E191 - Kieran Trippier: How struggle made me stronger

Kieran Trippier is the current captain of Newcastle United and is widely regarded as one of the best English right backs of his generation. As well as winning the La Liga title with Athletico Madrid, Kieran reached the Champions League final with Spurs and scored the opening goal for England in the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia. He has played under some of the finest managers in the game including Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate, Sean Dyche and now Eddie Howe. We spoke to him at St James’s Park as Newcastle close in on possible Champions League qualification.

In this episode Kieran reveals the difficulties which almost made him quit football before a period of development made him into the professional he is today. He recounts the ways in which different managers were able to help him reach the some of the biggest footballing stages in the world, taking us into the dressing room of the Champions League semi-final which saw Tottenham overturn a 3-0 deficit in the second half. He also leans into the darker side of his career, and the effects of the abuse he has suffered online which led him to pursue a career in Spain before returning to the Premier League in 2022.

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## An Overview of the Podcast Episode

The podcast episode titled "Kieran Trippier: From Burnley to Newcastle, via Tottenham and Atletico Madrid" features a conversation with Kieran Trippier, the current captain of Newcastle United and a widely respected English right back. Trippier shares his experiences and insights from his remarkable career, which includes winning the La Liga title with Atletico Madrid, reaching the Champions League final with Tottenham, and scoring the opening goal for England in the 2018 World Cup semi-final. He discusses the challenges he faced early in his career, the guidance he received from different managers, and the impact of online abuse on his mental well-being.

## Key Themes and Insights from the Podcast

### 1. Overcoming Early Career Challenges:

- Trippier faced difficulties at the start of his career, including a period where he considered quitting football.
- His mother played a crucial role in motivating him to persevere and overcome these challenges.
- He credits the support of his family and the guidance of his coaches for helping him turn his career around.

### 2. The Influence of Different Managers:

- Trippier highlights the impact of several managers on his development as a player, including Sean Dyche, Mauricio Pochettino, and Diego Simeone.
- He describes how Dyche instilled professionalism and discipline in him, while Pochettino emphasized the importance of nutrition and recovery.
- Simeone's passion and emotional leadership inspired Trippier and helped him reach new heights in his career.

### 3. Dealing with Online Abuse:

- Trippier openly discusses the negative impact of online abuse on his mental well-being.
- He reveals that the abuse he received during his time at Tottenham led him to seek a career in Spain.
- Trippier emphasizes the need for stronger measures to combat online abuse and protect players' mental health.

### 4. The Importance of Team Culture:

- Trippier stresses the significance of having a positive team culture and a strong sense of togetherness.
- He highlights the importance of players supporting each other and working towards a common goal.
- He believes that a positive team culture can help players overcome challenges and achieve success.

### 5. Newcastle United's Potential:

- Trippier expresses his excitement about Newcastle United's potential and the possibility of bringing Champions League football back to the club.
- He praises the passion of Newcastle fans and believes that the city and the club deserve to experience the excitement of Champions League football.

### 6. Personal Reflections and Aspirations:

- Trippier reflects on his journey as a footballer and the sacrifices he has made along the way.
- He expresses his gratitude for the support of his family and friends throughout his career.
- He looks forward to continuing his playing career at a high level and achieving more success with Newcastle United.

### Conclusion:

Kieran Trippier's candid and insightful interview provides a glimpse into the life of a professional footballer and the challenges and triumphs that come with it. His experiences offer valuable lessons on overcoming adversity, the importance of mentorship, and the power of a positive team culture. Trippier's passion for the game and his commitment to excellence serve as an inspiration to aspiring footballers and sports enthusiasts alike.

# Kieran Trippier: The High-Performance Podcast

## Introduction

- Kieran Trippier, current captain of Newcastle United, is widely regarded as one of the best English right backs of his generation.
- He has played under some of the finest managers in the game, including Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate, Sean Dyche, and now Eddie Howe.
- In this episode, Trippier reveals the difficulties which almost made him quit football before a period of development made him into the professional he is today.
- He recounts the ways in which different managers were able to help him reach some of the biggest footballing stages in the world, taking us into the dressing room of the Champions League semi-final which saw Tottenham overturn a 3-0 deficit in the second half.
- He also leans into the darker side of his career, and the effects of the abuse he has suffered online which led him to pursue a career in Spain before returning to the Premier League in 2022.

## Key Points:

### 1. The Importance of Mental Strength:

- Trippier faced significant mental challenges during his career, including abuse from fans and struggles with his form.
- He emphasizes the importance of mental strength and resilience in overcoming these challenges.
- He highlights the role of his wife and family in providing support during difficult times.

### 2. The Impact of Different Managerial Styles:

- Trippier discusses the contrasting managerial styles of Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, and Gareth Southgate.
- He credits Simeone with instilling a strong work ethic and tactical discipline in his players.
- He praises Pochettino for his man-management skills and ability to create a positive team environment.
- He respects Southgate for his leadership and his ability to get the best out of his players.

### 3. The Power of Belief:

- Trippier reflects on Tottenham's remarkable comeback against Ajax in the Champions League semi-final.
- He emphasizes the importance of self-belief and never giving up, even in the most challenging circumstances.
- He highlights the role of Harry Kane in inspiring the team and leading them to victory.

### 4. The Challenges of Playing Abroad:

- Trippier discusses his decision to leave Tottenham and join Atletico Madrid in 2019.
- He explains the difficulties of adapting to a new country, language, and culture.
- He emphasizes the importance of having a strong support system and a clear understanding of the expectations.

### 5. The Importance of Communication:

- Trippier stresses the importance of communication between players and managers.
- He believes that managers should be able to convey their messages clearly and effectively.
- He emphasizes the importance of creating a positive and open environment where players feel comfortable expressing themselves.

### 6. The Role of Social Media:

- Trippier reflects on the negative impact of social media on players' mental health.
- He believes that social media platforms should do more to protect players from online abuse.
- He advises young players to be careful about what they post on social media and to seek support if they are experiencing abuse.

### 7. The Importance of Enjoying the Game:

- Trippier emphasizes the importance of enjoying the game of football.
- He believes that players should focus on the positive aspects of the game and not dwell on the negatives.
- He advises young players to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with playing football.

## Conclusion:

- Kieran Trippier's journey as a professional footballer has been marked by both triumphs and challenges.
- He has overcome adversity and achieved great success through his dedication, resilience, and the support of those around him.
- His insights into the world of football provide valuable lessons for players, coaches, and fans alike.

# Formula One: Kieran Trippier's Journey to Success

## Introduction:
Kieran Trippier, the current captain of Newcastle United and a respected figure in the world of football, shares his inspiring journey from facing adversity to becoming a successful right back. With experiences playing under renowned managers like Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate, Sean Dyche, and now Eddie Howe, Trippier offers valuable insights into the intricacies of the sport.

## Overcoming Obstacles:
Trippier candidly discusses the challenges he faced early in his career, which almost led him to quit football. However, a period of development and self-belief transformed him into the professional player he is today. He emphasizes the importance of emotional leadership and the role managers play in motivating and inspiring players to achieve their full potential.

## The Power of Belief:
Trippier highlights the significance of belief, both in oneself and in the team's abilities. He recalls moments when managers instilled confidence in him and the team, leading to remarkable achievements, such as winning La Liga with Atletico Madrid and reaching the Champions League final with Tottenham Hotspur.

## The Emotional Toll of Online Abuse:
Trippier opens up about the negative aspects of his career, particularly the online abuse he has endured. The emotional toll of these attacks prompted him to pursue a career in Spain before returning to the Premier League in 2022. He emphasizes the need for addressing this issue and supporting players who face similar challenges.

## The Importance of Team Spirit:
Trippier stresses the value of team spirit and camaraderie in achieving success. He believes that a team with the right characters, who are united and supportive of each other, can overcome any obstacle. He highlights the importance of maintaining a positive atmosphere within the dressing room and the role of leadership in fostering this environment.

## Adapting to New Challenges:
Trippier discusses his move to Newcastle United and the challenges of joining a team that was in the relegation zone. He explains how the club's transformation, with the arrival of new players and a change in management, led to a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, with the team now pushing for a top-four finish.

## The Influence of Great Managers:
Trippier reflects on the impact of the various managers he has played under throughout his career. He acknowledges the different leadership styles and approaches of these managers and how they have shaped him as a player. He also emphasizes the importance of trust and communication between players and managers.

## The Role of Fans:
Trippier acknowledges the passionate support of Newcastle United fans and their role in the club's success. He expresses his gratitude for their unwavering support, even during difficult times, and recognizes their contribution to the club's resurgence. He believes that the fans are an integral part of the team's journey and their passion and enthusiasm inspire the players to perform at their best.

## Conclusion:
Kieran Trippier's journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, belief, and the transformative impact of great leadership. His experiences offer valuable lessons for aspiring athletes, coaches, and anyone seeking success in their chosen field. The podcast provides a comprehensive overview of Trippier's career, delving into the challenges, triumphs, and personal reflections that have shaped his journey as a professional footballer.

**Kieran Trippier's Journey to Success: Overcoming Adversity and Embracing Challenges**

In this captivating podcast episode, Kieran Trippier, the current captain of Newcastle United and a highly regarded English right back, shares his remarkable journey to becoming one of the best players in his generation. From his early struggles to his triumphs on some of the biggest footballing stages, Trippier's story is an inspiring tale of resilience, determination, and the power of embracing challenges.

**Early Setbacks and the Turning Point:**

Trippier's footballing career was not without its challenges. He faced difficulties that almost led him to quit the sport. However, a period of significant development transformed him into the professional he is today. He credits his success to the unwavering support of his family and coaches who believed in his potential, even during his darkest moments.

**Mentors and Their Impact:**

Trippier acknowledges the profound influence of several managers who played pivotal roles in shaping his career. He speaks about Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate, Sean Dyche, and Eddie Howe, highlighting how each one helped him reach new heights. These mentors instilled in him the importance of discipline, hard work, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

**The Champions League Triumph:**

Trippier takes us inside the dressing room of the unforgettable Champions League semi-final, where Tottenham Hotspur overturned a 3-0 deficit against Ajax in the second half. He vividly recalls the team's unwavering belief and the incredible atmosphere that fueled their historic comeback. This victory stands as a testament to the power of teamwork, mental fortitude, and the ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

**Confronting Online Abuse:**

Trippier candidly addresses the darker side of his career, particularly the online abuse he has endured. He shares his experiences with social media trolls and the toll it took on his mental well-being. His decision to pursue a career in Spain was partly influenced by the desire to escape the negativity and find a more supportive environment.

**The Importance of Attitude:**

Trippier emphasizes the significance of attitude over ability. He believes that a positive mindset and a willingness to embrace challenges are essential ingredients for success. He draws inspiration from his own journey, demonstrating how perseverance and a never-give-up attitude can lead to remarkable achievements.

**Creating a Winning Culture:**

Trippier sheds light on the importance of creating a positive and supportive culture within a team. He highlights the specific actions and decisions taken by managers like Sean Dyche, Mauricio Pochettino, Diego Simeone, and Eddie Howe to foster a culture of excellence and high performance. He emphasizes the intentionality behind these actions and their impact on the team's success.

**Key Takeaways and Concluding Thoughts:**

The podcast concludes with a powerful message about the importance of embracing challenges and learning from setbacks. Trippier's story serves as a reminder that true success often lies beyond our comfort zones. By confronting adversity head-on and maintaining a positive attitude, we can unlock our full potential and achieve greatness in all aspects of life.

