Men in Blazers LIVE! from Tampa Bay presented by Verizon, featuring Alan Shearer, Theo Walcott, Martin Gramatica, Alex Anzalone

You're listening to the Men in Blazers media network, suboptimal radio.

Woo!

Live from a sold out 1920, it's the Men in Blazers live from Tampa Bay, presented by Verizon!

Oh my God, it's incredible to be here in E-Bore City!

Sway, you can smell Baker Mayfield's Cologne wafting faintly over all the streets, because

impossibly the most definitive, epic weekend of the football season

tampers the latest city that the Premier League has descended in it to wrap us all in its loving embrace!

And tonight we're going to celebrate the rise of the burgeoning football fandom of the

sweat the United States, and also dig deep into the tantalizing slate of Premier League games

at Badazel or Weekend. I'm still looking forward to all the Cuban sandwiches that America is

about to be exposed to in Premier League live! And in one of the most vintage Premier League

weekends, we are going to share together. By the way, can you imagine how excited Peter Drewry

is going to bed tonight? He's like, this is my time to shine!

What sleigh of games, right, lay ahead, Everton Liverpool and on you, Gaff!

Come on you, Blues! Oh, I love hope and I love shattered hope!

This game is the annual reminder that football is a pleasure that hurts.

We're going to have another on the undercard Manchester City Arsenal!

All right, it's a football equivalent of a bar fight between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris.

Can I get a temperature check? Who thinks Arsenal is going to win?

Who thinks Manchester City is going to win?

And that Manchester City roar was louder because most of the people saying that City

will win are the Arsenal fans in the audience tonight. God bless you, you are my

garden loving human beings, believe, believe, we're going to meet you believe tonight.

One of the stealth game that I can't wait for, it's born with the beginning of Andonia

or all those lost dance against all the hero of the club, Eddie Howe.

There's a beautiful symmetry to it going up to Newcastle. I'd just say,

God bless the Golden War cherries to me. Honestly, everything that is good about football may

their future be exquisite. We get to watch it all, right here, from Champa Bay!

The great child of this town, Don't You Want Said, have traveled all over the world.

None of the cities feel like home because Tampa Bay is special, we are blessed.

And I've witnessed that truth, I have, I've got to tell you, I first fell in love with

Tampa Bay from England when I was a kid. The first season, the NFL, was ever broadcast

into English homes. I watched the first game, I saw a giant man,

clad head to toe in creamsicle, and I'd never seen anyone be such a physical,

dominant giant while wearing such a whimsical little outfit. That was his name,

Lou Roy Selman, a late, great warrior. And I just say, that shade of orange still has not

been invented in England yet, and I long for it from afar. So it's deeply personal for me to

be here with you all tonight. I found it very moving on so many different levels, but it's not

about me, it's about you, Tampa Bay, and I want to tell you, you are proper football.

From the Tampa Bay Routes! Look at them, oh sure, areas first, major franchise, huge crowds at

Tampa Stadium. I don't know if anyone here remembers this, you won soccer balls, 75!

City Eddie, your city's first professional sports title, which is mind-blowing.

Last full season of Ray Hudson's playing career, happened here. Look at him, God bless you, Ray.

I just say, that man could not make it here tonight, it broke my heart because he's an American

original. Once of Newcastle, you know, he did. He became more than a commentator, became a poet

of the game, converted so many Americans to love it too with his own passion, his own joy,

his own transcendent coverage. I just say, God bless you, Ray. Your voice is a singular footballing

zeal sung by a broadcasting lock. The NASL went under, football America. Eventually,

in came the mutiny, got a name, Jaylen. Mostly so I can look at that, Carolos Veldoroma,

iconic bleach bond throw. He loved it here, he loved it here, that man, that man loved the

devil crab is all I'll tell you. But from Hudson to Veldoroma, those are some biblical

patriarch bookends that you have rooted in your fandom. And then what happened next? The

Premier League flowed here. The world's most watched sporting talent, they've all played

out live with the entire planet watching. The Premier League is really what has taken the seeds of

this region's authentic love for the game, taken in next level. Hence this weekend's Premier League

Morning's Live. Look at them, you're going to have one Rebecca Lowe, two robbies, one team,

and they're going to celebrate with you this true solar football emanate across your city,

the intense community that is enveloped around it. The right, and tonight will be a hope,

a celebration of all of that, a night of legends, a fusion of Premier League storytelling,

and proper, proper tamper. I quickly want to say a couple of things. What I thank our good friends

at Verizon for making tonight possible. I'm so genuinely proud to ride with Verizon,

because there are about connection and community. They're always looking for ways to reward

their customers with unmatched access. So I'm very proud to tell you that tonight, I don't

know if you've heard, but the FIFA World Cup 2026 is coming to us in just 53 days time.

So in a little while, I crap you not. Verizon will be giving away World Cup tickets to 12 lucky winners

in this audience tonight. Not just that, by the way. Wait for this, four more of you will be leaving

here. This is quite incredible with a golden ticket, which will give you the chance of a lifetime

to watch a portion of the game on the pitch itself. You'll be able to literally be covered in

Lionel Messi's sweat, which is just incredible memory making. What a life gift. I want to thank

Verizon. It's quite moving to be able to do this. It's like being able to give away Willy Wonka golden

tickets. Also tonight, I want to thank you and the audience, because Proceeds tonight go to

Feeding Tampa Bay. It makes me so proud. One incredible organisation supported by giants across

your community. I'm talking about community on a much harder note. I want to dedicate this show

to the life and memory of Elijah Batiste, 17-year-old soccer player for Tampa Bay United soccer club

who just five days ago was lost too soon after a tragic hit and run car accident. We were really

moved by this news. I know the community has been rocked by this harrowing loss. I just say

life is precious. Let's save her every single second and on a Elijah's memory and passion for the

game tonight. Elijah, may your memory be a blessing. God bless.

In that spirit and start the show here in your lightning city. By the way, can I just say how much

I love John Cooper? I don't want to send my love to Victor Headman too. I'm wishing you

strength big Vic. That man is proper, proper Manchester United. He came on our show. We wanted to

talk about the NHL, you know, winning the Stanley Manchester United, Manchester United, Manchester United.

It's a lovely lead into tonight's show. Tampa Bay, are you ready?

Now let's welcome to the stage. A footballer so fast. They nicknamed him Lewis Hamilton.

A burst of speed and smile, an icon of promise, youthful delight and manly and all messy.

Once called one of the most dangerous players he ever faced, Guinness World Record holder,

Olympic torch bearer, a man who Jonathan Lewin, the independent called a sunlit extrapolation,

a figment, a blurry vision, a pure and trampled speed. Please be upstanding. For the great Mr.

Theo World Cup!

Thank you. Wow, wow, wow. Can I just say one thing? Thank you very much for the welcome.

Honestly, it means a lot. It's been incredible since I've been here. But Lewis Hamilton looks like me.

There we go. Put the record straight.

God bless you Theo. Can I just say you are

beloved in my heart for that great everton cameo? Am I right?

Yeah.

But you're not only mine. Pep Guardiola once said about his Barcelona team that you were the

one to watch, you were the one to fear when they played against you. Can you describe what

you used to bring onto a football field in your own words?

When am I in words, I always feel you need to kind of stand out. And when I say that,

it's why did you get picked to become a professional athlete in the first place or picked in the

Academy's age groups? And just remember that. Don't go away from that. You can get coached out of

your times however you know how to play football, right? So I always was a player that I didn't

want to overthink it. I always feel like you can resonate that with anything you do in life and

just, you know, it's sport, it's business, whatever it is. Don't overthink it. You kind of know

what you're doing. And when I first met and went to the football club at Arsenal and the first

person I met was Henri. And my idol, my idol, so can you imagine being 16, you meet your idol,

I was starstroke, but what I did know was playing football. So that's when I started to kind of

access that freedom element again and got that respect by playing football. So I couldn't really

connect because I was a lot younger of course, you know, what 16-year-olds do, you know, you make

mistakes, you do silly things. However, you know, I was, I had to grow up fast. And I turned out

okay, I think anyway. You know what, we're going to dig deeper into all of this. I love the way

you're setting this up. This is like the worst episode of Intriemont that there will ever be.

But this gentleman, David Beckham said of him, he never played against a speedier player.

You're honestly faster than the times at Ridgemont High. If you've not seen Theo play,

let's take a quick look. Okay.

That goal. That goal was a hat trick. In a similar, I love the way you didn't go down for the

penalty because you didn't know if they'd let you take it. I was not great at penalties.

I remember actually the first we played Liverpool in back in, it might have been no 12. And

Arson Bengar gave me the penalty responsibilities. So I'm like, great, this is 10 goals in season,

you know, it's really big achievement to be the penalty taker. I missed the penalty, didn't I?

The first day of the season, I missed the penalty. I wasn't on them again after that. Which I was

like, you've got to give me a bit of a chance. But I did end up scoring against Liverpool five minutes

later. But look, it was, that was an incredible game actually. Yeah, that was a Christmas period.

I scored a lot of goals against Newcastle. I enjoyed that. But yeah, I always play to the whistle.

I always tell the young kids play to the whistle because they always feel like they want to

referee it themselves. Let the referee do his job. He will whistle if it's a foul or not. And I

obviously played to the whistle and got my third goal. Let's go back to the beginning. You made

your professional debut August 2005. Wow. 16 years. 143 days Southampton against walls

in the championship scored on your first start shortly after. At the time, you're making $120

a week. You're a scholar. You were living with players like Gareth Bale in the academy. Yeah.

Anyway, there we are. Look at Gareth Bale. Gareth Bale's winning a March madness tournament t-shirt,

which I just love. Goodness to me. You're living water fights, pillow fights, but that did change.

You've always already hinted at it January 20, 2006 when you sign for Arsenal, the Arsenal of

Arson Fenger, Tieri Enrey, Cess Fabregas, 16 million after a bidding war in Chelsea Liverpool

amongst the clubs that came in for you. 16. You're a baby. You couldn't even drive a car.

What do you remember about that day? I do remember a little bit of age now. What I remember

as well. I didn't actually have any clothes going into this signing on the day. I mean,

clothes that weren't exceptional enough to be on a photo call and everything. So I had to go

across the motorway to the retail part where I ended up buying this shirt that was way oversized

too big for me. I feel like the oversized is coming back now as well. But no, it was an

incredible because even the nights before, I had dinner with Arson Fenger and David Dean at a time.

