Why did you never play for Australia?
It was difficult – I ended up feeling I had no choice. Australia asked about my availability when I was 18; they wanted me to go Down Under and play against the likes of Fiji and Samoa. I went to see Tony Barton, the Aston Villa manager, and explained all of this to him and said I’d love to play for Australia. He basically told me, “No, you’re not doing it”. The international calendars weren’t aligned and there was no legal requirement for the club to release me. The power wasn’t with the players then. I was really disappointed, but I simply got on with my job at Villa Park.
How did you feel about playing for England when you had no family ties to the country? What was the response like from the press and fellow players?
After qualifying for citizenship, England were keen for me to get a British passport and play for them. It was strange – the press always referred to me as ‘the Aussie-born England player’, but the boys were brilliant. The longer I’ve lived in England, the more I’ve felt part of things. It wasn’t the perfect situation, but everyone to do with England was incredibly welcoming. I made the best of it. Of course, you never quite lose your Aussie accent, and I never will. It’s nice to retain that.
What did you make of Bobby Robson?
He was wonderful. If he said to run through a brick wall, you’d give it a go. He believed in you and gave you confidence. He got names wrong and it somehow made you like him even more! We had some right tales on the training ground. He was great – a character, experienced and a passionate Englishman who wanted everyone to do extremely well.
Esta historia es de la edición May 2023 de FourFourTwo UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 2023 de FourFourTwo UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Sean Longstaff – Local Hero
Like Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sean Longstaff has shone for his boyhood club this season. The midfielder tells FFT all about his Newcastle revival under Eddie Howe, a £50m move to Manchester United that never was, and why he hasn't been herding sheep...
"We won 3-0 at Spurs.Two games later. I was sacked"
Two-and-a-half years since his Manchester United reign came to an end, Ole Gunnar Solskjder sits down with FFT for a rare interview, opening up on the club’s post-Fergie struggles, Cristiano Ronaldo and the challenges of managing modern superstars
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Calm down! Calm down! Calm down!
There's been plenty of noise around Trent Alexander-Arnold's performances for club and country over the past 12 months, but the man himself has maintained a cool head. Donning a retro shellsuit for FFT, the Merseyside maestro insists he's still got lofty ambitions - none more so than becoming the best footballer on the planet...
WHAT WOULD WOODWARD DO?
Sir Dave Brailsford isn't football's first interloping innovator from another sport, as Southampton fans will recall
THE ARQUND GROUNDS EFL-NON-LEAGUE-SCOTLAND
The Wigan gaffer on why he could have taken up tennis, seeking Sir Alex's advice and memories of cup glory with the Latics
HOW LUTON TOWN BECAME A PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM
The Hatters were tipped to finish bottom of the table at the start of the campaign, but have adapted their game to give themselves a chance of avoiding the dreaded drop
NOISY NEIGHBOURS
Part-owned by the City Football Group, minnows Girona emulated Manchester City by surging past Barcelona to gain Catalan supremacy and even topped La Liga this season. FFT speaks to those in the know to find out how
THE DEBATE
Are the Financial Fair Play rules really working?
ENGLISHMEN ABROAD
Qualification for the 2026 World Cup resumes in various parts of the globe this month meet five English managers hoping to steer their adopted nations to unlikely success
MY FOOTBALL
The Barking-born singer-songwriter and activist recalls meeting Bobby Moore, making Stuart Pearce roar, and playing a gig during a Euros final