[00:00.000 -> 00:05.120] Hi there, I'm Jay Comfrey and this is High Performance, the award-winning podcast that
[00:05.120 -> 00:10.480] reminds you that it's within. As always, hello and thank you to all of our listeners right
[00:10.480 -> 00:15.160] across the world who tune in to us every week so that we can be your armour, be your partner,
[00:15.160 -> 00:21.920] be your guide in a world that so often feels negative, divisive, and confused. Look, we
[00:21.920 -> 00:25.040] want these conversations to remind you of your power, of your potential
[00:25.040 -> 00:30.200] and what you're capable of. So right now, allow myself and Professor Damien Hughes to
[00:30.200 -> 00:37.160] unlock the mind of a Premier League footballer who's had the most incredible season. Today,
[00:37.160 -> 00:38.160] this awaits you.
[00:38.160 -> 00:39.160] Damien Hughes
[00:39.160 -> 00:42.160] There was one moment in my career where I didn't really want to play anymore. And I'll
[00:42.160 -> 00:47.960] never forget it. I was living in Barnsley on my own in an apartment and mum drove up and
[00:47.960 -> 00:53.960] yeah, she just sat me down and just made me realise what they've sacrificed.
[00:53.960 -> 00:57.960] That was a tough three or four months. I didn't really speak to my wife about it.
[00:57.960 -> 01:02.960] Even she realised the negativity in the stadium that I was getting,
[01:02.960 -> 01:04.960] which was tough. It was tough to take.
[01:04.960 -> 01:05.720] So let's talk about going from Sean Dyche's own manager to Maurizio Puccitino as your manager. the negativity in the stadium that I was getting, which was tough. It was tough to take.
[01:08.560 -> 01:09.680] So let's talk about going from Sean Dyche's own manager to Maurizio Pochettino as your manager.
[01:09.680 -> 01:13.960] Shock. Went on holiday to Cancun, come back thinking I was in good nick.
[01:14.320 -> 01:15.720] Next minute I'm in the fat club.
[01:15.720 -> 01:17.720] And that's when I knew this is different.
[01:18.640 -> 01:21.040] With Simeone, I don't think he could ever manage in England,
[01:21.040 -> 01:25.160] just purely because he was so passionate and the emotion
[01:25.160 -> 01:30.480] from him was so high, you know, you're just like ready to go to war for him.
[01:30.480 -> 01:34.540] I have no regrets, even though I could have been playing in the championship. I have no
[01:34.540 -> 01:40.160] relegation clause, I took less money, I took a gamble. Having that team who are all on
[01:40.160 -> 01:45.120] the same page, who want to pull in the right direction, you might not be as talented
[01:45.120 -> 01:50.400] as your opposition, I'll take that all day over talent. Players like myself want to play
[01:50.400 -> 01:53.900] Champions League football again. I've had the taste of it for a good number of years
[01:53.900 -> 01:59.280] and if we brought that back here, I dare to think what it would be like, this city, this
[01:59.280 -> 02:03.000] club in a Champions League.
[02:03.000 -> 02:07.800] So today we welcome Kieran Trippier to the High Performance Podcast. Kieran has had an
[02:07.800 -> 02:12.520] incredible career. He will talk over the next hour or so about what it was really like when
[02:12.520 -> 02:17.280] Roberto Mancini told him that he didn't have a future at Manchester City and as a teenager
[02:17.280 -> 02:23.160] he was sent home on a plane alone to deal with that news. He will talk about the day
[02:23.160 -> 02:26.500] that he almost quit football and it was his mum who turned up at his house and said
[02:26.500 -> 02:30.500] Kieran, you need to carry on, look at the sacrifices that the people around you have made
[02:30.500 -> 02:32.500] for you to have a career in the game.
[02:32.500 -> 02:35.500] He will then discuss what happened when he went to Burnley under Eddie Howe
[02:35.500 -> 02:38.000] and then Sean Dyche. His stories about
[02:38.000 -> 02:41.000] Sean Dyche as his manager are incredible,
[02:41.000 -> 02:43.500] as are his lessons about his career at Tottenham.
[02:43.500 -> 02:45.520] That's also really moving. Kieran openly reveals just how hard it was his career at Tottenham. That's also really moving. Kieran
[02:46.160 -> 02:51.200] openly reveals just how hard it was for him at Tottenham and just how difficult it is so often
[02:51.200 -> 02:56.160] for footballers who are in the public eye. I've never heard Kieran open up anywhere about the
[02:56.160 -> 03:01.200] kind of struggles that he had, how he dealt with them and what he learned from them. And by the
[03:01.200 -> 03:06.600] way, what he has to say about Newcastle United and you amazing Newcastle fans is also
[03:06.600 -> 03:07.600] pretty cool.
[03:07.600 -> 03:08.600] So let's do it.
[03:08.600 -> 03:09.600] Here we go.
[03:09.600 -> 03:17.440] Kieran Trippier on the High Performance Podcast.
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[06:01.160 -> 06:02.160] Welcome to the podcast.
[06:02.160 -> 06:03.160] Thank you very much.
[06:03.160 -> 06:04.160] Thank you for having me.
[06:04.160 -> 06:05.400] So, what do you
[06:05.400 -> 06:10.840] believe high performance to be, Kieran? Yeah, I think it's, you know, challenges
[06:10.840 -> 06:15.040] throughout your life on and off the pitch. I've certainly had them in my
[06:15.040 -> 06:19.920] career. Yeah, it's just about giving everything, never, never, never giving up.
[06:19.920 -> 06:24.540] Going back to when I was at City, for example, and, you know, never making it
[06:24.540 -> 06:25.880] there. It's about how you react
[06:25.880 -> 06:27.800] and how you bounce back from setbacks.
[06:27.800 -> 06:29.360] And I've took the long route,
[06:29.360 -> 06:32.120] but I'm happy I wouldn't change anything.
[06:32.120 -> 06:33.120] Well, should we start there then?
[06:33.120 -> 06:34.000] Yeah.
[06:34.000 -> 06:35.440] So you're at Manchester City,
[06:35.440 -> 06:37.080] you've got dreams of making the first team
[06:37.080 -> 06:38.800] like everybody else.
[06:38.800 -> 06:40.600] When and how did you realise
[06:40.600 -> 06:43.080] that that wasn't gonna be your path?
[06:43.080 -> 06:47.560] Yeah, I was looking out of a great youth set up and train with the first team.
[06:47.560 -> 06:53.200] And I didn't realise how tough it would be playing at the top where you'd see the top players,
[06:53.200 -> 06:56.000] you know, Bellamy and the careers that he's had and the players there.
[06:56.020 -> 07:01.200] But yeah, I think it was difficult because he had Zabaleta and Micah Ridgets at the time.
[07:01.220 -> 07:03.000] So I knew it was always going to be difficult.
[07:03.000 -> 07:05.920] And I think it's when I went Barnsley at first on loan.
[07:05.920 -> 07:08.560] And as soon as I got the taste of playing week in,
[07:08.560 -> 07:09.760] week out in the championship
[07:09.760 -> 07:12.160] and that's what I sort of wanted, you know.
[07:12.160 -> 07:14.280] And then the new manager came in,
[07:14.280 -> 07:16.560] Mancini at the time from Marc Hughes.
[07:16.560 -> 07:19.560] And yeah, from then on, he started buying every player.
[07:19.560 -> 07:21.560] And yeah, I knew then it was going to be
[07:21.560 -> 07:22.880] very difficult for me.
[07:22.880 -> 07:23.960] So how was it dealt with?
[07:23.960 -> 07:27.160] Like, when is the moment that you realise you're going?
[07:27.160 -> 07:28.720] I think it's more pre-season.
[07:28.720 -> 07:32.000] I think I went on tour in America with Man City at the time,
[07:32.000 -> 07:34.840] and we went to two different states.
[07:34.840 -> 07:38.880] And then next minute, the manager basically, Mancini at the time,
[07:39.400 -> 07:40.320] said, oh, we don't need...
[07:40.800 -> 07:42.760] There was me and there was two other players,
[07:42.760 -> 07:44.120] so then we had to fly back.
[07:45.160 -> 07:47.160] And I just felt then as a young boy,
[07:47.160 -> 07:50.440] traveling with the first team, I was sad.
[07:50.440 -> 07:52.320] I was devastated because then I had to fly back
[07:52.320 -> 07:54.920] with the other two lads at the time who was my age.
[07:54.920 -> 07:57.360] And I sort of knew then like, really,
[07:57.360 -> 07:58.480] I'm never gonna make it.
[07:58.480 -> 07:59.840] How old were you?
[07:59.840 -> 08:03.200] I was only about, I think 17, 18 at the time.
[08:03.200 -> 08:04.680] But we've recently seen in the media,
[08:04.680 -> 08:08.960] like Trent Alexander-Arnold is doing a lot of work in this space for kids that have
[08:08.960 -> 08:13.560] been let go from the Academy scheme and often feel their lives at an end and the
[08:13.560 -> 08:18.040] statistics of making it as a footballer I think Michael Calvin speaks about his
[08:18.040 -> 08:25.700] 0.09%. So how did you put yourself in that category of being able to be in
[08:25.700 -> 08:31.960] that tiny percentage of people that do process that and still manage to forge
[08:31.960 -> 08:36.360] a career? Just having that belief really and having my older brother there who
[08:36.360 -> 08:40.280] played in the Football League and again he's had difficult moments when he
[08:40.280 -> 08:44.200] played and I always believed in myself from when I worked in the
[08:44.200 -> 08:48.880] Academy of Gymkhana, Steve Ayres and people like that. I had good guidance. And
[08:48.880 -> 08:53.360] yeah, it's just all about getting on the bike again and going again really.
[08:53.360 -> 08:59.840] So you then go to Barnsley? Yeah. Right. Give us an idea of what the next
[08:59.840 -> 09:03.540] challenge in your life is, which is forget about the trappings of the
[09:03.540 -> 09:05.000] beautiful lifestyle at Manchester City,
[09:05.000 -> 09:06.840] you're now going to go play at Barnsley.
[09:06.840 -> 09:10.200] Like, what did that teach you that you just couldn't learn
[09:10.200 -> 09:11.680] when you were at City?
[09:11.680 -> 09:15.080] I think it was a tricky period that because I was young,
[09:15.080 -> 09:20.040] I moved away from home, you know, playing with Darren Moore,
[09:20.040 -> 09:22.280] made my debut next to him, Middlesbrough away.
[09:22.280 -> 09:25.400] So yeah, there was a lot of challenges really.
[09:27.200 -> 09:30.400] Like I said, professionalism at the time when I was so young,
[09:30.400 -> 09:32.960] that wasn't great, if I'm gonna be honest with you.
[09:32.960 -> 09:34.280] In what way, what do you mean by that?
[09:34.280 -> 09:36.400] I was young lads, I was living in a hotel
[09:36.400 -> 09:40.280] with two other lads, maybe going out too much
[09:40.280 -> 09:44.680] when I was young, going from, you know, a YTS
[09:44.680 -> 09:47.340] on 95 pound a week to a little bit more,
[09:47.340 -> 09:49.880] say like 300 thinking you're the big man,
[09:49.880 -> 09:50.720] you know what I mean?
[09:50.720 -> 09:53.520] But yeah, like I said, you know, you learn off that.
[09:53.520 -> 09:55.420] Can you remember one bit of advice from that period
[09:55.420 -> 09:57.000] where you maybe sat down with someone
[09:57.000 -> 10:00.320] and they laid it on the line and it had an impact on you?
[10:00.320 -> 10:02.760] I think there was one time where my mum came
[10:03.940 -> 10:06.240] because again, I was young, I was on more money
[10:06.240 -> 10:11.240] and I was doing silly things like going out drinking
[10:11.240 -> 10:12.200] and stuff like that.
[10:12.200 -> 10:14.080] And there was one moment in my career
[10:14.080 -> 10:15.760] where I didn't really wanna play anymore.
[10:15.760 -> 10:16.840] And I'll never forget it.
[10:16.840 -> 10:20.400] I was living in Barnsley on my own in an apartment
[10:20.400 -> 10:23.240] and mom drove up and yeah, she just sat me down
[10:23.240 -> 10:28.240] and just made me realize what they've sacrificed, you know.
[10:28.320 -> 10:31.120] And, you know, every day, Monday to Saturday,
[10:31.120 -> 10:32.240] me and my brother,
[10:32.240 -> 10:35.720] because we didn't really grow up as a wealthy family,
[10:35.720 -> 10:38.440] you know, my mum and dad have worked so hard
[10:38.440 -> 10:39.680] to get us in the position we're in today.
[10:39.680 -> 10:41.960] So I think that was the one moment in my career
[10:41.960 -> 10:44.480] where I really realised, you know,
[10:44.480 -> 10:46.040] how much it meant to my mom.
[10:46.040 -> 10:47.600] And that was definitely a turning point for me.
[10:47.600 -> 10:49.440] And why didn't you want to play anymore?
[10:49.440 -> 10:50.280] I don't know.
[10:50.280 -> 10:54.560] It was just more like being alone at 18 in Barnsley.
[10:54.560 -> 10:56.160] I know it's not far away from Bury,
[10:56.160 -> 10:58.000] but yeah, when you're so young,
[10:58.000 -> 11:00.400] and at the time I didn't really have that.
[11:00.400 -> 11:03.640] As you do now, teams have people who support you
[11:03.640 -> 11:06.340] and stuff like that and help you manage certain situations.
[11:06.340 -> 11:09.300] So I think that moment when my mum came really,
[11:09.300 -> 11:10.260] really helped me.
[11:10.260 -> 11:11.180] It's interesting, isn't it?
[11:11.180 -> 11:14.280] Because all we see in the world of football is the big games
[11:14.280 -> 11:16.180] under the bright lights and the nice cars
[11:16.180 -> 11:17.980] and the nights out and the great salaries.
[11:17.980 -> 11:20.540] But you know, you're 18 years old at this point
[11:20.540 -> 11:23.860] and you've already kind of had to hold your own
[11:23.860 -> 11:26.120] in the Manchester City Academy, failed there,
[11:26.120 -> 11:28.280] been sent back on a flight on your own from the States.
[11:28.280 -> 11:30.440] I mean, that's a lot for a 17 year old to process.
[11:30.440 -> 11:34.120] Then join a football club at a completely different level
[11:34.120 -> 11:35.440] and then be on your own
[11:35.440 -> 11:37.040] and then not treat yourself properly
[11:37.040 -> 11:38.960] and then wanna maybe quit the game.
[11:38.960 -> 11:40.440] And your mum's had to come and remind you
[11:40.440 -> 11:42.000] of actually how far you've come.
[11:42.000 -> 11:43.440] This is all before the age of 18.
[11:43.440 -> 11:45.060] And this is, I think, the side of football
[11:45.060 -> 11:47.660] that is never really spoken about, is it?
[11:47.660 -> 11:48.500] No, definitely not.
[11:48.500 -> 11:51.420] And again, I go back to when I was in the youth team
[11:51.420 -> 11:54.120] and I've seen so much quality in my youth set up.
[11:54.120 -> 11:56.180] And I think there's only about four of us
[11:56.180 -> 11:58.440] who have made a career out of that team.
[11:58.440 -> 12:00.360] And it's scary really.
[12:00.360 -> 12:01.320] And I think looking back,
[12:01.320 -> 12:03.260] I don't think the support system
[12:03.260 -> 12:06.160] was really there in place for players.
[12:06.160 -> 12:09.280] And did you ever have a plan B for what you would do
[12:09.280 -> 12:11.240] if football didn't take your lives?
[12:11.240 -> 12:12.800] Not really, because I weren't really the cleverest
[12:12.800 -> 12:15.000] in the school, if I'm going to be honest with you.
[12:15.000 -> 12:17.200] I always believed that I could make it.
[12:17.200 -> 12:19.200] But again, it's about having that dedication
[12:19.200 -> 12:22.040] and that professionalism to try and get in the position
[12:22.040 -> 12:23.080] that I'm in today.
[12:23.080 -> 12:25.840] So just remind me, Eddie Howe bought you up at Burnley
[12:25.840 -> 12:28.740] and then Sean Dyche came in.
[12:28.740 -> 12:30.400] Why do you smile when I mention that name?
[12:30.400 -> 12:32.560] No, he's just a great guy, you know.
[12:32.560 -> 12:33.400] He loves you.
[12:33.400 -> 12:34.240] Yeah, good guy.
[12:34.240 -> 12:35.800] And I guess the feeling's mutual.
[12:35.800 -> 12:36.640] It is.
[12:36.640 -> 12:39.840] However, he did describe you on our podcast as a butterball
[12:39.840 -> 12:41.120] when he first arrived at the club.
[12:41.120 -> 12:42.600] But like, so I think even though you feel
[12:42.600 -> 12:44.720] that you were more professional at this point.
[12:44.720 -> 12:45.560] I wasn't. I still, so I think even though you feel that you were more professional at this point. I wasn't.
[12:45.560 -> 12:48.760] I was still, I was better than what I was.
[12:48.760 -> 12:49.600] Okay.
[12:49.600 -> 12:53.040] So Sean Dyche comes in, very high standards,
[12:53.040 -> 12:55.200] fitness is vital for him.
[12:55.200 -> 12:58.240] How did he go about turning you into the player
[12:58.240 -> 12:59.720] that he wanted you to be?
[12:59.720 -> 13:02.640] Lifestyle, I think what I was eating,
[13:02.640 -> 13:04.400] what I was drinking, stuff like that.