And the chairman of the football club, one memory always sticks out to me was the

sofa that Arson Fenger sat on because of course he was a very, very tall man. But every time I

speak into him, his knees were above his eyes pretty much. So I was like, and no, he was incredible,

but he was very unique. And when I say unique, I always feel like even if you go ask your boss,

you know, why are we not reaching the levels or what they need to do to reach the levels,

you go ask Arson Fenger something and then you'll come out of it and he'll be like,

did he answer my question? I'm not sure. However, I can't go in to see him again for at least a

couple of weeks. He was clever in that sense. He got his thinking differently. And I think

Michele Artette is very similar in that sense. We're going to get to Michele. You didn't understand

what you were saying because the whole time you were watching, you weren't listening, you were

just like, how are his knees above his ears? How are his knees above his ears? I mean, this is

still incredible to me. Yeah. Before you played a single moment for Arsenal Football Club in the

Premier League, the England managers, Fenger and Ericsson called you up to join the England squad

for the 2006 World Cup. Yeah. I love that you're clapping. The England 2006 World Cup squad

didn't end well, but it did include David Beckham, Steven Gerard, Wayne Rooney. Yeah. You were

17. You'd literally just taken your driving test when you found out you called your dad. You

thought he was winding up. This is your quote. When you found out it was true, my eyes were just

popping out of my head. Take us there. I mean, it was scary. I'll be honest with you. It was a

scary environment for me to be in because I'm 16. I'm just sorry, just turning 17. But what I do

remember, I had a call from Alan Shira, and it was great because my old man had a phone call.

He said Alan Shira was on the phone. Like, Shira's not calling you. And it was. And what he said to

me was, it just stuck me for life because he kind of said, look, just enjoy the moment. You know

what you're doing? You know, experience, but just, I say, enjoy it. Things happen for a reason,

and you know, you're good enough to be there. So, look, believe in yourself and go from there.

And that always stuck with me, which is great. And I was fascinated to be there. And I worked

with Alan a lot now as well. But it was just scary because I didn't actually play in the Premier League.

And that was the unique story about this because then there's an expectation for myself to,

and that our whole environment asked all in the English media to be a certain way. And we had

the paparazzi. So now, of course, social media, you get your phones out, you take pictures. I had

physically people following me with cameras everywhere because they wanted to get a picture. And

they'd do anything. Sorry, all the camera guys out there. With any paparazzi here, we're all good.

They would do anything, but it was quite really intrusive. And I'm 16. I'm still developing

in my own mind. And 16-year-olds, you know, you still don't know your body. They still don't know,

you know, what you're going to do in life in some sense. But, obviously, I knew football.

And it was just scary to be around. But what I did really enjoy was playing football. And

essentially, that's where I kind of built my reputation of, actually, no, I'm ready for this.

Because I did know, as a player, I didn't deserve to be there. And I know the players would have

been thinking the same. So you imagine that a six-year-old, now a 17-year-old, knowing that you

shouldn't be there, knowing that the players you're with, you shouldn't be there. It should be someone

else. I understood this. But as soon as I got on that field, I put the centre-ass on that back

of the arse, like, honestly, they knew, yeah, he's good enough to be there. So, because I knew what

to do with football. But it was a scary moment for me, but it was an experience that I could never,

never change. Yeah. I mean, it's an amazing piece of advice from Alan Shira. By the way, for

life, as well as football, you know, don't overthink it. You know what you're doing. But,

the story that I love about it, you celebrate it by playing Monopoly that night with your dad,

which is both beautiful. And also, I mean, it's just like completely age-appropriate.

But did you know what you were doing? Did you know what you were doing?

What are playing Monopoly? Well, I mean, you've got to fight up all the orange ones,

get those hotels on their sud. You know, as you went off that, 16 or 17, you know, going off to

be with geezers. Yeah, well, no, do you know what I was really interested in as well? Because

what's obviously massive in day-to-day mental health, and that's really important to me,

coming away from the game as well. And I actually video recorded my whole experience on an old

school camcorder. You know, everyone's kind of, yeah, everyone knows what camcorder is. It's

some young... Yeah, we go good. Excellent. That's nice, because some people have no idea what that is,

which is scary. Did you spend the whole time walking around there, and you're flipping?

And I was filming. Yeah, so I was actually at times even filming the paparazzi to make them

feel a bit uncomfortable. And I thought, how do you like it? I'm going to ask you questions now.

But what was interesting as well? I would always kind of interview myself

in the room after training, or even after games. But the interesting thing when you look back on it,

and I've looked back on it, it's with me at the moment, you could suddenly slowly start to see

that the dream wasn't going to happen. When you look at the, you know, being an older head now,

and you think, wow, buddy, mate, you should be there. And it's scary now when you think about that,

but I was kind of on my own in that sense, and that's not where it should be.

But it's an interesting watch, and you never know one day I might release it, we'll see.

The mental health, I mean, the progress, the understanding, the self-recognition. I mean, listen to you,

and thinking about you, how harrowing it must have been to be a boy in a man's world,

and a crucible, and by the way, a terrible world campaign as well. There's almost layers

within layers. That film, when you are ready, will be one of the most, or could be one of the

most powerful and remarkable narratives. But you do have one of the most unique opinions right now,

on 16 year old Max Downman 17 now, 16. I mean, God bless. I mean, that is a, that is a

poet warrior, a child poet warrior. Right now, there's a tabloid campaign to make in part the

England World Cup squad. If Max Downman's agent called you up for advice, what would you tell him?

Well, actually, Met is Dad, recently in Lisbon, and great, good guy. Good family round

and we can tell that straight away, which is really important. And I always feel like, look,

if I still go on to, sorry, when I'll still go on to win the league. Sorry, I did know it was

a Tottenham fan over there somewhere. Yeah, sorry. Sorry, you won't be in next year. It's all good.

I always feel, I do, like, I watch Max play, and the great thing about him, he's untested,

and that's always a great, scary environment to be in, when you have someone like that in your squad,

because you don't know what you're going to get from him, which is a great thing. It's a great

weapon to have. And I think, particularly this weekend, I hope it plays, because he would

terrify you. I would hate to play against him. And he's one of those players, he never gives you

a second to breathe. And he's ready. And the great thing about him as well, he's been able to

connect with the younger players in the squad, which is made him feel comfortable, but they trust

him. And I always feel like trust is a big key in anything that you do. They trust him to play

and perform. They want to give him the ball. They know that he's the danger man. So why not? Why

could he not go to the World Cup? I think, look, it's one of those where he will be in World Cups

in time. Will this one come too soon? Maybe? Maybe? However, look, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets in.

I would not be surprised. How is his dad's monopoly game? His dad's monopoly game didn't happen to

talk about that, however, but I'm pretty sure it's good. Yeah, I'm pretty sure.

Tell you what else was good? Your first season, it was tough. You played with a dislocated shoulder,

the popped out of your socket every single game. You said, quote, a hat to grow up pretty fast

in a man's game. And you did with some aplomb. Let's take a look.

I love this goal.

I love any goal whether you're posing fans go, woo, can they think that it's over? Then you're

like, so damn, I'm going to do you now. What are you like best when you watch that back?

What do I like best? It just brings back a really lovely, incredible feeling and I kind of share

with the fans as well. And it's what's great now when I'm not playing. I can kind of relate to the

fans in this sense because it's quite hard to get close to players. It really is. But those moments

when you score goal is the closest you can get to the fans. I think it's really important because

I played in the environment, COVID, when there's no one there. There's no point playing football when

there's no fans because essentially that is football. It's about the love of the game. It's about

you guys. I mean, even it's incredible that the fact that you guys have to get up so early to watch

the games. That's some commitment. I'm honestly really grateful for that. But the feeling when you

score a goal is everything comes out and I can't stand when players don't celebrate. This one

thing, when I scored actually when I went back to Sampton, I scored against Arsenal and my son

asked me to do a celebration. I was like, cool buddy, what do you want to celebrate? He said,

you know, Harry Kane's celebration. I'm like, yeah, I know that one. However, buddy, it's

pretty tricky to do that one. He said, yeah, but I really like it. I was like, yeah, okay, cool.

So I end up scoring, obviously, and I thought my son doing it and I thought I can't do it

because I just knew everyone wouldn't have understood that moment, right? And it's great. We laugh

about it now. However, I had to then go back to my sixion who's disappointed. Dad, why are you not

celebrating? They don't understand that side of it. So that's the other side that you wouldn't see.

But I want players to celebrate how they, there's always a story to the celebration. So, yeah,

I apologise to him, but look, it's even when most sellers score and he doesn't smile sometimes.

And my son asked, why is he not smiles? The best thing I was like, it is. You should always

celebrate. So yeah, always celebrate, guys. Most sellers not smiling because he's thinking that

he's going to get a yellow card if he does what he wants to do and take his shirt off.

It looks great, isn't it? Yeah, no, it's like, God, it's that frustration. You've got an A-pack

and you can't show the world. Only Mo and I really want to say that. You want to say

that was off right now. Yeah, just say that. Just say it, honestly.

Mo from us, it's always shut off, pants off, which should come first. It's like, we're all

constricted by society's consensus, but I want to get back to this because it's not about me and Mo.

It's about you. And your career was packed with exquisite moments. I'll always remember the game

you became the youngest player to Scorrah Patrick for England 19 years, 170 days against a very good

Croatia side. I think fit in the world. But it felt like there was not a single player who could

touch you without being burned by your after fire. I mean, that must have just felt so bloody thrilling.

But there was another moment and you just really thrilled me talking about your connection with the

fans because when I think about you, you were always someone that was hyper aware of that emotional

connection. It's a strange moment. It's a wonderful moment. It really struck me very powerfully

Theo, January 2014, North London Derby, FA Cup third round. That's the one 2-0. He knows.

God bless you. By the way, when he said, you all get up early. I just want to say, God bless to

every single spurs fan on the West Coast who's getting up at 430 to watch that crap every single week.

I genuinely know it. I mean, it was as an evident fan who knows what it feels like. I am full of

respect for all of you watching this there. But back to Theo. Ask them to be the spurs 2-0.

Devastating injury. No joke. ACL ruptured in a World Cup year. You knew how bad it was in that moment.

You knew would miss the World Cup of your dreams. But still, in the moment, as you have been carried

off on the stretcher, you found the energy to overcome your own personal agony and do this.

