Jonjo Shelvey | Rafa’s Prawns

40:41I love Suarez. Yeah. I think he's like top, top centre forward. Isn't it similar temperament on the field? I think he's worse than he. I mean, he takes... He likes a fucking national and likes a bag ton of, doesn't he? Takes chunks out of opponents. I've never done that. No, he's... But he was so good. Like, unbelievable player. Did you know that as soon as he signed? Because he signed in January, didn't he? I mean, the first day, I think he put the ball, like, Carragut's gone into pressing, and he's just making them put in the top pins. And normally, like, because he's from Uruguay, so normally, like, them South Americans, they take a while to adjust to, like, the Premier League, but he was, like, straight into it, like, gnailing people in training.

41:26And what I liked about him was it come out in the papers that after, like, a week of signing, there's a picture of him outside Costco's with like 324 pack of Coronas walking along in his trolley and I just thought what a guy what a guy what boots did he wear F50s but he's like changing colours all the time I don't know if he's in humans now is he still a player yeah he's in Miami is he I mean he can't move now it's a bit sad when you watch him really I mean but he was a joke that year when he scored like three act-tricks or four act-tricks in the season he was a joke but yeah he was top top player Coutinho did you play one yeah but when he first come I said this the other day to someone when he first come like I was thinking who's this kid because his mind was off it I honestly thought you're like there's no way you're thinking here because he was like that and I just thought you're not going to get to the pace of the the league do you know what I mean but then all of a sudden he just went like and he was just unbelievable that's right because there's small and there's yeah he was really small but he was like so slight in his frame as well which I don't think helped to the start but he built himself up a little bit and he was just I mean couldn't get near him but he was so far ahead in his brain do you know what I mean was it your choice to leave my choice yeah I I went in to see Brendan at the time and I could have gone to Palace on loan because Ian Holloway had just got a job at Palace and obviously had a great time with him at Blackpool and then Brendan was like I said to him I don't really want to go but I'm not I can't get guaranteed he said I can't guarantee you the playing time that you want and I think I was 21 No, I don't actually know how old I was.

43:33I think it was about 20, 21. Still young. Yeah, but I had no patience. That was my problem. And he said to me, for me, personally, if I was you, I'd go on loan and keep playing games. But he said that you can go on loan to a Premier League club, no problem. So he had spoken to the chairman at Swansea and the chairman at Swansea said, like we don't want to take him online we would rather buy him Michael Loudrop was a manager at Swansea so I went down to speak to Swansea and loved Michael Loudrop I loved him the way he spoke the way he came across the way he was describing what he wanted me to do as a player and I just thought like yeah this is for me Hummel Loudrop you used to wear Hummel yeah I weren't born then I'm impressed with that John but I'm just remembering the Danish kit Ommel so I'm putting two and two to get that best player in training many boots Ommel two but he's taking a punt there best player in training he was and what age will he have been 50 odd 40 50 he but he like he'd take it around three players and then he'd put the keeper on the floor and then he'd make the keeper stand up with like the way he moved the ball and then he'd put him on the floor and then he'd just think it over the but like the keeper's only like 19 so his confidence is just gone and then all you like so you'd go off from the training pitch and then all you'd hear is his Ferrari driving out at the training ground at 12, 15 it was just mad but what I liked about him was he said I don't care like what you do what you eat whatever as long as you turn up for me and play for me on a Saturday and perform then you're fine and another thing is in training he would like if you got the ball and you turned back and played backwards he'd stop the session and give the ball to the other team because he always wanted you to look forward and play forward which I liked as well because I was going to say that suit you so like I hate playing backwards anyway so I thought yeah I'm going to do alright with you here and he was just top and then he tried to take me to Qatar when he went to Qatar but I was 24 at the time 23-24 Still I was just looking that last season at Liverpool you played 32 games 5 goals At Liverpool Yeah It's a big call isn't it Is that what you mean massive call Leaving Yeah Say you're on the I mean I speak to my dad now about it and he says the worst thing you ever did was leave Liverpool Was he telling you not to at the time Yeah He said just if you don't want to be there then go on loan like go and play some games somewhere else but I just had I didn't have any patience I just if I would have stayed we would have known what would what would what would have become of it he's like with Jordan Anderson Jordan was going to leave wasn't he yeah but he had a different mindset to me like he would he was not happy to be on the on the bench and wait for his opportunity but he you could tell he I mean I like a beer he don't like a beer but he was so focused on going to the to the top do you know what I mean I've felt like I've got more ability than what Jordan Nielsen has but he was more professional than me and I think that's the only reason why he went like that and I sort of went like that yeah but look I've had a great career and I enjoyed every every second of it but it could have been a lot more than what it it was in my opinion people might say different but in my opinion it could have been a lot more than what it was which manager got the best out here uh probably had my best spell in the premier league under rafa or loud drop then when i really enjoyed it when eddie come in though at newcastle because he sort of like was so detailed and i wish i'd worked with eddie like as young you know younger but then i got some bad injuries like towards the end of my time at Newcastle I had surgery on my hamstring and it just sort of it killed me really and then I come back and done my calf straight away it was the year that they got into the Champions League and they was flying that year so I knew that I weren't gonna get I wasn't they weren't changing the team either so I like either don't blame me for changing the team um and then forest come in i didn't want to leave newcastle because i've been there for eight years i openly say i didn't want to leave my two of my kids were born in newcastle yes they were settled in newcastle they went to school in newcastle loved it mrs loved the area um i went obviously down to nottingham but i went in to see eddie and said look, did Forrest have offered me this?

