garden. And just from there, I played cricket and I always liked to wicket keep. So I was always, my hand-eyes, decent. That's so good. Sorry. So because whenever you wanted to have a kick around with your mates, of course, because you're too good, it is unfair that you're playing.

36:47So you became a good goalie just because you were always putting goals. One of my mates, I don't know if you ever played with him, a lad called Ben Gill. It was always the same with him. Like five a side, he was ruthless. Like he had to be in goal. that is a problem if you want to play with your mates you have to go in goal I assume yeah but you're going to get the urge so when you get it you can dribble out yeah that's hard to resist that urge you must have done that yeah but I played in a vets team a couple of well last year I went in goal for them my first game saved a penalty and they was like oh mate just boot it up there I was like perfect mate just rolled it out just fired it everyone was like defenders never see the kick like that's important as well so when you win in goal West Ham clean sheet yes yeah yeah it was Blackpool away as well yeah so not an easy place to go clean sheet and that's the only time did you do winning goal for England as well Keele got sent off you winning goal for England winning goal for England yeah that's a question is that a stat I mean not many people have done both I think it was under 21s maybe under 20s yeah Jason Steele got sent off and winning goal for a penalty I tried to give him the old step one way and dive the other He just stuck it in.

38:02Struck it in. It works down the park, this one.

38:09Oh, my God. So what are you up to now, mate? What are you up to? A lot of golf. Yeah. A lot of selling fertilizer to keep your gardens green. Yes, you've got fertilizer. Is it a fertilizer company? Yes. The company is called Grass Gains. It's just a professional product in the retail world, really. it all come along through lockdown I was training at home because my mother-in-law was ill at the time and people were like look don't come in stay at home and train and my mates come they were spraying stuff on the grass so I couldn't go on it for like 48 hours it was all toxic dogs couldn't go on it and actually the wife she went is there nothing organic?

38:46and I was like oh I don't really know didn't really cut my grass before I called my mate is there anything organic you can chuck down? he was like no not really so then just being bored at lockdown oh can we make something? he was like you're mad you don't even cut your grass I was like yeah I'm going to I'm going to then come from that and then built a brand just tried to make it for the modern like my age group and you're you're a bit older than me the garden lovers really like I didn't know you were into this this whole world oh mate it's so therapeutical I've got three kids so it's like to get out for an hour and a half just cutting the grass and so you're into your lines you're into your rolling I've seen images I've seen videos of really good grass this is what next level this is what I'm saying to podcast only fans this is the sort of stuff that should go on there like beautifully done lawns you know like that kind of thing beautifully trimmed lawns there's a whole community of grass lovers it's amazing see you're seriously into it oh yeah I'm bang into it are you do you know what Alan Titchmire's not getting any younger either you know what I mean you can slip in there Henry Lawnsbury Henry

39:59so this come this come from not even like from cutting grass before not even knowing anything about it you've just gone is there an organic brand and you've looked into it and then you've started something up and then you've just gained the passion exactly that just learning all the time two lads I do it with one of them was working at Arsenal and then he left and set up on his own and then the other's his brother-in-law so it's us three that are just marching the flag for it and we've taken it to the last couple of years to a step that's good enough for us not having no retail experience or just literally all instagram before and after photos and um we're taking a new md on now so we're like i'm like that right you take us to the next level what's the next level do you mean like football stadiums or yeah we do a few stadiums um obviously we do uh started to should really say it but sliding the emirates now they're not too uh fond of photos and stuff being taken but we're in there Hayland I've just spoke to the groundsman actually this morning he's like mate it's looking unbelievable thanks for sorting it but it's just it's breaking the bond between Greenkeepers or Greenkeepers groundsmen and their suppliers already but yeah no we're doing it we're enjoying it boys love it and there's nothing better than a nice green grass so if these if these groundsmen or Greenkeepers they're saying this is the best stuff with views or thanks for it why why is it what to be honest mate it's it's all most of it comes from the same place so it's just who they buy off really right so it's all the professional product market is a different to the retail the retail market weed and feed and that's exactly so we don't know what we think about it like if i go out and do my garden it's the same i don't know enough about it it's but the trades people have clearly access to all the good shit literally and now and now he's supplying it I've got you some little gifts so you can try it on you I honestly didn't know you were doing this I'm really struggling by law at the moment this hot weather's really killed it we'll have a chat after

42:07I'm doing the garden now to be fair and it's turning to garden as well I've got to ask one question what was that show ground force just want to ask one question would you say to roll turf like the roll turf yeah or would you say to seed seed it really tell the garden take it all up really don't roll seed he's obviously put the rolled turf down obviously it's the quicker way isn't it yeah it's easier to look at it's easier on your eyes put seed in like I've ripped my garden up probably a couple of years ago and it was just dirt and I had all the sheets down and then I was itching to get on it I'm like mate a couple grassings no four weeks just leave it just let it grow keep watering it and mate when I first cut it I was like oh my god like Earth proper All leveled out You got a ride on?