Do you know how smart? I actually didn't know the extent of the injury at the time. I really

didn't. But the reason why I did that, I had about 17 pounds, 50 in that stretcher. The guys

were throwing coins at me. And I always feel, yeah, they were throwing money at me. I was like,

okay, cool. But like, the guys carry me off. Bless them. They're amazing. They're like,

Theo, can you cut off because we're getting hit? They were getting hit with money. I was like,

guys, just take the money. That's cool. Good. No, but it was, look, I always feel like I had this

kind of love-hate relationship with Tottenham. I really did. It was kind of a, I feel like you

need that, that kind of drives you in that energy. Because playing out on the wing as well,

I would hear everything under the sun. And can you just imagine you're in the work office and

someone's just saying this stuff, which I can't repeat. It's just not normal, but it's kind of

expected in England. And it's like, it shouldn't be the case. But I had to deal with it. And that's

what I'd talk about growing up fast and being an environment, you know, even, you know, I was never

media-trained. I just had to learn in that sense as well. So, but yeah, that was, I love that moment.

Can we pop that back up? It is. One of the top ten most gangster things I've ever seen

over. It's like, by the way, if Wes Anderson made a football film, it would like, that would be a

scene that would be straight from it. In agony, in personal agony, understanding and embodying

the collective joy of that moment, Theo Walker, you an incredibly special man. And he went on

to score 108 goals in 397 games across a dozen years for Arsenal. Nearly five of those years,

you played with a graceful helmet-head midfielder, a man named Michel Artetta.

Can we have a bit more applause for Michel Artetta? Go ahead, tell you.

I think Michel is an incredible human being. We know him as a steely, determined,

marginal, gains-obsessed individual. When you see the Michel Artetta of press conferences now,

as a manager, is he the same guy that he was about then?

Is he the same guy? No, he is. He's very intense and is well. He always gets you thinking differently.

And I remember when he kind of stopped training one time when we weren't really performing at a

level, and it was more on the fact that players had to hear a few truths. And that's one thing

is where at times some players can't take the truth, I suppose, in that responsibility, to be

accountable for the performances, but he knew as a player. And you just knew after that moment

that he was going to be a manager. And Arson Venger, at the time, was like the team had meant to be

at a half-ten, and we're still in the dressing room because Mikael was talking to us as a player.

And that's when he first came to the club. He's only there for a few months. And Arson Venger was

just like, where is everyone? Where they're not training? That's my French accent, by the way,

which is awful. But we just knew after that moment he was going to be a manager.

And he's got a presence. He's got this aura about him. He's learned by the best. And he just gets

you thinking differently. And as well, sometimes he takes away from the performance with certain things

that he says to get you thinking, kind of forgotten about that performance because of what Mikael said.

So look, I think he's exceptional. I feel like it's been hard now. It's been really tricky. You

can see that now. But I believe. And I think that's what we need to do. We can't control

but what we can do is help and guide them, and obviously to get that trophy, which is we're dying

for all of us right now. This weekend, I don't know if you know. Sunday, don't like to be hyperbolic,

but there's an epic clash of civilizations. Manchester City, host your first-place Arsenal football club.

It's like even bigger than the Lix-Lex feud. There's never been a game played in a greater shadow

cast by a large Manchester City fan drinking from a bottle of Arsenal fan's tears.

I mean, by the way, that looms large, doesn't it? That kind of defines where we are right now.

It does. I mean, we're all about winding up the opposition, aren't we? And that would, if you want

to be wound up into a form, that would do it for Arsenal and tell you, it's done it for me anyway.

Goodness me. Look at him. This is goodness me. This is just incredible performance art. It really

is. It's almost like if Rembrandt was alive today, he'd take this. And also at the same time,

I'm like, that's a growing man. That's what football does to you. It's really incredible.

But we all know the stakes. Arsenal six points ahead of its city. They have a game in hand.

Each team holds their destiny in their own hands. I have not met a single Arsenal fan. I said to

you backstage, who believe Arsenal are going to win this game? It feels bored. And this is why I want

you here. It feels bored alone. I mean, apocalyptic. So tell us here, what will happen Sunday?

What will happen Sunday? Look, I want to sit here right now and say it's going to be an

absolute electric game. It's going to be four three Arsenal, but to be honest, it will probably

be a really cagey game, particularly the first first half. And I always feel like Mancy have to win.

They have to win. So which actually kind of plays into Arsenal's hands. And it will be nice

and refreshing. Arsenal to go into a game, not being a favourites for a change. I think that's

a nice place to be. It kind of takes that pressure away from them. I think that's going to help,

because Mancy, you need to score, which then is going to open up. And that's where those players

that can now access that freedom, the Amax diamonds, they're the guys that will be able to play

with that freedom, that energy, which we slightly missed, because Mancy are going to have to go

for it. They have to. It's simple as that. But you have to be patient as well. But I just feel

Arsenal need to play differently, though. They can't play like they're playing all season.

And they've been great. It's been a bit of a stumble and block at this moment time,

but they need to be different, even different to the start of season when they're blitzing teams.

So I just need to surprise them. So it's going to be great, though. I think it's going to be great.

And actually, as well, what will be great is knowing that Tottenham will lose the day before.

So it's just another nice thing, right? But you know what I mean.

How those of you watching at home, there's one Tottenham who's dying here.

I have never rooted for anyone to get a World Cup ticket from Verizon more than this for Bastard.

Just say it. I want to be optimistic, but when you said we need somebody to step up and you said

max down when there was a whisper coming from the audience, you're saying,

upper rich, yeah, say, and Godspeed today, incredible human being. And I do want to end on the high note with you.

I ate for Arsenal. I mean, the tenacity, the almost siss of fussy and quality,

of trying to get up the hill, trying to drive yourself there constantly, have that rock roll down,

have the whole of England laugh at you. You know, almost becoming an object of school and a

mockery in an obsessive quest to win the first Premier League trophy since 2004. Maybe a champion's

league, maybe the treble if Tottenham also get relegated. But what does this team need?

Leave us on this note to get over the hump, win the Premier League. What makes you feel most optimistic?

Put it out there. Well, for me, the player, Declan Rice, kind of,

he typifies the way you should play football, the passion, the hunger, the desire,

and the levels because he's played when he's not fit. He's played when he's unwell.

And the commitment level is just exceptional. And how he is off the field as well.

I've been in the space on numerous occasions and he's a great man.

They have a lot of time for him. But now I want to see the nasty side of you a little bit.

I want to see that in all of the players. I think that's what they're going to need.

I think that's the different side of the Arsenal. And they've got it in them.

And that's the thing. I think Michele just needs to unlock that this weekend, particularly.

And just to surprise him, it's just to be a little bit more nasty.

Because look, I wasn't nasty. I was kind of nice and polite and, yeah,

kind of most of the time, got past the defenders. Go play this man, I'm not polite, by the way.

Yeah, I've got a good, yeah, I'm not bad about that. Yeah, but no, I just feel that's the

difference they're going to have to do for me and the belief. But it sets, it's all about good

habits going into the game. And I'm pretty sure they've been on it all week. So it's going to be

great day. I said that was the last question, but I do need to know because I see you as an Everton

legend, Theo Wolcott. Look at that. Oh, wow, that game. I remember that game. Well, I remember

that game. I could do, I could do an hour and a half with you on Everton. And I want to

bring it in. Mercy side dogby this week. And first ever one, our new crib, the hell Dickinson.

Can I get a score prediction? Oh, do you know what? I feel new stadium, Hill Dickerson.

You want to star and be the, that team, those players, that beat Liverpool. And it's been hard.

It's been really hard. It's going to be a different environment to play because good as

some was great. It's never going to be the same, but let's create something new. And I feel like

they can. And not just that. They could finish above Liverpool. And I believe that. I generally feel

like the team did. No, but you have to believe that as an Evertonian as a fan as well. But look,

it's, it's one of those Liverpool in a tricky moment. However, there's a lot's happened in

reach to this. You know, sad times and everything. It's happened for Liverpool football club. But these

games, you kind of, you get a different side. It doesn't matter about form going into this.

It's all about our design, that work rate. And be tough. But why not? I fancy Everton.

It is there. And Thierry Walker, I've got to say, I'm not quite comfortable with all this

Everton optimism. I've got to be candid. I do want to thank you. You're a joy to watch on the

field. Really a player that played with heart, joy and wonder and an effervescence. That connection

with the fans always seem to propel you in the most wonderful way. It's been

utterly evident to watch that tonight here in Tampa Bay. Let's hear it. A rock or a human

bag. To great Thierry Walker. Let's move on. To this city, your city, a city that's known,

as one of franchise win after franchise win. And it's reals me to know when to bring up two guests

who represent the past and the future of your Tampa Bay Booking ears football team.

The former, a man who many of you will remember as the emotional spot club of an iconic

booking ears team, player of a heart of gold, nerves of steel and a right leg of titanium alloy.

The latter newly arrived defensive heartbeat. It's come to play bass player in the metal

band that is the booking ears, D-Line. Mancers, up tackles like a cubano from Lassagunda.

Oh, well looking like an extra-in-point break. Tampa Bay, please rise for the one and only

Martin Automatica, grammatica and Alex Anzaloni.

Alex, you smell so good. I've got to tell you. I want to interview Virgil Van Dyke. I said this

on the show, I smell so good for about four days, which was genuinely amazing. You sign for

the books in March, but you've got strong ties to this state. You attended the University of Florida.

Your wife, Lindsay, Penaeus County, you met a UF where she won two SEC titles. Tampa Bay's been

your true home since your rookie season. You had better offers. Be decided to sign here. I

loved what you said. You said, Tampa means something. It means something to play in this city. My kids

teachers, my good friends, my family will watch me play. Can you talk about that? How playing

in front of your community hits differently? No doubt. Yeah, you did your research. You definitely

did. This is home for us. My wife is born and raised here. It's been home for me since

20, after my rookie year, honestly, so 2017. It just means more playing here. You go through

free agency. You go through, I could sign here. I could sign there. But then it's like going to

a random team almost. You go to a random city. You don't know anyone. But here, it's like

my best friends are season ticket holders. My kids' teachers are season ticket holders.

