Robertson: Falling in Love with Klopp, Liverpool Glory and Why I Left For Spurs! | Stick to Football Ep 150

Stick to Football

Andy Robertson reflects on his extraordinary journey from being released by Celtic at fifteen to winning major trophies with Liverpool. He d

Key takeaways

• Robertson was released by Celtic at age 15 because he was considered too small for the academy.
• During his time at Queen's Park, he earned only £18 per week as an amateur player.

Main topics

• Early career and Celtic release
• Amateur days at Queen's Park

Notable quotes

The moment I walked through his door, like, you just fall in love with him.

Conclusion

A powerful testament to the resilience and work ethic required to rise

Transcript preview

Speaker 7 (0:00) Oh, do you know something? Speaker 5 (0:01) What? See, once you have one, you can't stop going back. That's the problem. Speaker 3 (0:11) What's happening, Gaz? Good, how are you? I'm really good, Gal. Really good. See, that would be a nightmare for me before, but I'm in a good place now. Speaker 2 (0:22) When I'm sat here next to a guest, I'm literally like this to them. Speaker 3 (0:25) Yeah. Speaker 2 (0:26) Like, it's quite awkward. Speaker 7 (0:28) Where Speaker 2 (0:28) are Speaker 7 (0:28) we going with Andy first? Where are we going with Andy? Speaker 2 (0:32) Go Speaker 7 (0:32) back to the beginning or are we starting at the end? Speaker 2 (0:34) I think, you know, since we've been talking about younger players, when he got released from Celtic, I think that's a good... Speaker 3 (0:40) We've got to start with his ovation. He's great when Ian interviewed him, wasn't he? He was magnificent. We won't get the same out of him now. That was too good. That Speaker 6 (0:47) was Speaker 7 (0:47) too good. He is good. I like him too far. Speaker 3 (0:49) I wonder if I could just get a lemon. Of course you can. Speaker 7 (0:54) That's Speaker 3 (0:54) a Speaker 7 (0:54) nice follow Speaker 3 (0:54) -up. Speaker 7 (0:54) I remember your statement. You used to call him a baby, didn't you? No, but what happened now? Truthfully, you called him a baby. Yeah, I know that. But what happened in the Speaker 6 (1:00) game? I think Speaker 3 (1:01) something happened and then he... No, I know. Obviously something happened. But what happened? I don't know if something happened. We'll have to ask him. He'll know. He'll remember. Speaker 7 (1:13) No, I'm always torn under the bus here, mate. I'm being told Andy was complaining to the referee at half-time and you called him a big baby. But it must have been more... Speaker 3 (1:22) No, he was supposed to be doing that for your mate again this week as well. You know what? Anyone Speaker 4 (1:28) in Liverpool who wants me to put a T-shirt on the old man, just send it in, honestly. Speaker 2 (1:33) This is a Speaker 3 (1:33) good friend of mine. Yeah, he's another one. I Speaker 4 (1:36) actually... Speaker 6 (1:37) Does it say Speaker 4 (1:38) Red Rum? Speaker 6 (1:39) Red Speaker 3 (1:39) Run. Red Run. Speaker 5 (1:41) The horse. Red Speaker 3 (1:42) run. Speaker 5 (1:43) Yeah. He was actually Speaker 4 (1:44) the first lad I ever sang school with. And there Speaker 5 (1:47) he is. Speaker 2 (1:48) Hi, Andrew. Hello, Speaker 5 (1:49) guys. Hey. Speaker 2 (1:50) How are you? You all right? How are you? Speaker 5 (1:52) How are you good? You know Speaker 2 (1:54) what's really awkward? Because we've already met out Speaker 5 (1:57) there. Speaker 2 (1:57) I know, Speaker 3 (1:57) but Speaker 7 (1:58) it's Speaker 2 (2:00) like... Don't say it to him. It's just... Speaker 7 (2:02) We're just trying to recollect. Cheers. He doesn't remember how he called you a baby. No, I was just so... Glad you're starting with this. Wow. Well, we had you mate on, John, within a few weeks, so you called him a pub player. No, I didn't. Speaker 5 (2:18) Oh, no. What I would say is it gave my friends up the road a lot of ammunition for a couple of hours. What was the actual... What did you do? It Speaker 4 (2:29) was Speaker 5 (2:30) with... Was it the Lions? The Lions win, wasn't it? Yeah. No, the linesman was supposed to Speaker 4 (2:34) have Speaker 5 (2:34) hit you. Speaker 3 (2:37) I Speaker 4 (2:37) thought Speaker 7 (2:39) it was wrong, though, to be fair. At the time, I was doing the commentary in the game. What was wrong? The linesman hitting him. Yeah, it was the linesman. Yeah, I do remember Speaker 6 (2:47) it. Speaker 7 (2:48) Is that what happened? Speaker 6 (2:50) I wouldn't have won. Speaker 4 (2:51) The linesmen, well, no, the linesmen, they were arguing and the linesmen, Speaker 6 (2:54) oh, brush it off. Right. But you know what? Players have to remember sometimes, truthfully, and this is not an apology. Don't worry, I wasn't