James Tarkowski: That Liverpool Equaliser, Grealish’s Impact & Battles with Haaland And Van Dijk

0:00Chris Stark: Yeah, just before we start the pod, lads, obviously the news that Stuart Pearce's son, Harley Pearce, has died. Stuart Pearce is someone I've had the pleasure of being around. He's my under-21s manager. That's obviously awful, tragic news and our thoughts are with Stuart Pearce at this time. Hello and welcome to That Peter Crouch Podcast with me, Peter Crouch. I've got the Notorious S.I.D. and Chris Stark with me as usual. Well, we are on a remote record, but we've been rudely interrupted by Sam Reno. What have you got to say for yourself?

0:34James Tarkowski: You've just dragged me in because I was shouting at you for ruining our evening last night.

0:38Chris Stark: Did you want to explain why the evening was ruined? So guys, we went for a gorgeous meal last night. We come back, got the kids to bed and thought we'll have a nice little gas of wine on the terrace.

0:49Peter Crouch: And I showed Pete this, first of all, this tennis skill where like Al Karaz and Zeverev and everyone put the,

0:57Chris Stark: like had to catch the tennis balls on the racket pete i can do that i was like no you can't so then he was 40 minutes looking for a tennis racket and six balls so then he would not stop until he completed the challenge so that that went on for about two hours then i showed him this like four year old doing skills on this um this like football coach thing and pete was like i can do that so

1:22James Tarkowski: again went to find a ball went to the pitch got the ball come back and as showing me all his skills and then saying i had zero respect for his his craft but it was a four-year-old you're saying this was a video before i'll send you the video chris like it was but this four-year-old was using

1:42Chris Stark: both feet and he was doing these kind of wrap around turn around hoppy things and um pete you could only do it one-footed yeah so let me just tell you this like i i did it right and i'm gonna i'm actually i'm actually gonna put the video out on on the socials right on our socials and people can make their own minds up you know what i mean i'm saying you've got to respect the craft like what i'm doing here is not many people can do so i'm trying it was fucking unbelievable what i was doing the feet it was unbelievable stuff really was but what i'm trying to say here is you need to respect my craft a little bit more than you do.

2:19Chris Stark: It doesn't just happen, this. That was years of honing those skills.

2:22James Tarkowski: Love you guys.

2:23Chris Stark: Great to see you, Abs. Good to see you, Abs. Lovely.

2:26Peter Crouch: So this was a date night, Pete?

2:29Chris Stark: Yeah, well, no, we're away at the moment and we went for dinner last night and then we got all the kids to bed. It was lovely. And then we managed to sit there and have a glass of wine. And then Abs starts going on Instagram and setting me challenges. So I kind of had to write. Did you complete these challenges after a few jars as well? So you're obviously not, you know, you're not fully sober, I take it, are you? That's not even harder. No, no, I was definitely lubricated. But what it was, like, you know when the kids are like, they're all like, they're all sped up. The skills are sped up, aren't they?

3:07Chris Stark: Like, you know, obviously there's no filter on what I was doing. It was au naturel. and you know obviously you know there was one take it was after a few glasses of wine but I felt like I held my own what I'm saying is I don't think I get the respect from San Bernardino that I deserve in this household

3:25Peter Crouch: No I get it but I also see her point that it was it was a date night I think I think football can distract on date nights quite a lot I see a lot of of people who are on dates and they're propping up the phone to watch a football match or um I don't know I it feels to me that your your focus maybe should have been elsewhere but I get your point Pete you're a craftsman you know you're you're you're one of the best at your craft and you do need to kind of remind that occasionally don't

3:59Chris Stark: you that's what I think I do I do feel that way I don't know if you do feel that way Sid you know sometimes you just got to let them know like you know I did play once yeah I mean a lot goes into it i think they they forget very quickly um they followed our career for 20 odd years and then as soon as it's done they just you know think we're um forgotten people so yeah no listen i take my hat off to you mate i'm looking forward to seeing it on socials to be fair sounds interesting yeah

4:28Peter Crouch: i'll get it out maybe this is what we do maybe this could be an ongoing thing as well because you are right in what you're saying pete there's a lot of videos where kids look amazing at football but it's edited together. It's sharply edited over music. I think anyone can kind of look good in that situation. I love the idea of you two against people's four and five-year-olds. And people can send in, you know, if they do have kids, what their kids can do. And then you two both see if you can achieve the same.

4:54Chris Stark: Yeah, like with regards to that, I do get it. And Abby did kind of explain to me, I saw it and I said, I can do that. And she says, no, you can't. What am I supposed to do? you accept that and say no that four-year-old's better than me or or do i go out there and i prove it right and i don't know i don't know if i did prove it but what i did prove is you know i i'm willing to compete at any level um at any moment any moment we've seen that before of

5:24Peter Crouch: course sidz remember famously on the one show as well where there's no mercy there uh there's never any mercy even when we're at Farnham town recently the kids taking the kids taking shots against Peter and Goal no compromise there you know he dived for one of them fully

5:45Chris Stark: I do think I think at this day and age though like I get to the age now 44 this morning for instance I went to do a high rocks session at the gym I've realised high rocks I don't think is for me it's very

6:00Peter Crouch: very fashionable there at the moment there's a lot of people doing that what actually is it I don't even know what it is

6:07Chris Stark: Sid

6:08Peter Crouch: have you been across this you're a man about the gym yeah

6:13Chris Stark: I've kind of if I'm honest I've flirted with it and I've actually not attempted one yet because it is hard did you actually do one today did you complete it as well I did one today mate yeah so I did one today I've pulled my calf I had to pretend I hadn't pulled it so basically I set up and you go into little groups right so I'm in a little group with you know a very fit lad and a fit young lady and I'm in there's three of us in the group anyway we go it's 500 metres kind of dash to start right so I'm you know comfortable that's not a problem for me out 500 metres they're back me and the girl leading and the fella was just in behind.

7:01Chris Stark: Not a problem. Anyway, we get back into the old squats, burpees, bikes, the pulley thing. There was a lot going on anyway. And then I'm on my second run. So the girl's gone off to a flyer. I'm just sitting in behind. And yeah, when I couldn't see her anymore, she went kind of off into the distance. that was when I started evaluating whether this high rocks was a good decision. And then obviously, you know, we did it all again. So we did it three times. So the third run comes about, and I mean, it's a non-contest really. The calf had kind of gone, and she was coming back as I was still going. And that was a moment of serious realisation.

7:55Yeah.

7:55Peter Crouch: Yeah. I mean, it can be a humbling experience, all that stuff, can't it? Sid, what's going on in your life? Have you done that thing yet? You mentioned it on a podcast or two ago that you're taking over a Sunday league team. Has that happened yet?

8:07Chris Stark: Oh, no, it hasn't. I don't know if I can release it yet. I've been given my team and yeah, it's basically an EFL experience to a Sunday league team. So I've had to register through the FA. so I've registered with this team and I'm going to play for this team on a Sunday. It's coming up. It's on November the 2nd, I believe. And yeah, it's, yeah, EFL, what we're going to have, Joby McEnough is down there, David Pratton's down there, the cameras are going to be there, full analysis, the presenters, yeah, the whole shebang. So I'm actually looking forward, I'm actually training now for it. Yeah.

