That Asmir Begovic Episode: How A Refugee From Bosnia Became A Premier League CHAMPION! | EP. 426

0:00Chris Stark: Hello and welcome to That Pete Crouch Podcast brought to you by Paddy Power. I've got Sid and Chris Stark with me. How are we? Good weekend, lads? Really good. Yeah? Really good. Oh, fuck. For God's sake. There's a van that's been reversing. I'm not joking. How long for? I mean, I'm not exaggerating. It's been five minutes of reverse and we thought it'd finish, so we quickly started the podcast and it's back on again. It's a nine-point turn. Oh, yeah. I had a little lookout. I thought it might be Abby driving it.

0:28Chris Stark: she's not a great reverser she'll admit that herself she's not a great reverser okay he's really not I'll take your word for that well good luck with that mate let's hope your points aren't docked over the course of the next week yeah well you're talking about Man City there I've had a great weekend mate yeah I was at I went to the England Spain game brilliant the FA actually invited me and they were brilliant what a game red carpet rolled out it was just amazing mate honestly genuinely you know Mark Bullingham was obviously the chief executive of the FAs you know looked after us amazingly well we were up in the posh bit and yeah we ended up going down to the tunnel with my two little boys you know they were high-fiving Jude and Carrie Kane and obviously they're obsessed by Laminio Moore and they're watching Spacca see their little faces and I'm filming them just in case you know and they're they're far enough away but all the Spanys who come in they can see him all excited just wait and then Luminium all comes off last and he's seen that excited and he's come over so I was like fair play to him he didn't have to do that at all and well it just made the boys that whole day they high-fived him and you could see them come round one of the little lad he covers his face because he's like couldn't believe it couldn't believe it yeah because they genuinely do love him absolutely love him top player for them they absolutely love him they were attempting to whip the cards out yeah well you know he did have a game to play but yeah I did have a load of the old match attacks sorry Lameen and I'm old enough to be your father but would you mind signing this a few of them if possible please that's a good tenner you was the only one though Dec took his lad down didn't he after the game I think he was he's the one he's the one for the kids yeah the mole I don't know what I was expecting from that game I thought for some reason I just thought Saturday night I don't know I just didn't I wasn't it was brilliant I thought the game was brilliant I thought the atmosphere was great it was superb yeah really was yeah yeah goals ahoy so you were at Port Rush I golfed again yeah wow golfed again two invites I've had two great weekends of golf so Port Rush you've been there what a place Ireland superb incredible the people are so lovely go there, aren't they?

2:53Guinness always tastes a bit better as well. I loved it. Really, really good. Got the flight home last night. I've just actually just seen the WhatsApp message and some of their bags haven't come back from Belfast. Oh, really? That's always a blow.

3:08Chris Stark: Could have been me. Look at this. He's like TripAdvisor, isn't he? In human form. He's played like, you know, top 100 courses. He must be on 98 now. He's trying to come on like in the 60s. If you want to review on Top 100, just let us know. I mean, really, this is the spin-off stuff we should be doing. SIDS pilot. SIDS pilot. SIDS pilot. I mean, we basically just get SIDS to review different holiday results. Take questions. You know, how you can best use your BA points towards, you know, different tiers. Maximise your miles. Yeah, your companion voucher, you know. I've got to use one of them, actually.

3:52yeah it's enough of me how was your weekend anyway it was alright yeah I went out I actually watched the game in the pub and was out that evening played a little bit of golf yesterday I've decided I'm going to actually try and play golf to a standard where I can play with you boys at some point I think we should go out I think we should go out and we should give it a go and just see where we're all at

4:12Chris Stark: I'd love to I'd love to have you down at our local club I think it feels to me it's a bit like we've just got to get into the showers and just see how we all look I think I'm hiding myself away from you boys at the moment. No, just let it all out, son. Do you know what I mean? One of them ones where you're in the corner and when you come out you get the towel straight away. I'm being really tentative at the moment. Just listen, we'll go and play and we'll have a nice time and you'll enjoy it. I actually think I will. If you want to shower before we can all jump in No, the shower analogy was an odd one actually.

4:41I'm not, just to be clear, I'm not proposing that this is the reason why I'm not playing golf with you is because, you know, some showers that happen afterwards. I've got no problem on that.

4:51Chris Stark: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

4:55one bollet down but yeah absolutely fine yeah the rest of the plane

5:04I think

5:05Chris Stark: and the golf you know you'll enjoy it you'll have a good swim I think we'll enjoy it yeah and I just yeah as I say I just need to I think if I could just get around with you boys I think it would be it would be the next stage of things my little adventure to become something we're doing it there's so much to talk about this week obviously there's the big man city news I'm excited are you going to be reading a bit of the fairy porn book that we mentioned last week I'll read the fairy porn book at the end so stay tuned for that that's something to really look forward to and if you are listening to this in the evening feel free to take me to bed with you and just and this audio experience at the moment obviously we do have Jamie he's very proud of his new microphones that we've got here it's taken eight years for us to get some sort of audio quality yes you can hear some bashing from scaffolding and some reversing from lorries but they are hopefully better mics yeah but you'll hear all of that in better quality you're going to hear all of the work that's going on outside in full HD quality so that's all coming later very quickly just to touch on that then so we could go into a massive massive chat around where we're currently at with Man City, the potential charges.

6:21And really at this point of recording, it's kind of what the sanctions might be or what the punishments might entail. But from the outside looking in, taking this from a Watford fans point of view, already the WhatsApps are flying around, around. That was an FA Cup match that we lost. Potential European place. it's interesting how this is all playing out from every other club's point of view

6:50Chris Stark: yeah i mean it's affected a lot of them they've won a great deal over the course i heard roger's comments about you know obviously the it was players that did it not you know the financial aspect but when you look at it and you look at the sanctions that have happened for everton for forest you know and they've seemed to have breached i love a lot more than that then you'd expect the punishment to be worse than what they got. But for me, it's about football in general has been, it's not a good look for anyone, is it? You know, like when Juventus had to get relegated and Rangers went down and no one wants to see it, do they?

7:28You're punishing a fan base potentially that have had nothing to do with this. The ones who spend their money supporting their team. it's hard this because I think if you're a fan you're supporting a club you're bound by the whole thing you're all in with the club right but the reality is a lot of what people are talking about punishments wise you know are going to disproportionately punish fans of Man City

7:54Chris Stark: yeah but you know you can't obviously cheat or whatever the whatever the word is you want to use they've not played by the rules obviously hidden things whatever's happened has happened it's just not a good look for football in general is my opinion on it which is a shame but what what could the punishment be I mean is it is championship is it league one is it league two is it is it stripping of the titles I mean the fans will always have the memories that will always be there but I mean how big do they go it's I mean because there can't be many in football that's been this has been the biggest by far, isn't it?

8:36And I can't see there being anything bigger than this down the line, but is it, did they set a precedent? It's a tough one, isn't it? But I think, I think it's going to get kicked down. They can, they're going to get kicked down the road even more. I don't think they can because this is my, my thinking as well is the longer this goes on, this will now hover over City. So it doesn't matter what they do this season. Every game they play from here on in is almost, you know, adding to this. Yeah. How many points?

9:02Chris Stark: Adding to the pile. How many points can they get, Docked and stay up? What a question that is. These are the questions that no one's asking out there at the moment. Yeah. Forget the punishment. What could they get punished and stay up? So what are you saying you stay up at? 40? So 30 points is 10 games, yeah. So 40 points normally stays up. And they've been getting an average of 90, probably, am I? 90 on. A few hundreds. Could you dock them 50 points and they stay up? I mean, if they do that, they deserve a middle.

9:44But my thing is, as well, you're right in terms of proportionally what, say, Everton got, however many points that was for however many charges. I don't know if it is as simple as putting it all, like, adding up, because the effect of all those charges together would then be mad. Yeah. You're treating it like the penalty points,

10:06Chris Stark: the driving penalty points. Yeah. I mean, I remember I moved house and I had three points and they doubled because I didn't reply. Yes. You're right. It's very similar. So are you suggesting, Peter Crouch, that actually what there should be here is if they pay up early, we get this all over and done with so we can all move on with football, they get slightly less of a punishment. Or it's like your driving thing. If they pay up in two weeks, 14 days, half the punishment. 14 days. Well, the thing is, is like they can't just throw money at it, can they? I don't think that's going to be acceptable.