expecting that. No, no, no. No, I know. But we're in the Speaker 7 (3:06) studio, we can have long days, can't we? It's so long. It Speaker 6 (3:08) can be long days and it can be a bit flat and sometimes a player might do something and you're like, but... You're just agitated by having a long day. Speaker 5 (3:17) The first two babies were like, the third one was... In Speaker 6 (3:21) my defence, Speaker 7 (3:23) when I said it, we get agitated with traffic all the way to the gate. Speaker 6 (3:26) But then none of them are saying anything. I'm looking at them going, you've got to say something. That's why I took the last baby in. They're all staring at me going, fucking say something. Am I right? The timing of the last baby. Yeah, because you never said anything. Speaker 6 (3:42) And he never said a word. He was looking at me going... It was their little Speaker 3 (3:45) pause. Silence was killing me. Silence was deafening. Speaker 2 (3:48) If the linesman had hit you, you would have kicked off. He wouldn't have been happy. You would have probably hit them. Speaker 7 (3:57) This episode of Stick to Football is brought to you by Disney+. When you first went to Liverpool, I was really dubious and sceptical. Oh, I know, aye? The chief scout of Liverpool Speaker 5 (4:09) phoned my agent and says Jurgen Klopp wants to meet him. The moment I walked through his door, like, you just fall in love with him. Trent is a very, very good defender. I says, I will never get as high a praise as you, but I will never get as much criticism as you. We didn't care about football because you've just lost. one of your best mates in the changing room. Maybe we're still guilty of carrying that weight of last season on our shoulders. Mad as five aside. Is he? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Quality. And Speaker 6 (4:34) then Speaker 5 (4:34) 11 Speaker 6 (4:35) v 11 is... I'm Speaker 7 (4:38) on 97 now. Oh, Speaker 2 (4:40) amazing. Speaker 7 (4:40) Kenny's on 102, so... Do you just have to sort of, like, get 101 and then just sort of retire because you can't go past Kenny? I know, that's what he says. Speaker 7 (4:53) Andy, what was the reception like going back to... Speaker 2 (4:55) Oh, that was amazing. Was it Speaker 7 (4:57) weird, by the way, going back in a different shirt? Just obviously we see you in a Liverpool shirt and that's how we imagine you. Yeah, Speaker 5 (5:02) it was strange. It was like... Because obviously I looked at the fixtures when they first come out and you look at Liverpool away and it was December and I'm thinking I'm quite happy with that. I can get my feet under the table with Tottenham and... And then the cup competition, we beat Charlton at home and everyone's running about the changing room going, you're going back. I'm like, oh. But no, it was great. I mean, in terms of reception, I got off the home fans. So yeah, look, it was a long time there and to go back and to be in another colour but still get that reception, it was nice. It was nice. How Speaker 7 (5:35) are you settling into London? Have you moved down there on your own? Have you gone down with the family? No, I moved the Speaker 5 (5:40) family, I think. we're always better together in my opinion I mean the kids are better with their with their dad so that was a kind of discussion last do we keep them up in Manchester where they're so settled or do we move them down but no we've moved them down and to be fair to them they've done well you know obviously they miss home they miss their friends but No, the kids are robust. In Speaker 3 (5:59) London, they're in the best. Yeah, exactly. In the world. We took Speaker 5 (6:04) them to Hamley's first. They thought Hamley's toy store was a daily occurrence, Speaker 7 (6:11) but Speaker 5 (6:11) not over that. Do Speaker 2 (6:13) they play football, the kids? Speaker 5 (6:15) The oldest one does, but he doesn't move much. He's more, he wants everyone else to do the running. He tries to take credit. He had his first school game on, played for the school team on Monday actually and he scored. So I'm thinking he's Ronaldo again. He's good, but the two girls don't play yet. But I think the youngest, the three-year-old started putting football kits and football boots on. I'm hopeful for her. I'm hopeful. Speaker 2 (6:38) Brilliant. Speaker 7 (6:39) Going back to school, 15 years of age, are you 15 when you get effectively let go by Celtic for being too small? Is that... Is that right? Yeah, I Speaker 5 (6:47) turned 15 in March and then in the summer I got Lego. I think it was the May, June time. How Speaker 7 (6:53) long had you been Speaker 5 (6:53) there for? Speaker 7 (6:54) I'd been there since I was seven. Oh, seven years. Yeah, so I was Speaker 5 (6:58) in the pre-youth