Steve Bruce on Man Utd's SHOCK Win Vs Liverpool, His Newcastle Nightmare & Crazy Fergie OUTBURST!

30:21He could never train every day because obviously he's bad knee and wasn't bad. Similar to Ledler King, though. Spurs, wasn't it? he was a senior.

30:28Nicky:I think what Bruce said there, I think it was up to us then, because what we came into, and the great example, them that I'd had, Bruce and Brian Robson, I keep saying all these names, Mark Hughes, it's unbelievable, but they had the real pressure, they haven't won the league for 27, 28 years. Yeah, 26 years, yeah, yeah. 26 years, yeah. Yeah, yeah. That was the whole Holy Grail, yeah. Yeah, to try, as you said, with younger players, to try and, we obviously got to learn from what these taught us, these unbelievable players at the club and not easy but we had to try and carry that on and bring in young players in you know growing up you know you talk about you talked before about would you play again you'd love to play again I would never change the time I had in my career because it was brilliant the cliff training ground it was brilliant they'd come in there'd be bacon busses on the bed there'd be big pots of tea it was just real it was real yeah it was real that's exactly what it is and then you'd get I remember we'd get a warning off Brucie and Robbo on a Wednesday if we had an old game right we're going to all meet in the Bulls head inhale team meeting bear in mind we was like 17 like skinny as a rake two pints of beer and that's it you're on your backside literally you go into this Bulls head for a drink and then you'd be sat with like your hero and you're still looking at them like you played like five or six ten games you're still looking at them like can I stand next to them what can I do but the actual team spirit that we had there growing up we had to ring the landlord of it because Eric would only drink champagne so we had to ring it up to see you break it in your bottle I'd love to have seen what kind of champagne it was from the local Asda do you remember our first ever away trip with them which one was it Marbella oh yeah we were two young lads we'd hardly played a game first time I played golf that week it was you first time I ever played step foot on a golf course I would have been 18 17 yeah so being away with all these yeah I hope no yeah I dropped we've crossed the buggy we've crossed the buggy in there on the golf because a big posh golf course obviously two scallywags never played golf in the lives went over a bunker and dropped it right crashed the buggy right into a ball a tree you know when you used to go out like say you had the meeting there in the pub and what I mean you were away as younger players did you look at these on thing what's he drinking out I'll drink that because that'll put me on the same level that's a massive mistake that was one thing that we we weren't very very good at yeah but we still used to we was we was there so like scott was saying we get tech on these away trips and we was basically the kit man's helper yeah that's all we're taken for but to just be around these people and i remember we'd walk up from the on littleton road or sorry up the cliffs road what's the road the cliff car we get the bus Lower Broughton Road you get off the bus the M10 we'd all meet in town so we'd come from his side I'd come from my side we'd all get to the bus station at the same time and you'd get the M10 to Salford walking up and the lads would be driving past in the big Mercedes and stuff and they'd stop and give you a lift up but that doesn't seem like anything but when it's someone who you've been watching and you've got the picture on the wall and stuff like that so what happened was when we finally got into the training group or the matches they knew us by names and we knew them so it was not that big distance what there is nowadays it was young Beckham as well we used to go out to London he used to always be in the dressing room we'd say who's this kid he'd be sitting in here by the way he used to do that quite a bit didn't he quite a bit yeah he was sitting in there I'm saying well he must be some player this fella he's sitting next to us and getting us more tie-ups and things like that you know quite a bit and when you think about the management side of it here's a kid from London sitting in our dressing room we're playing West Ham away and he's sitting next to me you know what's he doing in here he's 12 or something he was at the time and was he just a quiet lad yeah quiet lad who was who obviously who was obviously yeah big man new fan wasn't he even though he's from London of course I think he knew more about United than he used to absolutely really his dad was obsessed his dad was obsessed yeah yeah yeah his dad didn't miss a game but yeah still doesn't I don't think just when these came through when you were a senior player then did you have any moments with the other players where you you spoke about away from him you know going he's going to be a world beater or oh what the fuck are you doing

34:54this one this was Danny McGregor Danny McGregor the physio used to call him the wee ginger magician he said you had problems weren't you Jim McGregor yeah but

35:05Nicky:you used to call me Merlin I never know what the fuck he was on about but you always had to seem to have a bad knee when you were a kid didn't you yeah Osgood Slatter thing yeah whatever that is and then you couldn't go out in the sun for a while yeah yeah sunburned badly yeah I couldn't play in the winter because of my chest I couldn't play in the summer because it was too hot these are all the gaffers excuses for leaving me out by the way I got them the best excuse ever oh unbelievable you're not tall enough you're not playing you're not playing you do well when the ground gets heavy I went yeah it was that's pretty much I only play in November though that's the only time I'm going to play football in November this episode is brought to you by EDF Britain's biggest generator of zero carbon electricity.

