The Big Interview With Graham Hunter

In a big week for Liverpool and their manager, I didn't ask Jurgen Klopp about Manchester City or Pep Guardiola - my guess is he'll talk plenty about those subjects elsewhere.Instead, I wanted to get to the bottom of how he leads his team and his club, and why he does it that way. I don't think there are many like Jurgen Klopp in elite football - both in his approach to leadership and the openness with which he talks about it. I was very impressed by him, and I think you might be, too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Hola!You’re right on time for another special Big Interview clip show. You might recall that we dedicated a previous podcast to guests who had played abroad, and a couple more who have always wanted to.Well, in Season Two this theme came up a lot, so this episode is all about guests who took the brave decision to move abroad as coaches.This includes Phil Neville, who joined the staff at Valencia. He explains the lengths he would go to in order to learn Spanish, as well as the contrasts between working in Spain compared to England, while John Collins talks about his time in charge of Charleroi and the reason he had to leave.Alex McLeish also spent time in Belgium with Genk and he talks about his experiences there, as well as explaining why he turned down an offer to take charge of the Gabon national team.Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.sub

It’s time for round two with Paul Dickov in the Big Interview. Finally, Manchester City fans, finally, you’re going to hear about Maine Road, the playoff final, Oasis and what Paul finds most thrilling of this version of City.If you’re not a Man City supporter, I think you’ll be interested in a glimpse of a point in that club’s history – not so long ago – when they were seconds away from another season in the third tier. If a certain Scottish striker doesn’t score, Gwyneth Paltrow never meets John Hannah and perhaps Pep Guardiola never finds Phil Foden, either.Before you hear them, I also want to tell you what Paul is up to now.  He’s mentoring children in the schools run by the Laurus Trust, in the Manchester area.The Laurus Trust targets sporting as well as academic excellence and Paul talks to children and teachers, in groups and one-on-one, about managing sporting development, diet and nutrition and laying pathways that give the kids at these free schools the best possible chance of being all they can be.

Here’s part one of a two-part interview with Paul Dickov, a striker probably best known for his time at Manchester City.But today you’re going to hear him talk about starting off at Arsenal and this is the part of his career I was most interested in.Paul will tell you the list of teams who wanted him as he approached his 16th birthday, and why his dad urged him to leave the family home in Livingston, Scotland and go to London.Then it’s George Graham, Pat Rice, Tony Adams, Ian Wright. You’re going to love these stories.Before you hear them, I also want to tell you what Paul is up to now. He’s mentoring children in the schools run by the Laurus Trust, in the Manchester area.The Laurus Trust targets sporting as well as academic excellence and Paul talks to children and teachers, in groups and one-on-one, about managing sporting development, diet and nutrition and laying pathways that give the kids at these free schools the best possible chance of being all they can be. Find out more at laurustrust.co.ukEnjoy! Ho

They have the manager. They have the team. And the quarter-finals is within their grasp. Spurs have a great chance to reach the last eight of the Champions League, where I'd love to see their impressive coach and players tested. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Call it showtime mentality. It's at the core of Cristiano Ronaldo's big-game performances. It's what makes Real Madrid the masters of Champions League football. And for now, at least, it appears to be the difference between the back-to-back European champions and PSG. Let's look into an area of elite football that doesn't show up in the OPTA stats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Hello Big Interview listeners! We’ve picked out a juicy chunk of my Big Interview with Kevin Kilbane. In this extract, Kevin talks about the great Roy Keane and his influence on his Ireland team. Kevin describes a team-mate who demanded high standards, while he also gives a brilliant analysis of how exactly Keane controlled the tempo of matches and put Ireland on the front foot.Keane was a talisman for his country, no more so than in a 2002 World Cup qualifier in Dublin against a Portugal team which included Luis Figo and Rui Costa. Kevin believes that match was the Man United midfielder's best ever performance in an Ireland jersey.To hear the full 90-minute episode, including Kevin's retrospective look at how far he believes Ireland could have gone at the 2002 World Cup with Keane in the side, it’s time to become a Socio.Sign up now and you’ll not only unlock the Kevin interview, but my conversations with Rafa Van der Vaart, Ledley King, Robbie Keane, Kevin Phillips, Jermaine Defoe, Roberto Di Matteo and Sir