8:50Peter Crouch: well see um since crouchy you're gonna love this get get on this right i received a dm uh from someone called thomas now i i did actually look into doing this because i thought it'd be funny but annoyingly i can't make the dates work but i just want to read you the dm to just kind of give you a heads up of what kind of shithousery you might be encountering here sidz so this is from thomas who listens to the pod right says good evening womble big fan of the pod but this message isn't about that our sunday team have just found out that we will be playing against bonfire in front of the cameras and was wondering if you would like to come and manage us as you know him inside out we think it would be brilliant gonna get a message sent into the pod too and then we can get in his head can you imagine that sidz if i turned up for the other sunday

9:37Chris Stark: league team you should you should have kept that as a secret that would have been superb my team my team are rocking up going we've got a secret weapon and then you rock up going yeah we've got a secret weapon as well you're going to do it you're going to venture you're going to venture up

9:54Peter Crouch: sadly not mate sadly I can't make the dates work but it does feel like you know fair warning you're heading into a bit of shit-ousery with this one

10:01Chris Stark: that's fine mate my studs are sharpened no matter what about that I'm ready for it I'm ready for anything it'd be good it'd be good I don't doubt that for a second Chris me and Sid The other night we were at Graham Stack's event, you know, that he came on and spoke about in the boxing. How was it? Yeah, I mean, it was a lively night. I'll be honest. There was some characters in there. Myself, I interviewed in the ring before the fight. So I interviewed Ray Parler and Paul Merson. So that was a pretty lively event as well. And they went straight to the boxing. And I mean, Paddy Kenny got knocked out in the first round, didn't he?

10:37Chris Stark: Jodie Morris beat David Bentley. There was a lot going on there, says. that was a good one yeah yeah I mean they all looked really good actually they all looked in good shape they took it serious the training the bill of the night was David Bentley versus Jodie they was Jodie Morris they was the last ones but everything before that even Lee Trundle I mean I'd done a bit of filming with Lee Trundle must be about four or five months ago now and you know he was looking okay but he took his robe off and he was ripped absolutely shredded so yeah do you know what it's one of them where it's I think they all had a game plan going into the ring but as soon as they got punched on the nose it ended up just being a brawl really but yeah really well done Stacky excellent obviously massive fan of the pod and a friend of the pod he organised a really really good night so I think the next one they're going to try and do is going to be up north maybe in Liverpool and then yeah we'll see who puts their name down for that Crouchy you fancy it?

11:38Chris Stark: well for boxing I was happy doing the interviewing to be quite honest

11:43Peter Crouch: I was quite pleased with that enough for me so you're saying David Bentley lost that I would have thought David Bentley I saw some videos online ahead of this event full on training I just assumed he was he was going to win that one but no apparently not

11:57Chris Stark: I think he came out of the traps earlier and I think I think Jodie just kind of lasted the distance more and was probably the more capable fighter in the end yeah fair yeah Yeah, he stuck to his game plan, Jodie. He was good. And I think he's got a bit of background in that as well. But yeah, we see them all after they come down. There's a few scars and bits and bobs and cuts and bruises. But yeah, good night. Really good night.

12:21Peter Crouch: Well, you've had a great week, Sid. Look, you've scored some major points this week. I was seriously worried. You got off to a fly, I think, three points from the start. And close on a couple of the other games. It's crouchy. I must admit, I am slightly worried about this league now. It seems to be slipping away from me.

12:40Chris Stark: Well, it is. Well, me and you are rock bottom on 17 and Sid just cruised into the lead with 20. What annoyed me the most over the weekend was I was at the Nottingham Forest Chelsea game and I had 2-0 Chelsea and Sid's had the 3-0. So when the third goal went in, obviously it's highly disappointing for me. I felt like I was probably almost as pissed off as Ange, to be quite honest, after the game. But then he ends up getting sacked, which was awful for him.

13:15Peter Crouch: I mean, what did you see of all that, Crouchy? Because you must have been close to everything. When did you start hearing the rumours and how did it play out for you?

13:24Chris Stark: Genuinely, I found out when we were on air, right? So we're on air there and I think Lindsay's getting something in her ear that Ange Postacolo is gone. so then she kind of goes goes out and says it and then we're me and Glenn then have to react without with no forewarning that it was going to happen but in all honesty I knew on 60 minutes that he was gone because the chairman left his seat on 60 minutes there was half an hour to go and the writing was entirely on the wall I don't know what's going on there's loads of rumours about you know physical fights about he wasn't planning to sack him but he He ran into each other.

14:02Chris Stark: They had a real war of words. Something happened and then he ended up sacking him. No one knows the actual truth. There's lots of people who were in the tunnel that are talking about potentially what happened and what didn't. I don't think anyone really knows apart from Karno, Ange and Maranakis. But it was a sad state of affairs. But I genuinely, being inside the ground, I definitely think it was the right decision. I don't think he was going to get that crowd back anytime soon. And I think now, if it looks like being Sean Dyche, you know, I think he's got Ian Wohan with him, Steve Stone, like absolute club legends.

14:38Chris Stark: I mean, he lives in the area, Sean Dyche. It's his dream job. I know it's his dream job. For him to get that job is like massive. So, you know, if that is the case, then I think the whole club and the fan base will completely lift. Crouchy, you know him really well, mate. I mean, like anyone that takes that job, under like Maranakis. I know he's a bit unpredictable, but you've got to be thinking twice. The last manager's got what? He's had eight games in charge. Like Daishi, I think he's one more for the future, isn't he? I think he likes to get in and sort the team out and bed in, but he likes to be at places for a good number of seasons to stamp an authority and get his style of play.

15:22But is he going to get that? I don't know.

15:26Chris Stark: Yes. So this is the issue, I think. The only thing kind of holding up was, I think, the chairman potentially wanted to come in and steady the ship, maybe have a short-term deal till the end of the season, keep them up, and then potentially go for Marco Silva long-term, someone he's worked with previously. Obviously, it won't happen during the season, but it might happen at the end of the season. But that's a slight on Sean Dyche. If you're Sean Dyche, you feel like you're worth more than that, right? so I think the sticking point is if he wanted to do that that's not going to be acceptable for Sean Dyche I think if you get Sean Dyche you've got to give him two, three years for him to feel because it is his dream job it's a job I know that he wanted and he's going to want to make that as long term as possible and I know there's not that much long term in football these days but he will definitely want to be in for the long haul and I think that's got to be a good thing right got to be a positive well yeah and do you think they there's kind of more known about the

16:31Peter Crouch: the owner now anyway and and do you think daish can come in i mean he he's he's obviously a lovely bloke you know i'm aware of that but do you think in terms of using that phrase you just you said stamping your authority do you think daish can come in and sort of from the off say look i've seen what's happened with the last two managers this is you know and be a be not not unfriendly but perhaps very front-footed in what he intends to do and how he expects things to be ran and how he expects things to be handled. Because you have got an owner there that you are, from the outside, looks like a sort of grenade that could go off at any point and needs handling and sort of needs dealing with in a certain way.

17:13Peter Crouch: And perhaps Daishi can come in and just sort of, I don't know, lay it on the line a bit.

17:19Chris Stark: I think he does. I think he goes in there defensively he's always sound so he's got to improve then from set pieces and crosses and stop being open and then which I think he does that's his bread and butter he'll do that he'll do that if he's in like what Crouchy's saying there if it's his dream job and he wants to do that he'll look forward to it he'll not that he hasn't done it in previous roles but I think he'll go above and beyond even more on this one because it's to prove other people wrong as well that he can get him out of the situation so best of luck to him good to see him back in the game well at least if he gets the job but best of luck if he gets it yeah okay so the other scores that we had were Liverpool Manchester United we had Forest Chelsea and we had Sunderland Wolves there was I got the one point in the Sunderland I thought Sunderland would win that game but Liverpool versus Manchester United what did we make it at lads?

18:12Chris Stark: or none of us saw it coming by the looks of our results

18:16Peter Crouch: well I enjoyed the game and I enjoyed the sort of changing the direction of wind for Man United. You know, suddenly it feels like a bit of, dare I say, a bit of confidence, two on the bounce. I loved what Maguire said after it. I loved that he came out and was almost embarrassed that the fact that they'd won two in a row was being mentioned as a stat. You know, almost immediately wanted to kind of shoot that down and say, look, that is not acceptable for Man United. It just suddenly feels like, I mean, that could be such a massive win in so many different ways that, and we didn't see it coming, but yeah, maybe a bit of wind in the sails.

18:54Peter Crouch: And also my other point, which I'd love to hear both your thoughts on, is just Maguire and just how brilliant he is for United. And how many times is that guy going to go and save the day?