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36:52For verification, visit edfenergy.com slash zero dash carbon. Wowzers. I think I were nuclear powered reading that. You could say it's Evie Peasy Paddy. You could say that, but that would be a terrible line. Right, Steve. As you're here, let's delve. into... You're not going to go into management, are you? Let's delve into... These don't go into much of the management. We'll start with your playing career, but we'll get into management. Playing career, I can hardly remember, by the way. On the management side of things, firstly, and I know everyone's spoke about it now, it feels weirdly in this fast moving world, a little bit old news this, but Ange getting the sack at Forest, it seems when you hear ex-managers talk, you know, and I think everyone's pretty much the same mindset really it does feel too soon well I think we all know if you go into management now that the one thing you have to do is hit the ground running turn it around quickly and it's all about results there's nothing like we're talking about manning before with Sir Alex and giving the time I think we all understand it now that you don't get time and you are judged by instant results I mean but five Premier League games seems just totally remarkable doesn't it?

38:17Where they've had the turnaround it baffles you doesn't it? But I think we all understand it now that unfortunately that's the way that's the way it is you are judged instantly and you don't get time these days it's quite simple Obviously you've had the inside track on this but again for me watching it as an outsider who's just a fan of football, when Ange was announced as a manager of Forest, me just, and again, I have no skin in the game with Forest either, but I kind of felt like, weirdly, I didn't think it was a good fit, just me personally. Then the Forest fans weren't that keen on it. Now, you had a similar sort of thing when you went to Newcastle.

39:05do you feel the players straight away pick up on that and go he's not popular possibly possibly I can get there for some strange reason with Ang it didn't seem to be a good fit and you're saying personally me I'm looking from afar thinking I like Ang he's always won a trophy even at Spurs where people doubted him and questioned him when he first went into Tottenham Celtic as well absolutely he adored Celtic the way they played Tottenham the way they played he's the one this is the Tottenham way when he first went in after a year then he doesn't have a plan B and all this nonsense and he still wins a trophy goes into Forest all of a sudden they aren't quite from day one it seemed you talk about Newcastle when I went into Newcastle the headlines in the period was surely not is this how far how low we've stooped away of thinking I was in China thank the Lord so you just got the job so I just got the job and this is this is how low we've stooped and all of this so we knew from and as I was telling you there before we played West Ham in out in China and we win the game 1-0 and I sort of leant over to Steve Agnew and said this is as good as it gets we may as well call it a day now and the lip read what I'd said to Aggers and all of a sudden blew that up so before I'd started before I'd started I knew I was up against it you know was that pre-season

40:40Nicky:pre-season yeah pre-season just in the middle of pre-season and of course Rafa Benitez was was adored by the supporters so I knew I had to fill in fill his shoes in when did Rafa go then at the end of the in the end of that season yeah end of that season yeah it took a bit of time it took a bit of time and to be fair to be fair I didn't really change much because we played a back three, back five, were not very good to watch, I have to say that, but me job was, how do I keep Newcastle in the Premier League? We knew with the budgets that we had and all the rest of it that you are up against it.

41:22And of course, Mike Ashley, who was a very, very decent boss, I have to tell you, but the supporters weren't having them anymore. So there was always, and the best thing that ever happened to Newcastle, let's be brutally honest, is what happened three, four years ago where all of a sudden now they're competing at the top end. When I take it over, we're just good to stay in the Premier League. That was my remit. Whatever you do, keep us in the Premier League. I think it's a weird psychological thing with anything. It must be a British thing where when you were saying about Rafa, you're coming in after someone who's loved at the club.

42:02New Nault left Forest loved by the fans far outperformed where they should have done Ferguson leaves United Moyes comes in and it's almost like coming in after that man never I can't I'm trying to think now of a manager who's replaced a really successful manager and they've hit the ground running Slop maybe Slop maybe Slop He was the major one, wasn't he? Yeah, from Klopp. He did amazing. He did amazing and never changed anything.

42:37Nicky:That must have been a dream job for you, though, Bruce. Oh, it was the absolute one. When I got the phone call was, by the way, though, I get a phone call from Kenny Daglish, Alan Shearer, Graeme Souness, all saying to me, you know what you're doing? Graeme Souness said to me, he said, I've managed in Glasgow. He says, I've managed in Merseyside. he said and I've even managed in Turkey but nowhere's like the North so you've got that in your mind to think but I had to take it and I still don't regret taking it, of course COVID hit after that so we didn't have any real support but I remember I remember we finish in 13th or 11th or whatever it was and it was towards the end of COVID and there was about 10 ,000 allowed in the ground remember when they just allowed certain aggrads in and it was the end of the season so I said to Steve Agnew do you think we should go around and give the supporters a clap he said I wouldn't if I were you

43:39I said oh come on it cannot be that bad we've just finished 11.30 we've just matched what Rafa's done it cannot be that bad come on as soon as we open the car sit down you fat bastard

43:55Nicky:so you must have been there when the change of owners came in so I was I was I was hit the death and listen I'm going to put on record as well I recommended two Englishmen to them to and I have to say there were Amanda and her husband were absolutely terrific in the week I was with them they allowed me to have the thousandth game my thousandth game would you believe in management was me last at Newcastle and we got off to a great start. We were one and up after five minutes against Tottenham, eventually got beat. But Amanda and her husband were absolutely terrific and I had to say to them, listen, the only negative now in the club is me.

