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http://www.sport.co.uk/features/Football/1355/Sportcouk_meetsGary_Mabbutt.aspx
Posted by Sport.co.uk on: 28 October 2010 - 17:10
Author: Sam Rider
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In recent years Gary Mabbutt has been combining his time rubbing shoulders with Princes and royal dignitaries with raising awareness for the charity Diabetes UK and making forays into the world of the entrepreneur. Not so long ago he was gracing the White Hart Lane turf with fellow Tottenham Hotspur icons Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne and David Ginola in a career that spanned 18 years, winning a UEFA Cup in 1986 and leading the north London club to their most recent famous success, lifting the FA Cup in 1991.
Sport.co.uk spoke to the former Bristol Rovers defender and current ambassador for England’s 2018 World Cup bid about his 100 per cent success record for World Cup bids, how getting his face rearranged by John Fashanu’s elbow prolonged his long career and why he thinks Tottenham can overtake Arsenal as north London’s top club.
You made your name at Bristol Rovers. Your dad Ray made his name at the club and your brother Kevin played for cross town rivals Bristol City. Much pressure in your household growing up?
We obviously went to watch [my dad] quite a lot as kids through his time at Newport County and at Bath and then at Rovers. At the time when Kevin signed City had the best youth policy and when I signed Rovers had the best youth policy so we both followed the best youth development programs. There was a bit of rivalry of course when we both got in the first teams and played against each other three or four times in the league.
Leaving Rovers you established yourself at White Hart Lane, spending 16 seasons with the London outfit. How do you think they are doing this season?
I think everything is going very well so far. Of course coming 4th in the league last year and playing in the Champions League has been the club’s aim for a number of years and a huge step up for the club. Now I think we have got to use that as a stepping stone. Tottenham now want to be in the top four every year so a lot of work is being done to improve the depth of our squad.
With the players we are bringing in and with our academy and youth policy there should be a conveyor belt of players coming through. This season there have been a couple of slip-ups but generally in the Champions League and the Premiership I think the team are doing very well. It is important you don’t lose focus on the domestic competition because Spurs want to come in the top four every year and the only way to do that is by making sure we get the points.
Throwing away points at West Ham and obviously dropping two against Everton at the weekend and at home to Wigan – those are the things that could prove costly. Fortunately it seems everyone else is slipping up as well so we haven’t lost ground.
The squad is looking very good this season. I’ve watched quite a few games this season – I was at the FC Twente game, the Villa game, over in Milan last week and at the Everton game over the weekend – so I’ve seen a lot of the team coming through. We haven’t got a huge wealth of talent in the midfield area and I think we might be suffering a little bit from the loss of Jermaine Defoe which has left us with just the three strikers but I would put Jermaine up with Wayne Rooney as being a natural goal-scorer. He’s got pace, he upsets defenders with his speed and at the moment we could certainly do with having him back in the side.
So do you see Defoe as a shoe-in for the starting place alongside Rooney in Capello’s England team?
It is all a matter of how Capello wants to play. I think before injuries last season his form deserved his place in the England team so hopefully if he’s fit again he’ll get the opportunity. The only way he’ll get that of course is to keep scoring the goals for Tottenham.
You mentioned you were at the match with Inter to see that stunning performance by Gareth Bale. What do you make of his contribution so far?
I think over the last 12 months Gareth has been one of the best players in the Premiership and in the match against Inter on the European stage he showed he was not found to be wanting. He was outstanding in the game and he’s a player who has a great future in front of him. He’s still very young. In the games that I’ve seen no one’s been able to combat his pace, ability and skill and with the balls he can knock into the box at dead ball situations and in play, he’s a tremendous player.
Despite the naive defending at the start of the game in Milan, in the second half we basically beat the European champions 3-0 with 10 men. That sends a message to Inter that we’ll be ready for them when they come to White Hart Lane. With Inter next week, FC Twente away and then Werder Bremen at home I think we are in a very good position to progress in the competition.
It’s certainly exciting times at the Lane this season. Defensively the return of Ledley King would be a massive boost. How important is he? How do you think his career is going at the moment?
It’s gone the same way as it has gone the last few years. Unfortunately due to his injury problems he’s not been able to get the amount of appearances as he should have done. He’s a huge talisman for the side when he’s playing but because he can only play intermittently that at times causes problems and he can hardly train.