10:47Chris Stark: I don't think that would be acceptable. No. No. Where do you stand on, you know how every other club is looking at their own circumstances and how they were affected personally? is that maybe healthy isn't the right word, but maybe it is. Is that a healthy way to be viewing this situation? Because you're only taking the games that you've lost against City and the possible repercussions of that. Do you see what I mean? You're only highlighting one little bit of a thing in every season. Yeah, but there's a lot of games there. But there's a lot of teams in the league or in a tournament. So my point is what you can't predict is what would have happened if City had exited a cup tournament earlier or in their games, the other teams that had got through would have...

11:31Do you see what I mean? It's not as clear cut as... Yeah, this is going to...

11:36Chris Stark: This web is going to wipe... It's so messy, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah, just in other news, obviously I saw Andy Burnham said that he could scrap the ban on drinking in football stands. Obviously, admin in general, I suppose, has got a lot to do at the moment. And I think, obviously dealing with Man City is one thing, but bringing beverages back in the stand, are we for it? I'm worried about it. Are you worried? You prefer the Periscope? I don't prefer the Periscope. Can I tell you my fear with this, Peter, is I see what happens in Box Park when goals go in and the pints go flying. Throwing up the pints.

12:12You don't want that in stadiums. I don't know if I can be doing that every week. There's a lot of kids. That's a very valid point, that. That's the biggest one. I'm all for people having a drink. Oh, yeah, of course. I mean, non-league, it works. It's great. Throwing of beverages I think has to stop, I think in general really. Again, we've said this before, when you tell people not to do it, what do they do? I think we could be the flag bearers for this.

12:39Chris Stark: You know, look what's happening with Hove now. We've got people wearing Hove FC on the back of their shirts. I don't want to have to wear a poncho to the football. I don't want to be seeing pints in the air or risk pints in the air for a, you know, mid-championship game. Yeah, okay. No, I agree with that. I don't know, but there is an element that it would be quite good. Well, obviously, I'm off a point. Don't encourage everyone to throw your pints at Sid. Just one element. Not... There's an element there. It works. It works in Box Park. I don't know if football fans can be trusted not to throw the pints.

13:15There will always be one that will throw in the air.

13:19Chris Stark: Did you see the one? I think it might have been on your radio show when it was the pizza that flew through the air. written in the girl's face. That's phenomenal. Like Calvin Harris's gig. Have you seen that? Someone's launched a pizza but she's filming the gig. The pizza's come from like, no one's even seen it through it and it's just spinning like that. She's filming the gig. It's just landed. I mean, there's so many questions. Because it's a full pizza. A full pizza. I think it was a Calvin Harris gig. Not even a big moment, is it? It wasn't like a big drop or like a big, like, it just came from nowhere.

13:57Have you ever seen someone eating a pizza at a gig? Let alone treating it like a pint that you could throw just because you've got excited. Have they frisbeed that or have they just gone full, like, underarm? From behind, like, as well.

14:11Chris Stark: So it's either just launched like that. Well, this reminds me of, you know, we're slightly late as always to the table on this one, but there was a classic debate doing the rounds on I think it was mainly TikTok recently about whether you could throw a baguette or a naan further and I think this could be the next one like you know how far can you discuss a big deal can't throw a naan a naan's too it was naan or baguette wasn't it I think it was naan well I just think it's baguette all day it's more of a javelin type you can baguette javelin yeah but naan I understand what you're saying like frisbee more airtime that's what I'm saying yeah oh fuck okay alright I think for me yeah look baguette acts like the aerodynamics baguette acts like a javelin so you'd throw it like a javelin I would javelin that yeah the nan argument is the it can glide frisbee like I think it's a great debate that's six months too late I must have missed this one we've entered the chat do you want to settle this in the car park I'd like to next week we'll do it next week I'd like to, yeah.

15:18Chris Stark: All right, let's get into Azmir Begovic and then we'll decide that next week.

15:30Chris Stark: Welcome to the Chumba Womba, Azmir Begovic. How are you? I'm doing great, Crouchy. Thanks for having me. It's been a long time coming, this Az, to be honest. I feel like you should have been on a long time ago. We've crossed paths, you know, through a lot, quite a few times. How long have we known each other? Well, Portsmouth was early days, wasn't it? 20 years, maybe. Maybe, yeah. How long did you play with each other combined? So Portsmouth, a couple of years, and then Stoke, four or five? That's it. Yeah, I'd say so. Good few years at Stoke. Would you consider that your best time, your best when you were at the top of your game?

16:05Yeah, I mean, I think that's probably where I spent most of my career, five and a half years. That's where I went as a youngster. Then step by step, establish yourself, got to play many, many games, achieve great things be part of a great club great people so probably when you think on the whole my best spell for sure enjoyed my other spells as well but I think overall definitely

16:28Chris Stark: the best one yeah well how does it you know I think I haven't played with you I don't think I've ever dug deep into your backstory okay and obviously we've done a little bit of that today and it's incredible isn't it so can you just talk us through like your early life in Bosnia doing? Yeah, for sure. So yeah, born in Bosnia, 1987, spent only four years there until that's when the conflict started. So my family made a decision to leave the country, flee Bosnia. We ended up settling in Germany, tried a couple other countries, a really difficult time, turbulent time, had a baby brother, so he was super young.

17:07So crazy time, pack up your car, off you go and settle in Germany. And then that's kind of where my footballing journey started. parents work really hard. My dad used to be a professional in the former Yugoslavia. He started in playing a bit of semi-professional in Germany. And then, yeah, that was it. So age of five stepped in goal and that was, that was it. Never wanted to do anything else. And was it that position straight away? It's just always, it was, yeah, it's that position, nothing else. Um, didn't want to do anything else. I was telling people it's five years of age. I was going to be a professional goalkeeper and everyone's laughing in your face, but, um, that's exactly what I wanted to do and nothing else.

17:44Chris Stark: yeah was that because obviously at five you don't know or is it because of the position goalkeeper is that why they were laughing probably a bit of both you know that's um when i think when you tell people that at five years of age that what a stupid kid you know so um they could have brought i mean like and then you know how did you end up in canada from from germany that did you not really settle in yeah so a few years we um so we did the whole refugee thing for the first time and then a few years later in Germany and actually things were starting to go really well football wise started to get picked up a few clubs and scouts my dad was coaching me and you know I was glued to him whatever team he was playing for like I was the little mascot the little kid they couldn't get rid of so I was around everywhere and then started about 9 10 getting stuck picking by clubs scouts coming to games and then the paperwork situation changed we couldn't get any more visas we couldn't stay in Germany so then we had to move again going back to Bosnia was not an option that was a no-no and then I was either go to America Canada or Australia and then my parents picked Canada that seemed to be a good option and that was that was quite turbulent crouchy because that's when you started to make friends you started to know things the first move I didn't know too much about yeah but then the second was a bit more traumatic how old were you on the second one I was 10.

19:01Chris Stark: can i just ask you about obviously you know i don't know if you were too young for the stories of i suppose the conflict as you put it or being a refugee i mean how how what was the stories that your dad had i mean is this is this something that i mean was really difficult there was no way back you there's no way you're going to go back and and you kind of had to leave i mean how bad was it um yeah i mean all of my family left except one of my aunts She ended up staying through the whole conflict and she survived. A lot of my friends later in the national team, they lost family members. It was pretty bad.

19:35It was pretty bad. And obviously I'm glad my parents made that decision. Not an easy one because you don't know where you're going, but you just have to get the heck out of there. So that was the main thing. But the stories they had was, yeah, you know, you have, they're now like tourist attractions in Sarajevo, like tunnels of life. There's like tunnels on the ground and that's where you can walk and go and be safe. And, um, yeah, I mean, it's, it's difficult times, like I said, for families, kids, all of our life was there. My, my parents were born and raised there. Their parents were there.

20:06You live in a comfortable life and obviously gets turned upside down pretty quick.