academy, seven to nine, and then I signed when I was nine. So then I was under tens the whole way up to under fifteens. But the way Scotland, I don't know if it works the same down here, but when you go from Scotland it goes under fifteens to under seventeens. So then it's two years kind of mixing together. In fairness, I was pretty small. I was slim and everything like that. So they made the decision. There was a big change at Celtic at that point. Tommy Burns had previously just passed away. New people had came in and things like that. So they kind of wanted to take it in a different direction. Best thing that happened to me, really, Speaker 6 (7:30) looking back. It seems like you can criticise a club for letting lads go, but that's the best thing for a player sometimes, isn't it? Speaker 5 (7:36) You've gone a different journey. Yeah, I look at players that had stayed in. you know, Celtic and they were maybe still there until they're 20 but did they play any first team appearances and then at 20 they're trying to get their career back on track by going to lesser teams in Scotland and things like that so I was quite happy that mine had kind of started earlier and then I could kind of, I was in the public. And did Speaker 3 (7:58) they say anything about like when you were leaving because obviously you'd been there a while and you're still slighting, did they say you have to do anything, you have to get yourself to maybe come back, did they give you any advice or anything? Like not overly because I think there was so much change so Speaker 5 (8:12) the coaches that were in then didn't really know me. Do Speaker 3 (8:14) you Speaker 5 (8:14) know what I mean? All the kind of people that know me like Tommy Burns was so good. There was a guy, Tony Taylor, that came over when Tommy was a bit unwell. He was from Canada and like he got to know all of us. So then when the people, I think they only came in in March and we got, so like to get to know the whole youth academy in that time, they didn't, do you know what I mean? They didn't really, so it wasn't really more advice. It was just, we'll try and help you on the way out. We can talk to other clubs and that for you and things like that. No, to be fair, I kind of looked after myself in that. Speaker 4 (8:41) What's the feeling there when you get let go? Have you still got belief that they've got it wrong? I can still go and have a big career, but Celtic, it's the club in Scotland, isn't it? Was that a massive thing to get over at such Speaker 5 (8:54) a Speaker 4 (8:54) young age? At that point, I wasn't thinking that I'm going to be a Speaker 5 (8:57) footballer. I just wanted to play with Celtic. That was my dream. I'm a big Celtic fan, had a season ticket. was lucky enough to be ball boy for a couple of games and things like that. So Celtic was everything. So when you get let go of that age, it's not the nicest of feelings. At 15, it's a difficult age as it is. It was difficult, but I had people around me that kind of did believe. I think I've spoke about it before, but Manny was one of the big people. I always remember when I came back, from Celtic Park after getting let go, mum and dad in the car, man, it was stood at the top of my steps, where they carry out, she had the takeaway for me, my favourite curry, and she was convincing my mum and dad to be fair, she went, no, he'll make it, I don't know why she had so much confidence in me, but yeah, fair enough. That's what a family's keen in, friends and family, just give it that little bit of a boost, huh? Yeah. Speaker 2 (9:49) What position were you then, when you were, I know obviously you're 15, but did you have a... Speaker 5 (9:54) So I played centre mid. Centre mid. Yeah, I played centre mid at Celtic. And then the last couple of months I got moved to left mid and I'd never played winger before. So that's when I kind of knew that maybe I'm getting moved about positions. Then started playing other people. I was thinking it's not great when you're getting moved positions when decisions are getting made. And then I moved to left mid. Speaker 5 (10:15) fell all the way back we all we all all Speaker 7 (10:17) the fullbacks started Speaker 5 (10:19) in McPhield Speaker 7 (10:20) when you're not good enough just kind of come back to pitch don't we yeah I went back to centre back and then but where was your next step after that? Queen's Park was it straight away though? was it straight away or was there a gap between Celtic and Queen's Park? Speaker 5 (10:34) no no no so over the summer I took a bit of time and then I got a phone call off Speaker 5 (10:40) one of the coaches at Queen's Park because he knew my coach at Celtic they were two good friends and he phoned me but Queen's Park they were in League 