In an exclusive interview with Racing Tipster, Manchester United icon Teddy Sheringham warns things could escalate very quickly for the Red Devils boss if he gets off to a bad start and demands that United get back into the Champions League for 26/27 season.
Manchester United
Q: Goals are a big problem for United, the rumours abound regarding a striker signing. If they land Bryan Mbeumo, which seems likely given his desire for the move, will he and Cunha provide enough goals?
Teddy Sheringham: I think any more players that can enhance the squad, whether it be goal scorers, wingers or suppliers or whatever, if they’re going to enhance the squad, then bring them in. I mean, they need some big players to be able to accommodate what it is to play for Manchester United.
It’s early in the summer transfer window. I’m expecting a lot more business at Old Trafford before the season starts in terms of players coming in and players coming out.
Q: Does Ruben Amorim have to try to adapt his system for next season if the main bulk of last year’s squad is still in place? Surely they can’t afford another league campaign as bad as 2024-25.
Teddy Sheringham: We should definitely see some enhancements on the pitch outside of strikers. It seems like Ruben Amorim is going to persist with the 3-4-3 system. I’ve got to be honest, I’m not a lover of that. I prefer a 4-4-2, or maybe even a 4-3-3 at a push, if it’s played properly. But it’ll be interesting to see how it goes if he’s buying these forward players. He’s only going to have one up front, isn’t he? So is he buying players to properly accommodate that system? We will see. But if he gets both Cunha and Mbuemo… if you’re going for £60 million plus like Cunha did, you’re expecting to play. And if Mbuemo arrives, he’ll feel the same. Very rarely do you go somewhere to be a squad player.
Q: How will the lack of European nights affect the team? We’ve seen teams like Newcastle perform much better in domestic football without that added extra pressure and game time.
Teddy Sheringham: I suppose not having the added workload of European football allows Amorim more time to focus on the Premier League and gives him more time on the training field to get his ideas across to the players.
You’ve got to try and work anything into your advantage, haven’t you? But at the end of the day, Manchester United are used to playing in Europe. They’re normally playing at the top of the table, and they’ll be very disappointed once the European games come around and realise that Man United fans don’t have anything to look forward to midweek when everybody’s chasing the dream of winning the Champions League. That’s where they need to be at. That’s what they’re used to at Old Trafford.
One season of sitting out, maybe they can stomach that for the rebuild. But beyond that? No way. No way does it sit well. It just doesn’t sit well with United fans that they’re not even playing in Europe. They’re labelled as one of the biggest clubs in the world, alongside Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and so on. They expect not just to be in Europe, but in the Champions League – the top European competition. They’re not there at the moment, but they need to get back on that platform as quickly as possible.
Q: Would Manchester United be making a huge error in letting Garnacho leave Old Trafford this Summer?
Teddy Sheringham: Not really. Not with the vibes that Garnacho is giving off. His body language, and so on. We don’t know the insides and outsides of what’s going on, of course. But for me, if you want to stay as a Manchester United player and fight for that privilege to be part of the Man United team, you get your head down and you carry on. Even through the tough periods. You dig deep.
You don’t start putting on Aston Villa shirts and following that path of making the fans feel like you don’t care if you’re still at United or leaving. They’ve got to realise that they’re at one of the top football clubs in the world and they should be fighting, fighting for their life, to stay there.
I get why he was posting the photo, and how he was showing support for a friend. But it’s all about timing. You’ve got to read the room. Get a feel for how the fans are going to be at certain times. After a win, after a defeat, after a great season, after a bad season.
It wasn’t like that in my time, of course. We didn’t tell the world we wished our mates on other teams the best or that we’re going on holiday on social media. We just did it, you know? Fans won’t mind you showing support for a mate at another team or saying you’re going on holiday online, if the timing’s right. You’ve got to read the room and make sure it’s okay from that perspective.
Q: Has Bruno Fernandes made a mistake to stay at the club this year?
Teddy Sheringham: I think it’s great that Fernandes wants to stay. He realises what a big club United are. United probably had that same thought, where they could have sold him to Saudi Arabia for 100 million or something like that, for a 30-year-old. They could have landed big money to really start recharging the batteries at United with new players.
But good on Fernandes. He realises that United obviously aren’t at the top of their game at the moment, but they’re still one of the biggest football clubs around. You want to stay there for as long as you can.
I really like Bruno. He’s head and shoulders are best player. You would much rather have a Manchester United team with him in it, then without him.