48:47Like, they offered me a two and a half year deal on the same money that I was on at Newcastle. And he said, look, I can't give you that insurances that we can offer you the same. I said, look, I don't want what they're offering me. I just want to stay, be in the building, stay in the area. Be like my family settled here. I said, look, I'd have another year because I was coming towards the end of my contract. and he said you're going to have to go and see Dan Ashworth he said I can't make that call he's down to Dan Ashworth and went to see Dan Ashworth and he just said no I'll see you later little midget So has your mindset changed now then because if you do happily sign another year at Newcastle you weren't going to play as much as what Yeah because I was older and I was more thinking my kids being close to my kids because I wanted I love my kids and I want to be in their life.

49:45I want to see them grow up. I knew that if I went away, my wife and kids would stay in Newcastle, and they did. So I went away by myself. And even when I went to Turkey, I went to Turkey for 18 months and lived by myself. And it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I ended up becoming addicted to sleeping tablets because I was just I'd get home from training and to pass the time I'd be sitting in my apartment and to pass time I'd think well what am I meant what am I going to do now I was in a I was in a city that it was it was a muslim orientated city it was there was like three restaurants the lads barely spoke English there was the only three things you could do really was go to Starbucks, McDonald's or Domino's which I knew of and then not a bad three by the way yeah but I'd come home from my apartment stare at four walls with my dodgy stick and to pass time I'd just end up taking three or four sleeping tablets and like I thought I'd pass out until the next morning for training.

51:03It was simply just to pass the time? Just to pass the time. And it'd become an addiction. Just an escape. Yeah. And I thought if it stopped myself, then I thought if I do that, then I moved to Istanbul and Istanbul was a bit more vibrant city. You could go out and, but I was there by myself again. So I'm not one to go out by myself. I hate being alone.

51:31and like I thought to myself you could either go one way or the other I could go and drink myself to pass time and then like drink's no good for a footballer it's not a good tool but I thought instead of drinking I'd carry on with the sleeping tablet so that would be a way of passing my time do you know what I mean so I'm not putting on fat drinking pints in a pub. So I'd go back to my apartment and try and sleep in tablets. What was the extent of that addiction, if you don't want me to ask a minute? How many were talking over? What period of time? So I'd get home at one, half one, and about three o 'clock I'd have a bit of food, and that'd be my last meal.

52:24and then I'd take three or four sleeping tablets and then wake up about 12 o 'clock at night, pop three or four more and then wake up for training the next day. And it really, to be honest, it destroyed my relationship with my kids and I was never present, do you know what I mean? And this is probably the first time I've ever spoken about it and I was lucky that my missus is such a good woman that she like kicked out of me do you know what I mean and and the kids like it was hard because I was coming home from training and the kids would have like a a thing on on like a school event like a school play or something and they would stream it I'd have to watch it on YouTube and I just thought like yeah this is hard work and I was just just so lonely do you know what so I felt to pass time I'd just take sleeping tablets I suppose you've not really got much time to contact them either than any if you're asleep from sort of 3 till but the worrying thing is that I would look at my phone the next morning and I'm reading back over text I've sent it's like what the fuck what have you sent do you know what I mean I'd send the manager in Turkey who don't speak English like who I think should be playing at the team and stuff like that fucking hell but but believe it or not I probably had the first part the first part I was in Turkey I actually had a really good time in terms of on the field I really enjoyed it and I got to like had a bond with the fans and but I just knew that I couldn't live by myself because I was addicted to sleeping tablets and it was only going to go one way.

54:20It's rife in football, isn't it? It's so bad. It's so bad. I'm lucky that I've had people around me, like family especially, that have really kicked it out of me. Did you have to go and seek help about it? Yeah, I did. I went and done that... where is it the Tony Adams spotting chance yeah I don't mind that opening this time I'm not proud of it but I had to I had to get help and luckily I did and sort of saved saved my relationships I know lads that have played playing in the Premier League and they're like all the lads are doing it I think it's just so easily accessible as well yeah from the doc club doctor and I to be fair I went looking for him like I found a website online you could just put in what you want and you buy them and bosh get delivered to your gaff and it got bad like I'd come home from Turkey and for three days and I would go and see his kids and like they're talking to me but I'm not I'm not present and then ever since I've got off from my relationship where the kids had just gone like bang.

55:43Do you know what I mean? Did you ever sleep in and miss training? No. No, I'd never ever do that. There's been sessions where I've just been like gone through the motions. But I was only ever like that when I was in Turkey. It weren't when I was in England. It was when I was in Turkey because I felt I was just so far away from everyone that I was close to. Tough to come off of? Oh, mate. Sleepless night. Yeah, because when you talk about drug addiction, alcoholism, you don't think about sleeping tablets. I know people are becoming a lot more aware of it now. Yeah, the only people that know that I had addiction was my family and close friends, until now, obviously.