[13:04.400 -> 13:06.760] There was a story, I don't know if he told you about when I was in a local
[13:06.760 -> 13:12.040] restaurant and he just came in as manager and then I sent him up through
[13:12.040 -> 13:13.600] the doors and I was like, oh, no way.
[13:13.840 -> 13:17.600] And then he came over and luckily I was drinking a Coke and then he come over
[13:17.600 -> 13:20.880] and smelled my drink and then just smiled and then walked off and said,
[13:20.880 -> 13:21.560] I'll see you tomorrow.
[13:21.560 -> 13:23.840] So yeah, I was lucky really in that moment.
[13:24.000 -> 13:25.240] Eyes everywhere all the time.
[13:25.240 -> 13:25.680] There is.
[13:25.680 -> 13:26.200] There is.
[13:26.200 -> 13:30.120] So we've heard from him about how he creates culture at a football club.
[13:30.120 -> 13:32.240] When we talk about Sean Dyche, the manager,
[13:32.240 -> 13:35.800] what is the one story from that period where he first arrived at Burnley
[13:35.800 -> 13:39.760] that made you realise, oh, wow, OK, this is going to be interesting?
[13:39.760 -> 13:44.800] It was his first meeting because he had like a projector with all his rules.
[13:45.880 -> 13:47.240] And then obviously it was like,
[13:47.240 -> 13:48.560] you have to train with shin pads on.
[13:48.560 -> 13:51.680] So straight away we knew, right, we're in for it here.
[13:51.680 -> 13:53.680] And just all these principles and these rules,
[13:53.680 -> 13:55.720] and you know, he's a big believer in like,
[13:55.720 -> 13:58.300] leave your egos at the gate and stuff like this.
[13:58.300 -> 14:00.320] And you know, the togetherness,
[14:00.320 -> 14:02.560] the way he wants these teams to set up,
[14:02.560 -> 14:05.080] you have to run or you don't play for him.
[14:05.080 -> 14:07.000] And that's when we realised really like,
[14:07.000 -> 14:09.600] you know, it's gonna be tough this,
[14:09.600 -> 14:10.840] but he was brilliant for everybody,
[14:10.840 -> 14:12.880] the way if nobody was playing,
[14:12.880 -> 14:15.680] they weren't, you know, down tooling or anything like that,
[14:15.680 -> 14:17.200] he proper sorted everyone out
[14:17.200 -> 14:19.480] and that's what we needed in that time.
[14:19.480 -> 14:21.320] And your relationship with him was quite special.
[14:21.320 -> 14:23.920] When did you first realise that the two of you
[14:23.920 -> 14:26.120] had like a nice affinity?
[14:26.120 -> 14:28.000] What did he say to us?
[14:28.000 -> 14:31.600] I don't offer special rules to anyone apart from Dripz.
[14:31.600 -> 14:33.400] That was his line.
[14:33.400 -> 14:35.600] Yeah, he sees you as a son.
[14:35.600 -> 14:36.960] The gaffer was brilliant.
[14:36.960 -> 14:42.840] I think me personally, he helped me out massively with, he believed in me a lot, as all my other coaches did.
[14:42.840 -> 14:46.820] But he's really the one where he believed in me, where I could all my other coaches did, but he's really the one where he believed in me,
[14:46.820 -> 14:49.220] where I could take my game to the next level
[14:49.220 -> 14:53.020] and he really sorted me out on and off the pitch.
[14:53.020 -> 14:54.420] He really took care of me.
[14:54.420 -> 14:56.620] He was tough with me, but in a good way.
[14:56.620 -> 14:58.060] And, you know, looking back,
[14:58.060 -> 15:00.420] that played a big part in my career.
[15:00.420 -> 15:01.260] How did he do it though,
[15:01.260 -> 15:04.480] when you say he gave you that belief, like how?
[15:06.960 -> 15:09.280] He's like a magician. No, he's just like the arm around you, you know,
[15:09.280 -> 15:12.040] just it would recognize certain moments
[15:12.040 -> 15:13.520] when you weren't yourself.
[15:13.520 -> 15:15.200] That was another good thing about him.
[15:15.200 -> 15:17.680] The right times when to give you the rollicking
[15:17.680 -> 15:20.120] when you needed it or put an arm around you.
[15:20.120 -> 15:23.440] And again, that's why I said he's a really good man manager.
[15:23.440 -> 15:27.200] What was the difference between like for lay people like us that have never played?
[15:27.600 -> 15:32.000] What would you say is the big difference between going from the Championship to being in the Premier League?
[15:32.100 -> 15:38.900] I think in the Championship, I think if you give certain possession away in certain areas, you can maybe get away with it.
[15:39.000 -> 15:45.640] You know, in the Premier League, when we played Chelsea the first game, we went 1-0 up and then Chelsea just, you know,
[15:45.640 -> 15:47.400] fabrigas, you know, the players lie, you know,
[15:47.400 -> 15:48.720] Costa then just switched it on
[15:48.720 -> 15:50.200] and then next meet you free one down.
[15:50.200 -> 15:52.880] And it's so clinical and the pace is so much faster
[15:52.880 -> 15:53.720] than the championship.
[15:53.720 -> 15:55.840] So yeah, it's totally different.
[15:55.840 -> 15:57.320] It's totally different than Champ.
[15:57.320 -> 15:58.800] And I think that year we got promoted as well.
[15:58.800 -> 16:01.640] I think we sound like free players on a free
[16:01.640 -> 16:03.640] and I think we got written off to get relegated as well.
[16:03.640 -> 16:05.680] So Sean Dash deserves huge credit
[16:05.680 -> 16:07.440] for what he did for that football club.
[16:07.440 -> 16:08.760] Lovely, so do you.
[16:08.760 -> 16:10.160] Oh, thank you.
[16:10.160 -> 16:11.360] But nothing lasts forever.
[16:11.360 -> 16:12.200] No.
[16:12.200 -> 16:13.280] And eventually Spurs come calling.
[16:13.280 -> 16:14.120] Yeah, yeah.
[16:14.120 -> 16:18.000] And that was, I think at the time where,
[16:18.000 -> 16:18.840] when we got promoted,
[16:18.840 -> 16:20.480] I only had a year left on my contract at Burnley
[16:20.480 -> 16:21.800] and I could have left on a free,
[16:21.800 -> 16:26.640] but yeah, Sean D'Arcy ended up asking me to sign a new contract,
[16:26.640 -> 16:27.800] which I did.
[16:27.800 -> 16:30.880] And then, yeah, we got relegated and then Tottenham come
[16:30.880 -> 16:33.400] calling and I didn't have to think twice, to be honest with you,
[16:33.400 -> 16:36.200] because I've had the opportunity to play European football.
[16:36.200 -> 16:39.400] Is it one of those things where you couldn't remember the very
[16:39.400 -> 16:41.400] moment that you first heard of their interest, where you were,
[16:41.400 -> 16:42.000] what you were doing?
[16:42.000 -> 16:46.400] Yeah, it was like, I can't remember who played, I think it was West Ham at home.
[16:46.400 -> 16:50.200] I was around about that time, I think like three games to the end of the season, I heard the interest and...
[16:51.800 -> 16:52.600] How did you hear it?
[16:53.200 -> 16:59.200] Well, I was speaking to Walks, funnily enough, as well, when we played Tottenham at home and he said a few things to me and yeah,
[16:59.200 -> 17:05.120] and then that's when I sort of, I was hearing the interest and then end of the season came and then yeah, I ended up at Tottenham.
[17:05.120 -> 17:09.200] It's interesting, Rui Ferdinand says this is like, Sir Alex Ferguson used this trick all the time.
[17:09.200 -> 17:12.080] If he knew that a footballer was mates with someone else that he wanted to buy,
[17:12.880 -> 17:16.000] he'd be like, just go and have a word, just tell them how great this place is.
[17:16.000 -> 17:16.560] No, that's true.
[17:17.440 -> 17:17.920] That's true.
[17:18.640 -> 17:19.280] Yeah, exactly.
[17:19.280 -> 17:19.680] That's true.
[17:19.680 -> 17:20.960] Can you remember what he said? What was the...
[17:21.520 -> 17:28.600] No, he was just basically saying the managers asked about you a couple of times and stuff like Um, it wasn't anything like, yeah, would you want to come to Tottenham
[17:28.600 -> 17:29.600] or anything? It was just more...
[17:29.600 -> 17:32.080] Don't worry, there's no tapping up story coming out of this.
[17:32.080 -> 17:35.360] No, no, no. Being honest with you, it was just, just more like, uh, the manager asked
[17:35.360 -> 17:39.160] you, asked about you and you know, it was good to hear. But...
[17:39.160 -> 17:43.920] What questions do you ask going back the other way? So I get, I get it's flattering that
[17:43.920 -> 17:45.100] the manager's asking about you,
[17:45.100 -> 17:47.260] but what questions are you asking?
[17:47.280 -> 17:49.140] Is this the right environment for me?
[17:49.160 -> 17:51.660] To be honest with you, I didn't really think it was gonna happen at the time
[17:51.660 -> 17:54.220] because I was at Burnley. Tottenham was a big club.
[17:54.240 -> 17:57.700] I didn't think it would happen, if I'm gonna be honest with you.
[17:58.080 -> 18:01.420] But yeah, at the time, I didn't really ask him any questions about the club or
[18:01.420 -> 18:04.100] anything like that because I didn't think it was possible that I'd go to
[18:04.100 -> 18:04.580] Tottenham.
[18:05.400 -> 18:06.520] And as I said before,
[18:06.520 -> 18:08.280] like when the season ended, it happened so quick.
[18:08.280 -> 18:09.560] How quick?
[18:09.560 -> 18:11.280] Playing about two weeks, three weeks.
[18:11.280 -> 18:12.800] That's when stuff was getting agreed
[18:12.800 -> 18:14.840] and I was on holiday and stuff like that at the time.
[18:14.840 -> 18:15.880] And are you the sort of person
[18:15.880 -> 18:17.760] that wants assurances about playing?
[18:17.760 -> 18:20.200] No, for me back then, it was just more,
[18:20.200 -> 18:21.240] no, Tottenham are interested,
[18:21.240 -> 18:22.920] I have the opportunity to play European football.
[18:22.920 -> 18:24.640] So for me, it wasn't about being first choice
[18:24.640 -> 18:26.480] because I knew I wasn't going to be, if I signed for Tottenham, because obviously W have the opportunity to play European football. So for me, it wasn't about being first choice because I knew I wasn't going to be
[18:26.480 -> 18:28.800] if I signed for Tottenham because obviously Walks was there.
[18:28.800 -> 18:29.400] Yeah.
[18:29.400 -> 18:34.280] But that's going to be the first time since Barnsley that you're going to have to move away from Manchester.
[18:34.280 -> 18:37.200] You're going to have to be living away from home.
[18:37.200 -> 18:39.280] Was that a concern for you?
[18:39.280 -> 18:40.680] Not then really.
[18:40.680 -> 18:45.360] My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, she moved down with me.
[18:45.360 -> 18:47.980] So that was a massive,
[18:49.280 -> 18:51.180] massive thing for me at the time to,
[18:51.180 -> 18:52.760] when I got out of my area,
[18:52.760 -> 18:55.480] because my wife's been a massive part of my life
[18:55.480 -> 18:56.300] and my career.
[18:56.300 -> 18:58.120] So yeah, that was a big part.
[18:58.120 -> 18:59.840] How long have you guys been together?
[18:59.840 -> 19:01.240] Since I was about 18.
[19:01.240 -> 19:02.920] What is it that she offers you
[19:02.920 -> 19:05.000] that does allow you to go and perform?
[19:05.000 -> 19:11.000] Again, somebody to speak to if I'm feeling down, which there has been throughout my career,
[19:11.000 -> 19:13.000] just to support, really.
[19:13.000 -> 19:17.000] I have someone there who's fully behind me with whatever decision I make.
[19:17.000 -> 19:22.000] She's there to support me 100%, so, and she's been a key part of my life, really.
[19:22.000 -> 19:27.320] So let's talk about going from Sean Dyche's own manager to Maurizio Pochettino as your manager.
[19:27.320 -> 19:28.560] First impressions.
[19:28.560 -> 19:31.400] Shock, big shock, if I'm honest with you.
[19:32.760 -> 19:34.640] Went on holiday to Cancun,
[19:34.640 -> 19:36.720] come back thinking I was in good nick,
[19:36.720 -> 19:38.880] next minute I'm in the fat club.
[19:38.880 -> 19:41.920] And I was in the altitude chamber, yeah.
[19:41.920 -> 19:44.080] There was a couple of us and I thought I was,
[19:44.080 -> 19:46.680] you know, my weight was good and then no, no,
[19:46.680 -> 19:49.680] I was straight in the chamber after every session.
[19:49.680 -> 19:51.920] And that's when I knew this is different.
[19:51.920 -> 19:53.480] And who delivered that news to you?
[19:53.480 -> 19:56.560] It was Azus, he's a assistant manager.
[19:56.560 -> 19:57.600] Azus Perez, yeah.
[19:57.600 -> 20:00.960] Yeah, so that was probably the first week
[20:00.960 -> 20:04.280] with just looking at, the longer I got there,
[20:04.280 -> 20:08.840] just looking at all the other players conducting themselves really, you know, we had obviously Luis, Harry Kane at
[20:08.840 -> 20:11.440] the time and Jan Vertonghen, Toby.
[20:11.480 -> 20:13.760] So it was a shock really.
[20:13.760 -> 20:14.000] Right.
[20:14.040 -> 20:14.960] So this is interesting.
[20:14.960 -> 20:18.560] What is it that those players are doing that you maybe hadn't seen in your career?
[20:18.560 -> 20:20.840] And that's not to say that the guys you were playing with before weren't
[20:21.040 -> 20:23.600] professionals, but this is the elite level now.
[20:23.600 -> 20:23.840] Yeah.
[20:24.120 -> 20:25.800] I think what time they're in,
[20:25.820 -> 20:26.820] you know, when I arrived,
[20:26.820 -> 20:28.500] they were already finished the gym,
[20:28.520 -> 20:30.500] for example, especially certainly Harry,
[20:30.520 -> 20:34.000] what there was eating off the field as I was there longer,
[20:34.020 -> 20:35.660] you know, I got really close to a few of them
[20:35.660 -> 20:37.000] and what they were doing off the field.
[20:37.000 -> 20:39.800] And yeah, that was a shock for me personally,
[20:39.800 -> 20:41.040] because of where I came from,
[20:41.040 -> 20:42.300] the culture that I came from
[20:42.300 -> 20:44.000] and to the new culture at Tottenham.
[20:44.200 -> 20:50.000] And obviously you've come from Burnley, right? So, you know, you hadn't signed from Man United or Real Madrid.
[20:50.000 -> 20:53.000] You weren't coming in as a guaranteed starter necessarily.
[20:54.000 -> 20:59.000] Can you give us an insight into how you carried yourself, conducted yourself, how you trained in that first training session,
[20:59.000 -> 21:02.000] how you chose to speak to those other players on the first day?
[21:02.000 -> 21:07.280] Yeah, well, I was close with Walks. I knew him from from the youth set up with England, so he really took care of me there.
[21:07.320 -> 21:13.880] Um, I think it was just like, just enjoy yourself, just embrace it, try and do as well as you can.
[21:13.880 -> 21:21.520] Um, going back, I know I weren't going to be first choice, but it was just like conducting myself in the right way and just learning really, because I was still,
[21:22.040 -> 21:24.160] well, about 25 at the time, I think I was.
[21:24.200 -> 21:28.100] Um, but yeah, just learning off the other players with how they
[21:28.100 -> 21:31.900] prepare for training and everything on and off the field, really.
[21:32.200 -> 21:34.600] And what's the one thing you saw from another player where you
[21:34.800 -> 21:38.500] thought, I'd never even thought about that, I'm adopting that now,
[21:38.800 -> 21:40.800] that's how I'm going to operate day to day?
[21:41.100 -> 21:43.800] I can only speak on Harry, Harry Kane's behalf really, because
[21:43.800 -> 21:46.040] he's probably one of the most professional players I've played with,
[21:46.040 -> 21:46.640] if I'm honest.
[21:46.640 -> 21:51.760] And just the way he is from when he arrives through the building to going in the gym,
[21:51.760 -> 21:57.640] doing extras, again, eating the right things and, you know, the recovering.
[21:57.640 -> 21:59.800] And yeah, I used to watch him a lot when I was there,
[21:59.800 -> 22:01.240] because obviously it was Harry Kane wearing it.
[22:01.240 -> 22:02.040] So...
[22:02.040 -> 22:06.320] Would Harry deliver news to you if he didn't think you were pulling your weight or playing well enough?
[22:06.320 -> 22:06.800] Yeah.
[22:06.800 -> 22:07.600] And how would he do that?
[22:08.480 -> 22:12.240] He'd pull you to one side maybe, not in like an aggressive way.
[22:12.240 -> 22:16.560] He was just trying to help, you know, because he wanted the best.
[22:16.560 -> 22:20.400] He wanted everyone to train the best possible way, really.
[22:21.760 -> 22:23.600] Yeah, so he would do it in a good way, H.
[22:23.600 -> 22:24.800] H is a good guy.
[22:24.800 -> 22:36.720] It's interesting though, isn't it? Because we've only spoken to one guest on high performance who said to us there's a difference between high performance and elite performance. And if it was like you've gone from a high performing environment to an elite environment, is that fair to say?