2 at the time but they're well renowned in Scotland to have a good youth academy and things like that so when Queen's Park I was thinking my first reaction was do I want to go there do you know what I mean can I not get another SPL club or whatever but to be fair I went a lot it was like 10 minutes around the corner from where I lived the training and I went for the first week and I just fell in love with the training the coaches were amazing and I just kind of fell in love with it and I was like no I can get on board here do you know what I mean and I can enjoy it and kind of just enjoy football again In what Speaker 7 (11:18) position have they moved you to left back? Speaker 5 (11:20) No I played left mid and left back I moved out of centre mid at that point and I kind of moved left mid left back and I was kind of jumping between the two but then we had a discussion at the end of my first season at Queen's Park because they kind of rewrite the story now they say that I was saying I was a left mid and not a left back when it was actually the other way about but I let them have their moment I thought you were left back yeah because I've always been better at coming on to the game Gary do you know what I mean I've not got a skill I think we can see that now I've played for I don't think I've ever done a trick or a skill I had a bit of pace but I was always better at coming on to the game and I always thought I was better from deep that was always my opinion and Speaker 7 (11:57) didn't how long were you at Queen's Park for? Speaker 5 (12:00) so I would have done I would have done what Four years at Queen's Park. I made my first team debut when I was 18. I remember I was on my sixth year holiday in Malia and I got a phone call from the first team manager saying, I need you in Largs for pre-season. It's a place in Scotland for like, came back hungover as anything. To be fair, I'd done quite well in the game. Stayed with the first team that whole season. I'd just done one season in the first team when I was like 18 to 19 and then I moved to Dundee United after that. Speaker 7 (12:30) How much did they pay for you at Dundee United? Nothing, because Queen's Park are amateur. I think they Speaker 5 (12:35) ended up putting Speaker 7 (12:36) a Speaker 5 (12:37) percentage, if they're a sale-on percentage. So Queen's Park got looked after, but they technically didn't have to pay anything. Speaker 7 (12:44) We always ask people what they're earning at this point in their life. So when you're at Queen's Park, it's quite a cheeky thing really. I find it quite fascinating. What are Queen's Park paying you Speaker 5 (12:52) when you're there? So when I was in the first team, I was getting £18 a week. Because it's amateur. So you only get expenses. They couldn't pay your wages. because I lived so close to it I was 10 minutes from Hamden so they had like a perimeter so that was like this perimeter was like £6 a night that perimeter was like £12 a night so like I was two nights a week training one game so it was £6 a Speaker 4 (13:15) night Speaker 5 (13:15) but when you're that coach Speaker 4 (13:16) you Speaker 5 (13:16) can't even bluff the expenses can you? no no yeah putting in a fake address Speaker 4 (13:19) but Speaker 5 (13:21) yeah so it was £18 so Speaker 2 (13:22) what else were you doing then in that time frame were you working? Speaker 5 (13:25) oh I didn't M &S? Worked in Marks and Spencer's at one point, yeah. To give them a mention. Speaker 4 (13:32) You worked in M &S? Speaker 5 (13:34) I did work in M &S. I was actually put in the women's lingerie section. Speaker 1 (13:39) I bet you were. Speaker 5 (13:41) No, it wasn't what it was made out to be. And then I went to, I worked in Hamden, the hospitality bit. And then I worked in the kit room. I worked in the Scottish kit room. doing the first team and the under 21s and things like that. For the Scotland first team? Yeah. Speaker 7 (13:56) How old Speaker 5 (13:57) was you then? I'd been 19, 18, 19, yeah. So I'd done that between the January and the June one and then I was in the first team in the March. So from Speaker 2 (14:08) doing that 19 years old, was it five years later you were Scotland captain? Were you 24? Yeah. That's Speaker 5 (14:16) a Speaker 2 (14:16) great story, that. Speaker 5 (14:17) I was less than a year from working the kit man to then I was in the team. at Dundee United yeah Dundee United I got my first call up for Scotland in the March for Dundee United and Speaker 7 (14:27) what's your contract to Dundee United with them for a sign you can never get Speaker 4 (14:31) over the fact that Ferguson bullied him and just asked you for a friend I think Speaker 7 (14:38) my Speaker 5 (14:41) first call up at Dundee United was like