It just means more to be a part of it and play in a city that you're doing what you left

to do. Amen. There's incredible to have you back here. I've got to tell you, looking at you,

it's like this man is like the embodiment of what I thought America looked like when I was at

12. In England, I was like, what is your next choice? I don't know. I'm like, I don't know your

thing is my leg. Do you know what your shirt size is? I mean, yeah, it's probably like a 17. It's

honestly not too big. It's a really idea. They're bigger. That's a tight, bloody shirt. I'm like,

I love America, but Martin, your journey to Tampa Bay was really, really beautiful. I mean,

it's full of wonder. Your story begins in a far off land of Mate and Paris,

you have Buenos Aires, Argentina, a young Martin, head over heels, football, Matt. It was our

football, though. What kind of football player was a young Martin, grammatica? We were just talking

about it earlier. I was just like, almost like Messi, but not that good. So all my shots on

goal were going over. So they're like, let's just shift over to American football. So that's kind

of the footballer I was. Now, I played midfield forward. I like to shoot. I always had a strong leg,

but then when they saw the ball going over the up right there, like, let's go get kick some

footballs. Yeah, but they always used to say in England about Messi, could he do it on a rainy night

in Stoke? Could Messi kick a 43 yard field goal when there were three seconds left on the clock

against, you know, I would, I would put all my money on Messi. He doesn't do anything wrong.

Does he do anything wrong? I've never seen him make a mistake. By the way, Messi would be the single

greatest field goal kicker there ever was. And he'd do it all while wearing a pair of jorts.

And it would be magnificent. By the way, Harry Kane, Harry Kane's dream, this guy,

man, who scored 50 goals this season, his dream is to be a kicker in the NFL. He'd better do it

before he turns 40, though. He's a pack. He'd better hurry. He wants to be the Martin Grimattica

of England. But in age nine, your parents pulled up Roots, your swapped Argentina for Label Florida,

iconic swamp cabbage festival home. You speak little to no English, a bit like me now.

And Grida and football arrived in your life. I think senior year of high school, you will

see your high school. Yes. It is crazy. You discovered you true. I mean, it's amazing. It's like

man, you bowl like discovered. He had incredible skills. This man also, you've got a scholarship to

Kansas State. You had the physical skills to be a kicker. But mentally, how did you come to

understand the position like this? Because I think in sport, there's goalkeeper and field goal kicker,

like it's one and the same. No one understands either of them. You get very little coaching. All

you can do is get it wrong every single time you take the field. How did you master the mental?

Well, obviously, I didn't have the physical size to be a linebacker. So I had to kick. It's just

me and Alex. Right. You guys, I had to be a kicker. But you know, you explained it perfect for any

soccer fan. The kicker is like the goalkeeper, you know, because you can make five kicks and then

you miss the last one. They're like, oh, you cost us the game. Keeper can make, you know, 10 great

saves. He lets an easy one in. They're going to blame him. But I do feel like the kicker has just

a little bit more pressure because most people don't know. There's only one kicker per team.

So you either employed or unemployed. So they don't put you on the bench to get confidence.

They're not going to stay out. You had a bad game, sit on the bench, get some confidence,

and then we'll put you back in. No, they'll fire you and bring somebody else in and then you

got to look for a job. So there's a lot of pressure when it comes to that. And in your day,

you know, Theo Wolcott just sat here and talked about how we didn't understand the mental side of

the game in his day. Was there the mental side of the game in your day? Back in the day, if you

asked for help or you went to us for psychology, it was a sign of weakness. So you kind of had to

teach it to yourself. You know, you had to be mentally strong on your own. And I think we were

raised different back then where we had to, you know, just deal with it ourselves, figure it out.

And I had great coaching though. I had a coach that made my life miserable from Monday to Saturday.

So then Sundays were easy. And he was my biggest fan. And Joe Marciano, crazy Italian guy,

that was just special teams go, you know how special teams go just on. But it made Sundays easy.

And then he was there to help me on Sunday. But yeah, you had to do it on your own back then.

I was just at the Masters and we did a live show on Thursday night with a golfer who won in the

90s, won the one twice, once in the 80s, once in the 90s. And I said to him, do you have a,

you know, a psychologist? He goes, the guys now they have swing coaches, hitting coaches,

masseuses, the, you know, psychology, I said, did you? He goes, yeah, I had a therapist. I was like,

okay, he goes, you want to know the therapist name? I was like, sure, he goes, it was Mr. Jim Beam.

That sounds about right.

God bless America.

Alex, in contrast, I mean, you were in football pads pretty much as you could hold your head up.

I mean, you were very early to the game. I think your first words as a baby were weak side blitz.

Good of me. By the time you were recruited for college, you had D1 offers at three different

positions, which is amazing. Linebacker, running back, kick up, I'm kidding. Okay, good.

It's tighter. I do want to know, how do you think your position that you choose shapes your

personality and vice versa? Yeah, it's huge. It's like completely different mentality. It's

playing defensive football and offensive football is like almost polar opposites in some ways,

because defensive football, it's a lot about mentality and doing the dirty work,

doing, you know, being gritty, you know, trying to be violent and all these different things.

Offensive football, it's all about precision, timing, being where you're supposed to be at the

exact moment, the quarterback or whoever's expecting you to. So yeah, it's like some things overlap,

but at the same time, it's a lot of different mentality. So when you pick a different position or

what path you want to go, get go down. You know, it could change a lot of things. I once interviewed,

the first time he came on the show, the Arsenal legendary coach, Yarsson Venger, and he told me,

he said, if you love to win, you'll play striker. Essentially, you play on offense. He said,

if you hate to lose, you become a defender. No doubt. No doubt. That's true for you. That's spot on.

That's like probably perfect. That's perfect. Winds are winds for you, but when you lose,

how long does it take you to get over it? Yeah, it depends on the loss. I would say that.

Bigger games are worse, but if it's a loss in season, 24-hour rule, you've got to get over

in 24 hours and move on. God bless. That's, I mean, genuinely, depends if it was the kicker's fault

or not, I guess. Yeah, also, yeah, if I did my job, deep ends fall out, but the kicker missed the

game when it kicked. It was his fault. Then we're hiding under the table. Of course,

it's a kicker. Your career was legendary. You twice broke the book in a single season scoring record

for a kicker. You posted 126 points in 128 in 2002, but all the while, and I love this. You love

for the game we love. Football, soccer was undying, and back when you loved it, football was not

the juggernaut in America that it is now, but you got a reputation for sneaking out of your room

after the curfew to catch Bucadunia's games. Back in 2002, this really happened. You organized

a charity match with the legend Carlos Valdoroma and a handful of Bucadunia's players. Some of

your NFL teammates came in. Tell us that story. Well, that's excellent research. I don't think,

besides my family, nobody knows that I snuck out. I don't know who's telling you.

Maybe it was the police officer that pulled me over on my way home.

So this is when Bucadunia was playing Real Madrid 2000. The game was in Japan, so the game was

at four in the morning or five in the morning. So I got up early. I went to the security guard.

We have a security guard on the floor, and I said, I forgot my cleats. I need my shoes for the

game. So he's like, what do you mean? You can't go get him later. I go, no, I can't sleep unless I

have my shoes. So then I just went home. And the security guard's like, come on, no. I know Bucadunia's

the player. I know. But you know, the shoes are our tool. And I carried my shoes with me. I never

let the equipment guys take my shoes. They came with me everywhere. I took them everywhere. They were

like my babies, right, before I had kids. And so I said, I don't have them. I got to go get them.

So he let me go. I watched the game. Luckily, we won two to two to one, you know,

by the animals, two goals, recalement, tore up, bral Madrid, and took a nap. And then I went to

the game and then we ended up winning the game. So it was, I mean, perfect. But I didn't know

anybody knew about that. But I did run a red light trying to get home. And I got pulled over.

And then 20 years later, this guy's coaching soccer with me. He's like, do you remember 2000,

I pulled you over. I go, yeah, I was going to watch soccer. Yeah, that was me. That's what he said.

Wow. 20 years later, we were coaching together. But yeah, so I hope that Bucs aren't listening

to this because I was, I was, I was speak out to, and I did it in 2003 when we beat it AC Milan.

How do we know about it? Because it's one of the greatest episodes of cops ever.

No, I can't get my hands on the wheel. I'm not going there. I do need to know quickly,

culturally, back then, how would you describe the awareness of football in NFL locker rooms

back then early 2000s? Zero. Because there, nobody really watched the Premier League and watching

it now every day, every week has opened up our eyes to quality soccer. Yeah, it has. Because before

there was a Colombian offensive lineman and that's the only guy I could really talk soccer with.

See, Jorge, yes, he was the only guy we would chat about other than that. Some guys

towards the end, maybe a little bit more, but early on, not much, not much.

We're going to pick that narrative up in just one moment. But I do need to say, the record will show

that this man is the only Argentinian ball player ever to win the Super Bowl.

Can I just say, Lionel Messi could never, he probably could.

Quick trivia. Do you know the first Argentinian ball player to win the Premier League?

Oh, you're killing me now. Carlos Tevez?

You're close. I give you a clue. La brouhita.

La brouhita be done. I'm good friends with him.

There you go.

Sorry, you were friends with him.

He told me he wanted to meet me. I'm like, you're crazy. I want to meet you.

I mean, I'm a fan of you though.

Well, this man, when you know, he did 2003, an incredible footballer.

He wanted to meet you. He said that, but I wanted to meet him.

So a good friend of mine works in the media department for Estudiantes.

When they came here for a preseason, he's like, yeah, he wants to meet you.

I think my friend wanted me to bring him a jersey for him.

He wanted to be Harry Kane before there was Harry Kane.

But Martin, I need to know, can you give us your Mount Rushmore top four Argentinian players

to ever grace the Premier League?

Ever grace. Okay, so I'm going to start with Carlos Tevez.

Oh, no Tevez fans here. Come on now. Come on now.

Very difficult. That's all he says in English.

Remember that? And then I would say, Sergio, I'll wait up.

Incredible. La brouhita be done.

Yeah, I got to put it on in there.

But are you really meaning now?

Are you just trying to make it up with your friends?

No, no, no. I knew he played for them. Number four, number four.

Yeah. Okay, that's unusual for the position that he was playing.

A number four.

I played it with the number four.

Yeah, yeah. I need a four.

He usually wears number 11.

I love you.

Come on.

You night.

My number fourth, I'm trying to, I'm trying to dodge that because I was trying to think.

I'm going to go, I have two. Can I give you two?

So he's three and a half.

Okay, machirano.

Yeah.

Yeah, and then divo Martinez.

Divo, divo, we have a World Cup because of his foot, his leg.