We’ve got other problems in that position as well. Michael Dawson and Jonathan Woodgate are still out injured. When everyone is fit there is a great strength in the squad there that will hopefully establish us as a top-four team.
You played alongside some pretty special talents at the Lane with Gascoigne, Hoddle, Lineker and a number foreign imports later in your career. Who was the best?
That’s a very difficult question. I was lucky when I first came in with Ray Clemence in goal, Steve Pearman, Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa, and Steve Archibald was the maker of the squad. Over the years Chrissy Waddle came in, and then Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, Jurgen Klinnsman, David Ginola so I was very lucky to play with some top players during my 16 years at the club. To put a finger on who was the best would be very difficult. In the midfield area Hoddle and Gascoigne were absolutely outstanding. We probably had the benefit of Paul’s best year in football in 1990/91 before his injury. If you could single-handedly get a team to the cup final, Paul Gascoigne did it that year.
As for Glenn Hoddle, I remember the first season I was at the club I was joint top goal-scorer with Archibald from midfield and all I had to do was make a run into the box and Glenn would put a pinpoint ball onto my head. His range of passing was amazing.
Going forward Gary Lineker was one of the best finishers that I’ve worked with. We had Clive Allen who scored the record 49 goals in 1987. When Jurgen Klinnsman came to the club everybody thought it was an end of career move but he was absolutely outstanding with a great attitude. He was a great player.
In 1984 you were a feature of the Spurs team that won the UEFA Cup with a penalty shoot-out win over Anderlecht. You also won the FA Cup in 1991 over Nottingham Forest as captain. Which one meant more to you?
It’s a very difficult question. European nights at White Hart Lane were very special. To win the UEFA Cup was excellent and a great feeling. I remember going out after the game and the whole of the Tottenham High Road was filled with fans until midnight. It was the first cup I won with the club.
In 1991 as captain, going up the Wembley steps to lift the cup was also a very special moment. Being captain and receiving the cup from the Duchess of Kent, Prince Charles and Princess Diana; lifting the cup to the fans...I think that noise, that moment, will probably live with me forever.
Gary Neville recently surpassed the 600 appearance record for Manchester United. You achieved this milestone in your club career. How did you look after yourself?
I was very lucky I had 16 years at one of the best clubs in the country and was very fortunate to captain the club for 11 years. During that time I had the usual injuries. I missed one whole season in 1996/97 with a broken leg, I missed half a season with a rearranged face. So I am the same as Gary Neville in that I’ve had my injuries, all players do. I was lucky to get my 620 appearances for the club.
I have a few aches and pains, all players do. But having played for 21 years as a professional I can’t complain too much.
There is a Gary Mabbutt facebook page (1,439 people like this) which mentions your legendary status among Coventry City fans. Their unofficial fanzine is named Gary Mabbutt’s Knee, after the own goal you conceded to give them a 3-2 extra-time victory in the 1987 FA Cup Final. Is this still a sore spot? The defeat that is, not your knee.
It was obviously very disappointing being the first cup final Tottenham had ever lost but I’m an absolute legend in the Midlands. I’ve got free food and drink for life. Everywhere I go I’ve got Coventry fans coming up wanting pictures with me of them kissing my left knee. You can’t change these things and they’ve got the fanzine. I’m often reminded of it by Coventry fans. Richard Keys of Sky Sports being one of the biggest Coventry fans, every time I see him he greets me as ‘the legend’ for that goal.
We had a great squad in 1987 but it was the ‘almost but not quite’ squad. We came 3rd in the league, semi-final of the League Cup and final of the FA Cup but actually won nothing. But we got it in the end in 1991.
Moving onto your international career, in the match against Yugoslavia when you scored your only goal for the national side you were sharing the pitch with several fellow Tottenham players that night: Glenn Hoddle, Steve Hodge, Chris Waddle and future Spurs great, Gary Lineker.
Currently Spurs boast several stars in the England set-up. What does it mean to you to see Spurs producing so many options for England?
I was working in South Africa as an ambassador for the World Cup so I’ve been down there for three months out of every one of the last eight years preparing for it so it was great when the squad was announced that so many Tottenham players were on the plane. Obviously it was disappointing that we didn’t deliver in South Africa.