42:51Yeah two Yeah Two Have you? Yeah Is it not a stigma I mean I don't know Like I don't know Sometimes like Easy pretentious barbecuer Do you know what I mean He'd say to me That gas barbecue Is a ride on As good as a Push No You want a hater 750 That's what I'm saying You know what I mean If you're getting a hater That's my starter pack That's your starter pack When you're out on Hosk Farners Is a Hosk Farners Okay yeah very good robotic mowers yeah they're nice you can get your seed in the husvarnia as well can't you yeah dispense your seed yeah I've heard it trims it so short well I heard it I heard it the husvarnia trims the grass so short that it refertilises the lawn in its own right yeah if you leave your clippings on it it's it's fucking hard right so just just whilst you're here just a couple more questions on this so I read I read so I mow the grass right and it's got a little roll on the front so I'm happy with the line situation on the front on the front?

43:51no on the back can't be the front you've got a cylinder? it's an electric

44:00take this as your sign to go just get out there and go this summer at Best Western get 1000 bonus points and a chance to win 250 ,000 bonus points life's a trip Make the most of it at bestwestern.com. No additional purchase necessary for sweeps. See bonus points, TNCs, and sweeps rules for details.

44:25I'm sure you'll be on the front. What do you mean? The roller gives you the lines. So I'll get the nice lines on it. To trim a little roll. I'll do a little picture next time. Is it like a double? But anyway, look, it collects the grass. My question for you is... Yeah, collect, always collect. so I got told you've then got to grab handfuls of it and sort of sprinkle it around is that bollocks it is just feed it neighbour looks out the window he's thinking what a twat look at that why don't you cut your grass and go throw it back on it that's what I thought you can do some people do some people do I'm a collector I like to collect let's make it a regular section of the podcast please once a month questions on your lawn we'll just voice note you can just voice note as in we'll send you some issues that the listeners have got and Henry Lawnsbury have sort of now

45:16just touching on the football again before we get carried away with the gardens who was probably the best manager for you and who was the best player you ever played with best manager for me probably Billy Davis yeah he was wild but mate what a man manager he knew how to control addressing room he's a wild why in what way just like I might say paranoid but like we'd go in his office and he'd be like someone's always listening someone's always listening like thinking his office was bugged and that I was like you know you sit in the chair I was going to cuss really to him yeah but mate brilliant what a guy obviously one of one of the best mate on this I work with player wise I mean there must be like for you obviously you know even training with the Arsenal first team playing with the Arsenal team but then you know it's a weird so when I was coming through like Fabregas watching him play but then like as I got later on and then I played with JT at Villa and just see like his experience and like how he reads the game and stuff like that and then obviously Grealish his spell at Villa phenomenal player mate really yeah up there mate do you feel like obviously he would have had more would it would it been the freedom he had at Villa there compared to what he is now still a fantastic player but it feels like there's something going wrong at the moment what would you put your finger on I feel at Villa it was like we just give the ball to Jack and let him go and do his magic like we'll bank up behind the ball and that's when he's at his best and that's when he's at his best but then like obviously when you play against City everyone banks up don't they so he's not getting space and like to do his stuff but no Villa mate the saviour mate the saviour kept us up Everyone I've spoke to around that time just talks about Jack Grealish, how good he was and how good he is really.

47:10It's just frustrating. We don't see as much of it. 100 % yeah. The season before he was brilliant. But did he enjoy that responsibility that came with how he represented that club as well? Did that add a difference to his game? Yeah, I think so. That's his club, isn't it? Boyard come through it all, captained and I'd like to say he was phenomenal that then few years I was there with him it was like everything on Jack like just give him the ball let him do it we'll do his running just give it to him and he made he didn't he took the piss that season he was getting phenomenal How did you find Arsene Wenger when you was coming through because you was a little bit behind me so it might have been different times of like where the club was at in terms of their stage how was how was he with you personally in terms of when you was in and around the first team and then when you obviously played and you had a few chances no training with him is it's just Fenger isn't it this whole aura comes out it does his little kick ups doesn't he and then when you chat to him you're like he's sitting there but I had a great chat with him before I left it was like you're going to be around the first team you're going to be involved you're going to be travelling but I was like because I'd played last four seasons at first team ever I was like I don't want to sit on a bench I don't want to sit there I don't want to go and top up game in the reserves I'm going to play first team football and he was like you know what it's brilliant go and do it all the best and I was like thanks for everything yeah he's class classy man alright well listen do you mind hanging around we'll do a few few of our messages if that's alright of course part of the podcast