He saved us in this World Cup.

So I got to go with divo.

Amy Martinez, God, beloved.

Yeah, we got to get housing.

You missed out.

Romero, Funez, Mori.

Dennis Strackel there is the, of course, the legend.

The whole of Argentina.

Don't ever ever play, guys.

Charlie Alcaraz.

But I've just named every Argentinian that ever has played for Everton Fubo club.

I want to get back to you, Alex.

Martin was an outlier in his day.

Today's soccer and football have almost become like sporting siblings.

NFL locker rooms are packed with players who almost treat the two sports as cross-training.

You know, JJ, what is a great friend of our show?

Love the sport so much.

He brought part of Premier League for the next couple of games.

Burnley football club.

You know, Sean McVay comes on, talked about his love of the game.

Jim Harbour, lived for the game.

You know, we have so many NFL owners who have brought into the Premier League as well,

including, you know, your Tampa Bay book in Arizona's.

But for you, you've had to learn your way around the soccer ball.

I know you're in a league coach of your kids' soccer games.

Tell us what you've seen in locker rooms that you've been part of.

How has soccer permeated the NFL?

Yeah, it's completely different than what you were talking about.

You know, it's almost like a common place for, you know,

talk about what's going on in the Premier League or, you know, just like the World Cup coming up,

things of that nature and, you know, guys have jerseys, guys have, you know,

constantly talking about it.

You know, it's completely different and as even as I'm going into year 10 and the NFL

and it's just changed even over those 10 years.

Now this man is coach of the, my son's U6 soccer team.

By the way, by the way, we know what this means, right?

The U6 soccer scene in Tampa Bay.

The next level is to be the coach of the US men's national team.

I want this man to be our World Cup coach in the next cycle.

Two last ones for you, Martin.

I'm keen for your opinion.

We're talking about the US soccer team for your countrymen.

Mauritio Pochettino.

The man is going to lead our US Gents out of the World Cup this summer.

He once came on our show, told us winning teams have to have the right amount of skill,

right amount of arrogance.

He's trying to bring a new level of grinta of fight to our US boys.

You know, it's the best of times, the worst of times.

World Cup is coming.

We've just lost our eighth straight game to European opponents.

Give us your unbiased opinion on Poch on this US team.

What can he do with this US squad?

Well, I hope they do better than we did the last eight games against European teams.

That's what I'm hoping for.

But no, the thing is he's trying to have the Americans understand the passion that we live football with.

Because when you have a Polish age and you have these superstars that don't want to

come play for the team, then that's why hurts the team.

Because as a leader, for example, in Argentina,

Messi, you have to cut his legs off for him not to play for the national team, right?

And then when these guys tell you that they have to rest or they need a break or they need a

mental break or they need that's where it's hurtful.

And I think until we change that mentality and then until we change the youth soccer in this country,

I don't think we're going to be successful.

You know, that's that's my opinion.

And I coach youth soccer and I wish it was different.

Give a shout out to your team because I love this thing.

You coach.

I coach my daughter. She's 14.

So I'm on the girls side.

So there you go.

I'm not as intimidating as this.

And she thinks she thinks you know how much about soccer.

Do I know I'm not you do what I think so how much does you do to think you know about my daughter knows

that I know more about soccer than I do about football because she she plays like football as well

and she told people actually in an interview that my dad's a kicker.

So he doesn't help me with football.

So she even called me out.

So I like I know my lane.

I coach her in soccer.

Alex, you've lived the Premier League's growth in this nation.

The economist has just revealed that soccer is now the third most popular sport in this nation.

Wow.

It's incredible.

It's behind the NFL and the NBA.

15-year-old Alex played D-line and running back in Reading PA.

If I went back in time to 2012 told you soccer is going to be massive

within 14 years, would you believe just how big it's come?

How do you even understand it, man?

No, it's just like it's just kind of it's kind of caught fire and you know it's awesome and

you know to see you know even for the boy like I have a son and he's you know it's good to be

interesting to see what he decides what he wants to do when he gets hold just you want to follow

my footsteps or do something else and you know and for the girls as well and yeah it's it's

awesome for the for the youth and I think that's what you know it's who's really good effect and

that's going to impact the pro sport field going forward.

I've got to say this 30,000 tamper is it tampons?

Is that the official phrase I'm making up I did I did I did Google it sorry

tamper bay area people who live here.

Yeah right all the cops.

I like that I like that's catchy right?

30,000 of the youth peoples have signed up to be part of the tremuli life this weekend which is

just unbelievable to me I mean I do want it's so personally meaningful I mean it really is

what Peter Durery's done what Rebecca's done what everybody's done it's crazy I moved here

Pete Americans hated football and now you are lining up to get into this so last question for

you Martin you family moved here from Argentina to Florida 1986 same year Argentina won the second

ever World Cup you cheated I'm American now so I don't give a cry yeah I don't care yeah

you're still upset no well by the way so funny in my office I have a photo of Maradona punching

the ball over Peter Shelton because I realize even agony gives you memories that you treasure

forever in sports and I'm actually grateful to that man that I got to watch that moment in

every regard but we sit here together 40 years 55 field goals later what does it mean to have a

World Cup here in Florida in your own backyard and what do you imagine it's going to do for this

nation and it's football fandom it's it's incredible the growth of this sport because when I

moved to this country we didn't have many places to play it was all recreational and you didn't

have a lot of opportunities to even play college soccer obviously there was no MLS there was no

professional league so to see where it's gotten and now to have a World Cup with you know the best

players in the world coming here the best players in the world playing in the MLS you know when you

have in you draw that type of talent obviously Beckham opened the door to all of them once you have

a guy like Beckham that invested his time and his efforts into the MLS now it brought even bigger

stars now so just to see in in the exposure that the kids will have to the beautiful game it's

incredible to see especially in our state of Florida too to have games here super excited can't

wait for the World Cup who's going to win I am sure for you who's going to win World Cup

you get me to go first yeah put it like Italy's out of it so I'm not even I'm Italian so

so you know there's a lot of Italians in Argentina so you can just cheer for us okay

all right fair enough I mean sorry USA I love USA but when it comes to soccer I got to go with

Messi it's in Argentina repeat repeat it's a big tent the Argentinian 10 there's a big tent Alex

is positive it you're part of it I think England winning the World Cup in America's 250th anniversary

it's gonna it's gonna blow there's gonna blow your mind issue the amount of orifices rockets are

going to be fired out of it laugh it's just mind blowing we let's hear it Martin and Alex you

repair a magical man to for two of your own Tampa Martin grammatica and Alex and the

it's time and I am giddy about this part of the show are you ready to hear the 12 winners

who for rise they'll be going to get a bigger World Cup are you ready I'm gonna pop up a list in

one second and if your name is up there you're not just going to any match you're going to match

86 in Miami round of 32 so knockout stage people if your name is on this list stick around to

the end of the show come to the front of the stage I'm gonna come down and hang out with you

but it's time do not be afraid let's pop up the list knocked up

oh my god

that's looking at first name on the list

that is Jimmy Roderie yes

I don't mean to go all theological on your asses but this man is suffered

this man is lived as a Tottenham fan the book of Job and this man has gotten redemption tonight

it's all I'm gonna tell you I am so happy for all of you all want to meet all of you here after

the show but if your name was not on that list do not be afraid the still a chance you could win

the grand prize of those golden tickets with pitch side access before we leave this evening

four of you are going to be on the field during a World Cup game by the way if it's an American game

you might actually have to play I just say thank you to Verizon life's about making memories

these are deeply deeply profound ones I find this incredibly moving I can't tell you

but it's time for a final guest a legend who scored twice in his first ever Premier League weekend

the first ever Premier League ever in 1992 and then proceeded to head thrash blasts to

in 58 more league goals over the next 14 years collecting so many individual awards he can

honestly open a shoe store just made a bloody golden boots exactly 20 years from his final game he

remains the Premier League's all-time top scorer by the way I hope in 20 years time someone's

introducing better with this introduction 260 goals 47 more than any other human being scored

can we just be of a standing ovation for Newcastle's most extraordinary export ahead of Sting

and Greg sausage rolls Tampa be upstanding for Mr. Alan Shira

thank you

oh Alan is a joy to be with you a striker who was described by the New York Times as a granite man

with heart for an American audience who didn't have the honor of watching you and I watched and

feared you what was it that you tried to do on the field um I just tried to recreate my

childhood I did what my parents did I just worked extremely hard and I think if you give

you're all and no one can mourn and say anything about good old negative because you know what you've

achieved you know what you've done and if you try your best then that should be good enough

you make it all what you did sounds so bloody easy and incredibly accessible it wasn't

he's a very modest man so rather than words let's see one of the 260 goals you scored in the Premier

League like this beauty they are somehow netted against Aston Villa from an angle that would

it confuse Pythagoras

what is that is that thought or is that just muscle memory no that just just sort of happens

I don't even I mean one or two did say now we think that was a cross but my answer to that

was was known in the middle so why would I cross it I didn't really like crossing anywhere so that's

the most English thing ever you do something utterly majestic superlative transcendent and they've

just got to put it down that was across yeah it was and it made it even better that was against

Peter Schmeichel so it was one of the best ever goalkeepers so yeah I love what you said when I

asked you what did you do and you rooted in your own childhood you grew up in the magical kingdom

of Newcastle and you're obsessed almost from the time that you could war with your footballing

skills you drilled the ball on repeat against two dark brown double doors on the council estate you grew

up in and you've said at your local days at your local walls and boys club you said this is beautiful

you said my passion for scoring goals turned into an obsession the sight of the ball flying past the

goalkeeper nestling in the back of the net was the most remarkable part of my life Alan what

did you feel in those moments watching the flight of the ball leave your foot and then just burst

the net what that you didn't get in other parts of your life it's very it's very difficult to

explain but I've never whatever I've done in my 55 years I've never found a feeling like it that

when the ball hits the the back of the net because I work all week all month all year year after

year after year since since I could walk basically to to score goals so when when that happened

then the feeling is magical and when you're doing it in front of thousands and thousands and

thousands of people then I think it gets even better and it became I've never ever taken drugs but

that was my drug was to score goals and the feeling is is insane it really is can I just say to children

watching scoring goals in the Premier League is a gateway drug but do it please do it I mean

that love what you've just said you've talked about the moment you've talked about the years that

it talked to get to that moment and then also the ecstasy that you realize is shared by the millions

of us watching at home and the journey was hard when you were 16 you moved 320 miles to the south

coast doesn't sound a lot for America you drop your kids off and play dates that far in England