I was very privileged and honoured to have got a number of England caps during my playing days. In total I think I got something like 49 England caps, 16 of those at full level, nine were youth level, 11 at U-21 level and around 10 at England B level. I did score goals at other levels but my only one at full level was in that Yugoslavia game, again from a Glenn Hoddle corner.
How did it feel to score that goal in front of the Wembley crowd?
To score a goal at Wembley in a European Championship qualifying game is a big moment. It’s difficult to put into words. I always get a bit frustrated when you see players at times after matches with supporters being accused of not wanting to wear the shirt or not giving their most for the country. I think every time a player pulls on the shirt it’s impossible not to give your best for your country. It was a great honour to be able to walk out wearing the three lions on your shirt.
You spoke about your time in South Africa, helping bring the 2010 World Cup to the continent for the first time in Africa’s history. How were you involved?
First of all I helped South Africa win the bid to host the World Cup. During the build up I worked quite a bit on where they would build the team bases, where they would be staying and what facilities they would need. I was out there for all the World Cup draws and obviously the finals. It was a great experience and having been involved for eight years, South Africa was probably one of the best World Cups ever despite the England teams’ performance. From my perspective of hoping to show the world what South Africa could achieve it went very well.
It has been a few months since the world’s attention left the country and the hype has died down. What do you think the legacy of the tournament has been so far?
I think it showed the bigger picture of Africa and showed they can deliver big tournaments. The stadiums we built are some of the best in the world. As far as the country was involved I think everybody responded, everybody was involved. All the infrastructure, transportation and security systems were a success. I think there was a bit of negativity, some Afro-scepticism and concerns that Africa couldn’t do it but by July 11 this year the whole world had seen what a great job South Africa had done and I think FIFA were the first to come out and say that.
I was at the opening game where there was a great atmosphere for Africa as one, at the final and a number of games through the tournament. It was just wonderful to be part of the whole experience.
Are you involved in the 2018 bid for England to host the tournament after it heads to Brazil next?
Yes I’m also an ambassador for England’s 2018 bid. I’ve been speaking to the people involved about my experiences in South Africa’s bid. There is a lot of work being done on that but still a couple of months to go. The hard work continues and we’re doing everything we can to deserve the right to host the tournament. It will be a privilege for us to do that. After helping in South Africa I would love to help bring the World Cup to my home country.
I’ve got a 100 per cent record in World Cup bids so far and I’m hoping to keep that up.
It’s been over 10 years since you hung up your boots. Do you feel the game has changed much in that time – with media scrutiny or nutritional elements?
I’m thoroughly enjoying the game still. People always talk about the quantity of money in the game – and yes, there’s far more multi-million pound bids in the game – but having said that the game is still the same. Players coming into the game when I was finishing are still playing now and doing very well. It’s still the same game being played and being loved by all the supporters.
I think the Premiership is one of the best leagues in the world. The players are slightly more removed from their supporters than they were 10 years ago but if you go watch a game you still get the same emotions now as you had then.
Did you ever consider going into management or coaching? How would you have dealt with the Rooney saga of last week?
I’ve had a number of offers over the years to go into management. I can’t say which clubs because it wouldn’t be appropriate and there are still managers in place that wouldn’t be there if I said yes.
But just before I retired, six months before Bill Nicholson died, I was sitting chatting to him. Bill was a great man and had a great knowledge of football. I asked him the question: “Were there ever any regrets you ever had?” He told me the only regret he ever had was that when he walked his daughter up the aisle he said, “Gary, I looked at her and I didn’t even recognise my own daughter”.
That hit me and just as I was retiring my first daughter was born. So while I still wanted to be involved in football and it had been my life I thought there are more important things than football. I decided I didn’t want to be 24/7 involved in the game. I’m still involved though. I’m on the FA Disciplinary Committee, I’m a global club ambassador for Tottenham, working on the 2018 World Cup bid, I’ve got my own sports consultancy company and I’ve just brought out something completely different: a waterless car cleaning product that is on the market so there you go.
Gary Mabbutt the entrepreneur. Thought of going on Dragons’ Den with that invention?
Ha...I’ve got a lot of things going on to keep me very busy but most of my life is still based around football.
We interviewed the nutritionist for Chelsea this week. With that in mind could you give us an insight into what the diet was like at club and international level during your early playing career?