19:07Chris Stark: Yeah, I'm just really, really pleased for him. Throughout my career, there's been points where I've been low and I've had a lot of grief, a lot of stick. And like, I kind of know what that's like. And, you know, for him to get the amount of grief, it was above and beyond what is acceptable, I think, attacking, you know, his family, his personality is, you know, the way he looks, everything was, I think, wrong about the way that he's been villainized at that club. And I just think it just shows absolute massive bollocks to consistently go, even before the game, against Liverpool it was like why is he playing there's always this this whole kind of being down on him starting and yeah listen there have been times where he hasn't been good enough and that's been called out but I think I think the stick went beyond football and I think so when he scored like genuinely you know I don't want to see any Man United players score but when it was him I kind of half had a little feeling of like good for him you know what I mean like he kind of deserves this and I think there's a lot of the football community that feel that way I agree always steps up, always in front of the camera through good or bad and more often than not it's been bad this last few seasons for United, do you know what, he'd be great to get on the pod, if we could try and get him on he would be absolutely superb we should try and reach out to his people because he'd give you a great insight of what it's like to be at Man United, that's for sure especially at the tough times

20:46Peter Crouch: there's so much to talk about with him question for you boys in terms of England and you know he has that kind of performance which it's not unique I've got to say if we are in tournament football and we need a goal and you're looking at the last 10 minutes of a game even regardless of you know where else what a weapon that is to be able to bring on and I'd be so excited imagine a corner free kick something like that. You're looking at Maguire, aren't you? You're having to put two defenders on him. It's what he does.

21:20Chris Stark: Why are you envisaging the World Cup final? Yeah, I am. I'm calling it now. Maguire comes on, bangs in a header, statue in front of Wembley, next to Jeff Hurst.

21:36Peter Crouch: You know, I know we're going to do a podcast soon all about this, but just in how the games change and in many ways it can be over complicated and in some ways the beauty of it is when it's very simplified and what Maguire can do you know without sounding too patronising is in an important moment bang a header in make so much pressure if someone can get that ball forward and you've got to put a value on that and it'll be a certain situation we'll look at those players and think fuck it'd be amazing to have Maguire on that pitch I don't know if he'll get that opportunity but there's definitely a case for it.

22:15Chris Stark: I do think that, you know, every World Cup you go into, right? We haven't won it since 66. Like there will be one person, right? That scores a winning goal in a World Cup fight. It will happen. And your name's up there with Geoff Hurst, right? Forever. And it could be anyone. Do you know what I mean? It could, Adam Wharton can find himself in the England squad. This is what the beauty of football is, right? Like someone who's on the cusp of the squad at the moment could score the winner, could come on. You're more likely to come off the bench and finish the game, score the winner in a World Cup final and have a statue next to Geoff Hurst.

22:50Chris Stark: That's how mad football is. And that is what is the beauty of the World Cup. And let's hope we're there. Let's hope we're there to see it as well. Come on.

23:03Chris Stark: All right, we've got more important matters before we get to the World Cup. we've got the big weekend fixture supported by Paddy Power and this is Aston Villa versus Manchester City. Villa are 14-5, had a great result against Spurs the other day. City are 17-20. So yeah, you'd expect City would be favourites. Started the season poorly, I think, Villa really, but a great result against Spurs. I didn't see that one coming. Yeah, they've been decent of late. I've covered them a few times, especially in Europe. And yeah, they had a slow start. They weren't scoring. They weren't creating chances. Oli Watkins was coming under a bit of fire.

23:45Chris Stark: And now they just, you know, listen, they got a great manager. They got good quality players. And now it just seems the clogs are starting to turn. But they are up against City. And they are up against Haaland, who is an absolute machine at the minute. I mean, he is just, he's got to be already one of the Premier League. Like, if we're talking strikers alone, Crouchy, I'm not talking about his all-round play. We're talking about a goal scorer. He's got to be one of the Premier League's finest goal scorers at the minute. Yeah, without doubt. I just saw Jamie smirk behind the camera there. Did you say the clogs are starting to turn?

24:22Chris Stark: The clogs are starting to turn, yeah.

24:26Peter Crouch: The clogs, okay, this is great. This is the new, what was the art gallery that we used to have? This is the new 16. so the clocks are starting to turn I saw Jamie

24:44Chris Stark: yeah yeah oh brilliant so yeah very quickly speaking of

24:53Peter Crouch: just speaking of our galleries got to touch on this very quickly the robbery at the Louvre have you seen this there's been a robbery at the Louvre yeah unbelievable scenes here like i'm not obviously we can't endorse it but you know i do have a soft spot for a good old heist you know where where it's just a just a kind of like if they've gone in there in and out they've they've gone up a ladder on the back of a van in daylight and taken all this stuff no obviously that's no that's not good but but you know madness isn't it? A whole entire stuff going on.

25:31Chris Stark: But the way you described that there it sounded like Del Boy and Rodney. Like they've got a ladder from a van and gone up and nicked stuff. What have they nicked? Like Monets and stuff. They've nicked all sorts.

25:43Peter Crouch: And do you know what I was reading today is as they escaped so they go they've gone up the ladder robbed the place gone back down and then on the way back down they must have dropped a couple of crowns or something because they found a couple of the bits just on the ground around it. Imagine you were just walking the dog. Just like, just imagine. There's a casual sort of crown on the floor there.

26:08Chris Stark: I don't know what the rules are. Can you actually imagine going for a dog walk and picking like, you know, some of the, and then retiring, like selling it and then retiring from complete, from life. Yeah. That is probably what's happened to someone.

26:24Peter Crouch: It's another case for why, when you are on a dog walk or out and about put your phone away you know we're all guilty of it people you never know what's around you keep an eye out such a good point back to back to the football

26:38Chris Stark: back to back to Villa what are we saying lads I think we should go straight into it

26:45Peter Crouch: who wants to go first well I'll give it I'll just give just whilst you're getting your scores I'll give a couple of shout outs to people just to we've got Harry Dempster Lewis Clark Paul Garton Ross Andrews Liam Braithwaite shout if you want anyone here James Cripwell oh this is a good one Gerard Capaldi oh fucking hell

27:06Chris Stark: get Gerard Capaldi that way 100 % get his get his all his take on it okay Gerard Capaldi what name just having a

27:16Peter Crouch: just having a look at his his picture here seems like a nice chap it says regards to the family BBQ C and he's got his predictions here. I will say now he's gone for three missionaries. He's put the missionary is required to get back on track. I do feel I've gone off the boil trying to be a bit of a flair player. So I might follow Gerard Capaldi into battle here. Kick things off for the Man City 2-1 win.

27:44Chris Stark: I like it.

27:46Peter Crouch: Okay.

27:46Chris Stark: Pete, what do you reckon? I like it. I also like snatching it from the jaws of victory so I'm going to go 3-1 Man City because if it's 2-1 like late minutes I think it's a real crushing blow for Chris if I come in with a three-pointer Okay, I'm going to go with I'm going to go with a 2-0 Man City win 2-0 Okay, lovely We do have the Paddy's boost this is where we each pick a leg of the CrouchPod bet builder the odds on that bet builder will then be boosted by 20 % and put on the Penny Power special section of the website and app first player to score is Erling Haaland man's on fire okay I'll go I'll go a player to be carded I'm going to go for the Aston Villa midfielder Inanna

28:41Peter Crouch: I'm going to go two shots on target I'll go Morgan Rodgers

28:47Chris Stark: okay odds are correct at time of recording please gamble responsibly just on the Unana thing I can't help but every time I hear Unana I always go Unana what's my name every time I hear his name in my head yeah does anyone else do that yeah that's his song you know surely that's his song it's got to be I just I mean it must be I don't know it's got to be yeah that's what that's what comes to my head yeah Unana every time what's my name

29:22Chris Stark: can you hear that i love i love the fact that you've got that i love the fact you got that

29:28Peter Crouch: i want them i want them in my life this is great so i vaguely remember this from covid because i only fire this thing up when we do these podcasts and last time we've probably used them but my little mixer has got all sorts of buttons like this cheering

29:51Peter Crouch: I've not touched this since COVID I might fire them in occasionally Crouchy

29:57Chris Stark: yeah mate not a problem not a problem okay let's move on to Everton versus Tottenham I'm going to go straight in I'm going to go Spurs away win 2-1 okay I'm going to go for Everton 2 Tottenham 2 I think Everton look good at home. I think they look good at home. Decent. I think Spurs, yeah, they need to bounce back. They've actually been better away from home than they have at home. But I think there'll be goals.