[22:36.740 -> 22:45.800] Yeah, definitely. Because obviously playing at Tottenham was the elite, you know, you was playing, I was in the Europa League at the time and then obviously the Champions League. So you play with fully internationals.
[22:45.800 -> 22:47.960] I weren't playing with internationals at Burnley.
[22:47.960 -> 22:49.360] You know, when internationals used to go off,
[22:49.360 -> 22:51.120] I think there was only five of us at Tottenham's training
[22:51.120 -> 22:52.200] ground training with the young lads.
[22:52.200 -> 22:55.760] So that says everything about the different mindset
[22:55.760 -> 22:58.160] and the challenges that I had to overcome really.
[22:58.160 -> 23:00.680] But when we interviewed Maurizio,
[23:00.680 -> 23:03.920] he spoke about the message that John McDermott
[23:03.920 -> 23:05.780] had given him about in any culture
[23:05.780 -> 23:09.500] You've got that FIFA effect. You're either fitting or yeah, you fuck off
[23:10.720 -> 23:14.460] How and he said that was very much his mindset of what he had
[23:14.460 -> 23:16.920] So I'm interested that you've come from Burnley
[23:17.020 -> 23:21.980] How much of it is being explicit that you've been inducted into it of caring?
[23:21.980 -> 23:25.200] This is you needs being inducted into it of, Kieran, you need to be in at this time, you need to be eating this food.
[23:25.200 -> 23:26.520] And how much of it is just,
[23:26.520 -> 23:29.800] you're expected to either wise up yourself
[23:29.800 -> 23:32.000] or we'll just find a way,
[23:32.000 -> 23:33.400] we'll get someone to replace you.
[23:33.400 -> 23:35.120] Yeah, of course, it has to come from in yourself
[23:35.120 -> 23:37.880] to being on time, you can't be late
[23:37.880 -> 23:40.240] because Pasciutino was mad on that,
[23:40.240 -> 23:42.560] if he was late and he would know as well.
[23:42.560 -> 23:44.160] So if you try to walk in and thinking,
[23:44.160 -> 23:48.000] and you was late and you said you was on time, you have people ticking you off every time you
[23:48.000 -> 23:53.080] come in, what time you arrived in. And why was that significant? I just think, you know,
[23:53.080 -> 23:56.680] there's no reason to be late. He was strict but in a good way.
[23:56.680 -> 24:02.040] Can we talk about energia universal as he describes it, universal energy, this belief
[24:02.040 -> 24:07.000] he has that everyone carries an energy about them. And he can feel the energy either by having his hand on you
[24:07.000 -> 24:09.120] or holding onto your hand or your shoulder
[24:09.120 -> 24:10.880] or something like that.
[24:10.880 -> 24:13.520] Do you remember that first time you sort of realized
[24:13.520 -> 24:15.960] how him and his just operate?
[24:15.960 -> 24:18.480] Yeah, there was obviously those times when, you know,
[24:18.480 -> 24:19.960] you shake his hand and stuff like that.
[24:19.960 -> 24:23.880] And there was one moment where I just got carried away
[24:23.880 -> 24:25.240] and somebody said something, I think,
[24:25.240 -> 24:28.480] and then he squeezed me and no look me in the eyes.
[24:29.800 -> 24:31.800] That's when I really shit myself really.
[24:31.800 -> 24:36.120] I thought, I knew then that moment as well, this is real.
[24:36.120 -> 24:37.200] He told us that he used to sit there
[24:37.200 -> 24:39.240] and watch the players walk in in the mornings
[24:39.240 -> 24:41.600] and he would sort of gauge just by looking at you.
[24:41.600 -> 24:42.440] He would say to us,
[24:42.440 -> 24:43.960] I could tell whether they've slept well,
[24:43.960 -> 24:45.360] had an argument with their partner. And if I felt they weren't oh, I could tell whether they've slept well, had an argument with their partner,
[24:45.360 -> 24:46.640] and if I felt they weren't right,
[24:46.640 -> 24:49.240] I would tell them, you're not training today.
[24:49.240 -> 24:52.000] Yeah, it's funny you say that because,
[24:52.000 -> 24:53.840] you know, it's like he knew everything about you.
[24:53.840 -> 24:56.960] It's like he, I don't know, he had cameras everywhere.
[24:56.960 -> 24:59.920] He just knew if you was, you didn't sleep well,
[24:59.920 -> 25:02.400] or he would just know if you're in a bad mood.
[25:02.400 -> 25:05.240] And again, he was a good man manager.
[25:05.240 -> 25:07.560] He knew when to pull you in, when not to,
[25:07.560 -> 25:09.240] when to speak to you, when not to speak to you.
[25:09.240 -> 25:12.080] So, yeah, he was like a magician at times.
[25:12.080 -> 25:15.120] Can we talk about the biggest game of your career so far,
[25:15.120 -> 25:17.080] the Champions League final?
[25:17.080 -> 25:19.400] Do you have fond memories of the fact
[25:19.400 -> 25:21.120] that this guy that got released by Man City
[25:21.120 -> 25:23.640] ended up at Barnsley, almost quitting the game,
[25:23.640 -> 25:25.940] got to a Champions League final.
[25:28.440 -> 25:28.840] Or do you not like revisiting it because you didn't win?
[25:32.080 -> 25:35.200] Of course, I'm disappointed that we didn't win it, but I'm just really proud of the way my journey's gone,
[25:35.200 -> 25:38.560] if I'm honest with you, from what you just mentioned then to a Champions League final.
[25:38.560 -> 25:41.720] I never thought for one second I'd be playing in a Champions League final.
[25:41.720 -> 25:45.120] So to reach it the way that we did reach it,
[25:45.620 -> 25:47.360] it was always a special moment.
[25:47.360 -> 25:52.080] But, you know, I think the first five minutes killed the game really in that final.
[25:52.100 -> 25:54.160] When you think back to that run to the final,
[25:54.160 -> 25:57.400] what is the moment that springs to mind for you?
[25:57.600 -> 26:00.280] I think, there's so many.
[26:00.280 -> 26:01.680] I think, being honest with you,
[26:01.680 -> 26:06.000] I think the City game when I think it was Raz who scored in the last second and then he
[26:06.000 -> 26:07.000] was offside.
[26:07.000 -> 26:17.300] Then Llorente scored, but then obviously the Ajax when we were 3-0 down with 45, 40 minutes
[26:17.300 -> 26:19.000] to go and Lucas scores as the hat-trick.
[26:19.000 -> 26:22.000] What's been said at half-time in that game, Kieran?
[26:22.000 -> 26:26.800] I think there was fireworks going off, to be honest with you.
[26:26.800 -> 26:29.960] H said a few words, the manager did.
[26:30.920 -> 26:32.920] And again, I don't even know, to be honest with you,
[26:32.920 -> 26:37.000] it was just crazy, that last 35 minutes or something.
[26:37.000 -> 26:38.360] Yeah, it was just having that belief,
[26:38.360 -> 26:41.120] you know, got nothing to lose now, we're three-nil down.
[26:41.120 -> 26:42.720] Yeah, we've got one, try and get another,
[26:42.720 -> 26:43.720] and then get another.
[26:43.720 -> 26:45.040] It's easy saying that, but...
[26:47.840 -> 26:49.440] Could you remember the messages in there at halftime? Like, what was the, what were they saying?
[26:49.440 -> 26:54.000] Because it's all very old ranting and raving, play better, but that's not helpful in those moments, is it?
[26:54.080 -> 27:07.900] No, I can remember, you know, I don't think Harry will mind me saying this, but I've not seen Harry go mad really in his career, but he really wasn't happy because I think he weren't playing as well because he was injured at the time and yeah,
[27:07.900 -> 27:10.300] he weren't happy, but he didn't say anything in a negative way.
[27:10.300 -> 27:14.100] It was all positive, but just seeing him, me personally, just seeing him
[27:14.100 -> 27:17.100] and, you know, how he dealt with it and the way he spoke to certain
[27:17.100 -> 27:20.700] players, in a good way, of course, I think that helped me a little bit.
[27:20.900 -> 27:22.900] Yeah, he's a really positive-minded player, H.
[27:23.200 -> 27:25.200] I think the really interesting thing, there's two interesting
[27:25.200 -> 27:27.100] things there. The first one is that he's injured, right?
[27:27.100 -> 27:27.500] Yeah.
[27:27.600 -> 27:30.400] So it'd be very easy for him in that moment not to be a leader
[27:30.400 -> 27:31.400] and go, well, I'm injured.
[27:31.400 -> 27:33.500] So I'm just going to step back and not get involved in this
[27:33.500 -> 27:35.100] because this is going to be a disaster.
[27:35.100 -> 27:36.900] We're going to lose this five million and it won't involve
[27:36.900 -> 27:38.600] me, you know, self-preservation.
[27:38.600 -> 27:40.400] Yeah, that's the first thing he chose not to do that.
[27:40.800 -> 27:43.200] The second thing is like, you said it's, I've very rarely
[27:43.200 -> 27:44.500] seen him act like this.
[27:44.560 -> 27:45.360] do that. The second thing is like you said, it's, I've very rarely seen him act like this.
[27:52.320 -> 27:56.040] Choosing your moments to deliver hard truths to people is one of the key tenets to true high performance and true leadership. And it feels like, of course, he won't mind you saying this
[27:56.040 -> 27:59.560] because this is a guy that got it right in the moment when it really mattered, you know.
[27:59.800 -> 28:06.080] And he's a leader and he's so an important player for club and country and I've been lucky enough to represent that with him.
[28:06.080 -> 28:12.240] Harry is, you know, sometimes quiet and stuff, you know, but when he does speak, you just sit there and you listen.
[28:12.240 -> 28:19.280] What did Mauricio say? Do you remember in the dressing room afterwards what he said that was pertinent and sticks in the memory?
[28:19.280 -> 28:26.360] Not really, to be honest with you, because in that moment, probably, I knew my time was up then anyway.
[28:26.360 -> 28:27.200] I don't know.
[28:27.200 -> 28:30.640] No, I knew probably two months before
[28:30.640 -> 28:32.080] that my time was probably coming to an end
[28:32.080 -> 28:33.900] at Tottenham anyway, so.
[28:33.900 -> 28:36.360] So for me, it was just more about
[28:36.360 -> 28:38.400] there's certain moments during the second half,
[28:38.400 -> 28:41.400] I went, one, I weren't performing well anyway, I knew that.
[28:42.720 -> 28:45.000] I was struggling with my groin when I needed surgery,
[28:45.000 -> 28:48.000] which I had done when I was in Madrid.
[28:48.000 -> 28:51.000] But I don't think it really said much to me as the manager after the game.
[28:51.000 -> 28:55.000] It was just, yeah, we, you know, I was down, everyone was quiet, of course,
[28:55.000 -> 28:58.000] and we just got out of the stadium as quickly as possible.
[28:58.000 -> 29:01.000] And how did you know that your time at Spurs was coming to an end?
[29:01.000 -> 29:11.200] Just obviously football, it's a small world, isn't it? You hear things from people and, you know, people who I know and who I trust.
[29:11.200 -> 29:13.400] And yeah, this is football, you know.
[29:13.400 -> 29:16.900] You got the message that you're not in Mauricio's plans?
[29:16.900 -> 29:20.600] No, it wasn't necessarily I wasn't in his plans, but it was just more,
[29:20.600 -> 29:24.700] maybe my time was coming to an end where they might wanted to sell me or,
[29:24.700 -> 29:28.680] but listen, you know, players come and go, managers come and go, this is football,
[29:28.680 -> 29:33.160] you know, I didn't dwell about it when I heard about certain things, maybe
[29:33.160 -> 29:35.760] some of them was, weren't really true, maybe they were.
[29:35.760 -> 29:41.360] Steven But that really interests me because I think that in life in general, in any
[29:41.360 -> 29:44.840] culture, that like the way that you've inducted, the way you enter a
[29:44.840 -> 29:45.000] culture is important, but also the way you exit it is important for other people yn byw yn gyffredinol, mewn unrhyw ddiwygio, y ffordd y byddwch chi'n ei hymdrech o'r ffordd y byddwch chi'n mynd i mewn
[29:45.000 -> 29:48.000] y diwygio yw bwysig, ond hefyd y ffordd y byddwch chi'n ei allu
[29:48.000 -> 29:51.000] yn bwysig ar gyfer pobl eraill sy'n ei weld.
[29:51.000 -> 29:53.000] Wyt ti'n gwybod, ydych chi wedi cael ei ddysgu'n dda,
[29:53.000 -> 29:55.000] ydych chi wedi cael ei ddysgu gyda gofal a'r dignity
[29:55.000 -> 29:57.000] a phwyso'r rhai eraill?
[29:57.000 -> 29:59.000] A oeddwch chi'n ysgrifennu'n eithaf gallanol
[29:59.000 -> 30:01.000] y gweithredu o rywun fel Mauricio
[30:01.000 -> 30:03.000] a sut oedd gennych y gysylltiad hwnnw
[30:03.000 -> 30:10.040] a oeddent yn gallu ddweud yr wythnos. Ac iawn, rwy'n ymdrech i fod y cyfweliad o gwmpas of someone like Mauricio and how you had that relationship and they could tell you the truth. And yet I'm surprised that the ambiguity around this exit of
[30:10.040 -> 30:14.400] hearing rumors rather than somebody coming and having that kind of honest
[30:14.400 -> 30:19.600] conversation with you. Yeah but I think from obviously the media was
[30:19.600 -> 30:23.400] speculating a lot of the time and stuff like that but and when I weren't
[30:23.400 -> 30:26.080] performing well and I've said that plenty of times,
[30:26.080 -> 30:28.960] my last few months at Tottenham, I wasn't.
[30:28.960 -> 30:31.520] And obviously hearing things, it didn't help.
[30:31.520 -> 30:34.440] Of course it didn't, but I tried to block it out.
[30:34.440 -> 30:37.960] But again, it wasn't the right time to speak to anybody,
[30:37.960 -> 30:39.040] you know, the manager or the club,
[30:39.040 -> 30:41.120] because I was going through such a big moment
[30:41.120 -> 30:42.480] in the club's history, you know.
[30:42.480 -> 30:44.800] We had City at the time and then Ajax,
[30:44.800 -> 30:45.720] and then obviously the final. So it was just more club's history, you know. We had City at the time and then Ajax and then obviously the final.
[30:45.720 -> 30:48.240] So it was just more about, okay, no problem.
[30:48.240 -> 30:50.000] I'll just come back in pre-season
[30:50.000 -> 30:52.200] and then just have a chat with the manager
[30:52.200 -> 30:53.760] and see what things are going.
[30:53.760 -> 30:55.920] I think actually that's quite a healthy mindset
[30:55.920 -> 30:57.080] to have in this game.
[30:57.080 -> 31:00.200] Because one of the skills I think to operating
[31:00.200 -> 31:01.360] in the football world was to realise
[31:01.360 -> 31:03.440] actually how little control you've got.
[31:03.440 -> 31:04.760] Yeah, definitely.
[31:04.760 -> 31:08.560] 100% because you don't really have much control, really, if I'm honest with you.
[31:08.560 -> 31:12.320] You get well paid, the life is great, you play a lot of football, but the truth is,
[31:12.320 -> 31:13.600] it's not all about that though, you know.
[31:13.600 -> 31:17.360] Of course it isn't, and I can see when someone says that, you see every time the heckles on
[31:17.360 -> 31:22.240] a footballer's neck come up. It's frustrating, isn't it, that that is the stick that every
[31:22.240 -> 31:24.880] footballer gets beaten with. It's almost like we can treat people how they want,
[31:24.880 -> 31:25.120] the media can write what they want, the fans's almost like we can treat people how they want.
[31:25.120 -> 31:26.240] The media can write what they want.
[31:26.240 -> 31:28.920] The fans can go on social media and say whatever they want
[31:28.920 -> 31:29.780] because they get well-paid.
[31:29.780 -> 31:31.940] I mean, that's, from the conversations we've had,
[31:31.940 -> 31:34.720] that's almost the biggest permanent frustration
[31:34.720 -> 31:35.560] of every player.
[31:35.560 -> 31:37.160] No, I get it, you know, from people on the outside
[31:37.160 -> 31:39.320] that, you know, players get paid well
[31:39.320 -> 31:43.360] and they have these houses, cars, or whatever it may be.
[31:44.240 -> 31:47.240] But behind it, when they're not going
[31:47.240 -> 31:49.440] for a good moment in football,
[31:49.440 -> 31:51.000] like for me, the last few ones at Tottenham
[31:51.000 -> 31:53.840] was so, so hard for me.
[31:53.840 -> 31:56.400] I was getting stick from the Tottenham fans
[31:56.400 -> 31:58.500] and stuff like, this is football.
[31:58.500 -> 32:01.080] They pay their well-earned money to come and watch
[32:01.080 -> 32:02.260] and they expect better.
[32:02.260 -> 32:03.100] But it's tough.
[32:03.100 -> 32:05.800] What players have to go through behind the scenes is really hard.
[32:05.800 -> 32:07.960] You know, social media plays a part
[32:07.960 -> 32:09.280] when a player doesn't perform
[32:09.280 -> 32:11.360] and the next minute it's all over social media
[32:11.360 -> 32:14.600] and you're getting memes about you and stuff like that.