44:42So you've got to do the honourable thing and get somebody else in who can take you forward because if I'm going to stay, the negativity around the place and and I recommended I recommended Steven Gerrard who I believe was close at the time to taking it and Eddie because I think Eddie Bournemouth had done a magnificent job and all the rest of it so I'm gonna take a little bit of that one to say yeah was you a Newcastle fan as a kid oh absolutely adored them yeah super Mac Malcolm McDonald and all that it's just one of them clubs and even when you go up there watching a game it's something about it in it the fans of passion I know I know a lot of clubs are but it's quite a special place St James's Park when you're up there it's a place that I was there five years there's a place that when it's good

45:31Nicky:it's unbelievably good and when it's bad it's like it's horrendous and obviously Bruce is at the nail I got relegated with him so can you imagine that did you enjoy getting a bit of abuse you think about the clubs you went to so from Aston Villa and Birmingham Newcastle and Sunderland Sheffield you're out in Sheffield Wednesday I know there's something a bit sick of me I'm thick maybe I'm thick thick as who I guess you just need a shoe in Atlanta by the way I can't go to the North East I can't go to the Midlands by the way I've just been to his house he's not that thick which wing was you in there

46:10and do you know something some of the the most enjoyable times with somewhere you know like Wigan is probably Wigan yeah Wigan is probably the best team I ever had you said that a few times the best team I ever had what type of players did you have there so hang on a minute I saw I had here Wilson Palacios Catamull in Zogbia Antonio Valencia Melchiot Shana Rambe

46:36Nicky:what a player did you recommend him to United to the manager so Dave Whelan was adamant that he's not going to Bayern Munich and he's not going to there was a club in Spain I think it might have been Real Madrid you know so I think Antonio had Bayern Munich Real Madrid and didn't he play for 13 years for Man U he has a story about Antonio so I got a teacher in I got a teacher in because he couldn't speak English so after about 8 months 10 months I get the teacher in and I say by the way he still can't speak any English. What are you doing with him? He says, I know, Stephen. It's really, really baffling, but we've got to keep bashing away at it and bashing away at it.

47:12Anyway, he comes back to me a couple of weeks later. You know why? You know why he can't speak English? I said, well, come tell me. He said, well, he can't read and write in Spanish. So what chance have we got? What chance have we got? So, I hope you don't mind me telling you that, Antonio. It's always a bit instrumental in putting Dave Whelan to Fergie and they got but I lost so I lost Antonio lost Heskey lost Palacios and Heskey so they were the one team where I could take I could take anywhere and really take take them on you know you didn't just sat back and sat just had a go were you saying then about Valencia with Whelan not wanting him to go to Bayern or Real Madrid why would you want him to go to an English club because that seems like I'd want to get him as far away as possible no no he was completely opposite to Dave Dave was complete opposite he wanted him to play for Man U he wanted him to stay in England because he knew he was that good and if he was going to lose him he wasn't going to lose him to he wasn't going to lose him to the Spanish did you buy him?

48:21no he was on loan so I would love to take the credit for him but I think Paul Jewell took him on loan from the World Cup from Ecuador Ecuador yeah he was a top top player poor brother Antonio Valencia.

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49:17Pays, it checks out. Activation required. See Pays.com to learn more. Terms and conditions apply. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast instead of doom scrolling? Smart move. Another smart move? Getting help from one of State Farm's 19 ,000 local agents when you choose to bundle home and auto. Bundling, just another way to save with the personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state. Talking of players, we'll park the management stuff up for a minute.

49:55So you signed for United from Norwich for£800 ,000, which back then, massive money. What did Sir Alex say to you? Well, the first conversation he had with Brian Gunn, you know, the goalkeeper. Yeah, I know Gunny very well. You know Gunny very well. And Gunny used to babysit for me. No. So when he first came down... Are you OK? Do you need to see someone? Babysit me kids, by the way. Not babysitting me. Sorry. Babysitting my kids. And it was him who taught me. He said, I'd had a phone call from Fergie to ask all about you. And I said, really? Anyway, when the phone rang, I thought it was Gunny taking the piss.

50:40So straight away, the first conversation I had with Fergie was, are you for real? Or something like that, you know? And anyway, it was him. And once he called me, that was it, you know? even though I had the chance to go to Tottenham and Chelsea and there was only one club I wanted to go and that was... And it's funny enough, I've got a photograph at home where as we flew up, the pair of us, Jan and I, as we flew up there, when we get to the airport, he's there. He's carried my bags. Brilliant. Got a photograph to pick us up, pick us up in the car. Just little things, yeah. Little things like that straight away, you think.