48:51alright alright crouchy phantom pants and pit master that's going to take some dissecting isn't it no idea to be honest well pit masters sings for itself really you know barbecues isn't it is it you would never respect pit masters pit masters are your elite barbecues are they I've never heard of a pit master so it's a term of respect here oh is it is that respectful I thought beef eater or deco might have been up there beef eater is it not a that's Tower of London isn't it no no no beef eaters and a chain of restaurants no well harvest the pisses on them

49:36and Fanta Pants yeah I think that's yeah we get that don't I get called crouchy so as a listener from day one the Tom Fordyce era I'm a Bath rugby fan and obviously a football fan Bath were clear at the top obviously the best team in the Prem this season but in rugby the top four do a playoff for the winner how do you feel about that happening in the Prem Liverpool flying top all season then being pipped in a playoff for fourth place kind regards to all your families PS Bath won and won the treble that's from Gemma if I could just make a suggestion that's the last rugby email that we get please otherwise you won't get read out again but I appreciate you done well Gemma this year thoughts?

50:21it's a no from me well I just think that's not when you've won the league you've won the league It's exciting if you're in fourth. Yeah, it's throwing a bone to the dogs that are behind. Yeah, exactly right. So yeah, thanks for email, Gemma, but no thanks. Good afternoon, fellas, in regards to your families. It's summertime 2006 and my German class is on a residential visit to Heidelberg, very close to where 2006 England World Cup digs were. I've been about 6 '6", since the age of 12, and I've fair hair. It's our day of arrival, and so we go to the town centre to soak up the atmosphere. All of a sudden, I start to hear, crouch, crouch, being shouted.

51:06So I start to look round and can see if I can spot you. You're nowhere to be seen, and much to my confusion, I still hear the name being shouted. Eventually, Paraguayan fans begin to cascade upon the market square around us. At this point, I begin to feel slightly nervous and unsafe until a few fans start to shake my hand and have pictures taken with me. One fan even bought my cheap watch off me for 200 euros. Shopkeepers were coming out and me and my mates freebies. Unbelievable scenes. I spent the remainder of the trip hanging out with my high school crush at the time, now my wife. It was the most surreal experience for a 13-year-old.

51:45we were due to visit the camp and were parked up at the gates waiting to come in however an alleged miscommunication with the fa meant security gave us the boot you once said uh you would be a virgin if you weren't a footballer crouchy i think i would be a virgin if you weren't as well yeah oh so he's basically i think yeah well kind regards it's dan you sent this in yeah he's ended up with his high school crush at the time who's witnessed him getting mobbed because everyone thought that he was Peter Crouch he's now gone on to marry that person so you said if he hadn't got mobbed there she might have this is the one 6 at 12 years old by the way wow nothing wrong with that

52:35and he's 200 euros in the pocket as well Yeah, that is... You, for one day, lived the Peter Crouch life. Yeah. Oh, that's impossible. Yeah. That's impossible. It's a dream for you all.

52:51All right, let's move on. Good morning, gentlemen. First of all, regards to your family, huge fan of the pod, absolute game changer when I stumbled across the pod about a year ago. I asked ChatGBT, I always call it ChatGB, it's P, right? ChatGPT, this. if Tyson Fury Andy Joshua and Usyk were three men in a van who would you say is driving who's had to settle for the middle and who's hanging out the window the reply was this is chat GBT I believe it or not it's a vanarama it's a vanarama AI vanarama we've been talking about AI on this podcast so this is worrying vanarama Henry if you don't know is a game that we play on this podcast where you put three people drive up middle and window it kind of makes sense you need to think about it so if you've got Usyk Joshua and Fury in a Vanarama situation who are you going with but don't read it please because this is that's from what's supposed to be the correct answer it's a tough one it's hard isn't it that is actually I think this is one of the hardest I think they have Tyson driving Tyson driving they have oh then who are you putting in the middle between and Johnny Joshua.

54:08That is a big fella in the middle if you put Joshua in there.