[32:14.600 -> 32:15.600] Mentally, it's hard.
[32:15.600 -> 32:17.400] It's really tough because social media
[32:17.400 -> 32:18.880] is so powerful these days.
[32:18.880 -> 32:21.600] And, you know, a lot of my friends have had it
[32:21.600 -> 32:22.800] over the past two, three years.
[32:22.800 -> 32:25.720] And it's, you know, as a friend, it's not nice to see.
[32:25.720 -> 32:28.280] So, and I get that in terms of the noise
[32:28.280 -> 32:29.640] from people that pay the money
[32:29.640 -> 32:31.640] and think they can say what they want.
[32:31.640 -> 32:35.500] But what would you advise a manager
[32:35.500 -> 32:36.760] that might be listening to this,
[32:36.760 -> 32:38.560] whether it's in sport or not,
[32:38.560 -> 32:42.240] about how they can sort of turn down the noise and help you?
[32:42.240 -> 32:45.000] So what, like, what would you have needed
[32:45.000 -> 32:46.520] in those last few months, I suppose,
[32:46.520 -> 32:48.200] that maybe, like, you're having a tough time.
[32:48.200 -> 32:52.400] You don't need somebody creating more uncertainty
[32:52.400 -> 32:53.740] or ambiguity for you.
[32:53.740 -> 32:55.360] What would you have needed?
[32:55.360 -> 32:56.920] Well, it's difficult because at the time
[32:56.920 -> 32:57.820] I was still getting picked,
[32:57.820 -> 33:00.160] even though I weren't really performing well.
[33:00.160 -> 33:01.760] There were certain moments when I was giving the ball away
[33:01.760 -> 33:04.000] and I can always remember one at Wembley
[33:04.000 -> 33:05.880] when I gave the ball away, Marcus scored.
[33:05.880 -> 33:08.000] So things weren't going my way.
[33:08.000 -> 33:09.800] What were you thinking in that moment?
[33:09.800 -> 33:10.640] It was tough.
[33:10.640 -> 33:13.240] It was every little mistake,
[33:13.240 -> 33:14.920] I scored an own goal against Chelsea.
[33:14.920 -> 33:19.320] It was a great finish to be honest, but no, again,
[33:19.320 -> 33:20.600] it's something that's hard.
[33:20.600 -> 33:21.440] It does feel, doesn't it?
[33:21.440 -> 33:23.920] Like how many more things can go wrong here?
[33:23.920 -> 33:25.600] Week after week, honestly,
[33:25.600 -> 33:28.680] there were certain moments where, yeah,
[33:28.680 -> 33:30.480] I was given a ball away and they were scoring
[33:30.480 -> 33:32.200] and nothing was going for me.
[33:32.200 -> 33:33.120] And that was tough.
[33:33.120 -> 33:34.680] I'm not one of them players to say to a manager,
[33:34.680 -> 33:36.280] take me out of the team,
[33:36.280 -> 33:40.120] because I think that's backing out really,
[33:40.120 -> 33:41.200] you know, giving up.
[33:42.360 -> 33:44.240] Would it have helped in hindsight?
[33:44.240 -> 33:46.300] Maybe, but I think that's where the manager maybe, you know, if up. Um, would it have helped in hindsight? Maybe, but I think that's where the manager, maybe,
[33:47.000 -> 33:48.400] you know, if he took me out,
[33:48.500 -> 33:49.900] I wouldn't have had any complaints.
[33:50.400 -> 33:52.300] But yeah, that's the manager's side,
[33:52.300 -> 33:54.100] but obviously he's still picking me.
[33:54.100 -> 33:56.400] So I start to go out there and give my best.
[33:56.800 -> 33:58.900] Can, if you're happy to be vulnerable,
[33:58.900 -> 33:59.800] I know in sport,
[33:59.800 -> 34:01.100] often people don't want to be vulnerable
[34:01.100 -> 34:03.000] because they think that it's like seen as a weakness.
[34:03.000 -> 34:04.500] I think we're hopefully getting to the point
[34:04.900 -> 34:06.360] in 2023 where people will realise it's a strength of a leader to be vulnerable because they think that it's like seen as a weakness. I think we're hopefully getting to the point in 2023
[34:06.360 -> 34:07.960] where people will realise it's a strength
[34:07.960 -> 34:10.140] of a leader to be vulnerable.
[34:10.140 -> 34:12.680] So there were people that are watching this thinking,
[34:12.680 -> 34:15.960] oh, it's a meme on Twitter.
[34:15.960 -> 34:17.260] It's a comment on Twitter.
[34:17.260 -> 34:19.040] It's something I'm just yelling about you
[34:19.040 -> 34:20.320] or your family from the stands.
[34:20.320 -> 34:21.600] Don't take it to heart.
[34:21.600 -> 34:22.680] Be braver.
[34:24.080 -> 34:27.000] Maybe not for you because you've been through it
[34:27.000 -> 34:29.000] and hopefully you've come out the other side,
[34:29.000 -> 34:32.000] but for other young lads that are starting out in the game
[34:32.000 -> 34:35.000] or even for the people that are putting these things on social media.
[34:35.000 -> 34:36.000] Yeah.
[34:36.000 -> 34:38.000] What does it really do?
[34:38.000 -> 34:42.000] No, mentally, especially for young players these days,
[34:42.000 -> 34:43.000] you know, it's so powerful,
[34:43.000 -> 34:49.920] because if they make a mistake in a certain game, say a big game, and then they get called all loads of names
[34:50.860 -> 34:52.320] on the social media,
[34:52.320 -> 34:54.000] cause young players check social media these days,
[34:54.000 -> 34:55.160] that's normal.
[34:55.160 -> 34:58.880] But then when they see the negative part of it,
[34:58.880 -> 35:00.920] mentally that's so bad and it can affect
[35:00.920 -> 35:02.900] a young player so much.
[35:04.080 -> 35:06.320] Cause then maybe they don't feel comfortable coming out,
[35:06.320 -> 35:09.200] speaking to anybody like I didn't many years ago when I was at Barnsley.
[35:09.200 -> 35:12.560] So it's just having that balance and again,
[35:12.560 -> 35:16.080] having the right people around you because social media is powerful these days.
[35:16.080 -> 35:16.920] To go down bad.
[35:16.920 -> 35:19.760] What was the real world impact on you in that time at Tottenham?
[35:19.760 -> 35:23.440] Are we talking about not sleeping, you know, tears?
[35:23.440 -> 35:24.920] Everything, everything really.
[35:24.920 -> 35:26.080] It's just, well, I know I wasn't performing well, you know, tears. Everything, everything really, it's just,
[35:26.080 -> 35:28.920] when I know I weren't performing well, you know,
[35:28.920 -> 35:32.200] and I said before that I speak to my wife about everything,
[35:32.200 -> 35:33.360] I didn't speak to her,
[35:33.360 -> 35:35.560] because that was a tough three or four months,
[35:35.560 -> 35:37.360] I didn't really speak to my wife about it.
[35:37.360 -> 35:38.760] Why not?
[35:38.760 -> 35:40.920] I don't know, I felt embarrassed really a little bit,
[35:40.920 -> 35:42.320] because I wasn't performing, do you know what I mean?
[35:42.320 -> 35:47.600] And even she realized the negativity in the stadium
[35:47.680 -> 35:49.320] that I was getting, which was tough.
[35:49.320 -> 35:50.240] It was tough to take.
[35:50.240 -> 35:51.080] The last question on this,
[35:51.080 -> 35:53.280] what would you say to people that send those tweets
[35:53.280 -> 35:56.000] and think this only a tweet, it's harmless,
[35:56.000 -> 35:58.160] it's just a message, like deal with it.
[35:58.160 -> 35:59.400] No, I just think, obviously,
[35:59.400 -> 36:00.720] think about the impact it could have
[36:00.720 -> 36:01.800] on that individual really.
[36:01.800 -> 36:06.240] And, you know, sometimes we don't realize
[36:06.240 -> 36:09.240] what certain people are going through behind the scenes,
[36:09.240 -> 36:10.740] away from football, you know.
[36:11.800 -> 36:14.240] People could be going through a lot of stuff at home
[36:14.240 -> 36:15.440] with their families or whatever,
[36:15.440 -> 36:18.840] and then they're having this extra negativity at them
[36:18.840 -> 36:23.160] and it can mentally, you know, hurt them a lot.
[36:23.160 -> 36:27.700] So I'll just say, like, just try and, you know,
[36:27.700 -> 36:29.280] be careful what you say.
[36:29.280 -> 36:32.160] Did you seek any help, any therapy, any psychologist?
[36:32.160 -> 36:33.000] No, not really.
[36:33.000 -> 36:35.680] No, yeah, just speaking to my wife all the time
[36:35.680 -> 36:37.540] or family members.
[36:37.540 -> 36:40.720] This challenging period, did that play into the design,
[36:40.720 -> 36:42.800] not just to move, but to move abroad?
[36:42.800 -> 36:43.640] Not really.
[36:44.840 -> 36:47.000] I don't think Daniel probably wanted to sell it to anyone else in England,
[36:47.000 -> 36:48.000] if I'm honest.
[36:48.000 -> 36:50.000] Again, no control.
[36:50.000 -> 36:52.000] No control, yeah.
[36:52.000 -> 36:55.000] So when do you get the news that you're not just leaving Tottenham, you're leaving
[36:55.000 -> 36:58.000] and you're going abroad, make sure your passport's up to date, off you go?
[36:58.000 -> 37:02.000] Yeah, it was a strange one really because Ancelotti was manager of Napoli and my deal
[37:02.000 -> 37:10.100] was done there. I had a good conversation with him on the phone. My wife went out with my mum and her mum to have a look at the city and look at schools.
[37:10.100 -> 37:12.500] And to be fair, my wife didn't really like it.
[37:12.900 -> 37:15.700] And then, yeah, Let's Go Madrid came in out of nowhere.
[37:15.700 -> 37:16.000] And...
[37:16.000 -> 37:18.600] So you turned Napoli down because your wife...
[37:18.600 -> 37:24.500] Yeah, and obviously then there was talk of Ancelotti leaving Napoli and that was one of the big reasons
[37:24.500 -> 37:27.360] why I wanted to go there as well to play for him.
[37:27.360 -> 37:28.360] And yeah, that didn't happen.
[37:28.360 -> 37:30.040] And then yeah, out of nowhere,
[37:30.040 -> 37:31.320] I got a call from the agent saying,
[37:31.320 -> 37:32.440] I'd like to come and dribble on a signer.
[37:32.440 -> 37:34.440] So I said, let's get it done.
[37:34.440 -> 37:35.280] Let's go.
[37:35.280 -> 37:36.920] See, when I look back at that period
[37:36.920 -> 37:38.680] when we were doing the research for this,
[37:38.680 -> 37:41.560] the thing I'm intrigued about this period of your life
[37:41.560 -> 37:44.520] is the idea of cognitive overload.
[37:44.520 -> 37:48.760] And what I mean is that you've got so many things competing for your attention. You've got,
[37:48.760 -> 37:53.320] you go into a new league where you don't speak the language, you've got a
[37:53.320 -> 37:58.880] demanding coach, you've got other issues going on at that time in your, in your
[37:58.880 -> 38:02.440] career. You've got a wife who needs to move house, children need to find a
[38:02.440 -> 38:05.120] school, find a house to live in. And that's tough as well.
[38:05.120 -> 38:07.520] Yeah, like I was breathless when I was reading it thinking,
[38:07.520 -> 38:09.120] f**king hell, like how did you cope with that?
[38:09.120 -> 38:14.000] To not only go in and get a place in the team, but to end up winning La Liga as well.
[38:14.000 -> 38:18.800] Yeah, it's tough and you know, maybe fans, when you have to move countries and that's why,
[38:19.920 -> 38:23.760] just going back a little bit, that's why I have so much respect for the foreign players that come
[38:23.760 -> 38:25.040] to England because,
[38:25.880 -> 38:27.600] you know, I'd play one of them thinking,
[38:27.600 -> 38:29.680] oh, how's he not settled in, you know, and stuff like this.
[38:29.680 -> 38:31.860] But I realised how tough it is.
[38:31.860 -> 38:32.920] When I went to Spain,
[38:32.920 -> 38:36.600] my wife was finding it really hard the first six months.
[38:36.600 -> 38:38.480] And there's so many factors in that.
[38:38.480 -> 38:39.840] And that's why I have so much respect
[38:39.840 -> 38:41.560] for all the players who come here
[38:41.560 -> 38:43.320] and lived so many years in the English Premier League.
[38:43.320 -> 38:45.440] And, you know and hats off to them
[38:45.440 -> 38:47.400] because it's hard.
[38:47.400 -> 38:49.920] You know what, one of the big challenges for me
[38:49.920 -> 38:52.240] is that the more I have these sorts of conversations,
[38:52.240 -> 38:54.200] the more I struggle with my other job
[38:54.200 -> 38:55.240] of being a football presenter.
[38:55.240 -> 38:57.100] Because I'm the guy that has to stand there
[38:57.100 -> 38:58.380] with ex-players going,
[38:59.200 -> 39:01.040] he's played nine games in the Premier League
[39:01.040 -> 39:03.300] and hasn't scored having arrived from Argentina
[39:03.300 -> 39:04.260] or something like.
[39:04.260 -> 39:09.520] No, definitely. Listen, I was only two hours away from England when I lived in Spain, but
[39:09.520 -> 39:16.240] these boys, you know, from Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, it's a long way and some of them,
[39:16.240 -> 39:20.080] they're here alone and mentally for them, obviously, if they're not performing in the
[39:20.080 -> 39:24.880] Premier League, if they've come for a big fee and then the media get tough with them and then
[39:24.560 -> 39:27.120] in the Premier League if they've come for a big fee and then the media get tough with them and then social media as well.
[39:27.120 -> 39:29.160] And that can have a big, big impact.
[39:29.520 -> 39:32.600] There's so many players over the years in the Premier League who have probably not
[39:32.600 -> 39:33.920] performed to the levels that they should have.
[39:33.960 -> 39:37.440] But what happens behind the scenes is really hard.
[39:37.440 -> 39:41.520] And I can only go off my experience in Spain where, again, I didn't know the language
[39:41.520 -> 39:42.520] when I first went there.
[39:42.520 -> 39:44.880] And I was always thinking about, is my wife okay?
[39:44.880 -> 39:51.900] Is my children okay? so that was tough. So tell us how do you actually deal with that? How do you compartmentalize?
[39:51.900 -> 39:57.600] You know, I've got to leave my wife and kids now. I've got to go in and I've got Diego Simeone and his assistants
[39:58.280 -> 40:02.920] Putting you through what is regarded as common with some of the most brutal physical sessions
[40:03.200 -> 40:05.160] You try to integrate with lads
[40:05.160 -> 40:07.480] where you don't speak the language.
[40:07.480 -> 40:09.080] How on earth do you cope with that?
[40:09.080 -> 40:10.680] That people listening to this
[40:10.680 -> 40:13.080] could maybe facing their own challenges learn from?
[40:13.080 -> 40:14.480] Yeah, so when I first went there,
[40:14.480 -> 40:16.440] we went to the States for pre-season
[40:16.440 -> 40:17.360] and then went to Mexico.
[40:17.360 -> 40:19.040] So it was way for quite a long time.
[40:19.040 -> 40:22.360] And to be fair, my wife handled it really well,
[40:22.360 -> 40:25.080] even though it was tough for her in certain moments,
[40:25.080 -> 40:29.000] in certain situations, she tried to make an effort
[40:29.000 -> 40:32.640] with other players' wives who maybe spoke a little bit
[40:32.640 -> 40:34.920] of English, like Murata's wife spoke a bit of English
[40:34.920 -> 40:36.080] and stuff like that.
[40:36.080 -> 40:38.000] He was a big help for us and my family.
[40:38.000 -> 40:39.120] For me, I wasn't really bothered
[40:39.120 -> 40:40.600] because I like testing myself.
[40:40.600 -> 40:44.880] I like testing my mental state and stuff like that.
[40:44.880 -> 40:45.360] Yeah, as soon as I heard
[40:45.360 -> 40:49.520] about it, I was like, let's go full throttle. Like, pack our bags, let's go. We won't spare him.
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[42:32.280 -> 42:33.920] Let's talk about Diego Simeone.
[42:33.920 -> 42:38.760] So we've gone from Mark Mancini to Mark Robbins,
[42:38.760 -> 42:40.960] Mark Robbins to Eddie Howe, to Sean Dive,
[42:40.960 -> 42:45.400] to Maurizio Pochettino, and then Diego Simeone.
[42:46.300 -> 42:48.200] Yeah, he's different.
[42:49.600 -> 42:50.700] He's different, certainly.
[42:51.400 -> 42:51.800] In what way?
[42:52.400 -> 42:55.100] Everything. I think the way you see him on the touchline is,
[42:55.900 -> 42:57.300] that's just how he is in training.
[42:57.300 -> 42:57.900] I know it's,
[42:58.300 -> 42:59.200] I'm not making that up.
[42:59.200 -> 43:00.200] That's just how he is.
[43:00.500 -> 43:01.700] Before every game,
[43:02.300 -> 43:03.700] you'll see him for like 40 minutes,
[43:03.700 -> 43:08.460] just storming up and down the corridor, just looking down at the floor for literally about 40 minutes. I don't
[43:08.460 -> 43:11.760] know what he's thinking about, but as a manager he's unbelievable, incredible.
[43:11.760 -> 43:16.760] Explain how and why. So basically if you don't run, you're not gonna play for him
[43:16.760 -> 43:21.120] regardless of how much it costs, how good you are. If you don't run for him, you
[43:21.120 -> 43:25.160] don't play, simple as that. The respect that he has from,