Q: How many games does Ruben Amorim have to win over the fans? If they lose to Arsenal on the opening day, will there be calls for Amorim’s head?
Teddy Sheringham: Everyone’s talking about Arsenal having a big, tough start to the season. First six or seven games, they look really tough. But I think when the fixtures came out, it was United who looked at them and said ‘oh no, Arsenal at home in the first game’.
You can imagine Arsenal coming up there with all the confidence, all the intent right now. They’ve got the momentum, a good squad. United are still figuring it out under Amorim. If Arsenal go up there and roll United over… if they’re comfortable, get an early goal, a second before half-time, maybe even a third or fourth in the second half?
Arsenal are usually really strong at the start of the season, especially. You’re more likely to get a result if it’s later on and they’re looking over their shoulder a little bit. It’s only one game, but if Arsenal really roll them over, United fans are going to be putting the pressure on Amorim from the get-go.
United are signing players and getting ready for a much different season this year than last year, but they must have those concerns on their mind at the moment. More so than what Arsenal have on their minds. It really is a horrible game for them to start the season. If the result is bad, if the scoreline is bad, things can escalate very quickly over there.
Q: How much would you pay to watch Manchester United? The club have been criticised by fan groups for raising prices, with general admission tickets going as high as £97.
Teddy Sheringham: That’s a good question. A harsh one, as well. The thing is, there are a lot of United supporters that are very consistent, very devoted. They go through thick and thin. And the club are definitely pushing boundaries with the fans, testing them. How much are they willing to spend? Even with the way things are going. And football fans don’t want to stop going. They want to be there, watching their team. So, they really test them with the price increases.
As for how much I’d pay? The thing is, I’d pay £97 – or let’s call it £100, because that’s basically what it is – I’d pay that for a great performance at United. But football doesn’t work like that. It isn’t like gigs where they have to drop the prices if recent performances aren’t great, because teams like United are selling the tickets regardless.
It’s the way of the world at the moment, unfortunately. People will chance their arm and keep pushing the prices up until people literally stop showing up. And in football, at Man United, that rarely happens. You only have to look at holidays going up in price and hotels going up in price, as well. Everyone’s doing it when they can get away with it. You don’t want to miss out, so you get exploited for these prices.
Q: Marcus Rashford is reportedly holding out for a move to Barcelona. Is he right or wrong to do so?
Teddy Sheringham: I certainly hope he isn’t. A few years ago, Aubameyang was seen as the bad apple at Arsenal. Arteta wanted him out and he ended up going to Barcelona. What a move that is, for a bad apple!
For Rashford to not want to play at Man United, telling people after he signed a mega-deal that he doesn’t want to play for them, and yet he’s happy to pick up the money. Now he wants to go to Barcelona? It’s like, oof.
I really hope it doesn’t happen. That’s not the way footballing careers should work, for me. If you’re playing well, okay, look at where you can go. See if you can get a move to a team like Barcelona. Try and make yourself even better. But not for downing tools and demanding that you get to go somewhere that’s debatably better than how you’re currently playing. That just doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t think Rashford could say that he has played his way into a move to the Camp Nou over the last few years.
Q: Did United throw away Scott McTominay and does that look like a mistake after his MVP recognition and playing an instrumental role in Napoli’s title win?
Teddy Sheringham: I think they knew he was a good player, maybe not to the degree that he’s performed this past season. But, let’s have a look at his attitude, his leadership qualities, the way he plays the game and the way he carries himself. I thought these qualities were obvious for United and for Scotland. Every time he pulled on the Scotland shirt, you could tell he was a leader, and Man United fans loved him. He has that British mentality where he knows and understands what it means to play for United, to represent his country, and all that.
The issue with what United did, for me, is that you’ve got to read the signs. They should have rated his leadership qualities, and all the things he brought to the table. OK, I understand that to go and be the player of the year in Italy last season is phenomenal. But the signs were there that he was capable of that. And it’s exactly what United have been missing, at the moment. He leads by example, and that’s how football clubs get better and stronger.
I think United have been valuing the wrong things in players for a long time, now. Sir Alex Ferguson, he always identified those deeper qualities in players. Whenever a player with a big upside was available, United and Fergie were in for them. I think of the likes of Gary Pallister, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and more. They were great players before United, and they wanted to sign for United because they knew what the manager could do to make them into top, top players.