30:24Peter Crouch: I think, yeah, 2-2 for me. Do you know what? I'm going to give Everton a shot here. I'm going to keep things interesting. I know you... I don't want to draw. I sort of had a draw in my head. I'm going to go Everton. No, come on. Everton, home win. Place will be bouncing. Let's go. 2-1 Everton. Nicely done. Nicely done. Okay.

30:44Chris Stark: Fulham versus Newcastle. You see Wom Zobane's goal the other day. I'm a big fan of him. Man's on fire. Very improvised. Improvised, wasn't it? I've got a heart overhead matter here because obviously I want to say Fulham, but they've struggled. They've been a bit inconsistent this season and creating chances and scoring goals is a bit of a problem. whereas Newcastle, they seem to be a bit more free-flowing at the minute. I'm a bit torn on this. I'll let you go first, guys. Okay, I'm going to go for another... I'm horny for draws again. I'm going to go for a 1-1 draw.

31:30Peter Crouch: Wow. Okay, I sort of agree with what you've been saying there, Sid. so I'm going to go Newcastle going by what most people are saying here I'm going to go with a Newcastle win I'm going to say 2-1 Newcastle

31:47Chris Stark: yeah okay I think this is going to be close even though most of Fulham's points have come at home this season I still think Newcastle might just edge this and I'm going to go for a 1-0 Newcastle win right lad that concludes all the games this week we've got a tremendous interview really interested from a current Premier League player and it's James Tarkovsky let's get into it boys

32:16Chris Stark: Right here he is Mr James Tarkovsky how are you mate? I'm very well thank you All good? Yeah very well thanks for having me Yeah well you've made one person in our team extremely happy he's come as a full kit wanker today Ross has got his full Everton kit on he's very pleased to see you have you met Ross?

32:33James Tarkowski: Briefly outside yeah I found him wandering around looking for me

32:36Chris Stark: he's been out there for three hours spotted him a mile away yeah because I suppose at times it can be a little bit Liverpool heavy this pod because you know of course I played for Liverpool and a lot of the stories are about Liverpool players but it's nice to balance it all out now with an Everton legend Ross describes you

32:58James Tarkowski: it describes me as Everton legend oh I don't know about that

33:00Chris Stark: yeah you enjoyed it up there

33:03James Tarkowski: yeah no I love it I love it I've taken to it the fans taken to me quite early which was nice and then I've taken to them I mean it's been a chaotic three years or so which hopefully looks like it's sort of turned around a little bit and we're on the up but I love it there the proper people proper club a massive football club and hopefully yeah on the up

33:24Peter Crouch: It feels like there's so much we can get into but we've got to start I think you're the first ever guest to bring along a little present other than probably Prince William when he bought us that curry Yeah but definitely in the first season yeah he sort of turned up with a curry and you've turned up with some lovely cakes for us which is just a very classy touch says a lot about it

33:44James Tarkowski: I'm sure my friend Alex would want me to shout him out for that because he was he persuaded me to do it because he's a big fan of the show so tuck in enjoy he might finish before we get off here to be honest

33:54Peter Crouch: they're the best gifts you can give someone though aren't they the gifts where you're kind of getting it for them but really it's for you you know you're going to benefit well if you look

34:02James Tarkowski: in that box there's a pistachio one that's half eaten and it's probably half over my face as well so that's how the reason we went into the first place yeah

34:09Peter Crouch: yeah I've had a little go at them as well that was a nice gesture your one was massive it was like this giant donut thing

34:16Chris Stark: that you had going on yeah very nice very nice so how's it going at Everton at the moment like you say some strange some years where you know getting points how do you came through those you were talking about obviously a mutual friend because I played with you at Burnley Sean Dyche he got you kind of out how you stayed up I think that his first year was incredible, really.

34:37James Tarkowski: Yeah, I said earlier, it's been a chaotic few years. When I signed there, the season before was when they stayed up with one game to go, where they came back against Palace 3-2. So I signed there thinking, now this is the season where they're going to build, sign players, and we're going to hopefully go where I wanted them to. I never panned out that way. We started off okay then, we didn't win for ages. And then Sean Dyche came in and saved us that year. The year after, it's a point deduction. Then we couldn't really spend any money, so we were always trying to sign people on a budget. And it was almost like a survive, just try and survive.

35:11James Tarkowski: But then since the new ownership's come in, the new manager, the new stadium, everything just sort of seems like it's turning and going the other way. We're trying not to get carried away, but it's been like a positive start to the season, looking at the table, looking where we're at. So yeah, exciting times ahead, hopefully.

35:27Chris Stark: How was that? I just want to go into the stadium straight away, because Goodison, for me, is like one of my all-time favourites to go and play there. Atmosphere, you knew it was going to be a tough game. It's old school. We're all about, obviously, nostalgia and heritage and it had that and more. And it always felt as though there's got to obviously be a new beginning for every club, but I think there's a few, even maybe a few Everton fans that are slightly concerned that it might just leave their soul a little bit of good as a sudden compared to the new place. But how's the transition been?

35:59James Tarkowski: well so far two wins and two draws so we're not lost there and I mean I don't know if any of you have been yet but the atmosphere has been incredible I mean I think they say it's been designed that way to sort of keep the sound enclosed in but the atmosphere is honestly it's unbelievable and it always helps when results have been positive and we're probably a bit like yourself probably a bit sceptical like losing that edge of Goodison that we had it was always a tough place to go I didn't like going there as an opposition player we had some massive results there in the recent years but so far so good and as I say the atmosphere that I've been a part of so far has been amazing

36:33Chris Stark: you know there's felt like parallels between West Ham can't believe in Upton Park and going to Olympic Stadium and I think if you speak to West Ham fans they very much miss Upton Park and and don't really like the atmosphere at the new stadium it feels weird whereas it feels like you've just like clicked with the stadium and the fans straight away it feels like the fans are enjoying it like when Grealish scores in the last minute of that of that game

36:57James Tarkowski: yeah it blew the roof off right yeah i know it's incredible and maybe our stadium's been built for us as such the obviously the olympic stadium sort of west i moved into that so maybe because it's been built for us with that purpose um but yeah the whole thing is truly amazing and for anyone out there who gets a chance to go you definitely need to go and experience the atmosphere and hopefully in a day like yesterday where we got the big one in the last minute um and the roar

37:18Peter Crouch: from the crowd yeah amazing what was it like stepping out for the very first time how was that for you and was the sort of talk before it a bit different because it was a new ground

37:28James Tarkowski: yeah I try not to focus on it too much like I'm just making it all about the ground and nothing about the game in terms of like oh let's make sure we're doing it for the fans and all this it's more about what to focus on the job is but obviously it was new to everyone it was new and there was as I say people were sceptical about if we could deal with it teams have moved to stage before and struggled but as I said the results and sort of the performances so far have been pretty good overall as I say we've not lost so it's always a good start

37:51Chris Stark: did you have training sessions there at all before round just to sort of get a little feel for it

37:55James Tarkowski: or was it just straight in the deep end no no they trained a few times I was injured through pre-season so I missed a couple of the early training sessions and then we played Roma in our last pre-season game which is like the final test event so I got to experience it then and then Brighton was the first home game