[43:25.160 -> 43:26.000] not just the players that are playing,
[43:26.000 -> 43:27.040] that don't play as well.
[43:27.040 -> 43:29.880] It's like I've never seen anything like it before.
[43:29.880 -> 43:33.320] The idolising there, it's incredible to see.
[43:33.320 -> 43:34.840] How does that manifest itself?
[43:34.840 -> 43:36.440] Just the way he manages all the players,
[43:36.440 -> 43:38.600] the way he is just so clever,
[43:38.600 -> 43:41.240] the way he picks and choose when to pull players out,
[43:41.240 -> 43:42.360] to put players in,
[43:42.360 -> 43:49.520] and when they're not playing, puts an arm around them. The freedom it gives you when you play for the club. Yeah, it was mad.
[43:49.520 -> 43:52.880] Do you remember what he said to you? Like what was your induction from him,
[43:52.880 -> 43:54.640] the first meeting with him, what he said?
[43:54.640 -> 43:56.320] He don't really speak English to be honest with you.
[43:56.320 -> 43:57.920] Did he have a translator then?
[43:57.920 -> 44:01.760] Yeah, we had Burgos, he's called, he's a right-arm man. He was brilliant.
[44:01.760 -> 44:05.000] He's got a lot of face and reputation, is that right?
[44:05.000 -> 44:10.000] Yeah, he's Burgos and Nelson, them two are, yeah, they're lunatics them two.
[44:10.000 -> 44:14.000] But no, it was just basically, he's really happy to have me.
[44:14.000 -> 44:18.000] I can remember meeting him in the mountains when we had pre-season,
[44:18.000 -> 44:20.000] just saying he's happy to have me here.
[44:20.000 -> 44:22.000] Had you already signed at this stage?
[44:22.000 -> 44:26.000] Yeah, so I'd literally done my press conference and then straight to the...
[44:26.000 -> 44:28.000] I thought maybe I can go home, get some things.
[44:28.000 -> 44:30.000] He said, no, no, you're straight in the mountains.
[44:30.000 -> 44:33.000] Literally from the stadium, straight into pre-season.
[44:33.000 -> 44:34.000] And what was that like?
[44:34.000 -> 44:36.000] It was good, you know, I had...
[44:36.000 -> 44:38.000] There was Morata, he was there.
[44:38.000 -> 44:40.000] Costa, who spoke a bit of English.
[44:40.000 -> 44:44.000] So I had a couple of people who spoke English who really helped me settle in.
[44:44.000 -> 44:47.920] And basically I had that Burgos for the full six months
[44:47.920 -> 44:50.740] and it just stood behind me, just running with me.
[44:50.740 -> 44:52.160] Basically when the manager's speaking,
[44:52.160 -> 44:54.680] he's basically shouting to me in English
[44:54.680 -> 44:55.680] where he wants me to be.
[44:55.680 -> 44:57.600] And it was a good learning curve.
[44:57.600 -> 44:59.560] When you see comments like,
[44:59.560 -> 45:01.600] he shouldn't be going or he's not gonna play,
[45:01.600 -> 45:03.080] it's not right for him.
[45:03.080 -> 45:05.240] Does that derail you a bit or does it do the opposite?
[45:05.360 -> 45:09.920] For me, it was just more everyone's entitled to their own opinion and to play in Spain, to play for
[45:09.920 -> 45:11.280] Let's Go Madrid and to win La Liga.
[45:11.280 -> 45:12.400] To play for Diego Simeone.
[45:12.560 -> 45:18.120] And at the time, and I didn't think that at the time, but it was just more, just go and enjoy it, you know.
[45:18.280 -> 45:21.520] And what was the big difference between the two football cultures?
[45:21.600 -> 45:25.720] Well, when we played our first Madrid derby, we had to go outside and I thought it was like,
[45:25.720 -> 45:27.560] it was banter or something, you know,
[45:27.560 -> 45:30.000] Koke said, we all have to go outside.
[45:30.000 -> 45:31.120] So we had to finish our dinner
[45:31.120 -> 45:32.800] and we had to stand on the balcony
[45:32.800 -> 45:36.280] and there was about just less than 10,000
[45:36.280 -> 45:37.240] of Let's Go Madrid fans.
[45:37.240 -> 45:39.800] But then there was one main guy on the big tannoy
[45:39.800 -> 45:42.080] and you had to stand there and just listen to him
[45:42.080 -> 45:44.680] for a good 10, 15 minutes.
[45:44.680 -> 45:47.960] And then they'll just start setting fireworks off, singing.
[45:47.960 -> 45:49.540] You have to clap them.
[45:49.540 -> 45:50.720] And then yeah, go in.
[45:50.720 -> 45:52.040] What did that do for you?
[45:52.040 -> 45:53.400] It was just like different, of course.
[45:53.400 -> 45:55.240] And I just liked that.
[45:55.240 -> 45:57.360] Basically, the guy would just say to the new sign-ins,
[45:57.360 -> 45:58.400] because there's about four or five of us,
[45:58.400 -> 46:01.280] me, Joao at the time, Hector Herrera, a couple of other players,
[46:01.280 -> 46:03.160] you know what it means to play for Madrid.
[46:03.160 -> 46:05.100] You know, you need to dive for the shirt,
[46:05.100 -> 46:06.100] you need to do this.
[46:07.100 -> 46:08.800] And then obviously someone was translating it to me at the time
[46:08.800 -> 46:09.900] because I didn't have a clue what he was saying,
[46:09.900 -> 46:13.700] but it was just like, okay, this is different pressure.
[46:14.300 -> 46:15.700] But yeah, one that I'm ready for.
[46:16.300 -> 46:18.700] I've heard an interview with Simeone,
[46:18.700 -> 46:19.700] again while we're doing the prep,
[46:19.700 -> 46:24.000] and one of the things that he'd said was about moving to England,
[46:24.000 -> 46:28.000] it was something that he hadn't done because he didn't speak the language like he said.
[46:28.000 -> 46:35.500] And so much of his approach and his success is about emotion and communication and engaging with people.
[46:35.500 -> 46:36.500] Yeah, definitely.
[46:36.500 -> 46:38.500] So how did he do that with you?
[46:38.500 -> 46:42.500] It's hard to say really, it was just more from body language, you know.
[46:42.500 -> 46:45.000] It was sort of certain situation training, if I didn't do something right, which I knew I didn't, he would let me know through from body language, you know, it was sort of certain situation training.
[46:45.000 -> 46:48.040] If I didn't do something right, which I knew I didn't,
[46:48.040 -> 46:49.760] he would let me know for his body language
[46:49.760 -> 46:52.800] and I would just scream at me in Spanish.
[46:52.800 -> 46:54.800] So I knew I'd done something wrong, do you know what I mean?
[46:54.800 -> 46:57.720] So, but there's always a translator there where,
[46:57.720 -> 47:00.880] you know, when I had a lot of one-to-one meetings with him,
[47:00.880 -> 47:03.160] because he just said to me the first thing,
[47:03.160 -> 47:05.280] what's the one thing you want to improve?
[47:05.280 -> 47:06.580] I just said my defending.
[47:07.440 -> 47:09.880] And then literally it was, from then on,
[47:09.880 -> 47:12.600] it was relentless, even after training one-to-one.
[47:12.600 -> 47:14.600] It was good, because that's what I wanted to do.
[47:14.600 -> 47:15.720] I mean, that's really, I mean,
[47:15.720 -> 47:17.600] there's some famous research on this
[47:17.600 -> 47:20.040] about how communication happens.
[47:20.040 -> 47:22.880] It's often attributed to a guy called Albert Morabian
[47:22.880 -> 47:26.380] that says that only 7% of our communication is through what we say.
[47:26.960 -> 47:33.160] You know, but over 93% of it is communicated through both what we see, but more importantly
[47:33.680 -> 47:35.860] how we make people feel, the emotions.
[47:36.640 -> 47:38.640] So how would you rate,
[47:38.880 -> 47:43.520] given that that's what Simeone sort of specializes in, conveying and transferring emotions,
[47:44.120 -> 47:47.400] how important would you say that is for people listening
[47:47.400 -> 47:51.160] that maybe as leaders, the transference of emotion
[47:51.160 -> 47:52.880] in terms of getting your message across
[47:52.880 -> 47:54.240] and getting people to buy in?
[47:54.240 -> 47:56.200] Yeah, it's so important.
[47:56.200 -> 47:58.200] And so I'll come back to him,
[47:58.200 -> 48:00.280] I'll come back to the one where he said about emotion.
[48:00.280 -> 48:02.640] With Simeone, I don't think he could ever manage in England
[48:02.640 -> 48:04.600] just purely because when he was speaking
[48:04.600 -> 48:05.000] in the dressing room
[48:05.000 -> 48:09.200] before any game, he was so passionate and the emotion from him
[48:09.200 -> 48:13.000] was so high, you know, you're just like ready to go to war for him.
[48:13.000 -> 48:16.200] That's why I'd get frustrated by managing England, because he
[48:16.200 -> 48:19.700] couldn't get his message across to the certain individual or
[48:19.700 -> 48:22.300] the players, because he's that emotional.
[48:22.300 -> 48:25.320] So, the reason I'm asking this question
[48:25.320 -> 48:29.160] is that when we've sat down with Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard before that,
[48:29.160 -> 48:34.160] they told us examples where managers over here have used techniques like
[48:34.160 -> 48:38.720] showing them photographs or letters from their family. Oh right, yeah. To sort of
[48:38.720 -> 48:42.680] heighten emotion and what they've said is it's really quite a tricky balancing
[48:42.680 -> 48:45.600] act because you don't want to over arouse an individual
[48:45.600 -> 48:48.920] Yeah, but you do want to stimulate them enough to want to go and give that extra
[48:48.920 -> 48:54.920] So what would you say that sweet spot that he seems to manage is I think it there was quite a few
[48:55.400 -> 48:58.160] situations when we was going for the title to be honest with you and
[48:58.440 -> 49:03.320] He would just say in every time in the morning when you wanted to say hello or good morning to somebody
[49:03.760 -> 49:05.000] You weren't allowed to say that you had morning to somebody, you weren't allowed to say that.
[49:05.000 -> 49:08.000] You had to say like, you know, we're champions.
[49:08.920 -> 49:11.320] It sounds crazy, but that's what it was.
[49:11.320 -> 49:14.120] Yeah, we're going to be champions.
[49:15.800 -> 49:19.560] Every home game, away game, there was scarves
[49:19.560 -> 49:22.880] and there must've been thousands of them going back years.
[49:22.880 -> 49:26.880] All pitches and videos of us
[49:26.880 -> 49:31.800] back in our youth team and scoring goals or creating assists or photos.
[49:31.800 -> 49:36.240] And, yeah, that's when you knew in that moment it was real, you know.
[49:36.240 -> 49:39.440] And there was one moment when we played Valo de Lid away,
[49:39.680 -> 49:41.360] last game of the season to win the league.
[49:41.360 -> 49:45.840] And he texted me like, he did this a lot lot of times where he just texts you at random times.
[49:45.840 -> 49:49.060] So he texts me like 11 o'clock at night, half 11,
[49:49.060 -> 49:51.320] saying basically come downstairs.
[49:51.320 -> 49:54.400] So I went downstairs and then he showed me an interview
[49:54.400 -> 49:56.400] that I did when I first signed him at a press conference.
[49:56.400 -> 49:59.040] And it was just like, what I want to achieve
[49:59.040 -> 50:00.800] is coming for Atletico Madrid.
[50:00.800 -> 50:03.080] And I just said, you know, to work with a manager
[50:03.080 -> 50:05.200] and I want to win La Liga.
[50:05.200 -> 50:07.240] And he's shown him there, turned it off.
[50:07.240 -> 50:08.640] And then he just walked out.
[50:10.080 -> 50:10.920] Do you know what I mean?
[50:10.920 -> 50:12.120] Those little moments when you think about it.
[50:12.120 -> 50:16.320] And I went back to my room thinking,
[50:16.320 -> 50:17.520] like, he didn't say anything to me.
[50:17.520 -> 50:19.800] Just show me the video of what I said
[50:19.800 -> 50:21.480] because I wanted to win La Liga.
[50:21.480 -> 50:22.480] And the next day we did.
[50:22.480 -> 50:24.840] Sean Dice told us that one of like
[50:24.840 -> 50:27.480] his most treasured memories was when you're out on
[50:27.480 -> 50:31.280] the field after you've beaten Valadolid and you're celebrating, you phone him up to say
[50:31.280 -> 50:32.280] thank you.
[50:32.280 -> 50:33.280] Yeah.
[50:33.280 -> 50:34.280] How much of that would you have done anyway?
[50:34.280 -> 50:39.320] Or how much of it was inspired by that kind of emotional leadership that you've been experiencing?
[50:39.320 -> 50:44.400] Yeah, because Dyche is like, again, like, of course, Eddie Auer back in when I was at
[50:44.400 -> 50:46.880] Burnley, Mark Robbins and all the other coaches have done a lot for me.
[50:46.880 -> 50:52.000] But the moment where I was playing regular football and where I needed the help and guidance,
[50:52.000 -> 50:57.080] he was there and he helped me so much and was actually speaking to each other the night before.
[50:57.080 -> 51:00.600] And yeah, I just give him a quick FaceTime and I just said, you know, thank you for everything that you've done.
[51:00.600 -> 51:03.480] And yeah, it was just a real good moment for us both, really.
[51:00.840 -> 51:02.720] everything that you've done. And yeah, it was just a real good moment
[51:02.720 -> 51:04.160] for us both, really.
[51:04.160 -> 51:05.000] It's nice.
[51:05.000 -> 51:06.880] And I think what is nice about that is that
[51:06.880 -> 51:11.120] maybe Diego also played an important role in that
[51:11.120 -> 51:13.080] because he's reminding you throughout your time
[51:13.080 -> 51:13.920] at that football club,
[51:13.920 -> 51:15.200] like this isn't about being here,
[51:15.200 -> 51:16.360] this is the journey you've been on.
[51:16.360 -> 51:17.200] And that's why it was good.
[51:17.200 -> 51:19.080] He was showing us videos from when I was at Tottenham,
[51:19.080 -> 51:19.900] Burnley, Barnsley.
[51:19.900 -> 51:20.740] So it's in your head then, isn't it?
[51:20.740 -> 51:21.560] It's like...
[51:21.560 -> 51:22.920] It was brilliant, honestly.
[51:22.920 -> 51:25.500] And he always talks about the Luis Suarez moment.
[51:25.500 -> 51:27.000] From when he first signed, he said,
[51:27.000 -> 51:29.000] Neil Winners the title, the last kick of the game.
[51:29.000 -> 51:30.000] And he did.
[51:30.000 -> 51:33.000] Let's talk briefly then about the thrill of achievement, right?
[51:33.000 -> 51:36.000] So Johnny Wilkinson came on this podcast and said he tried for 20 years
[51:36.000 -> 51:37.000] to be the world's best rugby player.
[51:37.000 -> 51:39.000] He achieved it in 2003.
[51:39.000 -> 51:42.000] How long do you think the thrill lasted for him?
[51:42.000 -> 51:43.000] I can't tell you.
[51:43.000 -> 51:44.000] 30 seconds.
[51:44.000 -> 51:45.240] Wow.
[51:45.240 -> 51:47.480] And then he was ready to go like, right, what's next?
[51:47.480 -> 51:48.320] Yeah.
[51:48.320 -> 51:50.400] You, you winning La Liga,
[51:50.400 -> 51:53.040] you spent your whole career wanting a trophy like that.
[51:53.040 -> 51:54.240] To go with my youth cup one.
[51:54.240 -> 51:57.760] How did it feel?
[51:57.760 -> 52:00.400] Yeah, just an unbelievable feeling.
[52:00.400 -> 52:01.840] I just really, when I got home,
[52:01.840 -> 52:03.240] when I went for dinner with my wife,
[52:03.240 -> 52:08.880] they're just reflecting of where I've came from, how I've done it, what people have sacrificed to get me in this position
[52:08.880 -> 52:13.720] that I'm in today. And just people doubted me and I didn't go there to prove anybody
[52:13.720 -> 52:17.560] wrong, it was just, well, I have no regrets in every decision that I make and I always
[52:17.560 -> 52:18.560] believe in myself.
[52:18.560 -> 52:20.960] So is it time to talk about Newcastle, do you think?
[52:20.960 -> 52:21.960] Yeah, yeah.
[52:21.960 -> 52:24.440] Right, I'm going to read three tweets.
[52:24.440 -> 52:25.460] Why would Trippier leave
[52:25.460 -> 52:30.260] Atletico Madrid and go to Newcastle just to play in the Championship? World Cup
[52:30.260 -> 52:34.500] year and Kieran leaves Madrid, Champions League for Newcastle who will get
[52:34.500 -> 52:40.520] relegated. Good luck in the Championship. When you hear those now, knowing that
[52:40.520 -> 52:45.340] next season is looking at Champions League, not Championship.
[52:46.660 -> 52:50.260] How do you feel when you hear those? I just feel I came here to set out what I wanted to do.
[52:50.260 -> 52:53.160] And when people say those, it's not to prove anybody wrong.
[52:53.160 -> 53:00.460] It's just, yeah, you know, I believe and I would go back to before when I said that I have no regrets in every decision that I make.
[53:01.140 -> 53:02.860] This was the perfect decision for me.
[53:02.860 -> 53:06.040] And there was loads of comments when I
[53:06.040 -> 53:09.680] first signed there as you could imagine, you know, different, you know, he came here