That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. More and more players recognise that their careers will do better if they go somewhere else. If you get great players at an early age, and move them up to the very top of their game, it sets an example that other players want to follow. There’s not enough leaders at Manchester United at the moment. And that’s exactly where they’re failing.
Tottenham Hotspur
Q: If you were Thomas Frank what do you see as his transfer priorities right now and any names you would like to see sign up this summer that are available?
Teddy Sheringham: When you look at Tottenham’s first team, it’s quite formidable. They had a lot of bad luck with injuries, but there’s a lot of talent already there. But yeah, Thomas will want to put his own mark on the side. I think you’ve got to look at replacing Son. Maybe they’re already looking at Mathys Tel as being the man to do that, I don’t know. But they have already signed him and spent £30 million on him.
For that amount of money, they’ll expect big things from Tel even though he’s still young. But I think there are players they can add, still. Players like Eze would enhance that football club. They’re in the Champions League this coming season so they can afford to push the boat out and sign some players with a big stature and reputation.
I think Eze is definitely one of those that would walk into Tottenham Hotspur and think ‘this is a proper place, I’m going to enjoy playing my football here’. I think he can shine the way Eric Cantona did when he went to Man United all those years ago. He could become the main man at Spurs. And that’s the type of player you want coming into your club.
Q: Daniel Levy made a statement this week that Tottenham should be looking to win both the Premier League and Champions League. Can this ever be achieved under his ownership, given his prudent ways?
Teddy Sheringham: Well, this is a prime time to kick on. They’ve had a touch with the Europa League win getting them into the Champions League, given where they finished in the Premier League. And now they’re in a similar position to when Pochettino got them into the Champions League final that year. Like then, they’re in a real good place, with a real chance to kick on and get players of a big stature.
They absolutely should be signing at least two players this summer that lift the football club, same as when Spurs signed Jurgen Klinsmann back in my day. When he arrived at the club, it was a proper ‘wow, what a player this is we’ve signed’ moment. It was a proper move for Tottenham Hotspur. And with Champions League football, they need to start doing that again.
I think it would be a statement of intent to sign two players of that level. I think Eze can be one of them, without a doubt.
But I don’t see this young lad being asked to lead the line for a top club in the Champions League straight away. It’s a big difference from playing for Ipswich, learning his trade and getting away with a few mistakes under the radar. Chelsea will build him up over time, like with a few other youngsters in that squad.
Q: Was Ange Postecoglou treated unfairly? He won Spurs European silverware, and their terrible league position seems to be mostly down to their massive injury crisis.
Teddy Sheringham: Obviously, a lot of people saw it coming because of the quietness of the board level. I think he still must be sitting at home absolutely devastated. He’s probably going over the contract of when he sat down with Daniel Levy at the start of the two years. He’s thinking ‘what is the remit for this football club? What is my contract asking me to do? To win a trophy’. And he’s won a trophy and he’s out of a job.
He must be devastated. You know I was hurt when I got the sack from Stevenage, but I probably deserved it. On results, he fit the remit he told everybody. He won something in his second season, like he said he would, and delivered it under intense pressure. And he still got the sack. It doesn’t get any harsher than that.
Yes, I understand the Premier League results weren’t great, but they must have had a conversation in the middle of the season, Ange and the board. They absolutely must have. They must have discussed the injuries, how they’re at 10th or 11th and there really isn’t much difference between 10th or 15th, 16th, 17th as long as you don’t actually go down. There must have been a conversation, and an agreement, to focus on winning a trophy and then just not go down in the league. I’m devastated for him, still.
Yep. Absolutely ridiculous. the last time Tottenham won a European trophy, the UEFA Cup trophy in 1984, I think they finished 16th in the league, as well. And everyone lauds that team as the last team to win a European trophy for Spurs. Who cares? Who cares where they come – 16th, 14th, 12th? And that’s what people are going to look back on in years to come. Ange won a trophy. He told him he was going to win a trophy and he did it. And a big trophy as well. It’s just frightening. Frightening. He’s got to be walking around still now, shaking his head, thinking, what am I meant to do?
Q: Thomas Frank replaces Postecoglou with a strong reputation himself, but given the nature of Ange’s sacking, can you see it ending any differently?