51:19Bit of class, eh? Yeah. Was your captain straight away? No, no, no, no, no, no. Brian. Robbo was the captain but Brian was getting towards the end so no it was about Brian Brian until 92 and I'm from 92 onwards

51:34Nicky:you both went to the trophy together didn't you? yeah yeah first one was how was he going to handle it? how did it all start with Palladon you think about partnership I always think it's so important when you look at the best teams there's partnerships everywhere it's your centre-halves, your midfield players your winger and your full-back there's not many around you know he was a big laid back big lazy git wasn't he and so laid back any danger of you if somebody annoyed him I remember saying one thing about remember big John Fashionew who used to bash everybody around so I says to Polly did you see what he wrote about you at the weekend Polly he says you're soft as shite and all the rest of it yeah did he it'll go with him by the way and he was by the way he was such a naturally talented centre half 6 foot 4 can run handle the ball he was a fabulous player but laid back Sid wasn't he but you know when you talk about partnerships I think we missed 5 games between us in 5 years something like that that's frightening you know we never got a rest by the way you's got a rest we never got a rest you two can play centre halves are easy though I remember playing when you first got in and it was the first time I really seen the abuse that they give each other and I was like listening to it he's like how can they then go for a pint after with each other but it wasn't just them Schmeichel as well Schmeichel was the worst when we got in by the way they're all like abusing each other and then they go in the pub after and it's just all forgotten about it's like an eye opener it's amazing when you say you know something after a while you know he didn't have to police the dressing room they didn't they did it themselves they're NC and even Eric when he wanted to even though Eric's nature was quiet well you think that's what talk about the character how many of you were managers it was like walking into a group of managers yeah we've all had a go we've all had a go we've all failed misery would be like we've all failed no no no but yeah I think it was it was natural for the lads Mark Hughes as well still going still doing it Do you know what they all did though?

53:49I think they're all still involved with football to a degree, whether in management or a pundit or whatever, because they all enjoyed it immensely. How do you not? When you look back on it, Scolsey, you look back on it. Oh, brilliant. Best days of your life. Some of the names you just mentioned then, and how they were having a go and aggressive and this, that and the other, what amazes me, and I wish not just United, loads of teams were here about the characters there. I'd love to have seen that because all these blokes you just mentioned then, when I've been in the company, they're always the loveliest, nicest, kind of gentlest people.

54:26I remember Schmeichel. God, every time at soccer, I'm like, what a lovely guy. Everyone's going to let him show time. He's just so nice.

54:35Nicky:Before a lot of games when I was just coming into the team, I was 19th man sometimes, you know, you don't get on the bench. I had to warm Pete up. That is scary. one ball and one centimetre either way oh it's a nutcase isn't it don't burn his balls with a teacup neither did you burn his arse or something with a teapot oh I remember that yeah I remember was it a spoon or a pot it's the teapot remember the big soda teapots you used to put them on the table oh Pete cheers Pete walks up bollocko and he would come out of the shower and we were saying before about the sandwiches on the medical bed it was a medical bed but it was just full of baking but it was hot tea and for some reason I thought it'd be funny to just put the teapot near his backside but obviously he's got his backside but he's turned around and his old man's hit the kettle and he just I'm not exaggerating when I said he went and you see the size of him as well and I just thought I thought shit I'm dead I'm legging it and he's fucking chasing me naked but the worst thing the worst thing it's a true story the worst thing was his ex-missus see me in players lounge and I had a right go because I think he had to have Antipatich for it because it busted.

55:48Nicky:It was on the old chap. I thought it was on the... No, the old man, yeah. I tried to do it, but he turned round 360. That's why he's so gentle. I think you're fucking new to him. He's certainly mellowed. I think we'll put it that way. Picking moments out of your career, surely the two goals against Sheffield Wednesday and getting the 96-minute winner. That's got to be... Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's probably the highlight, yeah. You know, everybody seems to think, though, back then, that the two goals won us the league. We still had seven games to play, you know. And we went to Coventry on the Monday.

56:25I think Dennis scored from 20 yards and we win 1-0. Nobody talks about it. But everybody remembers Fergie and Kiddo on the pitch. Celebration, yeah. And the celebration. And that tells you something about it, you know. Not many people have realised. The person who crossed it to me for the second one was Polly. Oh, yeah. So I'm in the box and Pally's playing right wing What a partnership And do you know something It was one of them easiest headers That you're ever going to wish It was just on a plate for me

56:53Nicky:You think of all the games you played for Man United Winning Premier Leagues, captain of Man United Playing brilliantly with Pally every week Behind you How long did you never play for England? It's amazing I was closer to playing for Ireland than I was England I got the phone call from Jack before USA 94 but I would have been and Jack being Jack said I've just been on a bloody train and the lad who served me lives next door to your mother and tells me you're Irish your mother's Irish I says Jack that's true he says why haven't you taught me before now I said well I probably haven't he said well listen we've got big injury problems at centre back would you be part of the team to come to play in the World Cup in USA in 84 I thought oh sounds magnificent so I go and see the boss the next day before I even get to speak to him he says you can forget about this Irish nonsense really because I'd have been oh the foreigners said the same thing with me about Scotland really and he's Scottish and he denies it but it's a true story he said you're not playing for Scotland what points in your career did you think to yourself I want to go into management because you hear a lot of managers and I know it's a we've said about Ange before these day this day and age you only get a short period of time to prove yourself but when you kind of think oh I fancy that yeah I am I honestly thought I was going to go into a career of kids I had soccer schools at the time back in the day when I was retiring and I just got Honda on board who were going to come and sponsor me and I had this idea of of going around the inner cities with the sponsor on board to take and go and take people like these to go and do a couple of coaching sessions and things like that that's what I was going to get involved in and all of a sudden really out of nowhere Sheffield United rang me to see if I would become interested to become player manager now it's hard enough being a manager player manager when you're 38 39 we don't see that anymore do we?