38:08Chris Stark: When you walked out did you go this is this is

38:11James Tarkowski: Yeah I mean we were always like what are they going to do because everyone does like a fire and then the fire looks above the stadium and at the time when you walk in you don't realise what's going on there's a lot of sound and when I watched it back it looks incredible but yeah just the sound and the atmosphere honestly it's been unbelievable since we've been there so far

38:30Chris Stark: Glad you touched obviously while we're on Everson we're going to get into your career and stuff as well but the players that you brought in and Jai definitely won but Grealish being another one you must get asked about him all the time because the resurgence has just been amazing I mean he's a friend of the pod you know we love Jack as a person and a player so to see him thriving again just makes us happy as a podcast really but it's how good has he been since he's walked through the door

38:55James Tarkowski: yeah he has yeah I think I've seen like I've realised that there's another level of football that I've probably never really played with properly before really and you played

39:03Chris Stark: with me as well yeah

39:05James Tarkowski: sort of we trained we trained here and there when you turned up yeah yeah I was there not on a Monday though

39:14Chris Stark: didn't do Mondays Pete no I didn't do Mondays no I didn't do Mondays either I was 38 he looked after me dicey down oh he did yeah I had Mondays off but yeah I barely played but you know but yeah back to Jack yeah

39:31James Tarkowski: no I mean like you mentioned some of the names there Edelman and Dai an exceptional exceptional player and he's in great form right now I've just there's just something about Jack when he gets the ball at his feet there's just something about like his composure his calmness you get this feeling that he's never ever going to lose the ball and if he does it's like a shock that he does but we've got good people around me who are helping him out and he's helping us out anyway way and it just seems like a good fit but i'm always fascinated how this must be because you

39:58Peter Crouch: must see him when he was playing for city and see what we see obviously and see how he was used and and perhaps you know how he wasn't being played or wasn't being used and then suddenly you've got him as a teammate do you almost i don't know do you do you base how you're dealing with him and how you're playing with him based on sort of pre preconceptions almost from what you've seen on TV or what you've been playing against or do you just treat him at face value?

40:26James Tarkowski: Yeah, just face value. I mean, he comes with a massive reputation, doesn't he, Jack? On and off the pitch. But since I've met him, he's been top, top class off the pitch and top, top class on the pitch. He's great around the place, gets on with everyone, really personable. The amount of times I've seen him parts outside the training ground signing autographs for ages and there's way more kids turning up for autographs than I was six months ago, I'll tell you that. I mean the fans love him but he's sort of showing that sort of back to them with the way he's treating people so yeah he's been great and I say there's other people around him who are doing really well and helping him out as well but yeah he's been exceptional yeah

41:03Chris Stark: just the on-field battles with yourself obviously there was a little bit with you and Virgil and that I love seeing that in a Merseyside army right how did you find that and how much do you relish those kind of battles I do

41:17James Tarkowski: we used to spend let's bring his time together. Off the pitch, I'm nothing like that. I'm the complete opposite. Don't want any kind of aggro at all. But something comes out of myself and probably most other players when you get on there, you want all the aggro you can find. Well, I do anyway. Yeah, I mean, it's a bit of a wind-up. I only realise, I've seen a clip that I think... Did you not see when he's giving it to you? Yeah, well, I heard him behind me because I think I tried to, they went over the top, I tried to get near the goal and I gave him a little shove. And then I heard him, as I was running back to my own goal, I heard him say something behind me, but only when I watched it back that TNT posted it it was getting in my head or something no I enjoy it a little wind up here and there but trying

41:55Chris Stark: trying to keep it PG most of the time but I think do you think that's why kind of Everton fans resonate with you because you wear your heart on your sleeve you are committed you are a leader you play football in the right manner I think it's not hard like you know it's hard being a football player but resonating with Everton fans right if you give everything even if you don't have a good game right you can build up a rapport or relationship just by being committed to wearing a shirt and having pride in the badge. And I think you've had that right from the start. And I think, is that why you think you probably resonate so much with the fans?

42:30James Tarkowski: I mean, it definitely helps. I mean, I don't think if I give the ball away every time I got it, but then just smash someone, they'd love me. But yeah, I mean, they want that heart on the sleeve kind of players. I think I realised that quite soon, but then seeing someone like Seamus Coleman, He was an unbelievable player, but his one thing is you wear this shirt with pride and you play like that. And it's something which lets everyone you're signing know straight away. So I try to do that all the time. I've always been like that, but for sure, playing for this football club and these fans, it's definitely something which is probably the first thing you need to do before anything else.

43:04Chris Stark: And who's been the most difficult to come off against in the Premier League at the moment? I look at Haaland the other day. It must be some challenge facing someone like that.

43:15James Tarkowski: yeah I mean Harland's a strange one because you can not touch the ball for 30 minutes and before you know it he makes one run and he's in and you know once he gets a chance it's going in the back of the net so yeah Harland's the obvious one I think like most teams there's more big number 9s coming back I mean Isak at Liverpool was when he was at Newcastle was so hard to play against so the ball's just like on a bit of string on his foot when he's dripping with it and obviously now he's gone to Liverpool I mean a lot of a lot of the the top top players have been wide players for many many years but it seems like a lot of teams are going for more big number nines big physical number nines obviously like Mateta's done well recently and Newcastle sign Walt Marder is that how you say it?

43:57James Tarkowski: Walter Marder Walter Marder yeah so it seems like the sort of physical number nines are coming back a little bit so it's going to be interesting to see that teams are going to start using that a lot more getting the ball forward a lot more direct but yeah probably Highlands the most often

44:09Chris Stark: how have you found that have you because there's loads of stats that's backing it all up at the minute isn't there about football being more direct now long throws that are obviously coming in as a centre half you must have gone let's have it because that is just going to be like it's my ears have you noticed a difference massively massive

44:26James Tarkowski: massive massive massive massive massive massive I think something I realised Bournemouth did really well last year but Bournemouth were really really direct get the ball forward all the time getting it forward with quality and getting good runs and getting in around it and that was like the first sort of team I'd seen for a while they were really doing it and it seems like everyone's sort of doing it now it's almost like invite the press on to then stick the ball up there and then go and play like 4v4 or 3v3 whatever it might be and then the long throws have just taken off as well aren't they it's like two or three more teams did a long throw after Brentford and now everyone's doing long throws some of them are like not even long throws they're just calling them long throws because it gets near the box but yeah I think every team's got a long throw now yeah yeah it's gone mental it is right it is right isn't it

45:08Chris Stark: you've got to talk us through the Demersi side derby there's some great moments at Goodison but that volley in the last couple of minutes and the scenes afterwards that must have been special for you

45:18James Tarkowski: yeah it was I'd always wanted for years to just be a part of like a last minute goal I mean I got the best last minute goal I could ever ask for but I'd always thought it'd be great to scun last minute and celebrate and it'd been playing on my head like it'll be great to do it today it never happened and then in that one game it managed to just turn on and I've watched it back and I still can't really see clearly why I end up running where I go I've no idea why you're up there but I'm on the halfway line at one point and then before I know I've just it's like I'm I'm sort of not even focusing on the game I'm just jogging up watching the ball and not even concentrating on what's going on and before I know it it's landed right on my foot but what a strike

45:50Chris Stark: right so I mean listen there's moments like that you can you've walked into it you've ended up there and it's another thing dispatching it the way you did

45:58James Tarkowski: yeah well early on in the second half I got the ball on the edge and I tried to take a touch it got a bit in between my feet and obviously all the fans are screaming shoot and I was thinking I don't think I want to shoot here because it's going to be a disaster so I ended up passing it and everybody get like the groan of like oh I need to shoot so that was made a little bit so when it then when that was dropping I was thinking I'm just going to nail it as hard as I can and see what happens and thankfully

46:20Chris Stark: skewed up into the top corner but what about the scenes then right so you get like fans are on you know what did you what did you make of the scenes Ross was on there

46:31Chris Stark: oh you did I forgot I forgot to say yeah Ross actually I don't know if he'll enjoy me bringing this up but your goal sent him out all night right and then he spoke to his missus until the next day and you almost so that goal almost split his relationship

46:50Peter Crouch: yes it is we've said this before

46:54Chris Stark: he Tarkovski'd he's been Tarkovski did you go MIA for two days no one yeah he went out it's the most celebrated draw of all time oh I believe it would have thought we won it yeah it's special but we'll have the scenes at the end as well there was a little bit of a little bit of to and fro at the end yeah I mean the goal

47:19James Tarkowski: the celebration I didn't know what I was doing I cut my ears ran around I think a knee slide into like a ball boy and after the game the core already decided to go and give their fans a little bit and it all kicked off but probably the one time I made sure I wasn't involved I wanted to enjoy the moment and celebrate with that big draw.