Teddy Sheringham: For me, it’s all a start-again situation. Again. If it had been Ange still at Spurs this year, there would have been such a buzz about it. There would have been apprehension, too. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not stupid enough to act like everything was rosy there at Spurs. So there would have been apprehension for those first few league games and those first few in the Champions League. But at the same time, that little bit of scepticism would have washed away if he started the season on a high like he did the previous years. I think they would have played football, attacked the situation, taken the game to the opposition and started winning games again pretty quickly.
Now, they’ve changed managers again. And they’ve got to start again, when they are in the Champions League and the squad’s strong enough to make that league finish last year a one-off, if they don’t get as many injuries this time. They’ve got to learn the way Thomas wants them to play, and he’s got a great CV but it’s back to square one yet again for Spurs. It’s all quite bewildering. How has Ange not still got a job there?
Liverpool
Q: Is Florian Wirtz going to be good value for Liverpool? He arrives with a hefty price tag hanging over his head.
Teddy Sheringham: Yeah, he will be. He’s coming to a top team, playing at the top or near the top of their game. They won the league at a canter last year. I fully expect them to be right back up there again next year, and Wirtz just enhances their whole situation.
He’ll have a solid situation playing behind him with the back four and the goalkeeper. There’s strong midfielders alongside him from day one, and he’s got players up front like Mo Salah, who’ll turn his service into goals. He’ll fit right in there, and I think he can help Liverpool start a dynasty in England the same way United did in the 1990s and 2000s, and the same way City did over the last decade or so. I think they’ve learned from being on top in the 70s and 80s, then losing that stature. Now, they’re ready to get it back and I think they have all the tools.
Q: Who do you think will be better at left-back this season for Liverpool: Milos Kerkez or Andy Robertson?
Teddy Sheringham: I hear big things about Kerkez. But while there was a bit of talk about Robertson having a tough time last year, whenever I saw him, he seemed to be doing quite nicely. And they’re both playing in a top team. There’ll be a few questions about them getting Kerkez and keeping Robertson, and Kerkez cost about £40 million so they will want to play him.
Robertson’s 31 now, and left-backs are left-backs so I don’t think moving him around while Kerkez plays at left-back will work. Left-backs cannot play anywhere else. That is what they’ve done all their life. They can do a bit of defending and get forward a bit as well, but that left-hand side is all they know. You see some right-footers like Phil Neville, Denis Irwin, play at left-back and cover on the right-side, but that won’t be the case for Robertson.
You never ever, ever, ever get a left-back going to play right-back. It’s. It’s like you’re telling them to play tiddlywinks instead of playing football! They would not have a clue what to do playing right-back. They’d be facing the wrong way, they would see that touch line and want to get it on their left foot. And if they put him onto the right foot, he’d turn him around and then he’d feel comfortable facing the wrong way. I’m telling you, he cannot play right back.
So all that leaves is being a back-up to Kerkez with all the fixtures they’ll play, or where they rotate.
Nottingham Forest
Q: Do you expect Chris Wood to continue his hot form into next season with Nottingham Forest?
Teddy Sheringham: I think it’s more a situation of will the rest of the squad keep it going? Because they were all playing very well last year. And one season performing at that level, that can happen. But the second season is the real test. I think the chances are that Wood will keep scoring goals because that’s what he does. He’s a very accomplished striker, but it hinges on the service.
So, if the whole team can keep performing, playing to the top of their ability, you wouldn’t bet against Wood to finish off the service with plenty of goals. Forest need to go into this new season with the same attitude, the same chip on their shoulder, that made them great last season. That will make sure they perform at the top of their level.
Q: Do you think Forest is a good destination for someone like Jadon Sancho, who is struggling to find a club other than Borussia Dortmund where he can play at his absolute best?
Teddy Sheringham: I think Sancho would love that opportunity. But he’s not a player that’s giving out great vibes to me at the moment. I don’t think he fully grasps what it is to be a professional footballer and what a privilege it is, to be in that position he’s been in.
Plus, I like the two wingers at Forest already, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi. I think they were at the top of their game last season, and it’d be very harsh for either one of those to be losing their spot to someone who hasn’t really been doing it over the last three years.
West Ham
Q: West Ham have been quiet in the market, do you think that Graham Potter is being given the right support?
Teddy Sheringham: Yeah, when Potter went in there at West Ham, I think everyone was very excited that he was the right man to change what was going on at the club. And yes, they’ve not signed many players. It’s very quiet at the moment, but they do need to get that buzz from signing some bigger and better players than they’ve already got at West Ham. So it’d be interesting to see what they do this summer.