54:15Probably Usyk in the middle and AJ on the window. Ooh, putting Usyk in the middle. Okay. Well, so chat GPT says the driver's Usyk, Alexander Usyk. Why? Because he's calm, focused and tactical. Usyk, known for his calculated, precise approach in the ring, is the kind of guy you trust to get you to the destination without taking weird detours or crashing into kebab stands. Plus, he's often the most composed of the trio. That makes a lot of sense. The middle seats Joshua. Why? Because it's usually where the diplomatic adaptable one ends up. AJ fits that, Bill. He's polite, measured, and has always tried to maintain respect and balance between his rivals.

54:58He's the peacekeeper in the van. Even if he's quietly annoyed he didn't get a cool shotgun. Fuck me. Yeah, they're taking this seriously. We're Barry from Extenders, dude. Singing the theme tune to this. Okay, hanging out the windows, Tyson Fury. Why? Because it's Fury. He's loud, unpredictable, and loves the spotlight. Probably yelling at someone, I'm the Gypsy King, baby.

55:25Maybe singing and taunting passers-by. Well, kind of makes total sense, really, doesn't it? Yeah. Well, you can't put Tyson Fury in the middle. for sure no I agree he can never go in the middle but Fury can be in charge of the radio and all that sort of thing I can sort of see it happening I think it's a good shout you wouldn't want to have road rage against them whatever happens would you do you imagine that sometimes sometimes you do do that don't you you don't even look do you what the fuck are you doing you carry on you carry on you carry on whatever you want

56:03well I'm Justin for that. That was good. Okay. Hi, gents. Regards to your families. I was in a sports bar urinal recently and I glanced up mid-flow and spotted this. It's basically people, it's basically footballers having a piss. I think Harry Kane's just direct. Yeah. Gets it straight in. Yeah. If you look at, we'll come back to one. Messi's putting it over someone's head as he would. Ronaldo's going from a long way out. I think Cantona is, I don't understand Cantonese work he's pissing on two people he looks like he's pissing on people yeah similar to people watching maybe it's the kung fu situation yeah Ronaldinho's I mean that's an incredible trick with his urination well that's in off the back wall isn't it so that's off the lid off the back into the front lid into the middle yeah and Zlatan's doing an overhead kick with his imagine attempting an overhead piss let's not encourage it people will try it we've already got people hugging the toilet backwards with a reverse cowgirl situation the reason he sent that in lads is he sent in a toilet 11 okay I don't know if you're familiar with these 11s but they're usually very good so it's always a pun on the name so you'd be Henwee Lansbury yeah well done mate that's very good it was good there's a few in this Nick Pope in goal Matty Slash fullback Ben Scheidt Miles Lewis Smelly Kieran Diarrhea Steve Shitswell that's obviously Turd Turd Nabry Shatan Ibrahimovic P Turcrouch Johan Pisser managers Graham Squatter obviously refereeing this game will be Ryan already yeah all good fun yeah happy with them they enjoyed that

58:08well Henry thanks so much for coming on the pod mate I really appreciate it we're going to end on that and yeah we appreciate your story obviously you and Chris have got the same story we appreciate you sharing that with us it means a lot it means a lot to the listeners because they've got in touch about how kind of you know forward thinking and epic it was for Chris to come out for you to come on as well does kind of hits home for all the listeners I think that they should get themselves checked. Well, Petsa, check your balls and do feel free. As Henry was saying earlier, we get so many messages from people to the podcast or DMs to myself, and I'm sure you get the same, mate, from people that have, like, wanted to let you know they've found something or have just checked themselves and always feel that, you know, you can do that.

58:50Because it's important. It very much is. And obviously a great lad, Henry, as well. We don't know each other for a while. It's great to have you on the pod. and if you don't mind kind of being able to keep your phone on and if anyone's got any lawn issues we will yeah just give me a buzz we'll give you a bell that's all we might get a little section in the podcast you know lawn problems we don't need a theme tune then do we yeah we fire up Barry again yeah fire up Barry similar to the Antiques Roadshow kind of vibe isn't it where we just have a little something a bit classier you mean like a little orchestra just a nice little like yeah like a Champions League anthem for lawns your green sleeves or something.

59:29Yes. Yeah, that's nice. All right, we'll work on that. All right, top man. Thanks for coming on. Thank you very much. Take this as your sign to go. Just get out there and go. This summer at Best Western, get 1 ,000 bonus points and a chance to win 250 ,000 bonus points. Life's a trip. Make the most of it at bestwestern.com. No additional purchase necessary for sweeps. See Bonus Points, TNCs, and Sweeps rules for details.