59:01Nicky:when you were doing it there was a few doing it I mean the biggest as well the biggest one was Kenny yeah Kenny was player manager of Graham Rangers player manager I remember Graham Sharp was at Oldham he was player manager a little bit different and my last ever game we're going quite well we're playing Sunderland would you believe who back in the day was the arch enemy for me so we're about 12 13 games in and it's the top of the table clash full house at Bramall Lane we get beaten badly off Sunderland big Niall Quinn and who was the other centre forward? Kevin Phillips, no? No, no, it wasn't Kevin Phillips.

59:38It was, went on to play for Leeds. Anyway, he ripped me to bits and I can't remember his name. He went on to play for Leeds and anyway, we got badly beaten. And Dean Saunders, after the game, I've had a pop with a few, I've had a pop with a few of them and say, you didn't do this and you didn't do that. And Dean Saunders, where were you the day? He said, well, you were shite. so you can't say much I said yeah but Dean I am 38, 39 or wherever I was and I'm not playing again and I never played again and I sometimes regret it because if I'd never been the player manager I still think I could have gone on you know because I never ever wanted to retire because as I've just said before the great days I'll just play a game of football on a Saturday and train all week

1:00:28Nicky:and I never wanted to give it up. So Nick, you play for Bruce. Hey. Birmingham, how did that go? Hey. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Well, I have to tell you, I have to tell you, I have to tell you, it wasn't easy. This is, it was so friendly. It was difficult, friendly moment. No, I, Eddie and, and, hey, listen. You can't wait to get his side out. He's in CCS. I was Newcastle and I started off really well and I got a hamstring injury and I was, I was crap for him. At Newcastle. Right. I wasn't great there for a while. Obviously, Bruce come in from here. I know Bruce really was. We all do. I went down there.

1:01:04Nicky:I found it really tough because it was... You know, as a footballer, you look at everyone else to blame. So I was blaming everybody apart from looking at myself. So if you remember, I did a mini pre-season in Marbella, didn't I? I went to Marbella and did a pre-season. And I was thinking... I was only about 32. I wasn't even that old. But for some reason, I had this... neuro problem down on my back and I'm sure I couldn't run yeah couldn't I couldn't spin I couldn't run and it got to a point where Brucey quite rightly dropped me good few times and I couldn't see anything but everyone else's fault except mine didn't you have a hamstring issue or something yeah my arm's ring I didn't yeah I couldn't get it fixed I couldn't sprint I couldn't I could never sprint I couldn't I couldn't get into a thing and I remember we went to West Ham and honestly it was the worst day of my life of the wall as a drain obviously but went to West Ham and I get a knockout, what was the coach called?

1:01:59Nicky:Blackie? Eric said oh he gaffed once and I'm thinking, oh that's a bit weird, surely not, no. You used to drive them knocks at the door. They're awful as well. How many has you dropped them off the gaffer on Saturday morning? It was absolutely the right thing to do, it was the right thing to do, but the story, you listen to the story, it was nothing to do with the actual decision, so he comes in and he goes, sit down pal, you're not going to like this, straight away you think, fuck's sake. So I go, I blow up, I go and get my bag, and I get in the car, wrong thing to do, total unprofessional, ridiculous, get in the car, but I'm like, well, I had to get a taxi all the way home from London, in my bag, and this is a true story, I've got my, I didn't mean, I thought you got a train on.

1:02:42Nicky:No, I've got a taxi on, so I've got a cap on, I've got a jacket over my Birmingham tracksuit, so this taxi driver can't see me, it's a true story, and talks, bought us on, it's just reporting that I'd not gone to the game. But he's left us there, didn't he? And this taxi driver's going, these fucking footballers. All the money these footballers. True story, all the money these footballers are on and this fucking cat even get there for work. I'm going, yeah, they're knobbed. So I get halfway down the motorway. Shelly, my ex-wife, brings me up. Nick, dog's just died. Oh, fuck you. Oh, no, so I've got the dog's died.

1:03:13Nicky:I've got this cat's driver calling me all the names. I fart with my mate from the point and then he finds me two weeks away. He says, well, what's that's what?