Q: Would you give Michail Antonio a new contract at West Ham, now he’s back on the pitch after a horrible injury late last year?
Teddy Sheringham: I was amazed to see pictures of him playing football the other day. It’s great news that he’s back, I’m absolutely delighted for him. After such a horrendous car crash, I think it might be a long way back to the top of his game from there. He’s 35 now, I didn’t see any footage of how he was playing the other day, either. But I’m delighted to see him back.
Q: Do you think Millwall can gain promotion to the Premier League this season? What would the rest of the league make of playing Millwall?
Teddy Sheringham: I think they can. And it’s a great appointment, by the way. Alex Neil, I think it’s great that they appointed him. I think the same vibe is there at the club as all those years ago, in memory of John Docherty. He’s this fiery Scottish character that wants to take the club to new heights, and he doesn’t care what other people think. He’s perfectly placed at Millwall, with the ‘no-one likes us, we don’t care’ mantra. He’s happy to operate the same way.
I think it’d be great if he could take them to the Premier League. He just needs to go that one step further, after narrowly missing out last year. I think they can do it. And if he did? You can see it right now, can’t you? Packing out the away stands at new, quiet stadiums like the Etihad. More fans would come out the woodwork for the huge games again, just like all those years ago when they were in the top flight for the only time in the club’s history. They’d love another run.
Jack Grealish
Q: It looks certain that Jack Grealish will be finding a new club. Where do you think he should end up?
Teddy Sheringham: There’s talk about going out to Napoli. I think it would suit him, to go abroad and give himself a completely fresh challenge. It’s fair to say Pep has got the most out of him after the treble-winning season. And I think any club in that second-tier of Premier League clubs, so to speak… Tottenham, Newcastle, back to Aston Villa maybe. They’re all on the lookout for players, ones that can enhance them and take them to the next level. And if Jack can find his full potential again, he could do exactly that.
All four of those clubs I just mentioned would love a Jack Grealish at the top of his ability. But given what he’s done with Man City, it wouldn’t shock me if changing scenery altogether, going to a different league, is a better motivator for him to play to his best than going to a team a few places under City in the league most seasons. Conte could be the right manager for him at this stage, to put an arm around him and get the best from him. And we’ve seen how British players have fared out at Napoli so far. Conte could be the one to get the best couple of years of Grealish, the last couple of years of his prime.
Club World Cup
Q: What players have impressed you at the Club World Cup?
Teddy Sheringham: That young lad, Lionel Messi ain’t bad, is he?
I’ve got to be honest, I’ve not seen a lot of it. This is cut-off time for me football wise. I’ll be more interested when it gets to the bigger picture of the tournament. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, final. But at the moment, you look at the scores and you see Bayern Munich beat Auckland 10-0 and Man City win 6-0. I think you need to get to the late stages before it starts getting interesting.
Q: As a former striker, what do you make of Liam Delap and his move to Chelsea?
Teddy Sheringham: They like signing these young players, don’t they, at Chelsea at the moment? Young players for the future as well as the present, long contracts and all that. It’s an interesting one, this one. I would put him on a similar footing to Nicolas Jackson, who’s already there, at the moment. I don’t know who they’ll prefer out of the two if they play just one up front. But, Delap is one for the future as well.
And putting a 22-year-old who was at Ipswich, a relegated side, up top for Chelsea in the Champions League is going to be a big ask this coming season. So, it definitely feels like he’s there to share the load with Jackson early on. He’s still learning his game, so I’m optimistic that he can be a top player for them in the long run.
England
Q: What have been your thoughts on Thomas Tuchel’s first four games with England? What do Tuchel and the team need to do better if they’re to progress in the next few months and challenge to win the World Cup?
Teddy Sheringham: I think he’s getting to learn about the players, learn about the English national team mentality, learn about the press and their mentality towards the national team, how it all works. You know, it’s a very different position he’s coming into from where Gareth Southgate took over. Southgate took over at, maybe not an all-time low, but a very low point. At that stage, it was a case of getting behind the manager and giving the team all the help and support we can.
Now, we’ve got high expectation levels again because Southgate managed to build them back up and they’ve been in a couple of finals and semi-finals. He couldn’t get over that last hurdle and win a trophy, and our expectations are that this current setup should win one. So, the expectation levels for Tuchel are: ‘what are you going to do to make us even better and finish the job’? England want a trophy now, so the pressure’s on from minute one.