[53:09.680 -> 53:14.920] for money or whatever it may be but what people don't actually realize is I came
[53:14.920 -> 53:19.760] here on less money than when I was at Madrid. So yeah, it's true. So you took a
[53:19.760 -> 53:24.600] pay cut to come to Newcastle? Yeah, I come here on less money than what I was on at Madrid. I
[53:24.600 -> 53:25.100] could have signed a new three I was on at Madrid.
[53:27.200 -> 53:27.700] I could have signed a new three-year contract at Madrid.
[53:29.900 -> 53:30.300] So the obvious question is then, why?
[53:32.000 -> 53:32.400] Why would you take a pay cut?
[53:35.700 -> 53:35.800] Because I had to come back to England for my family,
[53:36.500 -> 53:38.100] my children.
[53:40.900 -> 53:43.800] I was going through a difficult moment with other stuff that was going on in personal life as well, which could have sort
[53:43.800 -> 53:46.040] of affected with the club, et cetera.
[53:46.040 -> 53:49.280] But I've got my reasons why I came back.
[53:49.280 -> 53:51.440] I had a good chat with the manager
[53:51.440 -> 53:52.960] and I just thought, you know what, why not?
[53:52.960 -> 53:55.240] I knew there was 19th in the league.
[53:55.240 -> 53:56.200] I have no regrets,
[53:56.200 -> 53:58.920] even though I could have been playing in the championship.
[53:58.920 -> 54:00.320] I mean, I have no relegation clause.
[54:00.320 -> 54:01.800] I took less money.
[54:01.800 -> 54:05.600] I took a gamble, but again, I have no regrets.
[54:05.600 -> 54:06.440] That's it.
[54:06.440 -> 54:09.600] Let's talk about when you first arrived then.
[54:09.600 -> 54:11.960] You came in the January and it was like,
[54:11.960 -> 54:13.400] let's be totally frank, it was touch and go
[54:13.400 -> 54:15.400] whether this club was going to get relegated at that point.
[54:15.400 -> 54:16.240] Of course.
[54:16.240 -> 54:17.800] Then there was this incredible,
[54:17.800 -> 54:20.840] like felt like this shift, didn't it?
[54:20.840 -> 54:22.960] And we spoke with Eddie about it on this podcast
[54:22.960 -> 54:27.120] and he just talked about this incredible belief that like washed over the city. Can you give us
[54:27.120 -> 54:32.200] your sort of emotional recollection of that period when this club was saved as
[54:32.200 -> 54:33.200] a Premier League football club?
[54:33.600 -> 54:36.600] It certainly wasn't my first game against Cambridge when we got knocked out.
[54:36.800 -> 54:37.800] So that was a...
[54:38.000 -> 54:38.800] What were you thinking then?
[54:38.800 -> 54:41.600] Yeah, that was tough. I had good chats with the manager about trying to help
[54:41.600 -> 54:46.560] the players around me in a difficult moment. And when we got beat by Cambridge,
[54:46.560 -> 54:48.520] it was just more me going in the dressing room,
[54:48.520 -> 54:49.960] just saying, forget about it.
[54:50.960 -> 54:52.000] We've got a massive game against Watford
[54:52.000 -> 54:53.240] who we played after,
[54:53.240 -> 54:54.320] we just need to focus on the league.
[54:54.320 -> 54:56.240] But the moment when I,
[54:56.240 -> 54:57.560] it's unfortunate I got injured as well,
[54:57.560 -> 54:59.680] I was devastated because,
[54:59.680 -> 55:01.960] yeah, I was trying to help the club stay in the league,
[55:01.960 -> 55:03.520] not just me, but the team.
[55:03.520 -> 55:04.560] But the moment I realised
[55:04.560 -> 55:05.080] that we're probably
[55:05.080 -> 55:08.040] going to be safe was, I don't know which game,
[55:08.040 -> 55:11.640] I think maybe the Southampton away maybe.
[55:11.640 -> 55:13.840] But to be honest, we went on a crazy run
[55:13.840 -> 55:16.120] and that belief came from the manager
[55:16.120 -> 55:18.280] and the plays that were signed in January,
[55:18.280 -> 55:20.680] the right characters, which is the most important thing
[55:20.680 -> 55:22.920] in a team, you need to have the right characters
[55:22.920 -> 55:24.160] in the squad.
[55:24.160 -> 55:26.000] So tell us more about that, go on. You need to have the right characters in the squad. So tell us more about that.
[55:26.000 -> 55:29.000] You need to have the right characters who are on the same page
[55:29.000 -> 55:30.000] to pull in one direction.
[55:30.000 -> 55:32.000] The manager's been a big believer in that,
[55:32.000 -> 55:35.000] the way he wants the club to be run,
[55:35.000 -> 55:36.000] the way he wants to set his teams up,
[55:36.000 -> 55:38.000] and you need to have a good dressing room.
[55:38.000 -> 55:40.000] And, you know, how are people going to handle themselves
[55:40.000 -> 55:42.000] when they're not in the squad, when they're not playing?
[55:42.000 -> 55:47.800] For example, you look at Wilson, Alex now, two on fire strikers.
[55:47.800 -> 55:50.400] There's no bitterness, there's no complaining.
[55:50.400 -> 55:51.360] The ball's just ready.
[55:51.360 -> 55:55.600] And if you have that in your team, that'll take you so far.
[55:55.600 -> 55:56.480] So far.
[55:56.480 -> 55:57.360] And what about Eddie?
[55:57.360 -> 55:59.560] Let's go right from when you first spoke to him.
[55:59.560 -> 55:59.840] Yeah.
[55:59.840 -> 56:02.880] What did he say to you to sell this football club?
[56:02.880 -> 56:03.280] Do you know what?
[56:03.280 -> 56:04.480] He didn't have to say anything to him.
[56:04.480 -> 56:05.500] I'm not just saying that. He didn't say anything to me to sell it to me. It was just more, he actually came out to you to sell this football club? Do you know what? He didn't have to say anything to him. I'm not just saying that.
[56:05.500 -> 56:07.280] He didn't say anything to me to sell it to me.
[56:07.280 -> 56:09.280] It was just more, he actually came out to Madrid
[56:09.280 -> 56:11.560] to watch us train, October time, I think,
[56:11.560 -> 56:14.200] before he even found out he was going to get this job.
[56:14.200 -> 56:16.440] And I was having a few words with him
[56:16.440 -> 56:17.280] trying to plant the seed.
[56:17.280 -> 56:19.760] If you ever get a job in England again, you know,
[56:19.760 -> 56:20.680] I'll come back.
[56:20.680 -> 56:23.400] And yeah, he took over Newcastle, but yeah,
[56:23.400 -> 56:27.920] the changes from now until when I first had him 12 years ago is incredible.
[56:27.920 -> 56:29.120] Incredible change.
[56:29.600 -> 56:34.320] Back then we would score four, but would concede two, three goals.
[56:34.320 -> 56:38.240] And I think it was early years of his management when he was at Burnley and
[56:38.240 -> 56:39.600] then he went back to Bournemouth.
[56:40.120 -> 56:43.800] I think for me, looking at the managers, when he took the time out, I think when
[56:43.800 -> 56:47.400] he had to reflect and go and look at how other teams work,
[56:47.400 -> 56:52.200] how they operate, and you look at him now, he's flying as a manager.
[56:52.200 -> 56:54.000] And what about his man management?
[56:54.000 -> 56:55.000] How's that different?
[56:55.000 -> 56:56.400] Yeah, I think his man management's top.
[56:56.400 -> 57:01.600] I think back then, the dressing room that we had in Berlin then was tough.
[57:01.600 -> 57:07.200] I think we're proper old school players, you know, and tough for the manager at the time.
[57:07.200 -> 57:13.040] I think he'll admit that. But looking at him now, he's got players that he trusts.
[57:13.840 -> 57:19.040] He has good leaders in the dressing room who can handle any situation. If it doesn't need to go to
[57:19.040 -> 57:23.920] him, we can take that indoors. We can deal with it. And it's just about the trust and the connection
[57:23.920 -> 57:25.520] that we have. Who are the leaders then
[57:25.520 -> 57:27.120] in the current Newcastle dressing room?
[57:27.120 -> 57:28.360] So we have a leadership group meeting.
[57:28.360 -> 57:30.680] There's me, Dan Byrne, Callum Wilson,
[57:30.680 -> 57:33.260] obviously Jamala Sells and Matt Ritchie.
[57:34.940 -> 57:37.000] Yeah, so we normally have like a meeting
[57:37.000 -> 57:38.600] to see if everything's okay,
[57:38.600 -> 57:41.400] if everything's, you know, if there's any problems.
[57:41.400 -> 57:42.320] And it's quite nice, I think,
[57:42.320 -> 57:44.440] having a group rather than an individual,
[57:44.440 -> 57:46.920] because I think sometimes it's difficult for one person
[57:46.920 -> 57:49.040] to kind of, that tall poppy syndrome,
[57:49.040 -> 57:51.960] you're the guy that's always doing those extra bits.
[57:51.960 -> 57:53.200] Whereas if there's a group of you,
[57:53.200 -> 57:56.020] I think it provides a bit of sort of psychological safety,
[57:56.020 -> 57:56.860] doesn't it, to get the work done?
[57:56.860 -> 57:57.680] Yeah, definitely.
[57:57.680 -> 57:59.820] We've all had different experiences, all those players,
[57:59.820 -> 58:03.000] and that's always an advantage as well.
[58:03.000 -> 58:05.160] And it's always good for the manager as well,
[58:05.160 -> 58:07.360] where the manager doesn't need to get involved
[58:07.360 -> 58:09.960] in anything that happens that he doesn't know about,
[58:09.960 -> 58:12.600] because we can deal with that as the leadership group.
[58:12.600 -> 58:15.280] And yeah, I think it's a good balance
[58:15.280 -> 58:16.840] between the players and the manager.
[58:16.840 -> 58:19.200] So if we take some of the incidents that you described,
[58:19.200 -> 58:23.640] like with Pochettino was really hot on timekeeping,
[58:23.640 -> 58:24.480] you've got to be early,
[58:24.480 -> 58:26.600] or Sean Dice is hot on
[58:26.600 -> 58:30.680] like leaving your ego at the gates, not being disrespectful.
[58:30.680 -> 58:33.760] What are the kind of standards then that you insist on
[58:33.760 -> 58:35.960] for a good dressing room that you say,
[58:35.960 -> 58:37.040] these are non-negotiable.
[58:37.040 -> 58:40.920] We need to have these kinds of behaviours firmly understood.
[58:40.920 -> 58:42.640] I think it's just the demands of everyone.
[58:42.640 -> 58:43.760] And I think that's what we've got here.
[58:43.760 -> 58:47.500] We demand a lot in training, not just myself, all the players.
[58:47.600 -> 58:49.700] And I think that's grown throughout this season.
[58:50.600 -> 58:53.000] And positivity as well is key.
[58:53.000 -> 58:56.100] You know, you need to have a positive group, no negativity
[58:56.100 -> 58:58.300] or it can be like a domino effect then.
[58:58.400 -> 59:00.800] So how do you deal with it when somebody is bringing that
[59:00.800 -> 59:03.100] kind of negative energy to the group?
[59:03.100 -> 59:06.200] Yeah, it's maybe, you know, me and Jam speak a lot,
[59:06.200 -> 59:09.100] because obviously he's club captain and we speak a lot.
[59:09.100 -> 59:11.500] And, you know, maybe you would say,
[59:11.500 -> 59:13.600] oh, do you want to go and speak to him after training
[59:13.600 -> 59:16.300] or just have a word with him in a positive way?
[59:16.300 -> 59:17.500] Because if you go in all guns blazing,
[59:17.500 -> 59:18.400] it's not going to help anyone.
[59:19.200 -> 59:21.100] And the whole of football is looking at this club
[59:21.100 -> 59:23.000] now thinking, how can you be in a relegation scrap
[59:23.000 -> 59:26.840] last season and in the top four this season?
[59:26.840 -> 59:30.480] How much has getting through that relegation period
[59:30.480 -> 59:33.440] with a lot of the same players that are still involved now?
[59:33.440 -> 59:34.720] Yeah, it's massive.
[59:34.720 -> 59:37.520] Yeah, it's massive and it's gone a lot faster
[59:37.520 -> 59:39.080] than what I thought.
[59:39.080 -> 59:40.200] Of course it has.
[59:40.200 -> 59:42.040] But again, I think the players deserve huge credit
[59:42.040 -> 59:43.920] and the players that have come in,
[59:43.920 -> 59:47.840] the way that they've adapted to the manager's methods,
[59:47.840 -> 59:50.880] because he demands a lot in training on and off the pitch.
[59:51.340 -> 59:52.480] So everyone deserves huge credit.
[59:52.480 -> 59:54.480] Certainly the players that was there before the takeover,
[59:54.480 -> 59:57.680] because I think that doesn't get spoken about enough.
[59:57.680 -> 01:00:00.800] The players that was there, they've done incredible.
[01:00:00.800 -> 01:00:02.400] And obviously that comes from coaching as well.
[01:00:02.400 -> 01:00:04.200] But yeah, it's crazy.
[01:00:04.200 -> 01:00:08.480] I didn't think we would be pushing this high up on the table so soon.
[01:00:08.640 -> 01:00:13.040] And you've played at all different levels in more than one country.
[01:00:13.440 -> 01:00:16.400] Where does, and this isn't a question about talent,
[01:00:16.400 -> 01:00:19.360] this is a question about mentality and self belief and spirit.
[01:00:19.840 -> 01:00:26.800] Where does the current Newcastle dressing room sit in that respect compared to all the other dressing rooms you've been in?
[01:00:26.800 -> 01:00:28.200] Yeah, definitely up there.
[01:00:28.200 -> 01:00:38.300] Certainly because what they've had to overcome before the takeover win, there was rock bottom, I think, on 19th on about seven points.
[01:00:38.300 -> 01:00:46.560] And then going on, staying up and then kicking on again to be third in the league to overcome the hurdles that we have overcome,
[01:00:46.560 -> 01:00:47.520] people from the outside,
[01:00:47.520 -> 01:00:50.600] they wouldn't be able to keep up the pace,
[01:00:50.600 -> 01:00:53.760] still fall off, et cetera, et cetera.
[01:00:53.760 -> 01:00:56.400] Mentally, the way they've overcome all those hurdles
[01:00:56.400 -> 01:00:58.520] is brilliant and testament to them as well.
[01:00:58.520 -> 01:01:03.120] So if you had to apportion numbers on this,
[01:01:03.120 -> 01:01:05.360] I'm interested in your experience, because as I'm listening to you, I'm interested in, in your experience, because
[01:01:05.360 -> 01:01:09.280] I'm, as I'm listening to you, I'm thinking about, like, something that stands out in
[01:01:09.280 -> 01:01:13.920] all your experiences has been great team spirits. When success is achieved, that
[01:01:13.920 -> 01:01:17.800] idea of a great team spirit seems to be significant. If you had to give me a
[01:01:17.800 -> 01:01:22.880] figure for how significant you think it is as a competitive advantage, compared
[01:01:22.880 -> 01:01:26.160] to talent, what sort of number would you offer?
[01:01:26.160 -> 01:01:27.840] I think it's bigger than talent.
[01:01:27.840 -> 01:01:30.400] Having that team who are all on the same page,
[01:01:30.400 -> 01:01:32.320] you want to pull in the right direction,
[01:01:32.320 -> 01:01:36.440] you might not be as talented as your opposition.
[01:01:36.440 -> 01:01:39.400] I'll take that all day over talent, 100%.
[01:01:39.400 -> 01:01:41.160] You look at us this season, we've competed,
[01:01:41.160 -> 01:01:43.360] gone toe to toe with Man City at home,
[01:01:43.360 -> 01:01:48.560] which is a thrilling game. We've gone toe to toe with everyone in the league and I'll take that all day.
[01:01:48.560 -> 01:01:50.400] Can we talk about the football club as a whole?
[01:01:50.400 -> 01:01:50.900] Yeah.
[01:01:52.320 -> 01:01:56.560] It humbles a player, doesn't it? The size, the scale and the passion up here for football.
[01:01:56.560 -> 01:01:59.760] It does and when people have said that to me in the past or when I've played here against
[01:01:59.760 -> 01:02:04.480] Newcastle, I don't think you realise how big the club is when you play for them.
[01:02:04.480 -> 01:02:08.960] The support all around the city, when people say it's a football city, it
[01:02:08.960 -> 01:02:09.680] certainly is.
[01:02:10.400 -> 01:02:14.560] Yeah, even when I take my kids to school or, yeah, you know, they say to you,
[01:02:14.560 -> 01:02:16.960] oh, what a good result the other day and the next week you're speaking to them
[01:02:16.960 -> 01:02:20.280] for half an hour, you know, and that's how passionate they are and it's good.
[01:02:20.280 -> 01:02:23.800] And they remind you of the old times as well when they weren't going for a
[01:02:23.800 -> 01:02:24.320] good moment.
[01:02:24.320 -> 01:02:30.000] So they're always proud. Do you remember the moment when you signed, when you really realised the power of the
[01:02:30.000 -> 01:02:34.440] fans here? Because I think there's very few football clubs in the UK, you can probably
[01:02:34.440 -> 01:02:40.280] name three or four, maybe five, where the fans understand their responsibility, where
[01:02:40.280 -> 01:02:46.840] they realise that they're standing on the terrace representing the previous generations and they're going to hand it down to the next generation