56:32But it was so hard to get off from, like I'd be lying in bed and my missus would try and stay awake with me to help me through like the evenings and the nights but um like some days i'd be like i wouldn't sleep for like three days or and then i wouldn't sleep for three nights but during the day i'd be like finding myself nodding off and then like even like my missus was like slapping on the leg to wake me up and that so just so i could fight it just during the day so that night I might go back to sleep and then eventually I sort your body clock out my body clock come back to normal scary that man yeah at any point through the Turkey period did you not just think tell you what fuck this there's much life in football what am I doing well this what happened the second club in Turkey I am Arda Turan was the manager and the club had just got promoted from the first division to the Super League.

57:39And I didn't get paid for four months from the club because obviously you hear about the things in Turkey and they don't get paid and that. And then they tried to give me... My payment was split up into two salaries, two sort of checks, if you like. And they tried to give me my first lot in cash, but it was four months late. and I was thinking, I can't take that much money. Like, I can't take that money back to England like that. Do you know what I mean? It's all like having it, but you kind of fuck all with it. Yeah, I can't do anything with it. So, and then the second, it was due, my thingy was due for, for thingy.

58:19I was due to get another thing, but then like another payment and then never come. Text the guy who was in Charleston, like, when's the payment expected? He'll be here next week. okay no problem next week come didn't get paid again found another excuse not to pay you and then um in the end i just said look give me like half of what you owe me but i'm gonna go back to to england like let's just terminate the contract because like i'm away from my family doing a job but you still gotta pay me like it's a contract at the end of the day do you what I mean so then we agreed on a termination thing and then I come back in like the November or early December had Christmas with my missus and kids and got off the tablets and then back home yeah back home back in Newcastle and then Scott Parker called me and said like come in and and uh do a bit of training and see we'll have a look at you and see what you're like and then And he said, like, after three days, he pulled me into his office and said, look, I knew what you can do as a footballer.

59:40I played against you. I just wanted to see what you was like as a lad. Because I've heard you're a bit of a hothead on the pitch and that. He said, but I can't believe how quiet you are. He said, you're, like, so quiet. You just literally don't speak. You just get on with your job and are away from the field. Do you know what I mean? and I said, yeah, but that's just the way I've always been, but I've got this reputation that I'm a hothead because of what I've been like in the past on the pitch. And he said, yeah, but look, we're going to give you a deal until the end of the season. But then I think four or five games in, I literally tore my calf.

1:00:26I think it was like 16 centimetres, just tearing my calf and that was me that I knew I weren't going to get another deal do you know what I mean so did you did you disclose uh to Scotty Parker that you'd just come back and obviously you had this problem with tablets no I just said the reason the reason why I did come back was because of the payments so I just said that I just didn't get paid out in Turkey um I told someone at Burnley like the guy one of the player liaison officers and he helped me go through the sporting sporting chance he's the one that put me into the sporting chance thing so that was when you were at Burnley yeah and then so I was doing like meetings on a Monday and that and but yeah found it really helpful just being able to open up and talk about it really yeah yeah I imagine that's the first big relief yeah because it's sort of like you always keep things into yourself don't you or I do so and like to be able to open up and there was people on there that I was talking about the same things that you were going through and it helped put things in perspective as well.

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1:03:50Microsoft 365 Copilot Co-pilot. In a classroom of sodas, most stay quiet. Then there's Mr. Pibb. Sweet cherry, bold outbursts, the kind of flavour that gets attention. Bold kick of cherry. Hey, yo, Mr. Pibb. Was he crackers to run? Yeah, he was lunatic. Absolute lunatic. In a good way or a bad way? No, just lunatic. Absolute mental. I mean, I actually watched a documentary on him before I signed. and because obviously knew that I was, I'll tell you another story in a minute, not about him, but it was going to, he was on Amazon. If you watch it, it's about, you know like the Amazon documentaries they do about like Rooney and people like that.

1:04:40He's got one and he's got, there's a video clip of him. He has a fight in a bar and then I don't know whether he gets done in the fight, but he's gone home, got a gun and gone into the hospital and tried to shoot the fella. I swear to God. And he's on the documentary. Mad. He's mad. But I mean, you see the clips of him. He takes his shoe off on the pitch and launches it at the liner. He was like, he's mental. He wouldn't have had that scuffed. And he's like, all he'd want. You'd walk into his office and he would go, John, I love you. I love you. He'd say, you have whiskey for me? Because he was just heavy on the whiskey.

1:05:20you'd go in there you'd be like you'd have his feet up on the desk cigar a whiskey after training mad and I'd never experienced that in England do you know what I mean but yeah but I to be honest I only really went there because they offered me a very good contract I wanted to go back to the team that was at the previous year in Turkey because I'd had such a good time on the field on the pitch but then it was a that was a newly promoted team as well that season and it was quite a small team and we was going for Europe and we was playing Istanbul Basakshir away in Istanbul and we trained on the for the game was on the Saturday we trained on the Thursday and in the warm up I've sort of run like I've crossed someone and this lad in training he didn't don't know purpose but he's come running straight into me into the side of my leg here so I pull out of training on the Friday like the lads have gone to train in Istanbul and I said to the manager like I can't train like I'm I'm in serious pain and normally I'd play through play through anything and then I said I'll what I'll do tomorrow is I'll have an injection before the game to try and just take the pain away so I've had the injection before the game go out to do warm-up and i'm still my leg my right leg is in complete agony so i don't play the game we lose two nil and that's sort of it was a it was out of us and them going for europe and um so they've got like the upper hand there so then the sunday we flew we flew back to rizze and the sunday the doctor said oh we need to go and get you a scan so he said after after the lads have trained what what we'll do is two o 'clock we'll drive to Trabzon like the hospital and he lives in Trabzon he says but um I'm having a barbecue at my my ass and the scans eight of 8 p.m so I'm like all right he said would you come and meet my family and and I'm like yeah I'm by myself so I go to the barbecue mate I've had he's given me 10 I've had 10 pints in the barbecue but we've got a scan at pm he gets in his motor parallax drunk doctor the club doctor drives to the hospital and when you've got alcohol in your system nothing shows up on the on the scans does it so he's gone back to the manager of the club and said ah nothing wrong with him like he's as good as gold so then i'm thinking i'm not there's something wrong with my leg so anyway there's six six games to go of the season so on a Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday 9am 10pm I have two injections a day like to take the pain away and then two injections a day of a game so I'm having like 14 12 to 14 injections a week just to play to try and get this club into Europe we don't get into Europe but I play the six games I think we missed out by three or four points.