20:10Chris Stark: Okay. So you, you, you're in Canada and then what was your life like out there? So yeah, the 10, 10 years of age, you go to Canada again, start from scratch, start from absolutely nothing uh rebuild the life you know uh parents again work in multiple jobs to keep things going and then again i got into football there but football there was almost non-existent obviously they call it soccer and you're playing youth football and you think now you know so many years later it's like how you how i even made it out there was so difficult uh it's hard to believe it's youth soccer unorganized especially coming from germany where it's like proper big clubs the football was nothing it was number one by country mile you go over there it's all about ice hockey all about different sports um so you're playing a little bit during the summer and in the winter you shut down six months of snow you're playing indoors on basically it's five v five on indoor rinks ice hockey rinks they turn them in the winter they turn them into like turf they put turf down and the summer they're like roller skate ice hockey i'm like like hockey it's just mad so playing this winter sport a couple times a week and then the rest of your time i got into other sports but the football and journey was mad really lucky again i go back to he was my my hero at the time by my dad he's the one i was able to coach me get me through keep that sense of normality keep my dream alive what i wanted to do but did he keep you with football as well where you had these other sports coming in as distractions and yeah he kept me with football but that's all i wanted to do for me that was you know especially in the summer months but where you don't have that and there were some really good people around Edmonton and the soccer there and some lovely people lovely uh coaches but he was the one that was able to give me that one-to-one attention and teach me all the right things what about the ice hockey though was there a little was there a little spell where it's kind of I kind of like this because I can you can actually see you in the big pants yeah with the gear and the stick as well well also he's like he's so knowledgeable about I reckon you probably would be the best at every sport you know like a quiz remember we did the quiz at Stoke every single sport he's got knowledge on yeah I do like them yeah you are good like he's I don't know much else I don't know much else but sports stuff I'm pretty good at so right but across lots of sports all sports like there was one where we I remember we played a quiz at Stoke and we were cheating so much I mean there was so much cheating and he still won

22:43we're doing these quizzes honestly and you do like random teams and then it started to manipulate the teams so like the weaker ones and they put me on the weaker ones and they would team up against me but we still won in the end I can see that though because you get like you get more knowledge of winter sports especially like in Canada and stuff like winter Olympics all them kind of I wouldn't have a clue exactly right you know You were sort of engrossing it. Were you in goal when you were playing ice hockey? A couple of times. So obviously Petr Cech does it, doesn't he? Yeah. He's quite funny.

23:15We used to chat about it. But I went a couple of times in goal, but I was playing more as a defenseman. But to answer your earlier question, I never played it properly. I was playing basketball at a serious level. So that could have been maybe a way I could have gone to a certain level. Baseball, tennis, things like that in the summer. but not ice hockey it's too physical so yeah I mean I saw friends of mine who were playing on the football teams like oh why are you not trained tonight yep concussed 13 years of age hitting each other it's pretty brutal

23:47Chris Stark: are they crushing each other into the glass like at 13 yeah it's like a free hit isn't it yeah but obviously I see that but I thought it's like heading a ball now the kids aren't heading a ball oh yeah sorry my parents said no way no way you're not playing that you can play for fun because every every single community every single corner had a rink so in the winter you just go play with your mates on a Sunday and you get your gear on your jerseys on play for fun definitely all for it didn't have to need all the gear obviously keep the puck on the ice don't raise the puck and yeah that was fun but organized hockey no chance what are you like now when you go like to when it gets to Christmas and you know obviously the kids are old now but when you go to the ice rink are you one of the ones that goes around backwards yeah shows like have you got I've got to be honest, that really pisses me off.

24:35It's not for me, that. I'm out there with the penguin. Just trying. So true. There's always some twat going backwards. No, I'm sorry.

24:47Chris Stark: I'll be the twat, yeah. Are you a backwards twat on the ice rink, are you? I'm not straight on backwards. Can you go backwards? It's so unnecessary. It's the arrogance of it. it's the arrogance to see go but not like not even I'm not doing it on purpose if I need to of the rink it's to do it's to go I'm not even going to respect it by going forwards fast I'm going to go backwards and it's the crossing legs over the shoulder good technique nah it's not for me yeah if you can do it it's different I suppose so you're in do you play for a team how do you get to to Europe then and what's your first class so there it's it's different So you're playing for your local teams in Edmonton.

25:32The way that gets you the difference in Canada is when you start playing provincial soccer, states. So you're getting selected for your provincial team. So I was in Edmonton, so Alberta was our province. Started getting selected for them. So you're playing your provincial games. And then what happens if once you get on the team there, play nationals, so the national championships. So you go to under 15s, 16s, 17s. And then that's where the national team scouts are. under 15 is the first one and then when you get picked for the under 15 national team is that's the first time you go somewhere they took us to Germany and that's the way of getting out so once you play for the national team scouts agents from all over Europe from all over the world start picking you and start coming to you with opportunities and that's when things started to move and obviously that's eventually when I got to got to England at 16

26:22Chris Stark: so you're representing Canada at this time now yeah yeah yeah and you and then so what was the club that spotted you what was the team so it was actually an agent that spotted me um he used to work for img he spotted me got in touch with my parents and said listen um i think your son has potential uh saw me playing a couple of games for the national team and i'd like to take him to england so this was like you know the main first serious agent there was people always talking come here come there but he was the first proper one that came with the presentation and was able to kind of produce the goods and get me to England.

26:58So at 16, I was set up to go to Pompey and Tottenham. So it was a month long trial, two weeks of Pompey, two weeks at Spurs. And within two or three days, I did really well at Pompey. So they really well played in the game. And then after the game, the academy director, David Hurst. And I don't know if you remember Desi, Mark O 'Connor, he was the under 18s coach. And they sat me down and said, yeah, I want to sign you to your academy contract, to your pro, but in one condition, you can't go to Spurs. So, Oh, after this trial? Mm-hmm. Oh. So they wouldn't let me go to Spurs. Was this before you'd had an experience or a trial at Tottenham?

27:38Yeah. I didn't, so I ended up staying the whole month at Pompey. So I was like, cool, I'll sign, because I was like, that's pretty come to England. They just got promoted to the Premier League, Harry Redknapp, Teddy Shering, Patrick Berger, some really amazing players and I was like oh I'm in England they're giving me a contract so I'm done so that was that and then did the trial they ended up coming to see my parents flew to Canada met them I finished the first half of the year at school until after Christmas until I got my visa and then beginning of 2004 I moved to England yeah on your own on my own yeah which is a big step as a 16 year old yeah that was that was the longest I was away so that month trial was the longest I'd been away since then yeah and then from February, I was like, oh, not back till middle of May.

28:22So that was three and a half months on my own, but really lucky to know the language helps. Settled in, the club was lovely. My digs was great. My digs lady. Where was that? In Pompey, North End, Powers Court Road. So lovely, she was like my second mom. Lovely lady, couple of other lads in the house. So that was good. So I was really lucky with the people that I found, the support team. And yeah, off I went.

28:48Chris Stark: Yeah, I remember, because it took you a while to kind of break through, didn't it, right? So you were at Portsmouth for a little while, weren't you? I think I, I'm trying to think when I signed there now. 2008? After we won the FA Cup, you came? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, just after that, yeah. So you came, you came a little bit later on. Yeah, and that was a great team. We've got the shirt behind you there. And that was a good team, right? Training was great, wasn't it? Mate, I mean, it was crazy. I mean, obviously we had some good teams, good teams beginning. When I first came in and I did the loans, as you do when you're a youngster, you had to go to Belgium for a year.

29:24That was crap. Played two games, corrupt club, match fixing. So that was a disaster, but it was good from a personal level. You go on again, another country, another culture. And then, do you know who came? You might know him, but Colesley came into Pompey. When Harry came back, he brought David Coles with him. And Colesley, one of the best goalkeeper coaches, I mean, ever really. and for me, my number one mentor. Yeah, he's a guy. Great guy, but just as a coach, unbelievable, the amount of work he puts in. So when I was in Belgium, he was like, who is this kid? I had to go back to train for a little bit.

29:59And then basically they made the decision that at the end of the season, one way or another, I had to get back to Pompey. Started working with Colsey, started to progress, which wasn't easy, by the way. I mean, he tore me apart, took every part of my game, said, listen, you've got the potential, you've got the frame, you've got the knowledge. we're going to change a lot of your techniques all your movements so that was difficult at first we put it together and i think started to come together just doing well with the first team um getting some good opportunities and then it's like yeah you have to go on loan you have to go and play so paulins took me to macrosfield i think jamie redna put in a little favor word for me um obviously with with his dad got me to macrosfield that was my first loan in england bottom of league two 14 15 points of drift to safety so i was like why am i going here and but it was great because i got to play yeah you know league two rain sideways um first experience of proper english football and um but it was great so i played a few games got injured unfortunately which cut my loan spell short but i gave me the taste for for playing and then um you go to bo i I went to Bournemouth with Kevin Bond the year after, which was a different kind of story.

31:12Bondy was miles off it. Fair enough. Just elaborate on that slightly for me. Why? I mean, the team, I mean, the club was a bit of a mess at the time. Right. 2007, three stands. Look where they are now. It's slightly different now, isn't it? Unbelievable. But he just wasn't sure the team we put together. Darren Aniston was on that team. that was still yeah just about what a player just about yeah technically unbelievable could give him the ball at any time yeah but the team was terribly put together so we struggled played three months there then went back a few appearances on the bench and then the real breakthrough was from Joval so the loan spell there the next season and then that's when I really started to kick on then I started to push J-Mo David James was number one so J-Mo was the keeper for the previous two or three years two or three years and he was getting back and to the England side.

