"I SWAPPED SHIRTS WITH ETO'O AFTER MY DEBUT HE PROBABLY USED MINE ON HIS WINDOWS"

The lifelong Magpie opens up about earning Sir Bobby’s trust, his new career in the Middle East, and how Ruud van Nistelrooy knew I wanted to kick him”

- Miles Starforth

How did you manage to become the head coach of a new professional club in Dubai that has been set up only in the past year?

It all started a couple of years ago when owner Soheil Varahram was playing for Gulf United, my club at the time. We won the league title and got promoted. He later experienced the heartache of being released and decided to build his own club. With his social media network, he’s massive. He tapped into that and asked his followers what the club should be called. The team is named Al Qabila FC, which means ‘tribe’ in Arabic. We’ve gone worldwide looking for new players. It’s mad!

Speaking of social media networks, the video announcing your appointment went viral...

The owner wants to be out there, saying, “This is what we’re about.” He has social media behind him. He means business. He wants to win. That’s the demand on any footballer – and the coaching staff.

Have you always wanted to coach?

At Wellington Phoenix, I enjoyed being around players on the verge of the first team who wanted to go up to the next level. I want people who are going to knock on the manager’s door, like I did when I left school. As a coach, you’ve got to learn it all over again. People don’t necessarily realise how much goes on behind the scenes – Eddie Howe is there at Newcastle 12 hours a day.

How did it feel to be given a chance as a teenager at Newcastle 20 years ago by none other than Sir Bobby Robson?