1:08:34But I'm literally hobbling around the pitch. If you watch clips of them six canes, I'm like, can't run. So I have two weeks off in the summer. I then go back to Turkey to Antalya on holiday, get to the hotel we're staying at. And a guy that I'd met in Rize, he was the analysis guy. He's got a sports science degree, so he's I said like and I got on really really well with him I said will you come down and do a bit of training with me if I'll pay for you and your missus to come and stay at the hotel and we'll just have a week's training so he's come gone to the pitch gone to run and I thought fuck my leg's still not it's not right but I'm off injections and things like that he goes look we're not doing anything else because if there's something wrong with you you're going to blame like you're going to blame me or I'm going to get in trouble for it so let's go to Antalya into the town into the city and let's get a let's get an MRI and an x-ray done so I'm like all right so we go to get an MRI done they said oh you you need an x-ray because it's like your bones not thingy like they're not like aligning so I have the x-ray I've got a full-on broken leg like my bone is just the both of them have just come away from each other one's facing that one's facing this way and I'd played six games I'd played six games with a broken leg and then for three months I was in a boot so I couldn't then go and I was out of contract I had no club and then I was lucky that this other Turkish club come in and and offered me a deal but I went there I had no pre-season do you know what I mean I was just in bed in Newcastle like that in a boot for three months nice touch for him innit he hasn't had to do any training he's got a holiday for him and he's missing perfect for him innit man isn't it yeah there's going to be a lot of jumping around here but I just wanted to ask you about playing for Newcastle you know because that spell it was toxic wasn't it especially under under Bruce yeah what was it like as a player I mean it was it was a nice place at the time because obviously I actually really like Steve Bruce I always got on well with him he was always good to me but you just had a feeling that they love Rafa so much the fans so whoever was going to go in there why Mike was in charge still was never going to get it was never going to be liked and the fact that Borussia managed Sunder in the past as well probably didn't help but for me personally he was good as gold I mean I know there's this thing out there that he likes his days off and things like that but everyone likes a day off a few people mentioned his training was his training easy or no it was always alright I always found it I mean probably not the greatest training in the world but he's I always thought found him good as gold I mean Steve Agnew he'd done a lot of the training and Steve Clements but yeah he was good at gold and he you knew that he knows his football do you know what I mean he had a top top career so you could never ever doubt him about that but and he's if you look at the actual where we finished in the league he achieved the same as what Rafa did if you look at the actual stats of where we finished in the league but it just wasn't attractive style of football It wasn't rougher.

1:12:25But he got the points and no disrespect at that time, we was a mid-table, it was a mid-table club. We had a club that had been promoted three years ago. I know we was probably expected to kick on and kick on but we didn't have the players to do that and he'd just done what he could with that group of players of what he had. I mean if you look at the squad at inherited he only sucked we only managed to bring in two players really in Joe Linton and St Maximum so in like three three years so what can you do and he would clap when he first came Joel Linton wasn't he he weren't great yeah that's like not being disrespectful he was crap wasn't he he got a nosebleed every time he went into the penalty but couldn't score a goal yeah but then He turned into this midfield monster and now look at him he's like he's just mental what he's achieved.

1:13:19I know we might have been done here but was there something to do with you breaking up a fight with LaSalle? Yeah in training. Yeah I don't know what all over it was just Jam and Modi Army he was a big lumbar as well. Two heavy pieces of kit. But Jam Jam's like a hard lad and I don't know what I was thinking getting in the middle. I'm sort of fingering it and one of them's like gone to throw like a punch and sort of my little finger got caught and sort of bent and then I just had broken fingers so I had to play in a cast for five or six weeks but it was just training ground stuff there was nothing nothing in it really.

1:14:04One of them where you thought tell you what we'll just give this one a couple of minutes I want to see this for I should have but I think it was one of them where we were struggling at the time in the league you know like it starts to get a little bit heated and in training and that and then them two have just come together and had a little scrap and I've tried to break it up and I've come off the worst

1:14:30but yeah I've seen there's been a like I'm in my number one Jam and Andy Carroll I had one oh fucking hell I think I might have paid for that Jam and Andy Carroll have you? Jam and Andy Carroll had one in a in like a it was in a bar but there was no one else in there it was just just us and it was it only ever comes when you're on a night the only reason people are fired is because of alcohol and he said something obviously Jam didn't like it but I'm standing who was I standing I was standing behind Jam so Jam's here I'm here Andy's there Andy's through a punch Jam's ducked I caught one straight in the eye didn't go down I had a little black eye but then Jam's just like speared him rolling around scrapping like for a good few minutes I said to like but I'm one of them like I don't like my mate I don't like team because I'd get on well with them both I don't like people fighting and but then Jeff Hendricks sitting like there in a chair he's got a snus in and just drinking got his hood up and I'm like lad are you going to help Jonathan?