32:07He was doing well, James. Yeah, he was doing well. It was a difference to break through there. And what was he like with you when you was sort of competing? Because there is that sort of goalkeepers union where, you know, it's not really clicky, is it? You're pushing the number one. The number one is obviously in the driving seat. But when he, if you go into the cup games, they're more than happy for you to have your chance and play. No, J-Mo wasn't like, no, no, no, no. J-Mo was not like that. No, no, J-Mo. You know him well. He did not like, he wanted to play every game. Right. first one is play every game then in training if he sees you do anything you like hit the ball harder you know so I'm like

32:45why does that not surprise you right why does that not surprise you so I'm like 20 years younger than JMO I said JMO like settle down do you know what I mean he's just six yards out and he's taking my head off yeah but you can see it from his point of view there can't you yeah I mean obviously he felt a bit threatened he's not in his interest for you to no yeah I know No, but I wasn't really a threat at the time. Do you know what I mean? Maybe he might say otherwise. Maybe, maybe.

33:12Chris Stark: Well, you weren't because he's blasting your head from four. You were crouching. But he was, Jameau was strange. Like he wasn't an unbelievable physical specimen. Oh my God. Built for goalkeeping. But did what he wanted. Did what he wanted. You know, like calls you, it would say 10-15 start. So we're all there 10-15. Where's Jameau? it's just 10 20 starts jogging out by the way this is what he was like in the middle of january like we're all you know six layers on comes out in t-shirt shorts he's walking up does what he wants takes a few volleys yep that's me done i'll go with the team um and he was just one of them it was just so difficult and started piss piss me off and then when i started to break through i'd could be on the bench and you when you warm him up oh he was if the volley if the volley you hit was just an inch off he'd lose his mind he just seemed shaking his head of steam kind of but he had this thing i don't know but he had this thing man when you do crossing right and again if they're not if it's not perfect in a stride where you can go one two three and collect that he'd punched the life out of the ball.

34:26Chris Stark: Yeah, yeah. I remember seeing that because we warmed up the way. I was like, why is he punching these balls everywhere? But see, he wasn't just punching me. He was knocking them out of the stadium. You knock one in and you just look, just look at the ball. Fair play. I mean, you're making me look like an idiot. Yeah. Whoever's watching, like thinking my service is terrible. Why he'd be punching the ball out, you know, out of the stadium. It's unbelievable. And as I got a bit older, I started to get a bit more ticked off. Like this, I said to Colsey, what's he doing? Like, The volley's fine. And he would just do things more and more.

34:57And he'd have a psychologist at training, standing next to the goal and just analyzing everything. So it definitely wasn't easy. And I lost my rag with him once as I started getting a bit older. We're Man City away. We're Man City away. And I think it was the run for the FA Cup, to be honest. You might have obviously, you weren't just there yet. Man City away. And obviously a few games now, I was on the bench, done my loan spells. I was number two, starting to push him. Now I'm a little bit of a threat. Now I'm a little bit of a threat. And I boomed a couple of my crosses into the stands again.

35:31So I said, cause I've had enough. I've had enough. Last thing he does was shots from the edge of the box before he goes in. So I'm in my head. What can I do? So I've done one last shot, touch out of my feet. I've dinked him. Oh, that's the ultimate. Look at me. You'll go, we hate that. A keeper on keeper. GK VGK. GK Dinktum. So not only if I dinktum, it's gone top ends. And I can just see him just gone in. He's done with the warmups. I can have that. And Cole's like, no, what has, what have you done? I don't give a shit. I don't care. I've had enough of him. Second half, pulled his calf. Pulled his calf in the game.

36:17Carried on. He's hobbling on. He won't let me on. He carried on. Yeah, it's carried on. Fischer's gone.

36:23Chris Stark: Just won't. Won't. Won't give in. Won't give in. So I missed the last two, three games of the season and played the FA Cup final. But yeah, I finally did them. So, and then next season, I really started to break through, which was nice. Yeah. And where'd you go after that? Is that where you guys start then? So then obviously you came in that summer and what a team. I mean, the team we had. We won the FA Cup. Yeah. J-Mo, Glenn Johnson, Saul Campbell, Sylvain. Sylvain, yeah. Hermann Araitis and Pedro Mendes Kanu was he there Kanu was up front Diara, Montari Cremshaw Myself Defoe Mad Papa Bubadiop the wardrobe the massive mate he was huge Sully Montari yeah Montari was a joke but before you came that half season we were before we won the cup in January came La Sanna Diara oh yeah player I was with him at Chelsea I don't know but you went you went to Arsenal didn't you and then you came to Arsenal Arsenal, Chelsea, Denport.

37:20Chris Stark: But I remember Joe telling me, Joe said, this kid, I don't know why he's getting released or... How good was he? I think it was a joke. You know what Harry was like? Got him for five million quid. Somehow, some way. In that spell, I've never seen a player for four months rip it up like he did. Won us the cup, went to Real Madrid. Yeah. After. Like 30 odd million. So 25. It was unbelievable. Strong as well, wasn't he? How strong was he? couldn't get the border from now. It literally everything. In the summer, Crouchy came, Jermaine Defoe, Jermaine came, Milan Beros came in January, so the strike force we had after.

37:58Then we played AC Milan, Europa League, didn't we? Yeah. Which was great and then my last lone spell read that won to propel me before the Premier League was with Roy Keane Ipswich.

38:09Chris Stark: Really? Yeah. How was that? It was great personally to be fair. He was good as gold to me. Yeah. Played a few games obviously had a couple Premier League appearances by then made my debut with you guys and then I was able to go on loan and play in the champ because I just couldn't stay there with Jameau I was doing my head and I was playing he was playing but he was getting on a little bit and I was like I felt like I'm right neck and neck and went there and then he took me took me in but he was brilliant the standards that he had was just too high for all the players because he was such a good player training was unbelievable but he was just pushing lads and I think he got frustrated with lads who weren't at his level but he gave me a few games then J-Mo got injured and then that's when I got on the Pompey team and then the rest was history and that was that yeah how much did you enjoy your time at Stoke?

39:03Chris Stark: because obviously I ended up spending eight years there and I loved it as a place like the club the people the team we had for a long spell of it it was brilliant wasn't it? yeah it was class I mean um yeah tony i mean i owe him a lot really in terms of bringing me there um letting me get to establish myself really as a young as a young goalkeeper which is not easy someone to believe in you uh but it was great i mean tony was character above talent first so i brought in great lads so camaraderie we had togetherness we had the team spirit was was second to none yeah um but then there was stoke before crouching and there's stoke after crouching because things changed when he came massively yeah yeah don't look at me like he knows why he knows he knows why stoked BC BC what was the what BC I mean Tony had full power I mean he was just iron fist man he would take our passports before international breaks that's my time but personally he did do that so you can't it's a violation of our human rights really you couldn't get away with that now I'm sure that's allowed I never know what the rules are with that because that happens even on the odd lads holiday I've been on there was a hotel we say in Falaraki took all our passports I always thought that's not on that it's not on no and Tony Poulis did the same he certainly did yeah oh he would you know whatever time he's at the train we'd train it would have been Monday 2 o 'clock because he was coming from Bournemouth whatever he said went just whatever he said boom no questions asked no one would speak back to him no one could do anything take our passports things like that best part was I had three passports so I gave him my British one and then I travelled on the other one so sexy lady guys so when he was doing that the lads they sign up for that they accepted it and that's why it was just yeah because was there any rebels in that was anyone like I'm not for this no the captain was Ryan Shawcross who was young at the time he wouldn't say boo to Goose.

41:13So, it was just no challenging him. But he, he ran it the way he wanted to run it. We all bought in. But because I think we bought in, that's, you know, we stayed up. Ended up, you know, achieving great things. FA Cup final. Then you came for the Europa League season, didn't you? Yeah. So, we achieved because we had that togetherness. And that's, that's the way it was. Couple guys crossed Tony. And if you crossed Tony, you were else. It was simple as that.