320 miles is about two decades you moved to Southampton you made your full debut in a match against

Arsenal in the pre Premier League era both in the old first division you were 17 years 240 days

old on the contract do you remember what your contract was 27 pound 50 a week I was on when I

when I made my debut as the old YTS scheme 47 dollars America you thought MLS didn't pay well

we found footage of this this happened so long ago that the footage seems like it was shot on

the dark side of the moon but I want you to see this because this all happened this kid this

wonder kid within 49 minutes against the Arsenal did this

you knew Arsenal couldn't defend within three feet of their own goal yeah

that's what tactical we epitome over goal hunger that is yeah um yeah 30 was a 38 years ago that was

wasn't really yeah in 9th of April just passed England didn't have electricity about them

but what did that feel like I often look at that when I'm feeling down and I see you at that

young age excel and I wonder was it a surprise to you that it was that effortless or were you like

this is what I do this is what I've trained for and I'm ready for more well I didn't know I was

starting the game until about three and a half hours before kickoff because one of the guys

Danny Wallace's name was field of fitness test so my parents didn't have any time to get down

from Newcastle so I was told at 11 30 that I was going to start and I was thinking wow

starting against Arsenal 17 year old so there was no time to get nervous yeah the sense of that

they did you yeah it was it was just sort of I'd been scoring goals for the U team and and in

the reserves and yes someone got injured and I thought the manager must have thought well it's his

time put him in so there was there was no fear there was loads of excitement um and yeah it was just

one of those days that I will never ever forget in my life and I think the record still stands

that I'm the youngest player to still score top flight hatchery I think I broke Jimmy Greaves' record

that day so I mean Jimmy Greaves was the best on none I think so for me to to break his record at 17

and for it to still stand now um shows how how important how how special it was so yeah it was

it was a it was a great time because I remember going out that night with my pals and having a few

drinks but the manager at the time Chris Nichol sadly no longer with us I think to keep my feet on

the ground he got me in the next morning to wash all the kit all the boots just to bring me back

down to earth yeah to what the players did as apprentices back then they cleaned the boots could

you imagine telling max down when they were rearing yeah just go and clean the boots would you

like this is how much football has changed but your career moved bloody fast man Blackbone Rovers

bought you a 1992 look at him for a British record but a hair back then bit of hair didn't we all

actually I don't think I did four four point nine million dollars I love that British record

four point nine million dollars um that was also the year the Premier League launched I mean it

was remarkable we made a show about that first season it was still a league on the rise but you

gave it quite the baptism very first weekend first game three three draw against crystal palace

just a casual double for you including this stunner

I think Nigel Martin might want that back

Gareth Southgate with center half end as well yeah so really shut you down didn't it yeah you

should have closed me down a lot earlier yeah was I was admit the move um and I was I was

I was married really young myself and my wife.

We still married 35 years, by the way,

in May 8th of June.

And she was 20 hours 21, and she was eight months pregnant.

And she'd hardly been out of Southampton,

let alone driving up to Blackburn.

And if anyone's ever been to Blackburn,

it's maybe not the nicest of areas inside the city center.

So I'd sign my contract and drive them

through the middle of the Blackburn

into onto the way to the hotel.

And she's eight months pregnant, got the seat belt around her.

And she looks at me and bursts into tears.

And am I allowed to swear?

You're all in Shira, you can't believe it.

Oh, OK.

Anyway, she looks at me and bursts into tears and says,

what the fuck have you done to me?

I said to her, don't worry, everything will be fine.

It'll be OK.

And it's worked out all right.

When you're in an argument with your eight month pregnant wife,

you can just be like, love, it's a British transfer record,

$4.9 million.

I mean, it's an amazing story.

The Blackburn story is still one of the greats of the Premier League.

Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United,

it's going to blow your mind to America.

They were very good at football back then.

LAUGHTER

It's true.

I was explaining to Alan, like, I was like Americans,

like, no, everything about football.

Many of them are new to it.

They've come since the Premier League was on NBC.

They still think Manchester United

like an aspiring mid-table outfit.

But they won two titles back to back.

In 94, 95, your Blackburn was so bloody tenacious,

they were managed by a legend of my city, Kenny Delglish,

Liverpool legend.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Look at that.

That's how he motivated his players with a sword

which he carried around at all times.

But that is a gentleman who's the only human being in the world

whose titles are Sir and King,

and he deserves both of them.

Over saw the SAS front line, you, Shira,

you're straight part of the Chris Sun.

Lee came down to the final day of the season,

Blackburn persevered and were champions.

First time in 81 years, improbable achievement,

the BBC held as one of the most remarkable title triumphs

of the Premier League era.

Alan, you promise your wife it would be okay.

A league title in that moment.

What's the dominant memory, the dominant emotion of that?

During the talks, when I first went to Blackburn in 1992,

Jack Walker, who was the owner of that time,

along with Kenny Delglish and the coach,

was really half a word within the England under 21 set up.

And I remember distinctly, Jack Walker said to me,

we will win the Premier League within four years.

That is what we're going to do.

That's owner talk.

And I looked at him and I thought he was hugely successful

businessman.

Kenny Delglish was a legend of a player

and I already won the title with Liverpool.

And I knew how great a coach Ray Halford was.

And I looked at Jack when he said that

and I really thought it could be achieved.

So that was one of the main reasons why I actually

went to Blackburn because of that.

What they felt and what they thought

and how this club was going to be run.

So for us to come into the Premier League,

and bear in mind, they had only got to the Premier League

by the playoffs.

So within three years to win the league,

to come into the league and take the might of Liverpool

and man United in Arsenal and all these huge football clubs.

And for little old Blackburn, a little town

to come in and take the might on and actually beat them

to it was an unbelievable achievement.

It was so special.

We did try and blow and throw away

coming towards the end of that season

and going to Anfield and to Liverpool.

It was a really strange feeling because, as you said,

Kenny is a king on Anfield.

So with him as our manager, going back to Liverpool.

Last day of the season, Nick and Nick were Manchester United.

Blackburns result had to better Manchester United.

That's right.

And it was a really weird feeling because Liverpool didn't

want Manchester United to win the title,

but they knew if they had beaten us,

they might actually hand Man United the title

because they were playing at West Ham.

And it actually turned out to be the perfect day

because I scored first to put us one nil up.

And then Liverpool came back and lay in the game

and beat us two-one.

And for about 30 seconds, we thought we'd blown the title.

West Ham did a huge favour against Man United.

They didn't win.

And that was the day that we sealed the title.

So we didn't make it easy anyway, but we managed to do it.

I mean, it was a remarkable moment.

And you've said that Blackburn faced criticism

for quote lacking the flair and style

which champions were meant to display.

That was a gritty team.

By the way, still the greatest jersey

of a Premier League title winner, I think.

Blackburn is a British northern post-industrial town.

I mean, it is proper, proper,

northern England.

It's proper, proper football.

And we're speaking at a time, Alan,

when I saw leading the league for now.

But they've been criticized for their style,

physical, set, peace, driven football.

Can any champion be just a champion?

Or does every title winner have to play

like Prime Barcelona?

Does that, you know, making highlight jump?

Does it matter?

No, you have to be a champion.

You have to be a winner.

There's no asterix that says you have to play a great,

amazing football in a perfect world.

You might be able to do that.

But when teams are trying to suss you out

and find out who you are and what you're good at

and what you're not so good at, particularly nowadays

that they have all these coaches who come in

and do different setups and you somehow

have to find a way around that.

At Arsenal have done that for six months,

but they've sort of struggled over the last couple of months

to find that style.

But you just have to find a way to win the title.

No one in 40 years time will say,

oh, you remember when Blackburn won it,

oh, if Arsenal won it this year,

they weren't, didn't quite play some nice football.

Their name will be on the trophy

and whoever wins it will deserve to win it,

no matter what football you play.

Well, get back to Arsenal in one moment,

but I do believe tenacity is the greatest human quality

I really do.

Your career displayed it July 30 of 1996.

An incredible day.

You're doing new cast, look at this bloody photo.

This is amazing.

I would say any politician would look at that photo

and wish that was their rally.

It's incredible.

I remember watching that and just being like,

that is a, Alan, it was like watching a king return

to his kingdom to be candid.

I mean, this is a club, I thought about you a lot at the time.

I look at it even more of that photo.

You dreamed of playing for this team as a kid.

Not only that, but your hero when you were a kid,

Kevin Keegan was then the manager.

Newcastle paid a world record setting, yes,

15 million pounds, 28 million dollars,

breaking the previous world record by the OG Ronaldo.

And I love this story because this is a measure of you, man.

On the day you were announced as newcastle player,

you left your press conference, you did all of this

and you drove back to the council estate

where you'd grown up, those double doors

that you used as a shooting target.

And I've always wondered, what did that feel like?

What were you thinking in that moment

when you stood literally in a place

when that dream began?

Well, that was my dream.

It was a dream to be a professional footballer.

But it was also a dream in mind to play for my club,

Newcastle, because as you all know, I was born there.

And my hero was, as you said, Kevin Keegan.

I used to stand on the terraces.

The Gallagher End as a kid.

I walked from my house to the stadium.

And I looked at Kevin.

And Kevin was like the Pied Piper walking around Newcastle

wherever he went.

He had an entourage of people following him

to have his autograph for his picture.

And I thought, I want that one day.

I would love that one day.

And ever since that day, I thought, I'm going to do that.

I'm going to do this.

And luckily, I didn't.

To walk out at St James's Park and the first time

I scored at St James's Park, I was like, oh my God, I've done it.

Different from what I wanted to do as a kid.

Different feeling to any other goal.

Yeah, it was different, because it was my club.

It was the club my dad supported.

My dad went every week.

And he chucked a ball at my feet when I was two-year-old

and dead-gun kicked the ball around.

And from that day, I wanted to do in walk out at St James's Park.

There was so much power in what this man has just

kind of be candid.

Football, and it's hard.

It's a football, and dads, and mums, and sons, and doers.

I'm going to get back to Newcastle in a minute, Alan.

Then the early days, I do want to say,

primarily a bit different than it was today.

It was extremely physical.

It was like a mosh pit on grass.

You had a lot of stitches.

Arsenal's Tony Adams gave you some of them.

I've got to ask you this.