1:03:23and by the way can I tell you can I tell you something about management and all the rest of it that is still the hardest part is that you can only pick 11 and usually you've got 25 and especially when somebody like Nicky because we all want him to do well but he wasn't right he wasn't right physically and no disrespect Nicky again was all about that you got the people and it's funny when you reply though you can't accept that no you can't you look at you look I mean I left my new and a half because he left me out the cup final in 96 you know in Canton I scored a winner against I didn't expect to be back in but I thought I'd be on the bench and how old was you though I was 36 since it may you come in there's you had come in the room for the last month and and did well had you been injured though I never had a hamstring Nick to hamstring the last month of the season and Maisie come in and did well, didn't expect to be back in but I expected to be on the bench but back in the day I think there was a three and you know he said to me I'm not going to put you on the bench I'm going to bring in Sharpie Sharpie was being out of the equation for weeks and months I said Sharpie he said yeah in case something happens to Schmeichel he can put the gloves on

1:04:49this was on the pitch at Wembley I said piss off I'm like it's a case of it's a case of me going to Schmeichel

1:05:02Nicky:did you play after that then to be fair you've done some silly thing you had just goals and you said it was everyone else's fault except yourself so I said fuck it I'm finishing football I've done the right football no more everything's going through your head and I think I stayed at home for a couple of days and then I went into the office apologised and that was it we moved on you cracked on with it and the good thing is somehow you somehow you went back to Newcastle didn't you and got yourself right and then you had a really good season for them and playing in the Championship so you was on loan at Birmingham on loan at Birmingham yeah and then I went back to Newcastle and we've already spoken about how difficult it is to turn it round and I went back and it was a pre-season game and there was 56 ,000 there.

1:05:46Nicky:We were getting beat 2-0 against Villarreal. And I come on and I got booed on by every single fan. Booed on. I scored two goals, got man of the match and then Glenn Rode brought me off because he must have thought, I'm going to give him a rara. And I got booed off. And in the end, like Bruce said, I got... You played nearly every game in the championship, wasn't it? Yeah, then I got fit and I was captain for three years and I got player here for two years. It's interesting when you talked earlier about management and where you enjoyed yourself and you said, weirdly, Newcastle, which I didn't expect.

1:06:21Because looking at success you had at Hull, surely that's where you wrote the league. Yeah, Hull, I couldn't have written the script any better, really. I mean, we went into Hull and we get up and we're first year. So we got to the Premier League and we managed to stay up and get to a cup final and 2-0 up in the cup final in 2014 against Arsenal. Thinking it might be your time, but unfortunately got beat 3-2. Played in Europe and got a promotion again with them. I had really, really four fantastic years.

1:07:00Nicky:How were in Europe? Yeah, we got into Europe because we... Through FA Cup. Through the FA Cup, yeah, through the FA Cup. But do you know, it was one of them ones as well, though. We were in the Premier League and you're sort of playing your team. It's a burden for you sometimes. Yeah, it becomes too much. It was too much on us to stay in Europe. It didn't last long. Remember Burnley a few years ago? Yeah, it didn't last long. So really the great memories are, oh, it's great to get into Europe, but the big problem was come to terms with playing on a Thursday or Wednesday where I wasn't travelling back and didn't have the squad to cope with it how do you go on because obviously you'd be upset yourself but when you're 2-0 up in a game like that against Arsenal you lose 3-2 what do you say to the players after?

1:07:51they give their all you know the disappointment thing was they scored and with all the talent they had, they scored from two corners and a free kick, I think. Sounds like Arsenal now. Arsenal back in the day. And we didn't stay, we were 2-0 up, but it was 2-1 very, very quickly. So we always knew that we were going to be up against it. And it's funny, after the game, I remember having a cup of tea with Arsene Wenger and said, if I had lost today, Steve, I think I was gone. Did you say that? Really? Wow. Yeah. So, you know, I don't know how long he went after 2014, but, yeah, great times with Hull, and I really, really thoroughly enjoyed it.

1:08:34It was a great time. Did you get asked at some point about being the England manager? Yeah, yeah. I had an interview with Dan Ashworth. What year would that have been? When Sam got it. Oh, right, OK. When Sam got it. I'm not very good with years. When would that be? 2016. Yeah, so I had an interview with Dan Ashworth at the particular time and in the end they've given it to Big Sam. Did you know who the other candidates were when you were going to interview? I had an idea because I knew Sam very, very well. Yeah, yeah, so he's like... I believe it was between the two of us, really. So just, I think for a fan, this is the thing where I go, right, tell us a little bit about that.

1:09:20So you've been approached to come in for an interview as the England manager. So that paranoia of getting out, Dan said he was actually coming to the house, you know, on Sunday morning, my house in Birmingham. So I said, Dan, yeah, no problem at all. You know, come early. He says, how does eight o 'clock sound? Nobody around on Sunday morning. I thought, great. And all of a sudden, my wife Jan's preparing a bit of Brexit. all of a sudden the croissants are out and the fresh coffee are out and she'd had all this prepared and you're a little bit nervous of course how are you going to go about it what's your what's your plan with it and so sorry just so just before you get into that so you've had an initial phone call off him yeah i had a phone call off keith downing actually who was in the england thing at the time and um and knew dan ashworth so he was working in the fa and said uh they were paranoid of it not getting out and had got out about sam the photographs and yeah the rest of it that big sam was interviewed and blah blah blah didn't want that at all so and maybe he's just ticking a box maybe they were always giving it to sam i don't know right you'd have to ask dan that but anyway he we decided to have it at the house on sunday morning yeah and i don't i'm up all night I'm a little bit excited, a bit nervous can I say the right thing and anyway there's a ring at the doorbell at 20 past 7 on Sunday morning Steve I'm a little bit early is it ok?