41:38Chris Stark: Oh, I had the best relationship with him. Genuinely. I know. We know. What were you trying to say here? I don't know. I don't know what you were trying to... The love fest. Yeah. I don't know what he's told you, but I mean, it was different. I mean, I've not seen it many times in my career, a couple of times, but he was... Mate. So, did you have the coat more than Matty? Yeah. Everington was the favourite, let's be honest, right? You too. But I mean, you kind of played... He's played this down. You've played this down. We have played this down. You've accused everyone else You know You know I don't know what's going on Get this It'd be something like In the week right We'd have a 5.30 kickoff Or 12.30 kickoff on a Saturday And he'll just be out of the blue During the week Yeah lads listen We're going to train Thursday morning We'll train a little bit later Friday And then we'll go to a hotel Friday night You know Because it's in order to kick off Be all together Sound good lads?

42:41Yeah Pete? all good yep all good check with check in with what's going on here you know be honestly everything you do Peter Peter come here come here anything you have to run past he'd be the one honestly this is really interesting because have you noticed this every time he every time he comes on the podcast as well he's a proper sit back and he basically says how much he loves Pete for an hour it's so true and Abby yeah yeah he does

43:08Chris Stark: he's a big fan he was always listen You were one of the tip-tap Charlies, weren't you? I'm tip-tap Charlie, yeah. With myself, Everington, Pennant. We were split into two groups. Tip-tap Charlies and the Hammaneggers. Funny, yeah. Because, you know, you'd go in like an FA Cup game, gilling him away. Do you think he'd be there? There was a couple of times. This is great. This is the one. No, this is the one for the Hammaneggers, the tip-tap Charlies. This is the Hammaneggers. He's so good, isn't he? But you know what, though? There was a couple where, on that Europa League run, so I didn't play any away games in Europa League because it was like bread and butter's the Premier League and I think it was the three of us, maybe, who never played any away.

43:52Chris Stark: But one of them was a Valencia away, right? I was like, I never played there. I thought, you know, I'd love to play this one. But he was like, no. I remember watching it on TV and we did well, right? Yeah, we were wrong. Why would you not go out for that? I don't understand. Well, his whole thing was just the Premier League. Yeah. It was like two 11s, wasn't it? Yeah. It was completely different teams. Literally. Yeah. But it was tough because when you're not used to the European thing, Thursday, it's like a lot of teams now. Yeah. Thursday, Sunday. And we had some, I mean, we had the weight, we couldn't have had a worse group.

44:26Great teams, but we had Tel Aviv away, Istanbul away and Kiev away. So they were like, they weren't just like short trips. So he basically rotated 11, so kept us at home.

44:36Chris Stark: what an amazing job he did getting Stoke promoted right and then becoming consistently top 10 into Europe FA Cup run you know obviously we'll get into it but you know with Manchester City obviously as well the Chargers potentially Stoke get awarded the FA Cup win we'll get into that later I'm sure I mean the web of all of this is unbelievable there's so many people come out I saw Pennant come out the other day it's like I'm owed a medal mate we almost need like a Rachel Riley or a You get a bonus. Just to kind of draw this all out, you know, everything that comes off it. As a goalie though, with that stoked defense and the way they play, how was that for you?

45:18Must be amazing. No, I mean, generally it was good. I mean, we were, what they call now, low block. Very low block at times. Very.

45:26Chris Stark: The lowest of low block. There was a couple of, there was a couple of games there, where you couldn't have been lower. the block could not be like just give me a little bit of space you know he's having to push forward his own line oh right you were I mean you were like halfway I stayed up right because I thought they could hit me right on the halfway line I left to control it around my neck and try to hold it up I just couldn't even see anyone to pass it to we got results doing that yeah we defended I mean some unbelievable defenders in front of me which was great so as a team that was our identity that's how we played but there was times listen when we're at home and we could get a little bit more aggressive get the ball up to to Crouchy and play off him and do certain things that we were like really really hard to play against but then certain away games yeah I was just literally you know hunker down do you think there was there was probably a there was so many good players in there didn't get the recognition that they deserved do you have anything think about Dean Whitehead in midfield, Glenn Whelan, players like that who could play.

46:37Chris Stark: They could play, right? And they didn't get the credit. I mean, John Waters, that link between the forward and the midfield, I've never seen anyone do it as well. I mean, the work, the work, some of the, I mean, the meters those guys put in and unbelievable how reliable they were every single week. Again, like how Ryan Shocker has never played for England more, I'll never know. Huth even for Germany. So there was, there's players in there should have had more recognition. Maybe it was the narrative of Stoke or who we were. I don't know what it was, but definitely players that should have got a lot more recognition for many different reasons.

47:08Did you have to play differently at Stoke? Because, and I say this in a strange way, because the wind was just outrageous there, wasn't it, at Stoke? So, being a keeper, obviously if you fire one up, it's either just going to go up and then come back to you or like this blow in this way. Did you have to sort of allow for the wind? Like, it sounds mad me saying this, but it's not easy. people won't realise that it was it's really a thing honestly you come out the tunnel and teams are beating because the corner flag is just going it's like imagine a gold flag on a hull with 40 mile an hour wind it's like that yeah so I mean especially so the way we always knew the first half was always going to be into the wind so we always had the far side from the tunnel yeah slightly like a little bit uphill and then we knew like survived the first half and even for us I mean for me as a goalkeeper because we were going quite direct it wasn't easy but he knew that he wasn't going to go very far so again being up front he would take up his positioning whether it was Crouchy John Walters who I was doing the flick-ons I knew that one side was a little bit more sheltered so we kicked a little bit more to the other side so we had certain home advantages but when the wind's swirling rain for goalkeepers some of the higher balls and everything else was real difficult but you get used to it and then second half we would just kill teams because we were a little bit downhill wind behind us we would just pep with the box just freaking shove it down their throats.

48:32Every set of play, get Crouchy, waltz in the box and Jermaine, Matty, boom. Pelt to them and they just couldn't live with it.

48:41Chris Stark: Yeah, super. Talk us through your goal. Obviously, that was the windy day. I don't know if you've seen it back, but I'm on the side here. And as it bounces, I turn to you and go like, just calm it down. Take a bit off it. Take a bit off it. and then I've seen the onion bag have you ever seen that have you seen that go back yeah take a bit off but what a finish I mean what you didn't celebrate is that just pure keepers union not pure keepers union I mean we played together a lot I'm not even one to show huge emotion so even like goals that we scored I never ran around the pitch and celebrate or you know didn't go you scored them you scored them so you should so I wasn't a huge kind of emotional guy and just didn't really know what to do with myself it was a bit weird did you know when did you know it was going in because once it bounced over his head so as soon as you've hit it you've hit it the wind's caught it it's just gone you've gone that's decent it's the first one back I mean I wasn't even looking to hit crouch or anything I was just looking to clear my lines get the ball up boom hit it as far as you can and then obviously hit it well it's gone straight kept going kept going because they watered the pitch right before kickoff it skidded nicely yeah because even Van Dijk and Font who were at Southampton like let it go thinking she's going to bounce to the goalkeeper which she probably shouldn't but the way it skidded so nicely it's killed him and when it's gone gone over his head I was like oh it's going to go in so that was pretty cool so is that the longest the longest recorded still the longest Premier League goal yeah is it the longest isn't it a world record it was at the time at the time like you well yeah there's only a couple of us with them a couple of us we got one of those so that was the longest at the time but then definitely not the longest and not the fastest no no it's annoying when that happens isn't it well the longest in the Premier League still the longest in the Premier League that might be beating it can't be well I don't think so I don't think anyone's doing that now are they no I'll take it that's so true it's really unlikely to happen I don't think that just because of the way it is now I don't think so yeah yeah so it's going to pop it out yeah we'll take it talk us through your your spells after because obviously you've got you go to Chelsea end up winning like a Premier League title what was your sports like at Chelsea?

51:04Time was a little bit a little bit mixed in the fact that so when I when I was kind of last two three years of Stoke because you joined us for the last couple of years City? Yeah I was what 14 to 16 yeah yeah which is when it was like that Mark Hughes just started to change a little bit and then changed the line

51:26Chris Stark: I'll just say one thing about you before we move on to Chelsea. There was one period where Asmier was unplayable. Best in the league by mark. Yeah, best in the league. Like that level. Genuinely. Like it was one of those where you know, a player would go through and you'd be like, they're not going to beat him. Just like, did you feel that? For a couple of years, like those last couple of years at Stoke, I felt like in the best years of my career. Yeah, because it felt like Like as a team, it was just so, like we had a great defense and then we had Azmin. So you break that, you're just not going to break Azmin at that time.