1:15:51nah let him have it and I'm like and then but then Jam's took his watch off and gone like will you hold my watch and I've got his his Rolex in my pocket and then in the end me and Jam live next to each other back up in Newcastle and then managed to get jammed in a taxi he's like fuck lost me watch and I'm thinking I could get away with a Rolex here there's no good outcome to this story but I didn't I didn't have it in me so I went mate you took it off and give it to me and he went oh thank you so much but then next day laughing and joking together see I'm giving it a couple of days minimum you know like keeping his watch for a couple of days you know like oh god watch me watch I just ain't got it in me I just literally thought about it though yeah I did it was split second but he's a lot bigger than me you're having it six months yeah psychological offer eBay yeah cash converter he'll give it back eventually but he'll be six months of panic I've lost my Rolex like you claim that house insurance and everything and it's oh by the way there's a watch there like that you had a fight with Andy yeah there's a watch you gave me yeah it was it was just stupid stuff like it does these things do happen do you know what i mean but then the next day it was best mates again i'm gonna go for a hangout to dry yeah anfield orst james's park benson

1:17:33I probably have to say, I've experienced European nights at Anfield. So, but I have to go to St James Park. Just because of the sheer fact that I was there longer and like when we was going for the Champions League, like I never seen a place bounce so much in my life. and when they beat, I think we beat Arsenal 2-1 or 2-0, it was like late doors and we knew they'd got Champions League and it was just... I think I was at Liverpool at like a real shit time. I was at Liverpool when it was a bit transitional and I left a year before the season of when they was going for the title so I didn't really get to experience, you know, when Stevie slipped.

1:18:24I left that that summer before so I didn't really get to do like that year where it was probably bouncing then do you know what I mean and the times I was at Liverpool it was just a bit I was in a the club was in a transition period but one thing I would say is that when you when you're there on the pitch and you hear the song before the game at Anfield it's like it literally does I mean I ain't got no hair but makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up do you know what I mean and even when I went back to play against Liverpool I'd always find myself singing the song just as the game's kicking off because it was just it's just unreal How many games did you play under that Eddie Howell revival?

1:19:13Because he came in and kept Newcastle up That year that back end because I think he came in into January and his first game we lost to Cambridge 1-0 in the FA Cup and it was Kieran Trippier's first game and he'd just signed from Athletic he'd just won the league with Athletic Madrid and then he played in the game when we lost to Cambridge and I looked over it and I went but you're glad you signed there aren't you? But and then we beat Leeds away and it was sort of like the turning point of our season I think when we went we went unbeaten in nine games and it was just mad and I was lucky at the time I had the armband then as well, so it was a good time.

1:19:56Do you know what I mean? So I played a big part in that sort of turnaround. Obviously Mike Ashley had a lot of stick from the Newcastle fans. How was he with you personally as captain of the club? I liked Mike. I mean, I'd probably get a bit of stick for saying that, but he was always good to me and I'd take people at face value. Do you know what I mean? If you're good to me, I'm going to be good to you. He's the one that brought me to the club. So I thank him for that. And he was just anything that I ever needed on a bus. He was always there, do you know what I mean? So he's just a very business orientated man.

1:20:39He knows how to make money, do you know what I mean? And I think obviously it got to a point where he probably did need to sell the club. And I mean, I don't know if you saw the party that they was having up in Newcastle outside the stadium. It was mental. But yeah, for me, Mike was always top of me, so I've not got a bad word to say about him. It's mad because players know. We've only been in change rooms where the board are an absolute joke. There are shambles. So it's not the first player to come out and say, no, he was actually all right. It's just mad that it's completely other end of the scale.

1:21:19The fans hate them. I can see why they hate him because he probably wasn't investing the money into the club. But if I'm right in saying so, the club had no debt or anything like that. It was always, he's always took care of it out of his obviously own pocket. But he was just happy for Newcastle to just be a Premier League club. Or if they'd go down, then he'd spend a bit of money and get them straight back up. Do you know what I mean? so I don't know whether it was just a hobby for Mike do you know what I mean and he's not got probably he's not got a penny compared to what the Saudis have do you know what I mean and they're the ones that have obviously took the club forward but Mike was in charge for a long time and he probably just bobbing really yeah just bobbing along was that not frustrating though I suppose when you're thinking like this season what's like yeah but probably me being selfish she's like as a footballer do i want top player to come in who's gonna play in front of me in my position do you know what i mean i don't want that i want to keep my position do i mean so there's probably me being selfish but i do get why fans don't think because they was just he was just happy for the club to just yeah it's different as a fan like every every was operating the club to you on a personal level yeah 100 he just obviously wanted the club just to maintain premier league status because i don't know how much a premier league club gets but for staying in the premier league with the tv rights etc but he was always always good to me and he's he's from my neck of the woods back home so he's a he's been always been good to me so I can't I can't sit here and slate him do you know what I mean did you ever see did he drink out of the big mugs as well with his coffee you know the big sports direct mugs you know the massive ones you get like a litre of coffee when you buy a pair of boots you get one for free I bet you got a few of those mugs right you just sat there with his big mug of coffee no I'd seen him I'll tell you one story he come up when Rafa was in charge and Rafa was trying to we'd all went out for a team meal so like Mike's sitting there Rafa's sitting there I'm sitting there Jam's sitting there and Rafa's trying to talk to Mike about the academy and all this and that Mike's just like yeah so if we stay up we're going to Vegas lads do you know what I mean so that's just and he must have drunk like six pints in 30 minutes and I'm thinking mate that's some go in that and I looked at his blazer and he's still got the tag in his blazer so I'm thinking he's not taking that back to the shop surely and then he just like he paid for the bill everyone said thank you and then got a chopper back down to London I think his rougher must have been fuming and if he loves football and wants to talk about the development of the club and he's gone right lads stay up and we're off to Vegas by the way you don't even get your money back at Sports Direct you get a receipt voucher do you?

