Manchester Derbies: Fergie's Fury, Balotelli Madness & Shaun Wright-Phillips

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0:47BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. We lost 1-0 at Old Stafford. Alex Ferguson for two weeks didn't speak to us.

0:59and he said he got pulled over. He's obviously got cash on him, because he's going somewhere. Police have asked him why he got cash. He's turned down, he said to me, I told him I robbed the bank. I've never seen the manager go at someone like he did. Like, no way, someone's getting in, you just like, you feel like saying, come on, like, lose him now. With me and my kids, I refuse to play football with them. Don't want to show them up? No, I just, like, it was the same. They're all bigger than them.

1:27This is nice isn't it Wayne you like this sofa? Yeah it actually reminds me of my mum's one when I was a kid. I think there's a picture in my book and I'm like just laid out on it. And this is somewhere that you're familiar with as well isn't it? Yeah I've been here a few times, not to record any music or anything. But you've recorded one of our shows from this? Well near here yeah I was here, remember I was in that basement and I was like I've been in town working, I was here. That got cut out of the pod because it was such a boring answer. I think when I was like, Kate, where are you? Yeah, I was like, what am I meant to go?

1:58Yeah, I'm in a basement in a gym. Like, just can't lie about it. But yeah, it feels like we're about to do like a radio interview about like what your album sounds like. Yeah, I should probably say at this point for people that aren't watching this on YouTube or iPlayer, we are in a studio together in London. Myself, Kelly Summers with Wayne Rooney, Kay Curd, and we've got a special guest with us today as well. The one and only Sean Wright-Philip. Sean oh we're giving you an applause are we yeah man come on give him a proper welcome yeah Sean thanks for coming on the show today it's Manchester Derby weekend so we have to get you in yeah it's a tricky one isn't it this weekend Wayne well United are ahead on the table aren't they so I'll give you that one for this season yeah it's early in the season and Kay that was your favourite start of the season so far isn't it but yeah you can only look at the table right you can only be as good as whoever's been put in front of you and we're we're higher than City are at the moment this is typical Man United fan but listen oh come on Sean man look listen you get it you played for them like so much pain yeah that's what I mean I've come from the dark stages of Man City now we're all in the light you had a bit of success with them didn't you yeah I had enough I had enough it made me as a person and a character in many ways to be able to deal with a lot of things that I walked into because there was games that was going in especially against United, where a lot of players, senior players, were worried about keeping the score down rather about winning.

3:25So... Oh, was it? Yeah. How was that transition though, to go from like losing all the time and then... We didn't lose all the time. It's quite early to go in with that, Kai. I just wanted to see his mentality. Right, he's a few years older than me. I remember as I was like trying to get into the first team, Sean's come through at City. I remember them sleeves. I took one for me everything I was laughing about that the other day the kids weren't made to measure I was doing my kids when I first come through the sleeves are like massive any size fits all wasn't it in the regulations as well where you had to tuck in your shirt when you guys were playing I'm not sure if it was a regulation thing I think it was more of like a team etiquette thing like manager that's what a certain manager wanted rather than you had to oh because yeah it comes through the academies and then if you've come through as an academy player you go on to the first team then you've done it your whole time at that club so in Everton still do it my boys young boys are Everton now and you have to tuck the shirt and still oh really yeah because I was watching a game recently and I was like nobody's got their shirts tucked in anymore doesn't go right I don't like it I prefer it when it's tucked in I don't know I think you can get away with it now because as Wayne said when we were coming through we couldn't have our shirt out because me with a shirt out it would have been down to my knees basically so it was better tucked in that's wild isn't it The kits didn't really actually fit.

4:49It was literally... And they were heavy as well. If it rained, they'd put like an extra half a stone on there. Did you get to decide whether you wanted long sleeve or short sleeve? Yeah, I think then you could, but then it changed, I think with all the sponsorship deals and stuff. They brought all the under tops out, and so then they stopped making the long sleeve shirts. So, look now, no players wear long sleeve shirts. That's a really good point. Yeah. So, it's either short sleeve or short sleeve with the... Under armour. So you've got to, as a, just try to make more money off the fans, I suppose.

5:22Is that literally the reason? That's the reason. So I wore a long sleeve at United for a bit. And then they stopped making them, so that's why I started to wear an undervest. I think there was a Liverpool shirt, though, in the last few years that they released as a long sleeve one, but I think it was like they made a big deal out of it because, like, you're right, they stopped nothing. I think they still released them for the fans, but actually for the first team players is because they want to advertise the tops underneath and they don't make them at all. You really wore long sleeves, didn't you?