52:04Yeah. Yeah. So it was nice. And, you know, you get all the awards and you start thinking, well, what else can be done here? Do you know what I mean? And then that's when a couple of moves started to come around. Liverpool won, was close, Man United before, and then they took the hair. So certain things were happening. So you wonder like, what's that next step? Or is it ever going to come? so going into that summer of 2015 I had one year left in my contract and I was like this is the year I'm going to have to move one way or another and that's when Mourinho got on the phone and basically said yeah you're the one I think Petr Cech's leaving we want you to replace him see I've had that phone call as well from Joe how good is it it's it just makes you want to just go I've got to go and play for him yeah yeah so I was like where do I need to be I'll be there where and when and that's simple as actually a few other clubs a few other things going on good conversations and then boom one Friday afternoon that call came from him and yeah I was sold did you go around his house?

53:06no I did not it was a conference call anyone else on it? Michael Amanalo Tech of Football and Christophe Lallashon the goalkeeper coach so and that was it he said you're the one you're the one and only choice to replace him to come in you know we're going to be champions so we have to try and go again. We want to win everything. There'll be enough games to go around. Thiebaud will be the number one but we need two top players in every position. The usual stuff.

53:35Chris Stark: So did that happen then? Did Cech retire? No, he went to Arsenal. Oh, sorry. He went to Arsenal. Okay. And then what's Courtois was there? Yeah, Thiebaud was there and I came in with him. And did you, how many games, did you get enough games? So the first year, that's what I said, the first year was crazy. You walk in, And I'm like, whoa, this is different. First thing we did was fly to Canada for a pre-season tour. And just the attention the team gets, the travel, completely different from Stoke, right? I mean, you know, we were doing all right there and everything was going well, but this is a different level.

54:07You know, when you guys have been to these clubs, it's just different level. Everything's different. The attention's different. The day-to-day is different. The jets are different. The airframe is different. The jets are different, yeah. I'm like, oh, this is ours, isn't it? Yeah, it's all great. So that was all new to me. So that was a big change. And then Thibaut got sent off in the first game of the season. So I played like right away. First game. Second game, I played Man City away. Then he got hurt. Then he got injured after an international break, beginning of September. So I got three months of games.

54:44But there was a lot of turmoil within the team. Emotions started running high. We lost a couple games. Gaffa got Mourinho got extra angry you know it wasn't best pleased when you lost but when you started losing a couple it just doesn't want to talk to you and so that was difficult and players just hostility toxicity started to come in and it was difficult for us to keep it on track and but I played every game for like three months which was which was great but it was tough I hadn't done that before literally Saturday Wednesday Saturday Wednesday for three months in a row. And he literally said to me, he said, if you don't want to train, don't need to train.

55:24Do what you need to, but you have to play every game for three months and don't tee-boe's back. So that was a great experience. Champions League, you know, finally got to do that, which was the best, the best, the best.

55:34Chris Stark: What was it? Who did you, like, who surprised you? You know, when you went there, like, was there anyone, like, player-wise, you went like, oh, like, top level, kind of? I mean, the biggest thing, I mean, it wasn't a surprise, but just how good everyone was. They're just, you know, even you'd be at the clubs and they bring in a lot from the academy and he's young and you give him a break but you know, he's miles off it. Whereas, yeah, the pluck out from the youth team, Rich James will train with us and, you know, just the youngsters were unbelievable. So everyone, Ruben Loftus-Cheek at that time was coming through but the level of player throughout, yeah, JT, Sesk, Fabregas because even he used the players and I'd always be aware of giving it to the number six, like, you know, with pressure coming, you know, he'd have three players around him.

56:23He'd shout at him like, ah, just give me the ball, give me the ball. Okay. And he'd just like find a way, just like a magician would. And it was unbelievable. And then you look at the front end, I mean, Hazard was a wizard. I mean, just never seen anything like that. I could, was he then as well in that, that spell where you could just give him the ball when he could just score from anywhere. Training wasn't his thing. No. so what was it not for him not for him no um well yeah I noticed that a couple of times

56:53Chris Stark: where he was on the bench once and he uh he I remember I think it was it might have been Stoke we played he didn't tie his laces and he came on with with them untied and and he didn't warm up and he didn't he didn't warm up once he didn't warm up once not once what's is that just what is that is that a statement is that just pure confidence I think that's just ultimate disrespect for the team he's playing I mean he just knew he could do what he wanted and even in training like you know play small side of game and you stand there and all of a sudden he'll just get the ball he'll come to give me the ball just dribble through everyone no matter what no matter who how just dribble through everyone boom like the goal he scored against Arsenal one time and he waved through the whole team just unbelievable and he was the he was the key because if he was on form, we knew you'd have a chance.

57:49And so that first year, he was a little bit, obviously the manager was hard on him and certain things. So he was off. We were all off it and it was a difficult season. But so the second year, when Conte came in, my God, he was a character. He was tough. I mean, I'm always happy to be a goalkeeper, but the way he was working the lads. Oh my God. So talk through that. So like, he is regimented in terms of fitness, isn't he? I remember JT saying that's the fittest he's ever been playing with him would it have been the same for the goalkeepers as well would you have been moving that or we were separate our goalkeeper coach was great and listen we worked hard and goalkeepers were always in a good group so it was never never an issue but you'd look over and it was just straight line runs whistle you know boom boom boom boom boom Tuesday afternoon no matter what straight lines just hear the whistle and the lads were doing it but because we had that difficult season And then when he came in, even when he met us, he met us, the leadership group, he met five or six of us individually.

58:49I remember him telling me, like, this is what I'm going to do. It's going to be my way out of highway. We're going to be the fittest team, the most organized team, the most drilled team. And that's what we needed based on the season we had. So we bought into it. And even though he changed the system a couple of times, once he then settled on the 3-4-3, we were off. And as a team, the camaraderie, the players, the quality, the depth of players, the squad depth. Training, guys, 1-1. Like you play a game, box to box, half pitch, nil-nil, 1-0, 1-1. It was like war. Training was harder than games. It was like war.

59:27Chris Stark: Really? Training was harder than games. And he would be on the sidelines shouting and screaming. The intensity was a slight bit off. We get like the one you'd get, it'd be the Friday. where I think it's like a treat for us. One touch, like half pitch. And that was like a considered a treat because everything else was either tactics or 11 and certain things. But we bought into it. And once we were drilled, it was like in your sleep. Even when you get the ball, you just knew where everyone was. It was fantastic. I mean, obviously it was an amazing season. You end up winning the league and stuff.

1:00:01Chris Stark: But is that unsustainable? Like that kind of level of training? You know, like you've got a shelf life with that where the players stopped buying into it? Is that true to a point? Yeah, I think you do because the way he drilled us was great. But once, like six months in, we were automatic. I always felt like he could have then changed a little bit, but he kept drilling us until the end. You win the league and we're trying to get the FA Cup as well. And even the last week of the season, he's still running the lads. And we're playing, you know, last week of May, Cup Final, and the lads were just cooked.

1:00:37and Arsenal beat us and I think because they were more fresh and dynamic so that could have been and then he was also difficult the biggest things he was difficult was like training times you know normally you'd have a weekly schedule where you could plan a little bit with your family or whatever you needed to do clubs like Chelsea you have to have a monthly schedule because there's commercial activities and bits and he would be like just the night before be like training at 12 tomorrow training at 11 tomorrow and the staff everyone was you were just losing everyone and everyone was going mad.

1:01:07So that's why there isn't a shelf life in that either. So he was just a little bit difficult, but he had his ways. Was he impulsive? Do you think, is that being too impulsive, setting it for the next day or is it? Just the way it was. Just the way it was. Just the way he was. Very superstitious, very controlling. Maybe that's the way they did in Italy certain times. I don't know, but yeah, that's the way it was. Maybe it was just a way of keeping control of everything.