It will probably be very different for me because I’m a diabetic. Nutrition was based around my injections and food intake and carbohydrates for the game. Generally most pre-match meals were scrambled egg on toast, poached chicken, fish and pasta dishes. That would be had with tea and toast. You wouldn’t have anything more than that before a match. Obviously a lot more work has been done now on the nutritional side but I think in general over the last five years of my career all that had changed anyway. You would never have ham, eggs and chips or anything.
In terms of preseason most players would come back overweight after eating more than during a season. They would enjoy a holiday with their family having one or two drinks too many but then you always have five or six weeks of preseason to get yourself fit. That first weekend of preseason training would be the worst of the whole year because you would be run into the ground until you were vomiting.
I read you were first diagnosed with diabetes by the Bristol Rovers doctor aged 17. What did you think when you heard the news? [First diabetic to play for England]
I’ve been a diabetic now for 32 years. When I was first diagnosed I thought it was the end of my career. We tried to get as much information as we could and spoke to several top specialists. The first three thought I wouldn’t be able to continue as a professional footballer but we found a fourth chap who said you can give it a try. Fortunately he was proved to be right.
All my life I’ve had to have four injections and eight blood tests everyday and been on a special diet. I’ve worked with all that and played professional football. It’s something you have to take care with and look after yourself and constantly monitor but having said that I’ve had a very fruitful and interesting career. Having grown up being interested in the game it was a privilege to be in that position for so many years.
Did you get a lot of support from your club and teammates?
When I first joined Tottenham you had to have a normal medical and a special medical with a diabetic specialist. I signed a contract for three years saying that I’d still be alive to see out that time. Of course everyone was very supportive and always behind you but to be honest you just get on with it yourself and monitor your own body condition.
Did you consider packing it in at first? What other profession could you have ended up in?
To be honest I didn’t think about anything else. I’d grown up wanting to be a professional footballer. I had taken five O-levels and you needed four to stay on at school. If I hadn’t been offered an apprenticeship with Bristol Rovers I would probably have gone onto further education and university.
Do you get current players speaking to you now about how to manage the condition?
There aren’t many current players with diabetes as far as I know. Myself and Sir Steve Redgrave are presidents of Diabetes UK so we speak to youngsters who have been diagnosed and stay heavily involved but you don’t see many footballers around with it now.
I just tell people that whatever they hope to achieve in life, be it academic, in business or in sport, diabetes won’t stop them.
You were given an MBE. What was that experience like?
I’ve been very lucky to have won a number of things over my career. The biggest one is the MBE from the Queen in 1994. I was honoured to go to Buckingham Palace and have a day out there. I’ve still got the pictures around the house.
I’ve been an ambassador of the Prince’s Trust for the last 18 years so I’ve got to know Prince Charles quite well during that time. I was with Prince William and Prince Harry over in South Africa working on the 2018 World Cup bid with them. I’ve been lucky to meet these people.
Do you talk much football with the Princes? Which teams do they support?
William’s a big Aston Villa fan. Harry’s more a rugby fan but if he had to chose he’d probably choose Arsenal.
Tackling has once again been in the headlines this season after Nigel de Jong’s leg-breaking lunge on Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa; you suffered a broken leg in the 1996/97 season and missed the majority of the campaign. Where do you stand on the debate over tackling?
I’ve got to be very careful about what I say because I’m on the Premier League disciplinary committee but I don’t think it is any better or worse than it was when I was playing. There is a certain area where tackles are acceptable and as soon as it goes outside that area everyone can see it very clearly. Players will always have injuries. As the game continues that will always be the case. The ones we want to stamp out are the ones that are completely reckless and can end a player’s career.
Finally, back to where your heart lies, how do you predict Spurs will finish this season?
I think we’ll qualify for the next stage of the Champions League. In the Premiership I think we’ll finish in the top four. Manchester City are obviously looking very strong at the moment. Manchester United have not had one of their best starts to the season, on and off the field. Chelsea will be up there so we’ve got to overtake either Arsenal or Manchester United. That’s what our intention is and the club has got to gear themselves up to be in a position to hopefully have a strong challenge on that top four.