47:35Chris Stark: Leave them to it, yeah. Leave them to it. But you started, obviously, you had one of those journeys, I think, career-wise, to get to the level you've got to now, being one of the mainstays in a Premier League side and you've reached, played for your country. Was there a time where you thought you weren't sure what your level would be? That's certainly the case with me. I went on loan to Dulwich Hamlet in a non-league and I know you played for Oldham and you played non-league as well. Was there any times where you thought, maybe this is my level? Or were you always like, nah, I know where I'm going to be?

48:09James Tarkowski: Yeah, I mean, coming through Oldham, I was just sort of just enjoying playing for them. Always thought I was doing all right, but I never really thought I'm going to turn out to be a Premier League player and spend the amount of years I have done there. I remember probably, funnily enough, I saw one of my coaches, who was my coach at Brentford, briefly yesterday at the game. And he said to me, he said to me when I was at Brentford, he asked me a question of what's stopping you being a Premier League player? and at the time I couldn't really answer it I was like well I feel like I can be a Premier League player but getting that chance is something that I'm sort of waiting on but he was like well you've got to go and prove that you're a Premier League player and probably six months to you after that I ended up moving to Burnley promotion and ended up staying there so who was that who said that Paul Williams he took over briefly with Lee Carsley as like an interim coach yeah from Coventry Paul Williams yeah he was at the Everton game the other day and something that always took my head when he asked me the question and when I went to answer I was like well there's nothing stopping me it's obviously showing it week in week out so yeah I mean I never thought ever that I'd gone after a career from when I was at Oldham 18, 19 I was there till I was 21 so it wasn't like I was playing at a high level early on so yeah I've managed to get there and stay there I've just tried to dedicate myself as best as I can I know I wasn't always blessed with the most talent or the best physically but just tried to dedicate myself as best as I can and yeah managed to stick at it

49:28Chris Stark: No you've done that mate and listen I always talk about this I had a little period, I think Sid was there as well, but we had a bit of a nightmare dressing room towards the end at Stoke. And I came on loan to that six months to Burnley and it was just chalk and cheese. You know, like it felt like there were so many good lads in that Burnley dressing room, like great squad, yourself included, must have been built for a long, long time. There wasn't anyone who had any egos. There was just a good group of lads that you want to be in a dressing room with. Like how good was it in that dressing room?

50:03Chris Stark: And do you think that kind of, oh, there was a lot of talent in there as well. But do you think that was a lot of the reason why you had so much success at Burnley? I think it had to be.

50:11James Tarkowski: It had to be that reason. You had it for a little bit. And it was from the moment I signed there really to the moment I left. Plenty of people came and went, but the group always had that same, there was never any egos in there at all. So it's credit to the manager and the people who signed the players there for the people they brought in to make sure they were the right characters that were going to fit into the group. But yeah, for sure, like the season we had a great season 27th it was all down to the group we'd win 1-0 we'd stick together even bad days where things weren't going our way we always had that resilience between us and that camaraderie between the group and it's definitely the reason why we managed to stay in the league and do so well

50:46Chris Stark: I remember you say that you're right the nucleus of that team whether they was in the prim or whether they was in the championship I played against Burnley like both and you always said this is going to be a tough game this is going to just first of all this is just going to be a battle and then you've got to win that battle and then if you can get a couple of goals either side of it then you've got a chance but fucking like yeah you like it was just fucking like

51:09James Tarkowski: roll your sleeves up wasn't it yeah i think what what really helped was we knew what we were and we we enjoyed what we were it wasn't like we're trying to be anything else we would get the ball directs get it on the dag to the big man get it in behind we get it up high if we need to defend deep we will if we if we want to press high we'll do that but we're happy with what we were we weren't trying to be anything else and teams we knew teams didn't like it so we were happy to go and do it and do it against any team we could and we just found a way to score a goal

51:33Chris Stark: you know what surprised me when I went into the training ground for the first time was actually the quality yourself and Ben Mee at the back still good on the ball Ashley Westwood like very good talented player I didn't realise how good Wood and Ashley Barnes were Dwight McNeil like there's some good quality in that in that dressing room yeah I mean

51:56James Tarkowski: people I say we're direct but we weren't just like kick it anywhere we had some real real good players I always remember Matt Louton the right back I used to think his quality was unbelievable and like no one out really outside of the club would have ever said that about him but I used to watch him right and left foot half volleys Diags in the behind anything you wanted to do he could do the ball Westy was the same we'd put the ball anywhere you wanted and then the partnership at the front two at the time we were playing with Woody and Barnsley always scored goals I mean Chris Wood I think he scored like over 10 goals every season he was there pretty much his record was outstanding

52:27Chris Stark: I remember going and I've banged on about it since I left Burnley and everyone asked me and you know when obviously Chris Wood had the season with Nottingham Forest last season I was like anyone who's played for him that's no surprise because he was a finisher like Ashley Barnes genuinely reminded me of Mark Hughes he'd back in the ball would hit his thigh and he'd sweep it out wide I used to watch Mark Hughes doing that you know get in the box get goals and Chris Wood as well the finishing was class

52:52James Tarkowski: yeah Woody had just a knack of being in the right place and scoring a goal which is a really difficult situation but Woody was like always a bit streaky here and there so like he'd probably score three or four in a row then maybe not score for a few games but never wavered his belief he'd always keep putting himself in position to score a goal and say his record was outstanding at our place

53:10Chris Stark: He used to start before the game didn't he? So Chris when you play against Burnley alright they'd play away alright so I remember at Brighton he'd be done it and then I was at Brighton the dressing room doors are left wide open got the biggest speaker you've ever seen by the front door

53:27James Tarkowski: maxed out

53:28Chris Stark: playing music for their dressing room which is like probably another door like a room behind there isn't it so straight away that's the mindset as well let's just get in there ruffle a few feathers Sean Dyche loved it though as well that was him he was doing it he was funding the speakers

53:42James Tarkowski: because if the speaker broke there was always a brand new speaker there the week after he bought one he actually bought one at Evan the noise on it was unbelievable ridiculous but he was the same door open just a little bit of mind games in there but he still does the thing that people used to be like where he'd ask he'd ask me if I was captain to always turn around you don't really see any more do you but if win the coin toss turn the teams around ah the old school just turn around yeah yeah

54:06Peter Crouch: because I don't know why teams don't do that more just mix it up just turn around because from like a Watford point of view they always play better second half going towards the home fans that's like the natural and it really pisses you off as a fan when it switches around but it doesn't happen that often

54:22James Tarkowski: yeah well the lads used to buzz off me thinking I'd won a load of tosses. But what happens is if the other team win the toss, they always take the ball. So then I'd always get the option to turn us around. So pretty much every time I was always winning, I'd just be turning around and I was like, you winning every toss? What an incredible tosser.

54:42Chris Stark: You're obviously baked with Sean Dyche. You know, we're not going to say baked with him, but you know, you were with him a long, long time. What do you make of his performance on Celebs Go Dating?