maybe like 300 350 pound a week and then but to be fair to Dundee United I played like the first month in the game and I knew contract quite quickly. Speaker 7 (14:51) But we were talking about JJ Gabriel last week and the fact this 15-year-old and obviously the money that obviously young players now at Liverpool top them and she united the command and obviously when you see this or your story, £18 a week, that's like, it's incredible really. Yeah, and like we all had to get, do you know what I mean? Like all the Speaker 5 (15:07) players were the same. So even like your 25, 30-year-olds, we had like PE teachers, we had policemen, we had, do you know what I mean? We had all people and they were all coming in. in their work if we had a midweek game sometimes we'd go games without like seven or eight players because they couldn't get they couldn't get out of their jobs do you know what Speaker 7 (15:23) I Speaker 5 (15:23) mean if you're a primary school teacher you can't just leave your job can you to go and play for so like sometimes midweek games were a problem and things like that but yeah I suppose it gives you a good grounding what's Speaker 7 (15:35) that point where you think I've got something, I've got some belief. Is it at Queen's Park or is it later on when you get to Dundee United? What's the point where you think, actually, I'm okay here, I can live at this level? Speaker 5 (15:45) I think I was quite lucky at Queen's Park because the season I played the first team was the season the Rangers got put down to League Two. So there was a lot of... Our games were on telly against Rangers. So there was a lot of coverage for League Two. So I think that helped. a lot of people in League 2, like a lot of people in that league moved in the summer because all of a sudden people were watching the games a bit more. And in the January, I knew there was a couple of teams after me, Partick Thistle with Jackie McNamara who ended up being the Dundee United manager. So at that point, I thought, okay, I'll maybe make it professional however far I go, I don't know, but I'll get a chance at being professional. And at Dundee United, I just loved being, I just loved training every day. Do you know what I mean? That was the thing I loved. I just loved being able to play football every single day. And then everything just kind of fell into place for me. I had a really good season at Dundee United. And even then, Speaker 6 (16:34) were you just getting simple Speaker 5 (16:34) instructions and I'd just get forward? Was it as simple as that? We had such an exciting team at Dundee United. We had a young team. Ryan Gould was really exciting. He went to Sporting Lisbon. John Suter was a young centre-back. We had Stuart Armstrong, Gary Mackay, Stephen. So we had really good young Scotch players that were kind of then making their way. So we were the kind of team that Jackie McNamara was a young Scotch manager. So everyone was watching us that season and it was just like, we were just loving it, do you know what I mean? And it was simple. It was just like, get yourself forward, do you know what I mean? Try and help out. I had John Rankin, an experienced player that kind of helped me out. He covered it left back and things like that. So no, it was, I loved Dundee Speaker 7 (17:12) United. You've got a tenacity in your game. What point? Who does that come from in your life? Is it your parents? Is it your upbringing? Where would that come from? Yeah, I'd say my parents. I'd say, Speaker 5 (17:22) you know, that's where I've been kind of brought up. Do you know what I mean? Work hard for everything that you've got. That's what they've done. They tried to give me and my brother the best life possible without... You know what I mean? We weren't poor, but we definitely weren't... Do you know what I mean? We never... They would struggle by to give us as much as we could. So I just think I grew up with my mum and dad working every single day, coming in. you know late and things like that and sometimes having to go to grandparents so I think just that hard work and that ethic you know just comes from probably that upbringing and also family round about us do you know what Speaker 7 (17:51) I Speaker 5 (17:51) mean yeah this Speaker 7 (17:53) episode of stick to football is brought to you by Disney Plus Speaker 1 (17:59) Gary, Max versus 100, four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen versus 100 drivers at Silverstone. Go-karts, he's back to his roots. Speaker 7 (18:08) I was at Silverstone yesterday and I heard about this. What do you think? I love things like this. I love Max Verstappen, actually. I think he's just, he's got that... I like sports people with attitude and personality that are also brilliant. So obviously, if