5:50Yeah, I weren't a fan of the cold knee, no. Did you have to roll the sleeves up though? No, talk to me in my gloves normally, girls. So I used to wear the under sleeves, so I wore that in the States when I play out there, and in like 100 degrees I used to wear it. And the reason I used to wear it because if it don't and the sun burns my skin, he tore my body up so I used to wear it to stop the sun actually burning my skin something I've learnt from these early pods is Wayne can't handle the sun remember the top of the log flume in Dubai wearing his skin tight so yeah people used to ask why do you eat it there's a little break and you get some water I put water on and it cools it down I'm going to love in like three weeks there's going to be like a suntan lotion company sponsoring I don't think there'd be any that would be strong enough.

6:41It's very sensitive. Let's bring it back round to the Manchester derby then because that is why Sean's here. How much did you look forward to these games or did you dread them? It depends. From academy days, I would say coming through the ranks, like it was something we really looked forward to for and we couldn't get away from it because back then that's all the fans lived for was like that moment from 16 all the way to the first team. They watched all of those games. So I kind of got dragged into the culture from a young age, especially being from London and it became my derby rather than just a South Londoner playing in a Manchester derby but then when we get when I got to like the first team and the derby was coming up I think like 10 to 20 days before I'll just be out with my kids and stuff and you fans will walk past you and be like look honestly we know how the season's gonna go but right now we don't really care, just beat Man United and we will be happy.

7:37And I was always like, I'm just going to try my best because at that time, getting the ball off Man United was hard enough. So it was like, when you get the ball, try and make something happen. But yeah, those days were good. But then when I came back the second time and certain players started coming into the fold, those players that came in had a different sort of belief in terms of... Which players in particular? There's a few of them I can't name for some reasons, but if you bring in your Vincent Companies, your Nigel Dijon, your Yaya's, and we said in there that your David Silva's, it kind of changed the ballpark.

8:12You're going into a game, and Mark Hughes was the manager at that time, and as much as he wanted us to defend, he believed in us expressing ourselves, and he's like, as soon as you get the ball off them, you go, basically, and you don't look back. And then the game started to change, and then I was thinking, every time we came up against him, we just believed we could beat him. Like even if it didn't happen. That's mad because, so what you're saying then about, you know, the fans coming up to you and stuff. So I had that obviously at Everton when I was at Everton versus Everton v Liverpool. So I was that side where the fans were coming up and ran the train ground for the week before.

8:47It's just everyone, like the staff area, like City fans there or Everton fans, like they feel sick because the game's coming up. They're that worried about losing the game. So then at United, when I was there, I was sure, after the first few years, it never really felt like a rivalry. It felt like we were going to go and win the game and move on. And then the longer it went on, obviously City then, we got more money behind them, getting better players in. It became a more competitive game. As I said to Kay as we walked in, I starved. You're going to come into your own here because you'll remember all the Manchester derbies throughout your life.

9:22And you were like, well, back then it was more Liverpool and Arsenal when you were growing up, wasn't it? I guess, but then it has changed as the status of two players changed, as these guys have said. Absolutely, yeah. I mean, when I was a kid, it was like Trevor Sinclair playing for them and all that. He absolutely destroyed the season. Yeah, that's what I'm saying, yeah. That's the sort of era I remember. I'm sorry for Patrice, he gets mentioned on this show a lot. We need to get him on to defend himself. No, I mean, I remember that game and it was like, yeah, you're right. Viric and Evra were having a hard time.

9:51They'd just been signed in January, hadn't they? But yeah, it was that era, so I didn't really care too tough about it. But yeah, it was the Arsenal and the Liverpool games that I was a bit more concerned about. But yeah, I mean, there was a few really bad ones once they started having some success. The sixth one, I remember, I was watching it in the gym with a couple of my mates and I was just like, I was about to cry a breath. I think that was a big moment for City then, because you could feel City coming up and getting closer to us. But to come to Old Trafford and win 6-1, I think that was like...

10:25The statement. Yeah, that was a statement. I remember being on the pitch. What was that like? It was horrible. We went to 10 men and I have to say that as well. Sorry, before we came here, you started talking about the shots on target. Yeah, no, because... I was like, as if we're still talking about it. Honestly, the shots on target were very similar. It was just that they shouldn't... Okay, you lost 6-1. No one cares how many shots on target there were. It was horrible. It was like second half, just felt like it was goal after goal and you're just like, oh, get me off this pitch. But do you know what made it worse?