54:55James Tarkowski: yeah outstanding performance yeah yeah um yeah surprising i was gonna say surprising i won't say anything else on that very surprising but what a great fella to be fair like we've um

55:07Chris Stark: we had surge on recently from chrisabian and um bizarrely i ended up signing for burnley at the isle of wight first of all that was the story how the story went um but i mean he he was great for me and i have to say this you know hand on heart like because he did give me the you know an extra day off he knew I was traveling I was 38 years old but he still kind of he gave him the opportunity to finish in the Premier League and you know be around a proper dressing room again and um I think he probably doesn't get the credit he deserves as a manager would you say um yeah I

55:37James Tarkowski: mean yeah probably a little bit yeah but I mean the way the way he's just left Everton recently maybe doesn't look great but I said to you earlier that the work he did beforehand to keep us in the league for one and sort of keep us there again the year after um unfortunately he didn't get the time to sort of go and do the work he wanted to do beyond that um but yeah probably probably undervalued in terms of some of the work he's done some of the work not from a probably a birley perspective um he's admired by the fans there but maybe maybe a little bit by everything

56:04Peter Crouch: have you um have you ever been approached at a music festival by a manager i don't think i've

56:09James Tarkowski: even been to a music festival before so what do you mean incapable of being approached if i haven't I like music I just I chose to go to a festival I went to what's the one at Hyde Park they do in the summer British summertime I went to see Zac Bryan there in the summer that's what I went I went to him yeah so that was my first experience of it he was very good

56:28Chris Stark: well you know what we're happy to we'd love to have you at Crouchfest we do a festival here on the podcast we'd love to have you have you been to a Crouchfest? no way what are you doing you listen to every single podcast you haven't been to a Crouchfest plazifan

56:49Peter Crouch: well um okay so you've not been to a music festival is that a festival

56:53James Tarkowski: is that a festival

56:56Peter Crouch: for me it's a lovely concert it's a nice it's a glamped out it was a hot day I'll tell you that and I wore a bucket out

57:03James Tarkowski: does that count

57:03Peter Crouch: but you've never done a cream fields you've never done no I always greenish fest honestly I don't know

57:09James Tarkowski: you're like dirt and mud surprise I know even though I do often jump on grass. So like, the sort of messiness of it always put me up. I do want to do one now. I've just always been... How old are you? I'm 32.

57:19Peter Crouch: So, yeah, I don't know. You've sort of missed Reading and Leeds, I think.

57:23James Tarkowski: I've been saying for the last few years I want to do Glastonbury. I've just not actually got a chance because obviously it's our summertime to go away. It's my holiday so I always end up missing it.

57:31Peter Crouch: Do you play any musical instruments?

57:33James Tarkowski: No. My little girl briefly played piano or I tried to so I downloaded the piano app on my phone and was using her keyboard to practice for like, two weeks what song were you

57:43Peter Crouch: trying to do out of interest

57:45James Tarkowski: it was I think it ended up being Frozen but I didn't really actually play Frozen I played like stop it I played like

57:52Chris Stark: four keys I would love to hear that we've had Patrick Bamford doing Vanessa Colton on here before James Tarkovsky doing Frozen let it go yeah but like Crouchfest phenomenal my phone basically

58:05James Tarkowski: played all the music and I just play like a couple of keys in the background there's more like a background keyboard it works for us

58:11Peter Crouch: 10 ,000 people, Wembley Arena. Will we go again? I gave up quite quickly.

58:16James Tarkowski: My fingers didn't really fit in the slots very well either.

58:21Chris Stark: How much have you enjoyed being in Liverpool? I know it's an intense football city, right? But when I was up there, I loved it. I mean, listen, you know, I married a Scouser. We've got a Scouser production company. I love the people up there. I have a good time, a good rapport with them. What have you made of it?

58:39James Tarkowski: Yeah, I've loved it. the fans are just honest pure just obsessed with the football club even though I don't live in the city I obviously spend a lot of time around the Apollians and the Vertonians and stuff like that yeah great people I mean and they'll just tell you how it is for me personally that's how I quite like it to be it's not always what you want to hear but it's sometimes best to be told straight so yeah I've loved my time there I'm really enjoying it

59:05Chris Stark: yeah good good and you've got you've played for England before have you got aspirations to get back in in the England squad the World Cup on the horizon I've not

59:15James Tarkowski: I've not retired so I'm still available for selection

59:18Chris Stark: I never retired either so I am I'd like to get myself available for selection

59:24James Tarkowski: I mean it's been a long time since I've been involved in a camp but the last time I was even like a prelim squad was for the World Cup which was 2021 was it the Qatar one is that right yeah so I've got that but it does feel

59:37Peter Crouch: with this different set up that they are selecting players for different reasons, I guess it's a good way to put it. Yeah, I mean,

59:46James Tarkowski: I've seen like maybe Henderson's in there for an experienced role, but I've seen Dan Byrne at the minute who's playing for Newcastle Champions League, team that's doing really well and he's quite an experienced player. So I'd say I've not given up on it. I'll be doing anything I can to perform to the best of my ability, but it's been a long time since I've been around it, so it's not like I'm sitting around expecting a call anytime soon.

1:00:07Chris Stark: talking of performing to the best of your ability let's attack the elephant in the room you and your missus with the documentary the Amberson Married to the game I mean yeah yeah all good what a guy do you know what it's actually it's good to see because even if you'd have said that and it would have made the edit it's good it's actually good that it's been kept in because it's what you want to see probably someone watching it what someone's like at home yeah did you get some grief from the lads oh I got plenty I got plenty whatsapp groups popping off

1:00:45James Tarkowski: yeah I remember we played Brighton first game away and Welbs was giving me a bit on the pitch oh on the pitch yeah Welbs was giving me a bit on the pitch and I just couldn't say anything I just accepted go with it

1:00:56Chris Stark: that's the problem sometimes you put yourself out there like that yeah to be honest

1:01:00James Tarkowski: I didn't really tell many people I'd done it so a couple lads probably knew but they didn't know when it was coming out or what it was and I just woke up one day and my phone was I was like it's gone on air and then they decided to post a bit of like a not clickbait but like a bit of a clip which obviously get people interested and that was me saying the word shagger I think you should try I think my missus said it but they edited it to make it like I said it but no I mean I enjoyed it it was a different experience not something I ever thought I'd do and my wife got to to sort of show a bit of her story and her side from her life because like most partners of football it's just sort of in the background a lot of the time.

1:01:42James Tarkowski: Yeah, I mean, I don't regret it, but I didn't do season two. Maybe that shows enough of it.

1:01:47Chris Stark: What do you want to get into, James? Like when you're done and stuff, would you like to do stuff like this or do a bit of the TV? Would you do some coaching? Yeah, so I've done a bit of TV work

1:01:56James Tarkowski: here and there, but I'm sort of doing bits when I can, but not too much where I look like I'm sort of taking my off the ball because then if you have a couple of bad games I was like why is he on the TV every day coaching yeah I mean coaching I've done my way for B it was alright I didn't love it I think maybe because I'm in such like a competition mode I would say where like I'm just about winning performing sort of being on the other side and like the development side of things I've not really enjoyed in terms of like teaching younger lads how to develop and improve but maybe when I get a bit older and I sort of get away from that competitive side maybe I'll enjoy that a bit more

1:02:33Peter Crouch: is there something totally different to the game that sort of fires you up which could end up you know the best jobs are hobbies that maybe you can then

1:02:40James Tarkowski: yeah I mean

1:02:41Peter Crouch: you deserve to be able to go yeah you know yeah I get that yeah

1:02:43James Tarkowski: I mean right now no right now no I've actually just it's time I'm going to plug this really I've just invested a little bit into like it's called LAPS Life After Professional Sport it's a company we're basically looking after athletes to try and find them another career after after sport one of my old teammates Robbie Simpson set it up years ago was like a passion project for himself and he's trying to sort of push it on and improve it now. So I've sort of invested in that a little bit for my own development. It's like maybe I'll find something through networking with different people and meeting different people through that.

1:03:14James Tarkowski: But I've always imagined it'll be in football in one way or another. I'm just not too sure why.