you've got an attitude and a personality, you've got to be able to carry it off. You're like John McEnroe. When he was younger, John McEnroe, when you think about it, everyone was like, he was Marmite, wasn't he? Some hated him, some loved him. But you need people like that in sport. Speaker 1 (18:37) And what do you think of him going up against 100? Speaker 7 (18:40) I went go-karting in the summer. Well, you footballers love it, don't you? I love go-karting. We used to go go-karting together, you know. All of us as a team. That was a team day out. We had to go paintballing or go-karting. Speaker 1 (18:49) Who was the best at go-karting? Speaker 7 (18:51) I don't remember. I think Teddy Sheringham was quite good, you know. Teddy Sheringham used to have a supercar. Speaker 1 (18:56) Yeah. Speaker 7 (18:57) Yeah, he used to have a fancy car. Roy didn't like it. Oh, yeah. Speaker 1 (18:59) Roy didn't like it. Oh, yeah, Roy dug him out, didn't he? Yeah. So he was good at go-karting? Speaker 7 (19:04) Yeah, he was Speaker 1 (19:04) good. What Speaker 7 (19:04) were Speaker 1 (19:05) you Speaker 7 (19:05) like? I'm good, but not... You know, that extra, like... You've got to be a bit of a... I'm not going to say the word, but you've got to be a bit unhinged, haven't you? To go that extra bit of... Yeah. Yeah, no, so Max versus 100, I think it's Speaker 1 (19:18) a Speaker 7 (19:18) really good one, that. And Speaker 1 (19:19) is it good... Do you like it when they take an elite sportsperson and put them outside their comfort zone? Go-karts, slightly different rules, isn't it? You can see he's got to be so much better than all of them, but it's just complicated enough for him all of a sudden to go, hang on. I think he'll get there, won't he? He must have done it before. They all come through with go-karts, don't they? Sure, I mean... And he's obviously a good driver, isn't Speaker 7 (19:41) he? Speaker 1 (19:41) Yeah, Speaker 7 (19:41) he can Speaker 1 (19:41) drive, Speaker 7 (19:41) can't he? Speaker 1 (19:42) Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who's the best go-kart out of the five? Kieran can't drive, so he's out of the equation. You've Speaker 7 (19:47) just got Speaker 1 (19:47) Carragher, haven't you? You've just got this unhinged individual sat here that will just take risks. You must all be like will-to-win and stuff, Speaker 7 (19:55) mere mortals. I think Wrighty will be a good driver. He loves cars, he loves bikes, so he loves that type Speaker 1 (20:02) of thing. Speaker 7 (20:03) I'd go Wrighty or Carragher. Good. Speaker 1 (20:05) Excellent. Well, if you're looking for a sporting event like no other, Disney Plus and ESPN present Max vs 100, now available to stream on Disney Plus. Speaker 7 (20:20) Steve Bruce makes the first call to you or how's that come about? You obviously moved from Dundee United and you go to Hull which is a big step. Speaker 5 (20:28) Yeah, it was all like it was all weird. That season was meant it was 100 miles per hour because in January I nearly left. Well, Everton put a bid in for me in the January so Roberto Martinez came up and actually watched me for Dundee United and they wanted me to be they wanted to loan me back for the six months and then be back up to Leighton Baines and then try and be the guy that kind of That was their plan. Why didn't that happen? They didn't bid enough. I think they bid 750k. Dundee United at that point wanted 1.5 million. The manager was kind of saying, I'm not losing them. And to be fair, it was a good decision for Dundee United because they ended up getting, I think, 2.85 in the summer. So they ended up getting a bit more. And then... I knew the Hull scout, Stan Tennant, who came and watched me. Stan. Stan, yeah. Stan Tennant, my guy. He came and watched me against Hibs away and he was sat next to my agent and he closed his book after five minutes. So my agent, I always remember my agent phoned me and was like, I don't think Hull's going to be an option. And Stan just went, I've just seen enough in five minutes. I just got that feeling. And then I was still unsure because I was only, I suppose, maybe similar to you in Ireland, like the Premier League is made to be this. you know what I mean so I was like only a year pro and I'm like am I ready for this or do I stay at Dundee United and stay in my but then I had 20 minutes with Steve Bruce yeah Speaker 6 (21:47) and Speaker 5 (21:47) I was in the car half an hour later I'm agent signed the next day just he convinced me Speaker 7 (21:52) he just straight away he had such a good feeling off him did any of the clubs come in did Everton come back in at that point Speaker 5 (21:58) I think West Brom West Brom had kind of sniffed about and Hull that was it at that point