Gary Mabbutt is an official ambassador for the England 2018 World Cup Bid. To find out how you can show your support, visit www.facebook.com/england2018
Posted by Sport.co.uk on: 28 October 2010 - 17:10
Author: Sam Rider
Comments: Be the first to comment
In recent years Gary Mabbutt has been combining his time rubbing shoulders with Princes and royal dignitaries with raising awareness for the charity Diabetes UK and making forays into the world of the entrepreneur. Not so long ago he was gracing the White Hart Lane turf with fellow Tottenham Hotspur icons Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne and David Ginola in a career that spanned 18 years, winning a UEFA Cup in 1986 and leading the north London club to their most recent famous success, lifting the FA Cup in 1991.
Sport.co.uk spoke to the former Bristol Rovers defender and current ambassador for England’s 2018 World Cup bid about his 100 per cent success record for World Cup bids, how getting his face rearranged by John Fashanu’s elbow prolonged his long career and why he thinks Tottenham can overtake Arsenal as north London’s top club.
You made your name at Bristol Rovers. Your dad Ray made his name at the club and your brother Kevin played for cross town rivals Bristol City. Much pressure in your household growing up?
We obviously went to watch [my dad] quite a lot as kids through his time at Newport County and at Bath and then at Rovers. At the time when Kevin signed City had the best youth policy and when I signed Rovers had the best youth policy so we both followed the best youth development programs. There was a bit of rivalry of course when we both got in the first teams and played against each other three or four times in the league.
Leaving Rovers you established yourself at White Hart Lane, spending 16 seasons with the London outfit. How do you think they are doing this season?
I think everything is going very well so far. Of course coming 4th in the league last year and playing in the Champions League has been the club’s aim for a number of years and a huge step up for the club. Now I think we have got to use that as a stepping stone. Tottenham now want to be in the top four every year so a lot of work is being done to improve the depth of our squad.
With the players we are bringing in and with our academy and youth policy there should be a conveyor belt of players coming through. This season there have been a couple of slip-ups but generally in the Champions League and the Premiership I think the team are doing very well. It is important you don’t lose focus on the domestic competition because Spurs want to come in the top four every year and the only way to do that is by making sure we get the points.
Throwing away points at West Ham and obviously dropping two against Everton at the weekend and at home to Wigan – those are the things that could prove costly. Fortunately it seems everyone else is slipping up as well so we haven’t lost ground.
The squad is looking very good this season. I’ve watched quite a few games this season – I was at the FC Twente game, the Villa game, over in Milan last week and at the Everton game over the weekend – so I’ve seen a lot of the team coming through. We haven’t got a huge wealth of talent in the midfield area and I think we might be suffering a little bit from the loss of Jermaine Defoe which has left us with just the three strikers but I would put Jermaine up with Wayne Rooney as being a natural goal-scorer. He’s got pace, he upsets defenders with his speed and at the moment we could certainly do with having him back in the side.
So do you see Defoe as a shoe-in for the starting place alongside Rooney in Capello’s England team?
It is all a matter of how Capello wants to play. I think before injuries last season his form deserved his place in the England team so hopefully if he’s fit again he’ll get the opportunity. The only way he’ll get that of course is to keep scoring the goals for Tottenham.
You mentioned you were at the match with Inter to see that stunning performance by Gareth Bale. What do you make of his contribution so far?
I think over the last 12 months Gareth has been one of the best players in the Premiership and in the match against Inter on the European stage he showed he was not found to be wanting. He was outstanding in the game and he’s a player who has a great future in front of him. He’s still very young. In the games that I’ve seen no one’s been able to combat his pace, ability and skill and with the balls he can knock into the box at dead ball situations and in play, he’s a tremendous player.
Despite the naive defending at the start of the game in Milan, in the second half we basically beat the European champions 3-0 with 10 men. That sends a message to Inter that we’ll be ready for them when they come to White Hart Lane. With Inter next week, FC Twente away and then Werder Bremen at home I think we are in a very good position to progress in the competition.
It’s certainly exciting times at the Lane this season. Defensively the return of Ledley King would be a massive boost. How important is he? How do you think his career is going at the moment?
It’s gone the same way as it has gone the last few years. Unfortunately due to his injury problems he’s not been able to get the amount of appearances as he should have done. He’s a huge talisman for the side when he’s playing but because he can only play intermittently that at times causes problems and he can hardly train.