1:03:18Peter Crouch: But I think some of the most interesting guests we've had on this podcast in terms of their stories post-football have been where they've gone and set out. I mean, like even turmeric shots up there. You know, there's landscaping businesses. it's fascinating when people go and try something totally different well outside your comfort zone and go for it like that

1:03:38James Tarkowski: yeah I mean I wish I had a turmeric passion

1:03:42Peter Crouch: well how Robson Carnu has this is what I mean you can have one thing that is a hobby or an interest and actually you can go and explore it outside yeah

1:03:53Chris Stark: but I also feel there's a need for that though you know like I'm not sure players do get the aftercare you know like that they should really I think you know you can it does need help really doesn't it

1:04:04James Tarkowski: it always felt like have you done your badges have you done your badges that's like was the only thing that was ever really offered out so and also there's a load load more paths to go down and I think as athletes you have a lot of skills that maybe you don't recognise at first like working in a team the amount of like hard work and passion that has to go into your job to be so good you can transfer them skills into other things that hasn't got to be football and that's something which I'm only just learning myself from speaking to to my friend Robbie

1:04:30Peter Crouch: and I've got the qualities you boys get from this mad intense world that you are in it's a lot of the time I think it's stuff you guys maybe take for granted having a thick skin

1:04:41Chris Stark: yeah but I think that's it I think it's quite a taboo subject isn't it not so much probably now but certainly when we was playing and probably when you started out as well in your early bit in your career it was that if you didn't do something in football or if you spoke about a fashion brand that you was going to start up or something else people would be like nah you need to you need to concentrate on your football whereas now so many now individuals they're just doing what they want and it's becoming more acceptable in the dressing room is that right?

1:05:09James Tarkowski: one thing that just sprung to mind there was like the Rashford thing when Rashford did a lot of work for charity and then he didn't perform great for a couple and he was like well it's too busy doing his charity work it's like well no he can still play well and do charity work it doesn't go hand in hand either way so yeah I'm looking for something I imagine it's in football but maybe I'll find an alternative passion or something at some point

1:05:28Chris Stark: did you enjoy playing in the game as it is today you know like with VAR and obviously whole hearted tackles like I've seen some of the tackles that you like to go into is it hard to stay on the pitch and isn't there a mad stat about you getting books and not sent off is that still going now

1:05:45James Tarkowski: yeah I've not been sent off in the Premier League I got banned actually against Brighton I don't know if you were there at the time I elbowed Glenmurray but I didn't get sent off on the day so it doesn't count

1:05:54Chris Stark: right okay retrospectively I got banned for three days so you've never had a red card in the Premier League yeah in the Premier League but you like to go into tackles wholeheartedly as you should don't draw attention to it Pete no yeah it's out there it's not just me drawing attention to I heard that somewhere else but yeah the way the game is now like are you enjoying the direction it's going is what I'm trying to say

1:06:18James Tarkowski: well we haven't got any choice for once it was it was a very loaded

1:06:22Chris Stark: question by the way yeah

1:06:24James Tarkowski: we're given the laws there's cameras everywhere so like the old school like tricks that people would have been doing when we first started playing of like the little stamp on someone's foot or like barging someone off the ball and stuff they've all gone completely out of the game which is probably for the best no one wants to violence on the pitch but yeah you have to definitely definitely be a lot more careful with your challenges and the way you sort of act on the pitch I remember like I think it was Van Dyke got done for swearing at the referee at one point and there's cameras everywhere and it's like people swearing at the referee every game just because there's a few your camera's knocking around that people are sort of pointing it out.

1:06:59James Tarkowski: So yeah, you have to be a lot more careful these days.

1:07:02Chris Stark: Have you had to change the mindset because even tackling now, like, the follow through, for instance, like, are you conscious now of going, Joe, what, if we're going to tackle, but if I follow through, are you finding that you're pulling your leg out a little bit or you're not going as hard?

1:07:19James Tarkowski: I think if anyone's listened to this probably knows that I've followed through in a few tackles and been pulled up. It's a natural thing,

1:07:25Chris Stark: is it? Like, we've all done it, but now you're getting pulled up for even like harsh ones it's like do you know what it's just common sense it's impossible to like hit the ball there and stop your leg from hitting someone like half a yard after

1:07:38James Tarkowski: yeah I mean like probably 10 years ago manning the ball was like a great tackle on it everyone would applaud it and that's definitely going out of the game you can't really do that anymore so yeah I'm definitely a lot more aware of it and year on year it's probably getting brought up even more so you have to be a lot more careful and I'm trying to at times at times you'll probably like go into a tackle thinking me and him are going to have a go here but we're both going to smash the ball and see what happens and most lads won't even do it anymore I've probably caught myself a couple of times in that where I've gone flying into a tackle and then the other lads pulled out and I've ended up looking like I'm doing something a bit more reckless than I probably intended to

1:08:12Chris Stark: Just with what's happening at the moment it feels like something special is happening you know you're winning games you've been struggling for a little while and now you're kind of kicking on and that's kind of coincided with David more he's coming in how good has he been for the club since he's stepped through the door yeah

1:08:31James Tarkowski: he's been amazing I know they worked to him previously he tried to sign me once or twice never materialised so when he got announced for the job I was quite excited to work with him and I can see why he's had such an incredible managerial career because he's on every detail all the time he works non-stop he's probably one of the first in last out working crazy hours but that he just wants to be on top of everything because he cares so much and he's always looking to improve us and get us better and he's got good staff around him he's got really good staff around him who are helping him too and yeah the uplifting form and results has definitely been there for everyone to see

1:09:14Chris Stark: I've seen obviously I did when I did the games on the side the pitch Leighton Baines is very much involved now again obviously someone that I played with we played with how's he doing and seems to really enjoy it. Yeah, he's a very, very good coach.

1:09:27James Tarkowski: I knew him as an 18s coach, so I'd sort of interact with him here and there and spoke to him and come across him a little bit. But since he's been working with us, his level of detail, he's always analysing after games, going through clips with individuals and players. So his level of knowledge and what he knows about the game and how he sees it, I've been really, really impressed by Baines here.

1:09:47Peter Crouch: Yeah, yeah. So Leighton Baines is going to go further in management, do you think then? Well, I don't know. I mean, listen, that's amazing to hear. I wasn't aware

1:09:54Chris Stark: yeah yeah it seems like hearing those words there I knew he was very knowledgeable about the game when we played together but he looks like he's gone to a new level and he enjoys it as well which is great

1:10:02James Tarkowski: yeah I mean I've only knew him since I joined there I don't think if people would have told him when he was playing he was going to be a manager or coach maybe he wasn't too sure but he's definitely definitely one of the best coaches I've worked with

1:10:14Peter Crouch: in recent years for sure so when David Moyes came in have you had many times where you've sort of just been one and one and how's it been for you in terms of your relationship because from the outside it looks like he absolutely loves you giving you the big coat and that yeah

1:10:31James Tarkowski: no he's like that with me but he's like that with everyone really he's not just speaking to one or two players he's constantly in little chats of people on the training pitch off the training pitch pulling people in talking to him he just covers every detail I said the amount of hours and time he's putting in to make sure we're successful and he's pretty clear with what he wants to do and if us players aren't going to do it, he's going to get better players in because he wants the club to be back into the top half and pushing for Europe.

1:10:58Peter Crouch: Did he see you on TV as well or not? He hasn't mentioned it yet. Maybe he hasn't just not said it.

1:11:05Chris Stark: Tarky, listen, good luck with Everton this season. We are rooting for you. Obviously, you're a friend of the podcast. Good luck with Series 2 of Married to the Game. We hope that goes really well. And we're all excited to hear Let It Go. Let it go. on the piano they're the three things we want to happen but listen Ross has been absolutely over the moon to have you on here and listen effort are flying at the moment and it's largely down to your leadership as well as the managers to keep it up mate because we want to see good people succeed so continue doing cheers guys top man appreciate it thank you