10:56Because at that period, we weren't used to losing. Like you didn't know how to process a loss. Not at Old Trafford, 6-1. Yeah, it was insane. I don't think that's ever... I don't think it was a thing. Yeah. I don't think I'd ever come close to getting beat 6-1 at Old Trafford. Yeah, it was insane. Before or after. It's not like now where it's like, okay, yeah, fair enough. Whereas, no, I'm being serious. Like nowadays, if we lose, I'm like, yeah, it is where it is. But back then it was like, are you seeing our team bro? How has this happened? No, but City then had a good team. So even Jack, I don't think that's the credit he deserves.

11:29And Silva and I think Balotelli there then. Yeah, Balotelli. You didn't know what you were going to get with him. So they had a good team, Tore, Kompany, Harti and Goal. I know, but what were the players and the manager saying at the end of the game? What was it like? Did they need to say much or were you all just like... Yeah, I can't remember what the man just said, but... Plogged it out. No, but honestly, I'd imagine it would be just, you know, see us tomorrow, and we'd just have to move on from it. Is that how it didn't happen often, admittedly? Is that how United at that time dealt with any setbacks?

12:04It was like, that's just a one-off, you just move on from it. No, there was times where... Remember when we played Portman in the FA Cup quarterfinal, and Thomas Cusack got sent off? Rio went and goal we lost 1-0 at Old Stafford and it was the year we won the league on the Champions League and I think we was at Middlesbrough and Cardiff in the semi-final final for the treble so Alex Ferguson for two weeks didn't speak to us two weeks we had games none of you we had games

12:38Wayne you're going to have to tell us more like who's picking the team he literally picked the team the morning, the day of the game, he says the team. You walk past him in the corridor, wouldn't look at you. Two weeks, because he knew that was a massive missed opportunity for the tribal game. Oh my word. What are you and the players saying to each other at that point? Just trying to stay away from him. If you see him come down the corridor, are you trying to go another way? You see, when you were at City, say you did lose a Manchester derby, could you go out in Manchester that night or would you hide for the week?

13:10It kind of depended on the player. like if it the Man City fans were were good in terms of they were used to losing into in so many ways so they knew how to deal with that so they wouldn't they wouldn't prevent say a player from having that social side because sometimes that's how players get rid of bad energy or a bad loss or a bad game some players just use it just to switch off but they weren't too bad with me to be fair like I and not even United fans were bad with me Wayne's smiling so do you know after the 6-1 game yeah England beat 6-1 after something like that and I never got out I had a birthday party I'm glad you brought that up I had a birthday party Joe Hart kind of Barry City players were invited to me to me party Wayne I don't know why you're saying this as if no one knew it was in the press wasn't it I don't know it was yeah was it because I knew about it No, but I was literally sat there, I think, and I need to cancel her.

14:13Oh, really? And then, obviously, we've got family, friends, everyone who's obviously made their own plans to cover, and I was like, can't, so I went. And then, obviously, we've got the United lads, some of the City lads sat there, and we're sat there, just like... Do you talk to each other? Yeah, of course. Well, in the end, I think there was me, Crouchy, Hearty. We all got up and done a song of Baxter Boys. Which one? Which one was it? I can't remember which one was it. What, is that how you throw the ice? That was just the best way to get over it. Did the players in general, did you have friends from United as well?

14:52Did the players kind of, did the rivalry stretch to the players in terms of off the pitch? No. I just felt like as soon as you cross that white line, you're just arch enemies. And then once it's over and done with, you get a bit of banter from your mates about it or the players you know. but other than that it was just always there it's just on the field action only that's where I was saying I was saying before when we go with England I was actually closer to the non-United players yeah we were always together me, him and the front at England than it was with the United players I think because I probably just had enough of being with them every day different people yes was there anybody that you probably had an argument with on the pitch and then like you were probably like friends with him later on no I remember I used to love me little battles with company because he was a big, strong lad and he was a good player.

15:45So I knew it was always going to be a difficult game. And then I remember I've turned to make a run. I've butted him and I could see he was clearly gone. So I ended up getting me head stapled at the side of the pitch. And then Vinny went in and then he didn't come out at half time. He must have been concussed. So then on the Sunday, on the Monday, We both stood the skills off, my kids off at school. So we're chatting to him, I'm like, how's your dad? How are you doing when you put it in? Did you ever hang out with Balotelli? Because he was a bit of a character, wasn't he? Yeah, he was a special guy.