1:24:46yeah if you're taking it back to his own players he only when he gets a credit do they still Brazors in sports? I don't know probably I think it was a time when House of Fraser was still going so I think he owned House of Fraser as well didn't he so it might have been from House of Fraser I think he'd give himself his money back wouldn't you? But he started from making badminton rackets or something like that, wasn't it, in the back of a van. That's how he made it. And then he started the Slazinger thing and all that. Rafa's just chucking his dessert spoon down any Rafa. Like that, putting his glasses on.

1:25:24You could tell that they're not the same type of people. Do you know what I mean? So he was never, ever going to... Were never going to work with him? He was never going to work. until while Mike was in charge Rafa was never going to because Rafa wanted to control the whole operation of a football club and Mike was never going to let him do that so and what Mike said goes because he's the one with the money so

1:25:52we're only stopping for a second gents but it is for a good bloody reason look at that that you holding that up has just taken over from that jacket thing as the best garment on display. Yeah, it looks superb. It's a magio, doesn't it? Let's be honest. It feels superb. We've got to say a massive thank you to O 'Neill Sportsworth for once again supporting the entire series and producing those beautiful garments. If you haven't got one already, put it on the list. More gift ideas for loved ones. Yes. Yeah. Well, the link's in the description if you want to get yourself involved with the Under the cost shirts or if you want to sort your own team out because the quality of kits that you can sort your own team out four to six weeks from design to delivery and that's designing your own as well yeah so you'll design your own kit they put it together bosh four to six weeks is there a maximum order or can you no maximum there is a minimum seven i believe yeah but no maximum so you can go from your under five teams right through to your first team kick the club out you're going to be coming out looking smart on that field.

1:27:04Would you say, Chris, that you were 1-0 up before the whistle's even been blown? With them? Yeah. Two. Two. 2-0. 2-0 up. Their heads have gone. That is an XL and I would recommend, we've had a few messages to size up on this new style. Right, okay. So I've tried large in both and the new style was a little bit tighter. Is it not just that you popped your phones on? Best of Christmas coming as well. Christmas bulk. well the link's in the description if you want to site your own team out I'll get yourself an under the cost shirt just clickety clickety click thank you very much again O 'Neill Sportswear get in the game with the college branded Venmo debit card wreck your team with every tap and earn up to 5 % cash back with Venmo Stash a new rewards program from Venmo no monthly fee, no minimum balance just school pride and spending power get in the game and sign up for the Venmo debit card at Venmo.com slash college card.

1:28:00The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank NA. Select schools available. Venmo stash terms and exclusions apply at Venmo.me slash stash terms. Max$100 cash back per month. This episode is brought to you by White Claw Surge. Great podcast pick, friend. No surprises there. After all, you're all about finding the tastiest flavors out there, just like White Claw Surge. And with big, bold flavors to enjoy, like blood orange, blackberry, cranberry, and more, it's time to go all in on taste. unleash the flavor unleash White Claw Surge please drink responsibly hard seltzer with flavors 8 % alcohol by volume White Claw Seltzer Works Chicago, Illinois A few Forrest fans asked of you felt like it was Steve Cooper at the end like behind the squad Yeah, so what had happened was I get I get I get this a lot Forrest fans they hate me and they don't know what went on they just see what what had been put in the press.

1:28:58So we played against Aston Villa. I made a terrible mistake. They scored. And then we lost and got dragged off after 60 minutes. I tried to play out in my own box when I should have just cleared it away. Then the guy that brought me in, the sporting director, he got the sack the next day. I think because of my mistake, because he'd brought me in And I mean, the guy in charge is like, it's like he's got a conveyor belt of players coming in and out. Is this Maranakis? Yeah. And then played Wolves at home, lost 2-0. So then we're playing Liverpool away the next week. Did you play the Wolves game?

1:29:45No, I was on the bench and didn't come on. And we lost 2-0. And then played Liverpool away the next game. and I'm thinking I might have a chance of being back in. Wasn't in the starting line-up, went out to training. On a Friday, the ones that weren't playing was basically mannequins. So I'm just stood there, I'm freezing my tits off, I'm stood there like that, my hands in my bib, like that. And then as I'm walking off the training pitch, he said you're not you're not happy Steve Quibbles run over and said you're not happy are you I was like I'm a bit disappointed that like I made one mistake and found myself out of the team do you know what I mean I've only just signed I'd only just signed and he just said do you know what just go back up north so got in my car went up north then come out in the papers that I'd kicked up a fuss and And I sort of threw my toys out of the pram, which wasn't the case.