[01:02:46.840 -> 01:02:48.480] and they have a genuine part to play.
[01:02:49.880 -> 01:02:54.960] When did you realise the power of the fans here and get that real sense of what they do for this club?
[01:02:55.760 -> 01:03:00.440] Well, on my first game against Cambridge, it was a sellout and like no disrespect to Cambridge,
[01:03:00.440 -> 01:03:03.520] but you don't see that in the Premier League.
[01:03:03.520 -> 01:03:08.000] Premier League started selling out the stadiums on a Wednesday night or whenever it was.
[01:03:08.900 -> 01:03:11.040] But the fans have been incredible since I've been there.
[01:03:11.040 -> 01:03:17.080] You know, you see the big banners, they have the war flags and the atmosphere in there is incredible.
[01:03:17.080 -> 01:03:23.280] And I can always go back to the one against Arsenal at home last year when it was up there, the best atmosphere.
[01:03:23.280 -> 01:03:24.880] I've been involved in, for sure.
[01:03:25.280 -> 01:03:25.960] And you know what?
[01:03:25.960 -> 01:03:28.960] I actually liken the Newcastle fans to your career.
[01:03:28.960 -> 01:03:34.000] Like you have to bear with me on this, like dealing with setbacks, dealing with people doubting you,
[01:03:34.000 -> 01:03:40.440] dealing with criticism, dealing at times with ridicule, having to be challenged and then finally getting the reward you deserve.
[01:03:40.440 -> 01:03:43.760] You know, it's a long time since these fans have lifted a trophy.
[01:03:43.760 -> 01:03:44.080] Yeah.
[01:03:44.080 -> 01:03:48.720] For a long time, there was an owner of this football club who didn't have their best interests at heart and
[01:03:48.720 -> 01:03:53.920] almost seemed from the outside like he didn't realise the value of the fans here. And actually,
[01:03:53.920 -> 01:03:58.320] at the same time that you've arrived here, they're finally getting the rewards for all the years
[01:03:58.320 -> 01:04:02.720] that they carried on spending their money, carried on supporting, carried on cheering, carried on
[01:04:02.720 -> 01:04:11.280] having their hearts broken. And I don't think we can underestimate actually that they are genuinely adding to the success
[01:04:11.280 -> 01:04:14.200] that this football club is experiencing at the moment.
[01:04:14.200 -> 01:04:15.200] No, definitely.
[01:04:15.200 -> 01:04:21.440] And they've had to go through tough times, of course they have, but now it's a new journey.
[01:04:21.440 -> 01:04:24.160] Now it's they can dare to dream, you know.
[01:04:24.160 -> 01:04:25.000] It was the first cup final in so long. a new journey. Now it's, you can dare to dream, you know,
[01:04:25.000 -> 01:04:26.880] it's the first cup final in so long.
[01:04:26.880 -> 01:04:28.360] Obviously we got it, we didn't win,
[01:04:28.360 -> 01:04:30.680] but that's just the start, you know,
[01:04:30.680 -> 01:04:33.520] that's just a stepping stone of where this club wants to go,
[01:04:33.520 -> 01:04:34.820] where it deserves to be.
[01:04:35.720 -> 01:04:37.320] And the fans are so valuable, you know,
[01:04:37.320 -> 01:04:38.160] throughout the season,
[01:04:38.160 -> 01:04:39.160] when we've been going through a tough moment,
[01:04:39.160 -> 01:04:40.880] where we've needed them, they've always been there,
[01:04:40.880 -> 01:04:43.600] they've always reacted to the situation.
[01:04:43.600 -> 01:04:48.320] We go one nil down or we're on top and we certainly value them so highly.
[01:04:48.320 -> 01:04:50.920] And may that continue, of course.
[01:04:50.920 -> 01:04:54.600] And yeah, four Cup finals lost.
[01:04:56.200 -> 01:04:57.300] Listen, you'll be fine.
[01:04:58.000 -> 01:05:00.600] Have you allowed yourself to think about Champions League football?
[01:05:00.620 -> 01:05:02.200] You must have started to dream.
[01:05:02.200 -> 01:05:04.960] Yeah, it would be silly to say I've not.
[01:05:04.960 -> 01:05:05.920] I don't want to lie to you.
[01:05:06.960 -> 01:05:09.920] But we shouldn't be scared to say we want to play Champions League football.
[01:05:10.800 -> 01:05:14.480] I know the managers or people have been a bit, we take it a game at a time.
[01:05:14.480 -> 01:05:18.960] I understand that, but, you know, players like myself want to play
[01:05:18.960 -> 01:05:22.480] Champions League football again. I've had the taste of it for a good number of years.
[01:05:22.480 -> 01:05:25.420] And if we brought that back here,
[01:05:26.920 -> 01:05:28.920] I dare to think what it would be like, this city, this club in the Champions League.
[01:05:29.720 -> 01:05:33.620] Do you think that the current squad could deliver on that stage?
[01:05:33.620 -> 01:05:34.620] Yeah, I think we could.
[01:05:34.620 -> 01:05:38.120] I think if we're on the same page and we're pulling in the same direction,
[01:05:38.120 -> 01:05:39.820] that would take you so far and it's so powerful.
[01:05:39.820 -> 01:05:44.520] So, listen, I think it would be a great occasion for the lads to be playing
[01:05:44.520 -> 01:05:45.400] Champions League football.
[01:05:45.400 -> 01:05:47.400] But yeah, let's see what happens.
[01:05:47.900 -> 01:05:49.400] Attitude over ability, right?
[01:05:49.500 -> 01:05:49.900] Definitely.
[01:05:50.000 -> 01:05:53.700] And the poster out or the banner out there, we're not here to be
[01:05:53.700 -> 01:05:54.300] popular.
[01:05:54.400 -> 01:05:56.100] Yeah, we're here to compete.
[01:05:56.100 -> 01:05:56.900] What does that say to you?
[01:05:58.100 -> 01:06:00.700] That just says everything about the clubs and supporters, you know.
[01:06:02.800 -> 01:06:08.240] Yeah, I just think the Walker sleeping giant, if I'm honest with you now, I think you look at Villa,
[01:06:08.240 -> 01:06:11.960] you look at Brighton who are pushing.
[01:06:11.960 -> 01:06:14.480] Of course, like other teams might not have done as well
[01:06:14.480 -> 01:06:17.000] this season, but you got to give credit to,
[01:06:17.000 -> 01:06:18.640] I think us, Villa, Brighton,
[01:06:18.640 -> 01:06:21.560] and it's so competitive this league.
[01:06:21.560 -> 01:06:23.200] There's no easy game in this league.
[01:06:23.200 -> 01:06:27.640] You got to respect your opposition and yeah, you're seeing teams now push
[01:06:27.640 -> 01:06:29.480] for the top four, top five now.
[01:06:29.480 -> 01:06:30.840] Time for the quick fire questions.
[01:06:30.840 -> 01:06:31.820] Okay.
[01:06:31.820 -> 01:06:33.680] What are the three non-negotiable behaviours
[01:06:33.680 -> 01:06:37.040] that you and the people around you need to buy into?
[01:06:37.040 -> 01:06:38.600] Don't be late.
[01:06:38.600 -> 01:06:40.240] Always give 100% in training.
[01:06:41.440 -> 01:06:42.280] Commitment.
[01:06:42.280 -> 01:06:46.000] What's your biggest weakness and your greatest strength? I think my
[01:06:46.000 -> 01:06:48.000] strength is communication
[01:06:48.000 -> 01:06:50.000] as like a leader
[01:06:50.000 -> 01:06:52.000] of people around me.
[01:06:52.000 -> 01:06:54.000] Weakness, I would say
[01:06:54.000 -> 01:06:56.000] I have a bit more belief I think.
[01:06:56.000 -> 01:06:58.000] As my weakness, believe more.
[01:06:58.000 -> 01:07:00.000] What is the thing that people get wrong or
[01:07:00.000 -> 01:07:02.000] misunderstand most about you do you think?
[01:07:02.000 -> 01:07:04.000] Honest, honesty I think.
[01:07:04.000 -> 01:07:06.160] I think I'm a very honest person and honest player.
[01:07:07.120 -> 01:07:08.480] And, you know, I'm committed.
[01:07:09.280 -> 01:07:12.320] What advice would you give to a teenage Kieran just starting out?
[01:07:13.600 -> 01:07:18.400] Always give 100%, listen, and yeah, never, you know,
[01:07:18.400 -> 01:07:22.160] listen to anybody who says you can't make it or you can't do anything.
[01:07:22.160 -> 01:07:23.520] Always have that self-belief.
[01:07:23.520 -> 01:07:26.720] And your final message for the listeners to this
[01:07:26.720 -> 01:07:28.080] who come to these podcasts
[01:07:28.080 -> 01:07:29.360] because they want the kind of lessons
[01:07:29.360 -> 01:07:30.720] and the learnings you've had from your life.
[01:07:30.720 -> 01:07:33.920] What would you like to leave them with?
[01:07:33.920 -> 01:07:35.120] Your one golden rule really
[01:07:35.120 -> 01:07:36.920] for living a high-performance life.
[01:07:37.800 -> 01:07:39.080] I would always say,
[01:07:40.680 -> 01:07:43.200] have that belief, have that commitment.
[01:07:43.200 -> 01:07:46.520] If you're ever going through a bad moment, speak up,
[01:07:46.520 -> 01:07:48.720] don't be scared.
[01:07:48.720 -> 01:07:50.680] And the most important thing, just give absolutely everything
[01:07:50.680 -> 01:07:53.120] give 110% in every situation that you're in
[01:07:53.120 -> 01:07:54.920] and have no regrets.
[01:07:54.920 -> 01:07:55.760] Lovely.
[01:07:55.760 -> 01:07:56.960] Listen mate, thank you so much for that.
[01:07:56.960 -> 01:07:57.800] Thank you for having me.
[01:07:57.800 -> 01:07:58.620] Fascinating.
[01:07:58.620 -> 01:07:59.600] And I think the most interesting thing
[01:07:59.600 -> 01:08:02.120] for people listening to this is a reminder
[01:08:02.120 -> 01:08:03.960] that from the outside football looks like one thing
[01:08:03.960 -> 01:08:08.480] but as you've just described in very vulnerable, brilliant detail, you know, often it can be
[01:08:08.480 -> 01:08:13.200] something very different. So, let's never underestimate the mental strength of the people
[01:08:13.200 -> 01:08:17.920] that do the job that you do. And thanks for talking about it because I think it's powerful,
[01:08:17.920 -> 01:08:18.920] you know.
[01:08:18.920 -> 01:08:28.040] No, thank you for having me on. It's been really good. Thank you. Damien.
[01:08:29.200 -> 01:08:31.120] Jake. Well, I think in many ways that conversation
[01:08:31.120 -> 01:08:32.600] is exactly what we set out to do,
[01:08:32.600 -> 01:08:36.240] which is to offer the truth behind someone's football career.
[01:08:36.240 -> 01:08:38.880] And I didn't know almost,
[01:08:38.880 -> 01:08:40.280] I don't think I knew any of the things actually
[01:08:40.280 -> 01:08:42.720] that Kieran revealed to us in that conversation,
[01:08:42.720 -> 01:08:44.220] but I found it riveting.
[01:08:44.220 -> 01:08:47.800] Yeah, I think the image that came to my mind was that classic picture of an iceberg where
[01:08:47.800 -> 01:08:52.840] you see the stuff above the surface of the water, but it's the size and the depth of
[01:08:52.840 -> 01:08:57.800] the iceberg underneath it that often we miss and don't appreciate. And when you think of,
[01:08:57.800 -> 01:09:02.040] like you say, all the challenges, the difficulties, the setbacks Kieran's gone through that happen
[01:09:02.040 -> 01:09:09.000] in the shadows, underneath the surface, His performance is extraordinary in that context.
[01:09:09.100 -> 01:09:10.700] I think that's exactly the point.
[01:09:10.700 -> 01:09:13.400] You have to remember that throughout all of those challenges that he told
[01:09:13.400 -> 01:09:16.500] us about, he was still having to deliver on the pitch.
[01:09:16.500 -> 01:09:19.800] He was still taking Tottenham to a Champions League final.
[01:09:19.800 -> 01:09:22.600] He was still winning La Liga with Atletico Madrid.
[01:09:22.600 -> 01:09:25.600] And I think that is the true challenge
[01:09:25.600 -> 01:09:27.040] that most people don't understand
[01:09:27.040 -> 01:09:28.400] when it comes to elite athletes
[01:09:28.400 -> 01:09:29.800] or anybody in that position,
[01:09:29.800 -> 01:09:32.280] is dealing with the hard stuff, but still delivering.
[01:09:32.280 -> 01:09:34.760] And you know how often people get this podcast wrong
[01:09:34.760 -> 01:09:35.840] and they go, oh, yeah, high performance,
[01:09:35.840 -> 01:09:38.360] that's just about people talking about their success.
[01:09:38.360 -> 01:09:40.440] Like that was a conversation really with Kieran
[01:09:40.440 -> 01:09:42.120] about overcoming adversity.
[01:09:42.120 -> 01:09:43.480] That's high performance.
[01:09:43.480 -> 01:09:47.000] Yeah, and I love, I mean, what really came out to me was that,
[01:09:47.000 -> 01:09:50.000] was just that willingness to throw yourself into it and have a go,
[01:09:50.000 -> 01:09:53.500] like remove excuses, because excuses remove the learning,
[01:09:53.500 -> 01:09:59.000] and just keep, so the example of his transition across to Spain,
[01:09:59.000 -> 01:10:03.000] and his view is, well, I just viewed it as an exciting opportunity.
[01:10:03.000 -> 01:10:08.600] I think that is a really key distinction that any of us can learn from.
[01:10:08.600 -> 01:10:10.960] Steve Maroon And I really like the fact that he would
[01:10:10.960 -> 01:10:13.000] pick attitude over ability every time.
[01:10:13.000 -> 01:10:17.160] And I think that's a great reminder for people listening to this podcast, that culture is,
[01:10:17.160 -> 01:10:18.800] you don't either have a good or bad culture.
[01:10:18.800 -> 01:10:24.840] You create a good or a bad culture, whether it is Sean Dyche and the strict rules about
[01:10:24.840 -> 01:10:25.480] snooze and gloves and hats, whether it is Sean Dyche and the strict rules about snooze and
[01:10:25.480 -> 01:10:30.520] gloves and hats, whether it is Maurizio Pochettino making sure that when you shake his hand you
[01:10:30.520 -> 01:10:36.840] look him in the eye, whether it is Diego Simeone and that amazing story of just showing a clip
[01:10:36.840 -> 01:10:41.880] of him saying he wants to win La Liga o Atletico and then walking out the room or Eddie Howe
[01:10:41.880 -> 01:10:46.760] getting them to create a senior leadership group here and that leadership group taking Newcastle to the
[01:10:46.760 -> 01:10:47.520] Champions League.
[01:10:48.200 -> 01:10:53.560] All of those are people creating cultures, making specific intentional
[01:10:53.560 -> 01:10:56.760] decisions to take something from where it is to where it should be.
[01:10:56.760 -> 01:10:58.120] And I think that's a great lesson.
[01:10:58.400 -> 01:11:01.600] Well, that final comment that you made there, Jake, I think is key.
[01:11:01.600 -> 01:11:02.720] It's intentional.
[01:11:03.000 -> 01:11:05.400] And I think when you listen to Kieran,
[01:11:05.400 -> 01:11:07.160] that those things are not gimmicks,
[01:11:07.160 -> 01:11:08.240] they're not things that are done
[01:11:08.240 -> 01:11:10.240] because you've seen somebody else do it.
[01:11:10.240 -> 01:11:13.180] You've done it because you understand the intent behind it.
[01:11:13.180 -> 01:11:14.020] We don't wear snooze
[01:11:14.020 -> 01:11:15.800] because we don't wear them when we're playing.
[01:11:15.800 -> 01:11:17.160] You know, we shake people's hands
[01:11:17.160 -> 01:11:18.520] because it's a sign of respect
[01:11:18.520 -> 01:11:20.360] and we need to respect each other.
[01:11:20.360 -> 01:11:22.280] You know, that we play as we train.
[01:11:22.280 -> 01:11:24.240] All those things are intentional
[01:11:24.240 -> 01:11:26.920] and that they're then all put together.
[01:11:26.920 -> 01:11:28.920] And that's what creates that culture
[01:11:28.920 -> 01:11:30.320] that he describes, like you say,
[01:11:30.320 -> 01:11:32.960] as the ultimate competitive advantage.
[01:11:32.960 -> 01:11:34.040] I really enjoyed it again.
[01:11:34.040 -> 01:11:35.320] Yeah, it was a real privilege
[01:11:35.320 -> 01:11:38.800] to hear somebody in Kieran's status and position
[01:11:38.800 -> 01:11:41.000] being willing to come and speak so freely.
[01:11:41.000 -> 01:11:43.320] So I found it a real privilege.
[01:11:43.320 -> 01:11:44.160] Thanks, mate.
[01:11:44.160 -> 01:11:49.720] Cheers, mate. Well, as always, thank you so much for joining us. Amazing to hear from Kieran Tripp here.
[01:11:49.720 -> 01:11:54.120] I only want you to do a couple of things for me. First of all, please reach out. I want
[01:11:54.120 -> 01:11:57.280] to know what you made of this conversation. I want to know the thing that resonated most
[01:11:57.280 -> 01:12:01.400] with you, the thing that you learned from the most. And please, man, just share it by
[01:12:01.400 -> 01:12:05.440] you sharing and subscribing. It means we can grow this channel. The bigger we
[01:12:05.440 -> 01:12:10.160] grow it, the greater the names we can attract and the more impact we can have for you.
[01:12:10.160 -> 01:12:46.000] Thanks for listening and see you soon. And when you download the Fred Meyer app, you can enjoy over $500 in savings every week with digital coupons.
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