We’ve got other problems in that position as well. Michael Dawson and Jonathan Woodgate are still out injured. When everyone is fit there is a great strength in the squad there that will hopefully establish us as a top-four team.
You played alongside some pretty special talents at the Lane with Gascoigne, Hoddle, Lineker and a number foreign imports later in your career. Who was the best?
That’s a very difficult question. I was lucky when I first came in with Ray Clemence in goal, Steve Pearman, Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa, and Steve Archibald was the maker of the squad. Over the years Chrissy Waddle came in, and then Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, Jurgen Klinnsman, David Ginola so I was very lucky to play with some top players during my 16 years at the club. To put a finger on who was the best would be very difficult. In the midfield area Hoddle and Gascoigne were absolutely outstanding. We probably had the benefit of Paul’s best year in football in 1990/91 before his injury. If you could single-handedly get a team to the cup final, Paul Gascoigne did it that year.
As for Glenn Hoddle, I remember the first season I was at the club I was joint top goal-scorer with Archibald from midfield and all I had to do was make a run into the box and Glenn would put a pinpoint ball onto my head. His range of passing was amazing.
Going forward Gary Lineker was one of the best finishers that I’ve worked with. We had Clive Allen who scored the record 49 goals in 1987. When Jurgen Klinnsman came to the club everybody thought it was an end of career move but he was absolutely outstanding with a great attitude. He was a great player.
In 1984 you were a feature of the Spurs team that won the UEFA Cup with a penalty shoot-out win over Anderlecht. You also won the FA Cup in 1991 over Nottingham Forest as captain. Which one meant more to you?
It’s a very difficult question. European nights at White Hart Lane were very special. To win the UEFA Cup was excellent and a great feeling. I remember going out after the game and the whole of the Tottenham High Road was filled with fans until midnight. It was the first cup I won with the club.
In 1991 as captain, going up the Wembley steps to lift the cup was also a very special moment. Being captain and receiving the cup from the Duchess of Kent, Prince Charles and Princess Diana; lifting the cup to the fans...I think that noise, that moment, will probably live with me forever.
Gary Neville recently surpassed the 600 appearance record for Manchester United. You achieved this milestone in your club career. How did you look after yourself?
I was very lucky I had 16 years at one of the best clubs in the country and was very fortunate to captain the club for 11 years. During that time I had the usual injuries. I missed one whole season in 1996/97 with a broken leg, I missed half a season with a rearranged face. So I am the same as Gary Neville in that I’ve had my injuries, all players do. I was lucky to get my 620 appearances for the club.
I have a few aches and pains, all players do. But having played for 21 years as a professional I can’t complain too much.
There is a Gary Mabbutt facebook page (1,439 people like this) which mentions your legendary status among Coventry City fans. Their unofficial fanzine is named Gary Mabbutt’s Knee, after the own goal you conceded to give them a 3-2 extra-time victory in the 1987 FA Cup Final. Is this still a sore spot? The defeat that is, not your knee.
It was obviously very disappointing being the first cup final Tottenham had ever lost but I’m an absolute legend in the Midlands. I’ve got free food and drink for life. Everywhere I go I’ve got Coventry fans coming up wanting pictures with me of them kissing my left knee. You can’t change these things and they’ve got the fanzine. I’m often reminded of it by Coventry fans. Richard Keys of Sky Sports being one of the biggest Coventry fans, every time I see him he greets me as ‘the legend’ for that goal.
We had a great squad in 1987 but it was the ‘almost but not quite’ squad. We came 3rd in the league, semi-final of the League Cup and final of the FA Cup but actually won nothing. But we got it in the end in 1991.
Moving onto your international career, in the match against Yugoslavia when you scored your only goal for the national side you were sharing the pitch with several fellow Tottenham players that night: Glenn Hoddle, Steve Hodge, Chris Waddle and future Spurs great, Gary Lineker.
Currently Spurs boast several stars in the England set-up. What does it mean to you to see Spurs producing so many options for England?
I was working in South Africa as an ambassador for the World Cup so I’ve been down there for three months out of every one of the last eight years preparing for it so it was great when the squad was announced that so many Tottenham players were on the plane. Obviously it was disappointing that we didn’t deliver in South Africa.