1:01:30Chris Stark: I want to ask you about Italy, your time in Italy as well, because obviously we briefly spoke about it before, but AC Milan as a club right is is one of the biggest you know and what's it like to actually play there like and be part of it truly I mean we were football like the football Italia when we were young yeah I don't know about you guys but for me when I was younger like AC Milan was the iconic team oh it's iconic right yeah you know the red and black stripes San Siro Maldini's Barrezzi's um Inzaghi's all those yeah players um Van Basten was always the iconic team so yeah so do Chelsea do Bournemouth all that stuff and then you get the call from Milan which was just incredible and again you know similar to Mourinho they had Maldini as director of football yeah again he was just they were they moved Pepe Reina on the call from Maldini is one of Mirboban Ricky Massara there were the three sort of head honchos in the football activity yeah in terms of the football operations again yeah you're the choice to come in and i'm like yep i'll be there wasn't how what am i doing what you want me to do what am i signing how much for just literally i'll be there and he was um he was a class act just a class act the whole club millanello at this beautiful little village they had and the setting uh just all the people the staff they just bleed red and black they bleed milan it was the unveiling fun the unveiling i mean it was all listen to the fans how they work how they presented you with everything how special to make you feel i mean i still have a little details of the pen i signed with uh they gave you it's one it's only yours casa milan it's an incredible place when you walk down in the basement you walk all the way up so it was just truly it's class and just little things like in Italy and I know teams do it but you had your suit and you have your room in the training round you have laundry ladies that do all your laundry for you just hang everything up in your room every week you get a new track suit every single away game so you don't have to ever bring anything home wash anything the ladies were there their sons worked there the security guard he was Milan and his son was Milan fan his nephew worked the three security guards all like Milan fans Milanistas from day dot and just that feeling of the club was absolutely incredible so yeah to wear that badge was great and then again as a team what they build at the youngest team in the league and then they brought three senior players in in January so Zlatan Simon Kier myself and the mix we had yeah some unbelievable young talents as well and went on 13 games unbeaten it was brilliant the only shame that year was COVID COVID hit so that was different but played in obviously at the derby against Inter which was incredible so I've got the experience of pretty cool things yeah superb so and Everton I remember speaking to you when you were at Everton did you enjoy your time now?

1:04:42yes I mean overall I enjoyed my time the people again just Evertonian scouts just you know absolutely brilliant people staff or class yeah it's a great it's a cool it's a cool place but yeah it was tough in terms of the the restrictions we had and bit of a shit storm to be honest ownership level obviously all the money dried up couldn't invest the relegation battles I mean obviously how the club the people everyone came together was was unbelievable Frank coming in Frank Lampard coming in the first year keeping us up was was how we did it I'll never know there's some incredibly memorable games I remember playing but when Goodison is rocking I remember playing a game against Newcastle when the guy hung hung himself to the post 115 minutes we played it was 30 minutes additional time and when we when Alex Ivobe scored with a man down I don't know how that place that was incredible

1:05:49Chris Stark: wasn't it how that place didn't collapse you can hear like in your your head was ringing great club just now hopefully with the new ownership the new stadium has a bit of direction but those relegation battles were stressful awful because you knew what was at stake again you know you're part of the senior group they're having conversations like if you get relegated this could be this could be curtains you know it could be really difficult the financial predicament they were in so the pressure the lads were under injuries how we put it together yes an actually amazing story yeah how did you find Lamsey managing I played with him and see him as a player completely different to someone going up and being in the hot seat but did you like what did you see him as a manager when you played with him um probably not I could see I could see him being being in that role but I when I was playing I wouldn't I wouldn't say oh Lamsey would be a manager I wouldn't have said that you know what I mean but when he goes into it you can go oh yeah of course he can like he's a great people person man managing but obviously you see him as a manager what was it like being under him could you see him then going on and being a success down the line so what was what was crazy about Frank and you know for the player they wasn't I mean he's a legend so he walks in you know played with Paul Lenz Roy Keane like those guys immediately walk in like oh respect you know so he had to respect the lads right away who he was as a player and that helped us because it was turmoil Rafa was the first half of that season and he was just a dead man walking in a way because of the Liverpool pole connection as soon as it turned a little bit fans were never going to back him so that was that was tough so he lifted a really difficult situation just of who he was and again the way he was obsessed with tactics you'd see him outside and you know 45 minutes an hour before a session would start and he would do all the mannequins the the the patterns of play it's frank frank doing this not not his assistants doing it he was doing it so he was really switched on um loved it just breathes football loves football like tactically could talk about it um was good to me obviously really really good you know um in terms of senior player conversations you had even a couple times when play jordan ahead of me or something call me in and they had you know man to man would say certain things didn't had everything about him yeah i I think ultimately what probably let him, let's say let him down, is he's almost too nice.

1:08:24I'd say like he was just too nice at times. I thought like, you know, he could have really put certain people into their place and really stamp his authority. But just great football mind, great manager. I love working with him. Maybe that comes to time now. Of course he does. He has had experience probably as well. Yeah. Because he's having to transition from being that player to that manager and take that role. But it was great. I mean, Ash was assistant. Yeah. Joe Edwards, was it? Joe Edwards, Paul Clement. Clem. Clem's great. So in all of this then, I mean, because it is an incredible career, as Crouchy said at the start, it's, for your dad, it must be everything he dreamed of for you and more.

1:09:08And you said he was your hero. Do you still like, have you had a moment where you've been able to sort of put that in front of him and share that and talk about it and the full circle of it all? Yeah, I mean, we've had some conversations because I think you as players, we know how close our dads are to it and especially how close he was to watch every game, no matter where, somehow, one of those crazy streams, whatever he needs to do. So it's not just our career, it's their career. They're living and breathing it. I mean, you have your close family, your partners, your kids, and they're part of it every day.

1:09:50But obviously, he was there from day one. So, you know, from when he started, when he would literally just put the gloves on. So, yeah, I think we've had some conversations. I think only when it's truly said and done, and I think you finish and you look back on, you probably have those moments more. I think when you're in it, you're always in it. Like, what am I doing? What do I need to do better? Where's the team at? Is it a stressful time? Is it a good time? What's the next step? What's the next move? what's the next club so I think when you're in it you're it's difficult difficult to kind of recap everything but I think only truly when it's all said and done then you can go from there yeah

1:10:24Chris Stark: we can look back what are you up to now so obviously I was at Leicester last year still training keeping fit seeing what happens I have a couple of options to still continue to play not I've sort of done I've done a lot of traveling I mean geez we've done so much traveling in our careers so really trying to not travel so we'll see this could be it this might not be it we'll see the next few weeks bring but still fitting well healthy good shape doing my bits and pieces training doing lots of media just like you playing a bit of golf you boys so trying to follow your lead you know what I mean they're setting a good standard City again was in Port Rush this weekend yeah City's always living the dream living the dream look at him dude of Chalmers with golf clubs yeah I was working out I was like to my boys I've earned it I've earned it I've deserved it yeah you did deserve it but I'm here for work that's it that's exactly right yeah yeah you enjoyed it though you enjoyed that side of it I feel like obviously you know you've got yeah I think I could see you as a coach as well like a goalkeeping coach or a coach of some degree or manager even you know I'm doing my badges so I'm on my goalkeeping A license now I've done both of my B's whether I mean I think when you're just sort of in playing to go straight into that commitment of full-time coaching and goalkeeper coaches is probably a bit much for now um i enjoy doing a bit of coaching i've got my own academies uh doing a bit with the aldershot under 18s doing with their academies just when i when i can and um trying to pass on some of that wisdom knowledge and work with them a little bit so i think that's more the coaching for now but long term you never know some guys you talk about frank talk about those those those players they miss the grass.

1:12:13They want to be on the grass and I might miss the grass and want to get back on to it in a few years time. But I'll certainly have my qualifications. I'll do all of that because I want to learn. I want to know how coaches think, what they're thinking. And I go from there. Maybe director of football, media stuff is really enjoyable. My academies, we're doing camps all over, traveling, seeing the world, doing lots of different pieces.

1:12:36Chris Stark: There were no doubt, mate, you'll be a success there. And I appreciate you coming on, son. Brilliant. Thank you, guys. Thanks for having me. What a blast. Really good. Thank you.

1:12:52Chris Stark: Right, the next part of the podcast is supported by Puddy Power. Of course, we've got the Why the Football Not campaign at the minute. And this one here from Rich, he says, Hi, guys. This is hands down the best thing that's ever happened to me as a Portsmouth fan. My mum entered a phone competition for a pair of Fratton Park season tickets. And against all the odds, she actually won. Just like that, I landed two season tickets for the 08-09 season, right when Pompey were in the Premier League. As if getting to watch the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo and Torres rock up at Fratton Park with my buddy wasn't surreal enough.

1:13:24Chris Stark: I even got to meet the big man himself, Crouchy. Go on. This was also the season that Portsmouth faced AC Milan, which has easily been the best atmosphere I've experienced at Fratton Park. I'm hoping Pete can back me up on that one. So now, whenever someone asks if I want to enter a competition, I just think why the football not I could say that's a great show that is great that is one of the greatest seasons I think for for Portsmouth really like it was for me as a player I just absolutely loved every moment of that that year getting to play AC Milan we battered them how mad's that at Fratton Park I do remember that Maldini Ronaldinho like it was in Zaghi we were better than them for certainly the first hour yeah and they managed to get a two-all draw but it was superb and what an amazing thing to win those tickets.