In a match against the US, I don't know if you remember this.

But you said you thought that Alexei Lallis

broke your cheekbone.

Lallis, is it true?

Well, what I remember about this game, and particularly Alexei,

is that I remember him talking to so much nonsense

before the game, particularly about me as an individual.

How he was going to mark me out the game

and how I didn't was no good at this or good at that.

And I thought, I love this.

So bring it on, the more the merrier.

What is he saying?

And then when it all begins, this tall, ugly ginger kid.

And then as far as I remember, I scored two wonderful goals,

and just started laughing at him, yeah, so.

What did he say to you on the field?

He didn't say anything.

I just laughed at him.

By the way, can I just give some respect to Alexei?

Because ultimately, this man we learned from Theo

said, you know what you good at, just do it.

And Alexei gave up the football,

and just decided to dedicate to the rest of his life

to talking nonsense.

LAUGHTER

I say that with great love, to our nonsense.

APPLAUSE

We're going to edit this.

LAUGHTER

Just for us, right, Tampa.

LAUGHTER

But slightly harder.

Then there was Roy Keane.

A man, I can't even look back in this moment.

It's like in that scene in the Bible

where if you look at it, you turn into a pillar of salt.

You wellness man up so much in a game against Manchester United

September 2001, that this happened.

Before we air it, I just want you to know,

in that first moment when a ball was throwing

at Alan Sheeran's person, in modern football,

the player that was on the receiving end of the football

would collapse into a heap in a thousand agonies.

Watch what happens.

Thanks a lot.

LAUGHTER

LAUGHTER

Can you say, look at that.

Roy Keane later said he wished he'd quote,

punched you properly.

LAUGHTER

Sort of, I.

What?

What can you see your mind in moments like this?

I don't know.

I think he just took the home, because I said,

I don't think you're very good, Roy.

LAUGHTER

Don't think you appreciated that, but...

No, he was different on a football pitch.

He was hard, he was tough, which is fine.

You had to look after yourself back in the 90s and 2000s,

because it was a tough game.

And I don't really know him.

I've just played against him.

I've worked with him once, but two of my really good friends

in football, Michael Richards and Ian Wright,

both worked with him, and they say,

he's a lovely guy, so I'll take their word for it.

LAUGHTER

So, let me ask you this, have all the defenders you faced?

Who was the toughest you played against them, why?

Tony Adams was the toughest, because he was really hard,

really tough, a great leader.

He used to kick me, I used to kick him, but at the end of the game,

what was always fair and good about it

is always to shake each other's hand.

And there was no animosity at all from both of us,

well, certainly not from my side, but that Arsenal team

that he played in.

It was very different, because when you went to Highbury,

which was Arsenal's ground, you knew back then that.

They had the defenders had a free hit in the first 15 or 20 minutes,

you could do make one tackle without getting a yellow card.

So the first 15 or 20 minutes, you're always sort of looking

behind you, waiting for that tackle coming in.

And then after that one, it was the next tackle

that used to get a yellow card.

Of course, it's very different now, but it was a tough place

to go, was Highbury, particularly against that Arsenal back fall.

Tony Adams, number one, La La, number two, yeah.

LAUGHTER

Alan, let's talk about goal scoring,

because this is a man who scored every kind of goal possible.

He had aura, drenched shots from distance,

headers from impossible angles, ice cold penalties.

I want to look at a couple of them.

You're most spectacular.

But I want to know, do you, are you the kind of player

that remembers everything?

If I'm like a match against Chelsea or against Villa,

can you immediately recall them in your head?

Yeah, straight away. I can remember every goal there.

Every single memory.

Every goal, yeah.

But I can't even remember my own children's names at times.

You love the banger from distance.

You want to see seem like a hammer in the human form to me

when I watch you play.

But I love this goal.

It's so surreal, October 2002, against West Brom.

The baggies put all 11 men back on the goal line

that the commentator said, this is amazing.

Just before we were about to say,

the commentator said, find a way through that.

Alan Shira, and this man stepped up and did this.

LAUGHTER

What?

I mean...

Yeah, just find a gap, yeah.

Is that what it was?

I mean, you don't really train at this art, do you?

No, not really.

But Nobby Solano, who's got the guy who's got his foot on the ball.

Actually...

Let your second or two before that,

said to me, I'm just going to put my foot as if to go to

to try and draw someone out.

And then once they come, then I'll roll it to you.

And that's what he did.

And I think that's created the gap on the line

which when the ball eventually went through.

So it was his idea to have the little dummy beforehand, yeah.

Is that true?

No, take all the credit.

Can we roll this one again?

LAUGHTER

Couldn't miss after what Solano did for him, right?

It's like the guy who passed the ball to Maradona for the second England goal.

In 1986, I think it was Brown.

He said he couldn't miss after the great pass that I made for him.

But this was one of so many that you scored for Newcastle.

For February 2006, your final season at St. James's Park.

Against Portsmouth.

You set an iconic record.

201st goal in the black and white.

It became Newcastle's leading scorer of all time.

It's a beautiful moment.

I watch it.

You're communing with the crowd.

But you're also a very, very iconic individual.

What did that feel like?

You beaten a legend, Jackie Milbon.

That was his record forever.

And in that moment, I watched you.

And I realized you were turning from a local hero who'd lived out a dream.

To, honestly, an immortal Alan.

That's why you become who would be talked about forever for generations

by those who watched your play.

It was extra special because it was Jackie Milbon.

It was my dad's hero.

So for me to go back to Newcastle and do what I did for the 10 years.

I never, ever one day thought that I would break that record.

And I was going to retire the year before.

But it, Graeme Sune said to me.

The manager.

The manager at the time said to me, please give us one more year.

You can sort of be my leader or be my right-hand man in the dressing room.

And if you want to go into management,

then you can do so after you finish in the years time.

You can stand by me for the next 12 months.

And I thought, yeah, okay, I'll do that.

And that's the reason why I signed.

I didn't do that for the record.

But when the record came along, my dad never, ever,

other than that day, said to me, I'm proud of you or well done.

Never in my life.

Up until I walked into the play lounge after that day.

And I'd just broken the record that I stood for so many years.

And you guys won't have heard of Jackie Milbon.

But he's a hero in Newcastle.

He was from Newcastle.

And the record had stood for so many years.

And he was my dad's hero.

My dad went to watch him all the time.

So for me to break his record, which was iconic,

and then go into the play lounge.

And my dad actually looked at me and they arguing,

well done, son, I'm proud of you.

And it was the only time I ever said it to him.

Alan Shira.

Yeah.

English dad.

Yeah.

It's right.

English dad.

Yeah.

I knew he was.

I knew how much he thought of me.

He gave.

My mom and dad gave me everything.

And I knew how proud he was of me.

But he never ever said it to me other than that day.

Possibly the most English dad thing of all time.

Definitely.

When our television show, by the way, our television show down there,

while I landed, like, transcendent, I played it from my dad the first time

when he came over.

He put himself to sleep within 20 seconds.

And watch it.

And I understood it in every single measure.

Also, it's like, genuinely, the most English thing in every way.

Americans, you want your kid to be better than you.

In England, it's unfathomable.

How'd you do that?

What'd you do?

How did that even happen?

But God love, some things do not need to be articulated.

And anybody that watched you, I was always rooting against you

as an evident fan.

I've got to be candid.

But what you did was so effervescent.

So I need to know from you, if aliens land on this planet,

if they ask you, Alan Shira, what was your best goal?

Work with me here.

What are you showing them?

My best goal would be my volley against Everton,

since he was part.

Sorry.

Too soon.

Are you serious?

Yeah, my best goal.

It would have been the volley against Everton.

You think about 2002, when the ball dropped out of the sky.

Unfortunately, and I remember watching this.

That's going to be fine.

There was that holy crap.

It's dropped to him.

And him did this.

I'm not going to lie, I hated you in that moment.

It was a look on your face.

Yeah, honestly, I don't, I mean, you don't often try those,

but I guess when you do, then nine out of ten,

go on the top row of the stand, and one may hit the target now and again.

But very rarely does one hit the back of the net like that.

And I don't even know why I hated it, to be honest.

It just felt nicely forming.

I thought, why not?

And luckily it went in.

Does that goal feel different?

Because by the way, why did you do it?

You did it to piss off every Everton fan.

Did you accept it?

We all thought we all took it personally individually.

Does that goal feel different?

Or did they all feel the same?

No, I think, I mean, I knew I'd caught it sweet and it did feel different.

But I would be more than ecstatic to score one from a yard or half a yard.

Exactly the same as that every time.

It wouldn't bother me.

To me, a goal was a goal.

You don't get two for one outside the box, do you?

So I'm more than happy taking goals from one yard than as equally as 20, 25 yards.

Your goal scoring feature remarkable.

So remarkable, there's only one active Premier League player in the top ten list behind you.

Do you know who it is?

Salah.

It is Mo Salah.

By the way, we had all 1,400 Premier League players available, depending if you knew the answer.

But it is Mo.

And he set to the part.

Last December, by the way, he's way behind you.

Early in Hall, I'm broke.

One of your records.

Ken, the fastest player to score 100 Premier League goals.

He's an incredible human being.

He did it in just 111 games.

You've said you think he could be the player who could break your overall goal scoring record.

I'm not very good at math.

But if he keeps this pace going, he'll need 182 more games to reach 260 goals.

You're taking this in, aren't you?

I already know it.

Don't worry.

I'm counting him down myself as well.

I'm going to get back to this in a minute.

He would have to stay till the year 2030-31 to be able to do that.

You want just a goal scorer.

You're a consistent goal scorer.

You said this in your opening, dreaming to do it over and over and over.

Season, season, season.

Do you honestly think he'll do it?

I think Harry Kane might have a better chance if he comes back than doing it than Erling Harling will.

I think because I'm not sure he'll stay the length of his contract at Manchester City.

I think we'll want Pep to leave my city, whether that'll be this summer or next summer,

then I don't think he'll be far behind him.

So, Harry Kane will have a better chance if he comes back.

I love wishful thinking.

I didn't want to say it after he broke your record.

Harlan said that thanks for the advice back in 2022.

You are an incredibly generous human being.

He said it paid off.

What did you tell him?

Can you tell us?

I went to interview him.

I could tell there was a frustration in him because back then,

Manchester City will pass, pass, pass, pass.

Get to the right hand side, come back in, pass across.

Go to the left hand side and keep.