I was very privileged and honoured to have got a number of England caps during my playing days. In total I think I got something like 49 England caps, 16 of those at full level, nine were youth level, 11 at U-21 level and around 10 at England B level. I did score goals at other levels but my only one at full level was in that Yugoslavia game, again from a Glenn Hoddle corner.
How did it feel to score that goal in front of the Wembley crowd?
To score a goal at Wembley in a European Championship qualifying game is a big moment. It’s difficult to put into words. I always get a bit frustrated when you see players at times after matches with supporters being accused of not wanting to wear the shirt or not giving their most for the country. I think every time a player pulls on the shirt it’s impossible not to give your best for your country. It was a great honour to be able to walk out wearing the three lions on your shirt.
You spoke about your time in South Africa, helping bring the 2010 World Cup to the continent for the first time in Africa’s history. How were you involved?
First of all I helped South Africa win the bid to host the World Cup. During the build up I worked quite a bit on where they would build the team bases, where they would be staying and what facilities they would need. I was out there for all the World Cup draws and obviously the finals. It was a great experience and having been involved for eight years, South Africa was probably one of the best World Cups ever despite the England teams’ performance. From my perspective of hoping to show the world what South Africa could achieve it went very well.
It has been a few months since the world’s attention left the country and the hype has died down. What do you think the legacy of the tournament has been so far?
I think it showed the bigger picture of Africa and showed they can deliver big tournaments. The stadiums we built are some of the best in the world. As far as the country was involved I think everybody responded, everybody was involved. All the infrastructure, transportation and security systems were a success. I think there was a bit of negativity, some Afro-scepticism and concerns that Africa couldn’t do it but by July 11 this year the whole world had seen what a great job South Africa had done and I think FIFA were the first to come out and say that.
I was at the opening game where there was a great atmosphere for Africa as one, at the final and a number of games through the tournament. It was just wonderful to be part of the whole experience.
Are you involved in the 2018 bid for England to host the tournament after it heads to Brazil next?
Yes I’m also an ambassador for England’s 2018 bid. I’ve been speaking to the people involved about my experiences in South Africa’s bid. There is a lot of work being done on that but still a couple of months to go. The hard work continues and we’re doing everything we can to deserve the right to host the tournament. It will be a privilege for us to do that. After helping in South Africa I would love to help bring the World Cup to my home country.
I’ve got a 100 per cent record in World Cup bids so far and I’m hoping to keep that up.
It’s been over 10 years since you hung up your boots. Do you feel the game has changed much in that time – with media scrutiny or nutritional elements?
I’m thoroughly enjoying the game still. People always talk about the quantity of money in the game – and yes, there’s far more multi-million pound bids in the game – but having said that the game is still the same. Players coming into the game when I was finishing are still playing now and doing very well. It’s still the same game being played and being loved by all the supporters.
I think the Premiership is one of the best leagues in the world. The players are slightly more removed from their supporters than they were 10 years ago but if you go watch a game you still get the same emotions now as you had then.
Did you ever consider going into management or coaching? How would you have dealt with the Rooney saga of last week?
I’ve had a number of offers over the years to go into management. I can’t say which clubs because it wouldn’t be appropriate and there are still managers in place that wouldn’t be there if I said yes.
But just before I retired, six months before Bill Nicholson died, I was sitting chatting to him. Bill was a great man and had a great knowledge of football. I asked him the question: “Were there ever any regrets you ever had?” He told me the only regret he ever had was that when he walked his daughter up the aisle he said, “Gary, I looked at her and I didn’t even recognise my own daughter”.
That hit me and just as I was retiring my first daughter was born. So while I still wanted to be involved in football and it had been my life I thought there are more important things than football. I decided I didn’t want to be 24/7 involved in the game. I’m still involved though. I’m on the FA Disciplinary Committee, I’m a global club ambassador for Tottenham, working on the 2018 World Cup bid, I’ve got my own sports consultancy company and I’ve just brought out something completely different: a waterless car cleaning product that is on the market so there you go.
Gary Mabbutt the entrepreneur. Thought of going on Dragons’ Den with that invention?
Ha...I’ve got a lot of things going on to keep me very busy but most of my life is still based around football.
We interviewed the nutritionist for Chelsea this week. With that in mind could you give us an insight into what the diet was like at club and international level during your early playing career?