1:10:57Still got my jammers on I hate that Still got the jammers on Did you wear a bed at West Brom? Sorry? No No he was gone by then So get the croissants in the oven So the missus says Oh they glist And we sat and had a conversation For about an hour and a half And we were in pre-season at the time And I was with Hull And we're playing Mansfield away After the game I get the phone call So I'm at Mansfield No disrespect to Mansfield at all I'm sitting at the dugout And Mansfield away And get the phone call from the FA To say Unfortunately you've been unsuccessful You could have given yourself a cap as well couldn't you?

1:11:41I'd have played myself I'd have definitely picked myself that's for sure and it went to Big Sam and it didn't go my way and don't say anything we're not privy to or whatever but when you're sat having that chat about being the next England manager you're in your house what kind of questions do they ask you? how would you play? how would you go about this? how would you do about that? All sorts of questions were football related. And I said I would surround myself in people who had played for England. And back in the day, there was this swirl and that people weren't happy. I got it from Big Pally, really, because he didn't enjoy it.

1:12:29And I've heard Steven Gerrard say there was a bit of a friction between this group and that group and that group. And how could you repair that? and I was talking about Frank Lampard giving me a hand and Steven Gerrard giving me a hand. These big people who'd been around England and knew what it was like to play for England and I'd never been in the environment so I couldn't really comment on it. But I'd heard these things, mainly from Big Pally, because to me that he never really enjoyed, which is sad really, isn't it? Because even yourself...

1:13:01Nicky:I think around that area it wasn't enjoyable, was it? Yeah, it's horrible to say that, isn't it? It's horrible, it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing saying it, but yeah. Obviously, it's well documented, the reasons Sam got the job taken away from him, whatever you think about that. But you've had a good interview with Dan. Surely it'd be like such a short period of time, you'd go, oh, right, well, Steve Bruce has just interviewed him. Yeah, yeah. Hey, listen, I have to ask other people, but I did think that at the time, thinking well you know I was in the frame six weeks ago or whatever it was eight weeks or whatever it was but as I said I think they've promoted from within and Gareth was with the 21s and doing okay and given them an opportunity and obviously grasped it very very quickly so yeah What about you now Bruce?

1:13:54Oh what about now I think so I'm definitely going to the ashes yeah I'm definitely going to do the ashes play golf yeah but I don't I'm a farewell the golfer but i'm going to do the ashes but i'm sorry did you say golf yeah fair weather oh no no no i'm glad you don't know because i didn't really want to talk about it one you know you've said it stay

1:14:19what we've got in here bj pro-am winners trophy that i won at the uh the event you get this every week the whole week yeah yeah bmw 2012 pro-am winner wow yes what did you shoot what you're playing off she says 146 under but we don't like to talk about it we don't like to talk about it we don't like to talk about it I said you can keep your Champions League medals it's heavy isn't it it's heavy it's heavy I didn't really want to bring it out on the podcast but I'll let you have a little touch while you're there there you are so I don't it's the heaviest thing in it thank you pro I'm the goal wow I know yeah well to be fair we had Marco Penge on our team so that's what won it for us really yeah how often do you go out playing oh I'm a fair weather right Portugal Portugal yeah I do a bit in Portugal Turkey's nice Turkey's nice for golf yeah yeah wow

1:15:18Nicky:get your hair done while you're there oh oh what did I tell you about putting this extra light on me today I said it's not a good look but no you've done it anyhow anything for clicks anything for clicks what do you play off? Oh, 15, 16, something like that. That's perfect for me. I can't go out with these two because they're far too good. Far too good. This would be a nice thing. Shall we do some quick fire questions? Right. These are for Steve, but feel free if you want to jump in, lads. So, best player you ever played with? Oh, that's a real difficult one. Horrible question. Horrible question.