1:30:53And then on the Sunday night after they played Liverpool, he rung me and was like, I'm still not over what happened on Friday. I was like, what do you mean what happened on Friday? You said to me to go back up north. He said, look, just come in on Thursday. So I'm thinking, so I'm just not right here. I just went, all right. So now I'm training in the park by myself. How long have you been at the club? Two months. I'm training in the park by myself. On Thursday I go into the training ground and I go straight up to Steve Cooper's office. As I'm about to knock on his door, he's come out and he's tried to give me a cuddle.

1:31:37I said, what are you doing? He said, no chance. He said, I've been sitting there training in the park. I've been hammered by fans and press and things like that for something that I've not even done. He said, look, it's not come from me. He said, the mistake you made at Villa, I've just been told not to have you near it. Then he was like, look, there's like five, six games in the season left. He said, look, I know that you're living, I know that your missus and kids are up north, to just go back up north and just stay with your family we'll send you a training programme so you can train so now I'm like what's going on with my career I left Newcastle to come here and play and this has happened How long a contract have you got?

1:32:32Two and a half years and then I've gone back up north season's finished and then I reported for pre-season the first day. For two weeks, I was in the first team dressing room and then played a pre-season game against, who was it? Might have been Preston. Speaking of Preston. Right, don't worry now. The first game back, it's like 45 minutes each and it's like one team does 45 and the other team goes 44 minutes. The team are losing 1-0. Come on, score one, set two up. Straight after the game, he goes, have you got any offers? You can go. We're not going to stand in your way. I said, mate, I signed two and a half year deal.

1:33:25I'm only half a year into my contract. I've still got two years left. So then every day for the next week, he's on at me like, have you had any phone calls? Have you had any phone calls? but I'm still training with the first team at this point. And then he said, but a lot of the players wasn't back because they'd been on the international break. So then they've come back. And he said, as of tomorrow, you're going to be in the academy dressing room with the under-18s. So then I'm like, I've not done anything wrong at this point. And normally I'd hold my hands up and say, look, I've been a prick, but I actually haven't done a physical thing right.

1:34:05I've made a mistake in a game where I've give a go away. So I've gone into the academy dressing room, so I'm now training with the under 18s and some under 16s. And it's me, Harry Arter and about three or four others that have just got no chance of being nowhere near it. And so what I'm doing is, I knew that they were going to look for any reason to take money off me. so whether that be turning up late for training or anything I knew for a fact that they'd be straight away find me and I was training with Warren Joyce the he's like the under 18s manager under 23s manager and um but I was living in Newcastle now because I thought um there's no point in me living here I'm never going to play for him so I was getting a train at six o 'clock from Newcastle into Newark and then I had a friend in Nottingham one of my mates he owns a taxi firm luckily and he he would pick me up from Newark I'd go into training train with the kids he'd wait for me then drop me back to Newark and then I'd go back on the train I'd do that every day and then the last day of the window I didn't have no I had no one coming for me so like no one in England coming for me so then this turkey gig come come about so I was like I'll go and and just play do I mean get away and play I want to want to play football so I flew out to Turkey get a phone call at half 10 the window shuts at 11 oh we can't you can't you've got a cut have a comeback or terminate your contract if you want to go and play because we've already got nine players out on loan and the maximum you're allowed is nine players out on loan but I'm in Turkey at this point so I'm thinking what do I do because I'm going to have to terminate I'm giving up two years good money here but then I thought I want to play football so I gave up I just terminated my contract and stayed in Turkey and signed for the Turkish club just so I could play football.

1:36:23But then I'm the one getting slated by Forest fans when they don't know what had gone on. Do you know what I mean? I think I'd have been advising you to take a different option than that, John. Yeah, but I just wanted to play football at the end of the day because I love football. And if I'd have stayed there, then what, go and train with 16 to 18-year-olds and my career just... At least I'm playing football. Harry sat it out didn't he yeah he sat it out he got the fucking lock lesson didn't he he sat it out I remember like Harry is still at Forest didn't he but obviously I was at I was at Cholton with Harry so he was just he was saying to me lad just stick it out with me he's like we'll just have fun and I'm like nah mate I want to play football but like I remember there was one game we was playing for the 23s and I've actually got the clips on my phone and there's he was playing Peterborough first team I've scored two goals like one way outside of foot from about 35 yards I've put it into the top corner and another one's just like I've driven and Harry's playing midfield with me but him and Steve Cooper like they just don't see eye to eye but so he's but you know what Harry's like Harry's like fucking like Jack the Lad so Harry's shouting to Steve Cooper Coops did you see that?

1:37:51how can't he get a game for your team I'm just like laughing with me at all you'll love that don't you he's better than what you've got in midfield I'm laughing but yeah and then obviously went to Turkey and you made the same decision what's that to go to Turkey yeah I just wanted to play football and Look, since I get a transfer... No, I'm sorry. No, I felt like I made the right decision. Even with what ended up going off in Turkey with the tablets and that? Yeah, I mean, for me personally, I had a great year football-wise. Off the pitch wasn't good, but football-wise I was very good. And I probably hadn't played football properly for a year and a half because of the injury I had.