Because of that, any sort of half-hearted performance like the ones in the last two or three games brings a very negative vibe from everyone around the country. Not just reporters, but supporters as well. People expected Tuchel to come in and make us this fairy tale, full-flowing football side for 90 minutes constant, every game. You know, show off how good we are. But you’ve still got the dirty side of football which is putting it all together and producing a team.
I think Tuchel’s got a really tough job to keep everything Southgate built up, add his own style of play and push this side over the last hurdle and win a trophy in less than two years. It won’t be easy to keep the morale, keep the consistency, then add that sugar on top for 2026. Only time will tell if he’s got the right application and understanding of England and the English mentality to turn us from contenders to winners.
But I’m not concerned at the moment because many of these early games are part of the learning experience for our new manager.
EFL
Q: Colchester have just signed a young forward from Spurs, Jaden Williams? As someone who has played for both clubs, do you think Colchester will be a good club for him to go and play his football, as he prepares to play in the EFL for the first time?
Teddy Sheringham: Well, he’s 20 years old. And unless you’re truly exceptional, you can’t be expected to jump into the first team and replace Dom Solanke. Playing some first-team football in the lower divisions, it’s what a lot of players do. It’s what I had to do. I wasn’t in the first team when I was 18 years old, so I was sent out on loan. There, you get to learn your game better than being a sub or a relief player when the first team needs a rest.
These loaned-out players are playing for a lot of money, alongside people that are playing for their livelihoods. Rather than playing reserve football and learning football where you’re learning a little bit here and there along the way, you’re playing for other people’s livelihoods as well as your own development. That can only enhance your game. It toughens you up and makes you a true professional.
And Colchester is a lovely football club with a lovely stadium to go and play in. It’s not far from North London, either. I wish him well. I think this could be good for him.
Q: How much did you enjoy your time at Colchester?
Teddy Sheringham: We had a tough season when I was there, really. We got relegated at the end of it, so it wasn’t the ideal finishing touch to my career, but I still have fond memories of it. I had good times there. I enjoyed working for the manager, Geraint Williams, he was a lovely fella to work for, and the lads were a good group of lads as well. But of course, it was just disappointing to get relegated in the end.
Q: What do you think of the job John Mousinho’s doing at Pompey? Do you think Pompey will be able to keep hold of him as his stock rises?
Teddy Sheringham: Yeah, I think so. I think he’s done a good job stabilizing the club. It’s a massive football club and one that they need to keep progressing. They’ve been used to football in the big time when I was there in the Premier League and they want to get back up in the footballing world, up the tables and get back to where they once were. Harry Redknapp had a great way of managing and getting them back to the top level and let’s hope John can do a similar job.
Q: You played with Yakubu in your season at Pompey, who was flying and got 19 goals. Where does the Yak rate with the strikers he played with?
Teddy Sheringham: Yeah, very good. Enjoyed playing with him. Very, very different to me as a player. Played on top of the play, wanted to get in behind, wanted to run him behind all the time. Wanted to score goals, wanted to be the focal point and that suited me perfectly for how I was playing the game by then. And yeah, really good player. Lovely lad as well.
Q: What are your standout memories from Pompey, particularly the 4-0 win over Bolton early in the season which put Pompey top as Teddy bagged a hat-trick – and the 1-1 draw at Arsenal when the team was robbed of a win against the Invincibles.
Teddy Sheringham: Scoring the first goal for Portsmouth in the Premier League is my biggest standout memory. I’m gonna say it was Aston Villa at home. Yakubu got put through in the left hand channel, had a shot, should have scored, but I backed up the situation anyway. The keeper parried it out and I came in and just helped the ball over the line with a little left foot volley to give Portsmouth their first goal in Premier League history.
And then obviously scoring a hat trick against Bolton a couple of weeks later to put us to the top of the table in the Premier League, which was heady heights for Portsmouth. And I think that’s made me the oldest Premier League hat trick goal scorer. Long may it continue that I’ll get a mention every now and again when people are getting close to it.
And then the draw against Arsenal. The Invincibles. I can remember scoring first of all at the North Bank, Steve Stone putting a lovely cross, diving header at the near post, putting us 1 nil up. And then late on in the game, I think it was Pires who dived for a penalty and they scrambled a 1-1 draw out of it. So, yeah, we were definitely one of those clubs that could have stopped that unbeaten season for Arsenal.