1:15:59Horrible question. because you don't want to upset certain people

1:16:06Robson was unbelievable in his plomb and Cantona for the effect that he had on people but he's one of my best mates Brian would, if you wanted a team you'd have Rob on your team or something else Team mate you were closest with off the pitch for a long time Brian when he was when he was yeah when I first came here he helped me enormously and stayed that way so yeah long time right okay what about you two is it each other two ginger two ginger scallies from this part of the world they come as a package they come as a package

1:16:46Nicky:someone said so a while ago you're like the new ginger ant and deck

1:16:53Nicky:oh brilliant yeah mate well if you two are in the jungle I've known yeah mate best piece of advice you've ever had from a manager best piece of advice tough question when I first came to United when I first came to United I used to think I was a bit of a player I could play a bit so Fergie grabs a hold of me one day and said pointed to the goal he said see the goal I've bought you to keep the ball out the back of the net and you see him pointing to Robson it might have been Whiteside actually see him they're playing midfield because they're the best players so when you get the ball keep it out the back of on it and just give it to him and stop thinking you're Franz Becker will you so I think I was yeah okay are you good on the ball though Bruce aren't you well I used to think so but Fergie's things obviously didn't but he said that one you always did where the centre forward his girlfriend chest it down I don't know how you ever get onto that because you do it all the time it's editing and he's like I could see it come to my life until it went wrong with him again I miscontrolled it he would be on me what about you two best advice from a manager a bit similar to Bruce I wasn't the best most talented player I was surrounded by a lot of talent in the youth team with Scolzi and Giggsie and other certain other players but he once got me and said the biggest talent anybody can have is hard work so don't be too embarrassed about being the hardest working player on the football pitch and I say that to my son now.

1:18:27Nicky:Yeah, I like that. I think we might know the answer. I think you touched upon it earlier but I'll ask you, most talented team you managed? I think my best team that I managed when I look back on it now was the Wigan team. For that 12 months we took 63 points I believe from a Christmas to a Christmas. Bloody hell. Yeah, which would have got us in and around the Europe stuff. You think of them big clubs you manage as well and it's with them yeah as a team but you know all of a sudden all of a sudden Palacios and Valencia you've got Cattenham and a young Cattenham all were 21 22 and he and then Zogby had fell out with Newcastle and they were a really good team physically had it quick one I'll tell you one we had also a lad called Zaki Egyptian he was as mad as a rocking horse by the way anyway I wasn't going to play we were playing Liverpool one day and he was late coming back he was supposed to be back on the Tuesday Nick he didn't get back on the Thursday Waltz is in on a Friday so I says to him where have you been he said oh Zachy needs a holiday Zachy needs a holiday I says well he ain't playing tomorrow by the way we haven't got Liverpool away and as he walked out the door I thought I really haven't got anybody else really so I'll probably change that anyway as we're going to Anfield right I thought I'll pick the team and I'll put him back in it anyway he's in the team after two minutes he takes the ball off Jamie Carragher and scores after two minutes at Anfield and then he gets an overhead bicycle kick I don't know if you remember at Anfield it's a great goal overhead we come in at 2-1 up or 2-0 up at half time and he goes to me at half time see Zach he needs a holiday finally most talented player you've managed oh not you then no if you're saying me but it's all forgotten it's all forgotten I think it's I think it's probably although I've managed Andy Cole and Dwight York Dwight was a nightmare I have to tell you where did you manage them?

1:20:42Sunderland I took them to Birmingham I took them to Birmingham helped me get them of course but I think the best the best one was there was Christophe Dugary where we got him on loan and wow 55 caps for France and him single handedly kept us in the division at Birmingham and I remember picking him up from the airport and taking him back to my house and the missus wasn't in and I was in a rented house at the time so I'm making him a cup of tea right and I'm looking for a biscuit and there's a packet of rich tea so I thought well I'll get the amount and I'll put it on the plate you know and and about half an hour now or later we're having the discussion and all the rest of it and he said Steve he says I've seen enough and I'll come he said there but you can forget about them

1:21:36was that the area won the World Cup yeah yeah yeah he had a fallout yeah so he had a fallout he had a foot he had a fallout where was it well he was in And he was in France and Bordeaux, I believe he was at. And everybody said to me, he's only going to last six months. And we give him a huge contract after he kept us up. And then I took him off at Villa Park one day. And Stern John come on and equalised. And after the game, this is about eight months, nine months in, after the game, everybody's ecstatic. I see Christophe in the corner thinking, oh, I shouldn't have took him off. there's trouble coming there's trouble coming down the road on the Monday morning knocks on the door and said gets his contract rips it up in front of me huge contract by the way he says I came for nothing I don't want nothing contract's finished he says I says Christophe listen have a little think about it you'd have been a bit hasty you'd have been a bit hasty you don't have to go just no he says it's over it's finished do the honourable thing so had to call the bosses and say listen Christoph's leaving ripped his contract up and off he left it's quick as he came but yeah what a ton of he was yeah great player it means we hear things like I know it's done you think oh what's going on behind the scenes it's as straightforward as I do it is that and and that was Christoph you know he had this free spirit a bit like a bit like a cantona really yeah them you know but well talented yeah I remember Jeff Horsfield because he was a big bricklayer from Barnsley who was up front from Birmingham at the time and who's this I've never seen anybody play football how good was he how good was he Steve it's been absolutely brilliant having you on pal thanks for the stories thanks for the insight as well especially with the England stuff it's really for me personally that's a a real treat to hear all that thanks very much Paul, thank you very much thanks for joining us on this episode of The Good, The Bad and The Football you can catch us every Monday from 6 o 'clock on the usual channels YouTube, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

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