Hello,By now you are bound to know that I changed my career, changed my life by moving to Spain and covering FC Barcelona. It was a risk which paid off, but I am not the only one to reap the rewards of moving to live and work abroad.In Season Two of this podcast I encountered many kindred spirits, guys like Steve McManaman, who in this clip show describes how he made friends at Real Madrid following his move from Liverpool. Steve Archibald also calls Barcelona home after swapping English football for the Camp Nou, proving he was good enough during his training session. He explains why here.Gianluca Vialli describes the culture shock he felt after signing for Chelsea; Stan Petrov tells the story of how he learned English flipping burgers; and Thomas Hitzlsperger reveals the prejudices he encountered as a German playing in England.Away from the British game, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink talks about playing in Madrid and Benni McCarthy explains what it was about Ajax which drew him to Amsterdam, while messrs Peter Cr

Hola!FC Barcelona are in London tomorrow to face Chelsea in the Champions League. Their rivalry goes back a long way and this is the origins story, as told by Jody Morris.Jody was a member of the Chelsea midfield which took on Louis Van Gaal's Barca team in April 2000. In fact, Jody faced an as yet unknown Xavi in the first leg - a 3-1 in for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea man then went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola at the Camp Nou, with the home side claiming to a 5-1 win over the 10-man London side.Listen to Jody as he takes you back to those nights and describes the experience of facing famous names, stepping out at the Camp Nou, and taking on Pep. By the end I promise that you'll be more than ready for the next instalment of this rivalry.Enjoy!Graham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Well, the wait is almost over and the Champions League is nearly upon us once again.And what a way to get back into the competition! Real Madrid at home to Paris Saint-Germain is a must-see tie and boy am I excited.In this special preview podcast I pick my Madrid team and discuss the prospects of the Spanish side conquering Neymar, Cavani and co.Enjoy!Graham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Liverpool 4 Man City 3. January 14, 2018. The day Andy Robertson arrived as a Liverpool player.With 71 minutes gone and his team 4-1 ahead of league leaders City, visiting winger Raheem Sterling is subbed after being marked out of the game by the young Scot.Minutes later Robertson embarks on a lung-bursting 70-yard pressing run which sees him chase down four City defenders and their goalkeeper. ‘The Run’ would go viral on social media the next day.Moments later, the Kop starts signing his name. It has been a good day.    Here, Robertson recalls the key moments of last month’s classic match and breaks down life under Jurgen Klopp.EnjoyGraham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

My Big Interview with Les Ferdinand is available now, exclusively for our Socios. Go to Patreon now to unlock my chat with Les in full, as well as a host of other exclusive Big Interviews and special episodes.In the meantime, here is an extract which I think is important for us all to listen to. You'll hear Les talk about how he was inspired by black footballers like Cyrille Regis, who stood up to vile racism, while Les also outlines the measures he would take to rid our game of this evil once and for all.He has some stern words for the FA too, and explains why he thinks they are unable to tackle racism effectively.Graham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Whatever happens next between Real Madrid and their manager, the roadmap to a more stable and successful future has been laid out by the troubles confronting Zinedine Zidane this season. Here's my take on why Madrid president Florentino Perez, his head coach and their embattled players need a director of football - a sporting brain connecting the front office to the dressing room. And the scenario in which the answer to all their problems may be closer than they think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

