Credit: James Boyes
Listen to the full interview with Harry HERE
You’ve managed many Mavericks in your career such as Paolo Di Canio, Paul Merson and Kanu. How do you manage guys like that on a daily basis?
I loved it! It was great fun but also a challenge.
I mean the example I always use is Merson. He told me that he was struggling with drinking and gambling and needed to go to Tony Adams’ treatment centre. So I said of course you can go as we were out of the FA Cup and didn’t have a game for two weeks. We were also top of the championship and he was my best player and captain so I said to him please go and sort yourself out and come back fit and firing for our last 15 games.
Off he went and as far as I was concerned he was at the clinic as that’s what he told me. However, a few days later I received a phone call from a mate of mine who was in Barbados.
He said to me that he’d just seen one of my players on the beach and that it was Paul Merson. I laughed and said that’s impossible as he is at Tony’s clinic in Surrey.
After 10 days away, he returned to the club and I asked if he was alright and it was funny as he had the best sun tan I’ve ever seen and it was January with rain and snow everywhere.
I don’t think I’ve seen someone look so proud. It was typical Merse.