16:21Very special guy. Because I remember that shirt in it, the one where it said, Why Always Me? Yeah. When you saw that on a pitch, what were you thinking? I see, I don't mind. I think it's just him showing character. We haven't seen enough of that, do we? It's a bit like, you look at Canson now, where he puts his collar open. I like players who've got that little bit of arrogance and confidence about themselves. And I met Mayork times and I've seen him as a nice lad, but then you see some of the stories where he ran round his house on his motorbike. What was he actually like as a person? Because like we hear the stories, but what was he actually like?

16:57He was like a 12 year old in almost like an adult's body. Like the things that he would do, would you expect from a 12 or 13 year old like the fireworks in his bathroom like who who would think of when you've got a garden why would you like fireworks in your bathroom was he finding them out the window into the garden i'm not even sure what he was doing maybe just want them to get real lift off and he said to me one time and we're he came to training it's like sean you never guess what happened to me yesterday so he said to me after the game so i decided i'm just going to drive through orderly edge with my roof down and sing manchester city songs because we beat united and then he said he got pulled over.

17:36He's obviously got cash on him because he's going somewhere. Police have asked him why he got cash. He's turned around. He said to me, I told him I've robbed the bank. I was just like, why would you think of, that's just his personality. Like he said, it's just his character. But some player he could have been and some player he was at the time. Yeah, I was going to say, like you say, some player he could have been, but when he was good, he was really good. He was a special player. In many ways, it was unstoppable. but his temperament always got him in trouble on the pitch yeah no I think playing obviously not directly against him but you can see the ability adding him and that's why I was saying like I think that having that bit of arrogance is good but then I think you just need to show a little bit more a bit more consistent with him and I think he was just a little bit inconsistent yeah I bet you would have loved to have invited him to the party though yeah the firework's going off in his bathroom I'm not sure about that No, he was a top player.

18:34OK, well, you've spoken a lot about the 6-1. Sorry about that, Wayne. What was your favourite Manchester derby? I think it was the one we won 1-0 at the Etihad. Ronaldo might score the penalty. And the next day we won the league. So we almost won the league at the Etihad. Chelsea played Arsenal the next day and they drew 1-1. So that was mad because I remember sat at home. I've literally got me Clones Clones ready Had a couple of beers Watching the Chelsea Arsenal game Thinking like If Chelsea don't win We've won the league And then Chelsea got I can't remember his name The Dutch centre back Bullerish yeah He got sent off Early So then Arsenal Went 1-0 up So you're like Like Are you actually Are you lying on your Clones now Getting ready And then Chelsea Chelsea Equalised With about 10 minutes To go I think it was and then they hung on so then we've obviously all met up and gone out but I think that game was I think we knew if we won that game we'd won the league and that was the first title which we were the one so I'd say that game Were you surprised you said that or it makes sense doesn't it?

19:43I think for a player it's probably different as fans I love like a last minute winner The drama Yeah the 4-3 Yeah the 4-3 was like it was just insane and it was even better because it was in Fergie time There was another one as well which the League Cup second final I scored in the 90th minute it was 3-3 over two legs and I scored last kick of the game yeah yeah those moments are like for a fan it's like so good because it's like you're almost going to lose all your drawing or whatever and then you just see the reaction on the players faces Mark Hughes went mad on that 4-3-1 didn't he because I think he went to like 8-9 minutes instead of 7 it was so cool and I think I think it was one of those where we, at that time, City were really good as well, weren't they at that point?

20:34Yeah, City were a good team then. I remember Bellamy was on fire. He scored two great goals. That was a tough game for us. I think City were probably a better team, to be honest, in that game. And then Michael Owen scores later on. But I remember the one where Malateli's done well as me. I'm sure it was that game when Ben Foster played and he messed up and I've never seen the manager go at someone like he did like no way someone's getting in you just like you feel like saying come on leave him now there's no way Ben Foster could have played for Man United ever again from that moment I think he's spoken about that but van der Sar had been injured so we knew van der Sar was ready for the next game so I think that's added to it and he's just gone on me and that's the worst I've ever seen.