1:38:45So I just felt like I just needed a change of scenery and a change of place. And I knew that if I'd have stayed at Forest, then I wouldn't have picked the ball for a long time in the professional industry. But I haven't got a bad word to say about people at Forest. The people at Forest was spot on about me, like the physios, the masseurs. I played with Tate, who was Steve Cooper's assistant, and Tate was always good to me. the player liaison officers either like Ross Wilson was there at the time he was just gone to Newcastle as a sporting director and like my agent was saying to Ross like what's going on and Ross was like he's not done anything it's just come from come from the top and is he a nutcase he looks like a nutcase I didn't really have I never met him never met him Maranaki yeah never ever never ever met him but he's obviously just watched the game and yeah I mean he's seen what he's like after games he just punches the screen and froze TVs and that but look it was probably the right decision from him because they ended up going to stay stay up that year and then look what they've done done now but but I ain't got a bad word to say but about about the people at Nottingham I just won't be going back to Nottingham ever.

1:40:06On Turkey do they think it's acceptable not to pay for farm mums? They do it with the foreigners and they'll pay the local lads because they're not on as good money but the foreigners they won't they'll try and every everyone that rule under the sun to try and not pay you I mean I remember speaking to Wilf Zaha because he was at Galatasaray at the time and they hadn't paid him for about three months and he was on a lot more money than what I was getting do you know what I mean Is that because they haven't got to put their piss in or is it performance if they don't think you're playing very well they don't pay you I don't I think it's to do with they ain't got the money and I mean the club that I was at the president's just been done for match fixing.

1:40:48Not very good at it. I played in the game where we was losing 1-0 to a team called Ankara and we scored in the last minute. So the ref's blown the whistle. Game's over, 1-1. I've then seen the president running downstairs of this club. He's run onto the pitch. Bang, to the ref. in the eye. As the ref's on the deck, all the other board members of this club are volleying the ref. I'm standing literally five yards away from it. You haven't gotten the kick either of you. No, no. I'm thinking, what the fuck's going on here? Then we leave to go to the, to the airport back to where we, where we lived.

1:41:32Bus is getting bricked. Everything. Mad. But I'm like laughing on the phone to my dad. Dad, the bus has just been bricked. And I said, did you see the punch? did you see the podcast couldn't believe it mental I mean they've not really heard many good stories from Turkey have we no no you must have had a few offers for a free hair transplant because we get them do you yeah no I can't have one because I've got the board patches in it oh so you still yeah if I'm being honest I wouldn't look right with hair now you can't can imagine just turning out with curtains just all of a sudden I mean I see I see pictures online like there's like a picture of me like when John De Shelby comes back from Turkey and it's like I'll just laugh and I just laugh at the picture it's a fan of man have you settled in alright already obviously we're in Dubai yeah I absolutely love it kid the main thing for me was to to be with my to live with the family again and I'm lucky that I found a team in the Arabian Falcons and I know the manager Harry Agambar very well he's I grew up playing with him but I didn't speak to him for like 15, 17 years and I didn't realise he'd come on to be a manager but like the level of detail that he has in football is quite similar to Eddie and he's only my age do you know what I mean?

1:42:55So I can see him going far, he's a good guy and in the evenings I do coaching from 4pm till 8.30 with a guy called Leighton Makai Ellison and the company's called Elevate and it's really good. They're just trying to grow football out here and starting to take off. I think we've got like 120 kids now. So yeah, it's going really well. Enjoying it? Yeah, really, really enjoying it. You've seen before you fancied. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I struggle with the coaching kids because obviously I've got such high expectations and demands, but you can only try and help them and try and I'm just trying to grow the brand of football out here and help in any way that I can.

1:43:42But yeah, it's a top place to live. Perfect. And you can leave. Top man, mate. Thank you very much. Thanks for being so honest. No, I appreciate it. Can we all throw a midfielder at him and see what boots he wears? Yeah. It's a bit of a quiz test. Yeah. I'm going to go Kevin Norland. Pumas.

1:44:06I want to think of somebody I want to think of somebody obscure. Really test them. I don't know that many players. You're the wrong man for this. He's always been Nike, hasn't he? He's got an easy score. I think I'm very easy. Obscure. I can't think of no come. Jacob Murphy. Who? Jacob Murphy. I did that set for 50s. He's got a midfielder recently. We haven't tested him there either. I did play with him. I was thinking that. Fuck me. Come on, any suggestions? You two? I'm going to go... Actually, I don't even know what years he's played in. Myles Yedinak. Ooh. He had Adidas Nitro charge. Do you remember them?

1:44:57Do you remember them? They sound fast. You don't remember them? No. Well, I'm just so impressed that you've pulled that out of nowhere. Then he went to Preds. He scored a free kick against Liverpool once. And he had a pair of green pretzels. That is mad. I don't think you realise how impressive that is. I've just got it's the same team. Jason Punchen. Nike CTRs. Gareth Barry. Mate, he's sponsored by the last. I don't know. Come on, Chris. You are a wanker, this game. Did you say Gareth Barry or? Yeah. Yeah, he was sponsored by the last. David Silva. F50s. It blew my mind. It blew my mind. Mastermind.

1:45:42General Norwich fucked. Who's in the Premier League? I don't even know who's in it. Thank you very much.