THIS clip show comes to you from the treatment table. Don’t worry, The Big Interview is as fit and healthy as ever - we’ve just gone back to find out what some of our guests from Season Two had to say about injuries.  Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon retraces the steps he took on the long road to recovery from a tear in the patella tendon of his left knee, an injury which left him in almost constant pain for two years.  A back problem put a teenage Neil Lennon out of the game for 18 months, and he reveals that only a bone-shuddering challenge during a game with Rochdale convinced him that he was back to his best.  Steve Archibald also talks about how being maimed by Rangers’ Tom Forsyth helped him to become a more clever striker, before we hear from Stan Petrov and how his brave, successful fight against leukaemia has changed how he lives his life today.  Strictly speaking, cancer may not be an injury, but, believe me, the message from Stan is one that we should all take the time to listen to. Enjoy! Hosted on

The closest player to Sergio Busquets in Europe's top leagues may just be the guy playing alongside him for Barcelona.In this podcast, I put the microscope over how Valverde's team are using Ivan Rakitic, and how this is the key to the acceleration in the football they are playing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Hola!Well, well, well... what does last weekend's defeat at home to Villarreal mean for Real Madrid? More to the point, where does it leave manager Zinedine Zidane?That is the very question I answer in this podcast.Enjoy!Graham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Hello Big Interview listeners! Well, you’ve been very patient, so here it is: Part Two of my Big Interview with Terry Gibson.And, I promise, it is well worth the wait. If you remember, at the end of Part One we left Terry after he had cut short an unfulfilling spell at Manchester United and signed for Wimbledon. We’ll pick up the story there, as Terry takes you inside that club and introduces you to the Crazy Gang.The chances are you’ll have heard of them, but Terry takes us beyond the headlines and describes a group of rival factions who shared a dressing room. I found that fascinating but there was a happy ending, with Wimbledon going on to lift the 1988 FA Cup. Terry talks brilliantly about that cup run and the final against Liverpool.I enjoy speaking to Terry and consider him a friend, but that’s not why I wanted him on the show. He also has a shrewd, brilliantly analytical football mind - just listen to how he takes clubs in England to task over their reliance on financial might instead of effective scou

Hola! Well, I’ve had a busy day… all thanks to a certain Brazilian midfielder who has just landed in the city I call home, Barcelona.  This was Coutinho Day at FC Barcelona so please join me for a behind-the-scenes report on how it all went down.You’ll hear snippets from the press conference, insights from colleagues in the Spanish press and get a flavour of the atmosphere around one of the highest-profile signings in the club’s history.  Enjoy! Graham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Hello Big Interview listeners! And a Happy New Year! We’ve picked out a juicy chunk of my Big Interview with Roberto Di Matteo. In this extract, Robbie talks about taking over Chelsea in March 2012 after the sacking of Andre Villas Boas. Robbie describes the mixture of personalities as the most difficult dressing room he ever faced as a player or manager.But it held the key to unbelievable success. Here, he talks through the incredible second leg of their last 16 tie and a nerve-shredding quarter-final win over Benfica.To hear the full 80-minute episode, including Roberto’s take on their epic semi-final win over Barcelona, and then that incredible night in Munich against Bayern in the final, it’s time to become a Socio.    Sign up now and you’ll not only unlock the Robbie interview, but my conversations with Rafa Van der Vaart, Ledley King, Robbie Keane, Kevin Phillips and Jermaine Defoe. Go to  patreon.com/grahamhunter. It’s the best £2.99 you’ll spend this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo

As we recorded Season Two of The Big Interview, one theme tended to stand out above all others: street football. It seemed as though every one of our guests was able to share a memory of being a kid kicking a ball about on the street outside their house, in a nearby field, or simply against the door of a shed so, clearly, we were left with no choice but to bring those childhood tales together and to create a clip show dedicated to street football. It is perhaps fitting that we begin with a history lesson, as Alex McLeish and Walter Smith recall the carefree days, coming home from school and rushing right back out the door to join in the game they knew was already under way at their local field. Mark Noble also remembers joining every youngster on his street to play a game on a school field behind their houses.Thomas Hitzlsperger explains how he was able to transform the family farm into a football pitch to rival Wembley and Matt Le Tissier describes the game he made up for himself in his back garden and which