21:26Does anyone dare say anything in that situation? He's just looking at Ben. You're a frog, mate. Don't worry, mate, in 10 years, your YouTube channel's going to be amazing. So, yeah, it was a bit too far, I think. What was your favourite one? The 4-1 at the Etihad. I'd say that was like a massive one for me in terms of games because even through that game, but like Man United were bringing it. Like, and with Man United's teams, you could have been 3-0 up and they have 20 minutes left to go. And with that team, they could have still come back and got something out of the game. And I remember it being 3-1 and I'm just like, there's 20 minutes left, 15 minutes left.

22:08And I'm like, it's still possible for these guys. Is that genuinely still going through your mind as a player? As fans, they'll think that. I don't know what the fans think, but 3-1 isn't a good score because as soon as it gets to 3-2, injury time plays a massive part when it's 3-2 so I remember like I think it was 3-1 the ball went up the side of the pitch and like I scored the fourth guy and I was dead like I actually didn't want to run but the ball just for whatever reason wouldn't roll off the pitch and I looked at the ball and the fans started going on in my head I was like damn I'm going to have to kind of go for it now and I just went for it and before I knew it I was in front of Wes and I said like the thing that we learned in training, especially when Mark Hughes was there, is that when we get up there, don't lose the ball.

22:59Either I have to go for a corner or something needs to happen so they can't hit us back on the counterattack basically. So I just said I just need like half a yard just to hit that ball as hard as I can and just remember it just looping in. Pop quiz. What's in your kid's lunchbox? At Whole Foods Market, they've already done the studying. Over 300 food ingredients are banned from their shelves. No hydronated fats in the peanut butter. And no high fructose corn syrup in the cookies. And for sandwiches, there are no synthetic nitrates or nitrites in any of their deli meat. So you can pack lunchboxes with peace of mind.

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24:21There was one person I wanted to ask about though, about the Derbys. You see when Tevez came back, what did you lot think, did you lot want to get at him or was it just like normal? No, he was gotten. I was gutted when he left because I really enjoyed playing with him. I think he was probably my favourite partner to play with. Was he? Yeah. And then, I think there was all politics around who owned him and Faye just didn't want to play any part in that. And like we were there, I think we could have had him for like 20 million. Something like that. And like as players, like what are we doing? And then anyway, he goes to City and that's his choice.

25:02I don't think. So as players, none of you thought, oh my God, I can't believe he's done that. If you ask him, would I have done it or would other players have done it? No, but he's from Argentina. I don't think that really has any impact in his decision making whatsoever. from that point of view. So it was a massive loss. And then we just knew where City were and trying to grow him going there because we knew the ability was going to help them massively. It's quite a transfer, isn't it? Moving from United to City in terms of doing that. It's not really something that's done that often. Well, I mean, there are a couple.

25:38Owen Hargreaves did it. But he was... Yeah, Shemayakul. But at that moment when he did it... He went to the left or was he? That was like... not I wouldn't say his peak, but. It was near it. That was at Tethers, Tethers time. Like it was a shock. It sent shock waves, didn't it? Through the Instagram. It shocked us, Kelly. But does it speak quite a few? It shocked us. That was what I was going to ask respectively. What was it like? At players at City, it shocked us because we never saw that coming. Normally if we get a hand-me-down from Man United, they're at the later part of their career, like kind of winding down.

26:10Hand-me-down. I don't know. I don't know if they're called footballers that as well. No, but when you're getting a player like gifted, because like you said, in many ways it was gifted to us. Like to get a player like that, that ability, at the transition of the time Man City were in, was massive because from he comes, other players are thinking, well, why is Tevez going there? I think it was against City when he scored at Old Trafford. Yes. Towards the end of the season, I think he scored, he went in off the post. Yeah. I think it was against us. I think it was against City, yeah. And from there you knew, because I think they were trying to organise for him to stay at the club and then he's ran over and he's ran to the boards and then he's done that with his ears and whatever.

26:51And there you're like, he's not going to be here next year. Yeah, he's massive. Yeah, I suppose that was quite, I can't go over the hand-me-downs phrase. Who would you refer to as a hand-me-down by the way? Well, definitely not Tebba, that's for sure. But no, I wouldn't even say about Schmeichs but we got Smeichel Smeichel's a fantastic goalkeeper and he was when he came to City but if he was Man United wouldn't give us a 25, 26 year old Smeichel Before we wrap up the Manchester derby chat I can't believe we haven't spoken about the overhead kick goal that must be one of is that one of your favourites from your career?