It will probably be very different for me because I’m a diabetic. Nutrition was based around my injections and food intake and carbohydrates for the game. Generally most pre-match meals were scrambled egg on toast, poached chicken, fish and pasta dishes. That would be had with tea and toast. You wouldn’t have anything more than that before a match. Obviously a lot more work has been done now on the nutritional side but I think in general over the last five years of my career all that had changed anyway. You would never have ham, eggs and chips or anything.
In terms of preseason most players would come back overweight after eating more than during a season. They would enjoy a holiday with their family having one or two drinks too many but then you always have five or six weeks of preseason to get yourself fit. That first weekend of preseason training would be the worst of the whole year because you would be run into the ground until you were vomiting.
I read you were first diagnosed with diabetes by the Bristol Rovers doctor aged 17. What did you think when you heard the news? [First diabetic to play for England]
I’ve been a diabetic now for 32 years. When I was first diagnosed I thought it was the end of my career. We tried to get as much information as we could and spoke to several top specialists. The first three thought I wouldn’t be able to continue as a professional footballer but we found a fourth chap who said you can give it a try. Fortunately he was proved to be right.
All my life I’ve had to have four injections and eight blood tests everyday and been on a special diet. I’ve worked with all that and played professional football. It’s something you have to take care with and look after yourself and constantly monitor but having said that I’ve had a very fruitful and interesting career. Having grown up being interested in the game it was a privilege to be in that position for so many years.
Did you get a lot of support from your club and teammates?
When I first joined Tottenham you had to have a normal medical and a special medical with a diabetic specialist. I signed a contract for three years saying that I’d still be alive to see out that time. Of course everyone was very supportive and always behind you but to be honest you just get on with it yourself and monitor your own body condition.
Did you consider packing it in at first? What other profession could you have ended up in?
To be honest I didn’t think about anything else. I’d grown up wanting to be a professional footballer. I had taken five O-levels and you needed four to stay on at school. If I hadn’t been offered an apprenticeship with Bristol Rovers I would probably have gone onto further education and university.
Do you get current players speaking to you now about how to manage the condition?
There aren’t many current players with diabetes as far as I know. Myself and Sir Steve Redgrave are presidents of Diabetes UK so we speak to youngsters who have been diagnosed and stay heavily involved but you don’t see many footballers around with it now.
I just tell people that whatever they hope to achieve in life, be it academic, in business or in sport, diabetes won’t stop them.
You were given an MBE. What was that experience like?
I’ve been very lucky to have won a number of things over my career. The biggest one is the MBE from the Queen in 1994. I was honoured to go to Buckingham Palace and have a day out there. I’ve still got the pictures around the house.
I’ve been an ambassador of the Prince’s Trust for the last 18 years so I’ve got to know Prince Charles quite well during that time. I was with Prince William and Prince Harry over in South Africa working on the 2018 World Cup bid with them. I’ve been lucky to meet these people.
Do you talk much football with the Princes? Which teams do they support?
William’s a big Aston Villa fan. Harry’s more a rugby fan but if he had to chose he’d probably choose Arsenal.
Tackling has once again been in the headlines this season after Nigel de Jong’s leg-breaking lunge on Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa; you suffered a broken leg in the 1996/97 season and missed the majority of the campaign. Where do you stand on the debate over tackling?
I’ve got to be very careful about what I say because I’m on the Premier League disciplinary committee but I don’t think it is any better or worse than it was when I was playing. There is a certain area where tackles are acceptable and as soon as it goes outside that area everyone can see it very clearly. Players will always have injuries. As the game continues that will always be the case. The ones we want to stamp out are the ones that are completely reckless and can end a player’s career.
Finally, back to where your heart lies, how do you predict Spurs will finish this season?
I think we’ll qualify for the next stage of the Champions League. In the Premiership I think we’ll finish in the top four. Manchester City are obviously looking very strong at the moment. Manchester United have not had one of their best starts to the season, on and off the field. Chelsea will be up there so we’ve got to overtake either Arsenal or Manchester United. That’s what our intention is and the club has got to gear themselves up to be in a position to hopefully have a strong challenge on that top four.
Gary Mabbutt is an official ambassador for the England 2018 World Cup Bid. To find out how you can show your support, visit www.facebook.com/england2018