1:14:11Why the football not? That's why you're into a competition.

1:14:14Chris Stark: Why not? Got another one here from Jeremy, right? He says, My girlfriend surprised me with tickets, so it's PhD for my birthday. Lovely touch. So I thought we'd turn it into a romantic trip to Paris. For the game, we were sitting beneath the Eiffel Tower, taking the view, when a group of kids crowded around us and started putting things in our faces. We shooed them away and I looked down, my wallet had gone, with the match tickets inside. I spotted the kids in the distance and set off after them through the streets of Paris shouting stop them and even throwing loose change from my pocket at them as I couldn't catch up eventually completely out of breath I cornered them and they chucked a bag at me and ran off inside was my wallet with the tickets still inside result but inside the bag was also a decent haul of euros they'd apparently nixed from everyone else that day I made it to the game with newfound spending money to go with it no criminal process would have would have sprinted through Paris and started throwing coins at kids to rescue my bank cards probably not there's no way I was letting them get away with my tickets and missing the match why the football not that is a rogue why the football not there's a lot to unpack there quick headline on that I think Paris is the city of love I've decided it's the wrong city for me under the Eiffel Tower it's it's actually not that nice no no not for me I've actually I've never been there I've been to Paris you've never been to Paris I've been to Paris a long long long time ago but I've never I've I've not done it I've not done it with the missus or kids or couples I actually have I did it for abs 40 for recently and it was it was actually amazing but I get what you mean there is an undercurrent at times to the Champions League final and that was that was a bit nasty at times but parts of it are great parts of it aren't rough with a smooth yeah I was there at the fan park for on the Euro and yeah, the police were moving all of us on in quite a force of a while.

1:16:10I was like, this is meant to be the city of love. Wasn't really feeling it. That's Newcastle, mate. Newcastle. Newcastle.

1:16:17Chris Stark: There's only one city of love, mate. Sorry, if you can hear, obviously, loads of bashing around. I mean, we could only be described as complete. We're basically recording in a building site at the moment. It's the last week, isn't it, apparently? I think we said that last week as well but this one is the real one the real last week so I mean obviously you already experienced this fantastic with the new mics but fucking Bob and his builder mates out there the complete helmets

1:16:52Chris Stark: alright well let's get into the greatest league in the world of course it was the international period I had two all for the Spain in the game I was not far off that that gave Chris the point and he also got a correct score Portugal, Wales he went for 1-0 3-pointer so that puts him I mean that puts him on it puts him on 16 points I'm on 8 and Sid's on 7 you've popped an early bluey there haven't you? that's what you've done it's all the excitement for Crouchy reading Fairy Paul in a little bit give an extra go mate between that and the results I'm getting 16 points at least a semi yeah phenomenal scenes okay well Croatia versus England is the big fixture of this weekend England our favourites 20 to 21 you bet a 10 on that it's£19.52 return with your 10 obviously yeah yeah short odds I don't know I mean Croatia it's a difficult game so in Croatia as well this a big game this isn't it I think we've too caught at the moment the hangover for the World Cup I know there were some real good bits against Spain some bits to improve on there were lots of goals in that game two great teams playing against each other I'd like to think England will crack on into this I'd like to think England win this I'm going to go 3-1 lads I'm going to jump in lovely 3-1 England I'm going to go 3-0 oh I would have had either of those I've either got to go bigger you're on the beach 4-1 that's massive that's big ok moving on to Wales-Norway difficult for Wales at the moment they've not lost the last three not one in five yeah Norway had a great World Cup yeah looked good it all depends who plays I know this is the second game if there was injuries picked up in the first game with these or if they rested a couple but I think you'd like to fancy Norway I think yeah or it could be a draw at home Wales they could yeah at home at home I'm going to go I'm going to go with 2-0 to Norway 2-0 2-0 okay I'll go to no I thought where else I fancy them to score I might go 2-1 is that Norway oh Norway how goes that that was great alright you go 2-1 yeah um you're 2-0 2-0 Norway 2-0 Norway Norway okay I'm gonna go 3-1 Norway okay 2-1 Norway Norway Norway okay Beltebrick game historically France versus Italy this could be big yeah I went I thought Italy would bounce back strong against Belgium absolutely completely you're having a shocker are you kibosh me there and of course France recently beat the question that is Turkey eh yeah

1:19:58this is an interesting one France and Italy have not drawn any of their last 12 matches against each other this is not a draw right I think it's you to go to this is not a draw it's not a draw no okay I'm going to go France 2-0

1:20:16Chris Stark: France 3-0 France 3-1 lovely the odds are correct at the time of recording please gamble responsibility

1:20:29great to have

1:20:30Chris Stark: Azmir on yeah amazing story great lad as well there was a period where he was unbeatable at Stoke it really was so it's like a segue into something totally different now something that Chris mentioned obviously your wife had recommended this book it's called A Quarter Thorn and Roses yeah we promised a little reading from it yeah great I mean what I've never read any of this so I don't know what it's about so it was only because Siddy's wife told my wife about this book that I feel it's on our radar we should understand what's going on we should understand as men we should understand our women that's what we do here absolutely so this seems to be the book at the moment as I understand it it's linked to fairies and make believe I don't really understand how this is going to work so you're you're going to read it now so well I'll give you a little reading just to you know take this off are you going to set the tone?

1:21:24Chris Stark: yeah if you wouldn't mind just setting the tone I think if you change the light yeah they're red perfect that's great strap yourself in strap yourself in and remember this is a football podcast it's hard to believe sometimes isn't it? it's good to hear the builders already bashing away as well so we're ready Apologies if you take this to a quiet room you may hear some scaffolding being taken I just know it's scaffolding and nothing else you may that may light the mood a touch I'm so I'm going to struggle we need to get in the right mood here we need to set the tone I suppose it would be easier if I'm gone I said looking away from him who wants someone around who's covered in thorns thorns thorns, thorny, prickly, sour, contrary.

1:22:23Chris Stark: He leaned forward and kissed me lightly. Not forever, he said onto my mouth.

1:22:32Chris Stark: And though I knew it was a lie, I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. He pulled me onto his lap, holding me tightly against him as his lips parted mine. I became aware of every pore in my body when his tongue entered my mouth. Though the horror of Rhysand's magic still tore at me, I pushed Tamlin onto the bed, straddling him, pinning him as if it would somehow keep me from leaving, as if it would make time stop entirely. His hands rested on my hips and their heat singed me through the thin silk of my nightgown.

1:23:17Chris Stark: My hair fell around. Our face is like a curtain. I couldn't kiss him fast enough. Hard enough to express the rushing need within me. He growled softly and deftly flipped us over. Spreading.

1:23:37Chris Stark: Spreading me beneath him. as he wrenched his lips from my mouth and made a trail of kisses down my neck. My entire world constricted to the touch of his lips, my skin. Everything beyond them, beyond him, was a void of darkness and moonlight. My back arched as he reached the spot he'd once bitten and I dragged my hands through his hair, savouring the silken smoothness. He traced the arc of my hip bones lingering at the edge of my undergarments. my nightgown my nightgown had become hitched around my waist but i didn't care i hooked my bare legs around his running my feet down the hard muscles of his calves he breathed my name onto my chest one of his hands exploring the plane of my torso so rising up to the slope of my breast.

1:24:32I trembled, anticipating the feel of his hand there,

1:24:38Chris Stark: and his mouth found mine again, and his fingers stopped just below. His kissing was slower this time, gentler. The fingertips of his other hand slipped beneath the waist of my undergarment, and I sucked in breath. He hesitated at the sound, pulling back slightly. I bit his lip in a silent command that had him growling into my mouth. With one long claw, he shredded through my silken lace. My undergarment fell away in pieces. The claw retracted and his kiss deepened as his fingers slid. Jesus Christ, okay. He was coaxing and teasing. I ground his hand, yielding completely to the writhing wilderness that had roared alive inside me and breathed his name into his skin.

1:25:33Chris Stark: My apologies for the scaffolding.

1:25:39That was great. I mean, yeah. That's just a teaser. Fuck. Is this from the book? This is from the first book? Yeah. That's just, that's, that's PG's.

1:25:49Chris Stark: I mean, I can see what, you know, what the truth is going on. I can see what it is. Is it on the Games Gone board? or is it? I don't think so. Game's back. I think the game's fully back. Well, let us know what that does for you and if you want more. Let us know what it does for you. Don't get that with Gary Neville, do you?

1:26:11Chris Stark: Enjoy. Let us know if you want some more of it. I'll be happy to oblige.

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