And I said, does that not frustrate the hell are you?

And he said, yes, it will tell them.

Go mad.

I remember when I was a youngster, even when I went right throughout my career,

it's my job to score goals and it's your job to provide them.

Whoever's on either side, left side or right side, all the midfielders.

Now, if you don't provide them, I'm not going to look very good because I can't do my job.

So, if you're going to get the ball out wide and then pass it inside and it goes across,

I'm not going to score many goals.

So, unless you get aggressive with Dubroiner or Silver or whoever it is on the right or the left,

it's starting to pull balls into the box.

Then they'll keep on doing it.

He said, well, players attitude is different nowadays and pep might not like that.

And so, well, do it.

Find out whether they like it or not.

And I think he didn't.

There's no doubt they're putting more balls into the box now, particularly this season

than they have done for a long time.

It could have been a great coach, by the way.

I find it, I did love it.

When Harry Kane went to buy a Munich, you tweeted to me like, I'll drive you to the play myself.

It was so over, it was so crazy.

You're like poised between like your agent's tweet, Harry Kane, I wish you well.

It would be an honor to have my record broken by you.

No, I'll drive you to the play myself.

He's an incredible footballer, yet somehow still underrated 50 goals for this season,

12 in the Champions League, 15 in his last 10 starts.

He is, by some distance, English national team's greatest ever goal scorer.

Where does he rank on your all-time list of English strikers?

Give us your top four, your Mount Rushmore.

He has to be right up there because, and the best thing about Harry is,

that he's never had it, he didn't have it easy.

He had to do it the hard way to get to the top.

By that I mean, he had to go out on loan, he got rejected, he basically got told off his club,

you're not good enough, you have to go out on loan and you have to learn your trade,

and he did that, and even his loan spells weren't that great.

And then all of a sudden, you get that knack of being in the right place,

you get that feeling of scoring goals,

and he's been the best by a mile ever since he started doing it.

A top no one's been able to match him, no one's been able to catch him.

I mean, I know a joke, but I think it was very brave of him to go over to Bayern Munich.

And he didn't win the title in the first year, won it in the second year.

Now he's got a great chance of not only winning the league,

but also winning the Champions League.

And his goal scoring record was phenomenal, both there at Tottenham and with England.

He's England's greatest goal scorer.

And I know it's slightly different now because of the opposition and the number of games that you play.

But he's still got to go out and do that.

And when you've been at his level, at the top level, for so long,

because everyone knows what you're like or what you don't like or what you're good at,

or what you're not good at, and everyone tries to stop you.

But there's not many being able to stop him for so many years.

And that tells you how great he is.

Top four.

England striker.

We in Rooney would be one for me.

Number one.

Who?

Rooney would be number one.

Rooney would be number one.

Harry would be number two.

Gary Linnick, who would have to be number three,

because he did it in an year and he went to a World Cup and won the Golden Boot as well.

Trying to think of another one.

You're channeling your father here, Alan.

Well, I wouldn't...

If I could, I'd put myself as number one, but I would never do that.

I think you just did.

I think you just did.

You're an incredible human being.

I've got one quick question before we wrap it up.

I do want to know, well, two, who's going to win the World Cup?

Between Spain and France.

I would love to say England, but I think we'll fall short again.

I don't think the conditions will suit us again, but I think Spain and France,

because of the depth in their squad.

You didn't say the words of the United States of America.

I want to know, it's a serious question.

Our nation put a man on the moon, right?

We also invented the Kroner.

We're very good at innovating.

We've given the world both George Foreman and the George Foreman Grill.

All right?

This always blows my mind.

We have won just one knockout game in the entire history of the World Cup,

which is honestly, it's always hard to do.

How do you understand this, Alan?

You spend a lot of time here.

You love being here.

America actually loves you.

Back.

What is it that the US international team?

What is it that the US men's football lacks?

I think they'll have a good World Cup, but I don't see them getting to a semi-final.

I think once they get a bit momentum, I think we're the players that they have,

and the manager that they have, and I really like the manager.

I don't see the USA getting past a quarter-final.

Maybe a quarter-final at best.

What do we lack?

We've lost the eight straight European players.

Off of top players, then.

I think it's very difficult, isn't it?

Because soccer or football is never going to be the number one sport in this huge country.

We aren't the number one that's soccer in the world.

Okay.

It's a football.

It's a football we fight.

I was going to say, what's in that, you're drinking there?

No, there is, it's true.

It's like soccer, we win.

It's a football.

It's like a different game.

It's very, very difficult.

What mentally, what do we not understand?

Just to stop trash thinking Alan Shira before games.

I haven't played that consistency at that level,

and the league has not been that great for...

It's always going to be very, very difficult to compete against Spain,

or France, or England, or Brazil, or Argentina.

These countries have, I mean, used a huge success Argentina, Brazil,

and what have you?

And Spain and France are, but that's what you're competing against.

That's why it's very difficult to win a World Cup.

That's why we've only ever done it once.

It's true.

And we will do it this year, thanks to Chris Richards,

and Tyler Adams, and Brendan Aronson, please.

What I'm going to tell you.

I'm going to move on.

Last question for you, Alan.

We're tired in football 2006.

I mean, you've won one of the most beloved footballers ever.

20 years yesterday was my last ever touch.

How did you mark it?

Of a football.

Was it goal against Sungland?

Was it really?

Yeah, it was a penalty against Sungland, yeah.

And that was it.

And a minute after I scored a penalty, I went off injured.

Never touched the ball again.

Never played professional football again.

Oh, my God.

This...

This man is like English John Crack,

which will mean nothing to you, Alan.

John Crack, young children, was a baseball player,

played for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The second, his batting average lifetime went to 300.

He ran to first base, picked it out of the ground,

took it under his arm, walked off the field,

and never played again.

His story is going against Sungland is even better.

You're a remarkable man.

You really were.

Honestly, I watched you.

Well, like I get English hero from your years past,

but living in our present, living and breathing,

it was remarkable to watch you.

The Times Journalist Simon Barnes described you beautifully.

He said you were an ordinary man who had the ability

to do extra ordinary things, which is so bloody true.

First of all, when you watch these highlights,

do you watch them out of body?

Are you fully aware?

Yeah, that was me doing that.

No, I live from a dream.

Look, I tried harder, I worked harder than anyone else,

and I sacrificed a lot,

and I got out with a game what I put into it,

and I've been a lucky boy.

But what I did do is I worked harder than anyone else,

and that's why I achieved what I did.

And what emotion do you...

APPLAUSE

What emotion do you experience as we watch them?

I mean, you remove now 20 years and one day,

which is amazing.

Life waits for no man.

Do you realise how extraordinary your career was, Ellen?

That's what I want, Ellen.

What you accomplished?

Yeah, I'm very proud of what I achieved.

I'm also aware that I could have won a lot more

by going to a certain Manchester United.

But I wanted to go back home,

and I wanted to live my dream.

And I've got the record at Newcastle.

I was there for 10 years.

I had a testimonial.

I'll now set up my own foundation in Newcastle.

And no one can ever ever take that away from me.

And I did it my way.

I'll never do anything different.

APPLAUSE

This man did do it his way.

And it was remarkable to witness.

Ellen, I want to thank you for the memories

that you've given all who watched it.

Poff and I ever didn't go.

And the class that you represent,

the Premier League now around the world,

with a clear glee as you talk about it.

And before you leave, I want to make a memory of this night.

Tampa, please be upstanding.

Going to bring off photographer Matthias back on.

Join us.

Let's take a photograph.

We can all treasure forever, Tampa.

APPLAUSE

Thank you.

APPLAUSE

God, let's hear it again for Alan Shire.

And that was honestly life-affirming.

APPLAUSE

Generally, my favourite non-evident footballer of all time,

to listen to his story, to listen to his truth,

is honestly why we live.

And Tampa, when they're in the end of our Odyssey,

but it's time for a journey for four of you to just begin.

We have four grand prize winners to announce.

It's what we've been waiting for, the Verizon Golden Tickets.

Other people would now start an awful reality game

in which we'd be tortured against each other.

But these winners are going to be going to match 86 in Miami.

You'll be witnessing the knockout drama from the actual field.

By the way, legally, the only way to get closer to the action

is to manage a World Cup team.

And I do think one of you could apply for the Saudi Arabia job

if you quick on LinkedIn.

If you do not get selected,

don't worry Verizon Ultimate Access for the FIFA World Cup

will continue in the journey towards the tournament

if you're an existing Verizon, the customer.

And by the way, I am.

Our whole network works on Verizon.

This is me begging.

You still have access to free World Cup tickets.

So switch to Verizon today.

I did.

And it has been glorious.

But it's time for the winners of the Verizon Golden Tickets.

Are you ready?

Here we go.

Doctor, reveal the fan for.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

You're about to be a couple of feet away from the greatest athletes on the planet.

Please make memories for all of us that you treasure forever.

That's what we ask.

I know, meters to the funds at a stage,

and I'm going to back of the show and celebrate with all of you.

Going –sound is here.

I want to thank all of you.

It's been a joy in everyone regard.

I want to thank, again, our part of the Verizon,

toößistened for them.

possible, allowing us to come together and celebrate the league we love, the Premier League.

It's been profound for us to really connect with you to form this community. I'm going

to come out in a moment to meet everybody that's won a World Cup ticket. But I do want

to say how meaningful this evening is for all of us at Men in Blazers, to be welcoming

into your hearts in this incredible city, at a time when the whole NBC crew Rebecca

Lowe, the two robbies. And I want him and the entire production team who give the

horn souls to grow this game. They're all here spreading love and community and the

global connectivity that the Premier League gives us, bonds us with, really. My greatest

memories, most of them, non-family, but even my family wants to be candid. I'm saying

this is an ever-tune fan afforded with this league. So let's raise a glass. Let's spend

the next two mornings at the amateur works and not take any of it for granted. I want to

send you my love. This is Rod saying, Tampa, I love you. Thank you. Let's never take

a minute of watching football together for granted. Big love and courage!

So if something goes sideways, Verbo care can help.

If the host cancels, Verbo care. If the listing says heeded pool but there's actually

no pool to heat. Definitely a Verbo care thing. If my teenager starts calling me Leslie

instead of mom. That's a family thing Leslie. That makes sense.

Book with support, not surprises. Verbo care and 24-7 life support. If you know, you

Verbo. Terms apply. See Verbo.com slash trust for details.