Welcome back to Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet! In today’s episode, Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jill Scott, Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright sit down with Kasper Schmeichel to dive into the world of goalkeeping and his illustrious career.
Kasper shares his experiences from Leicester City's fairytale Premier League victory, the intricacies of modern goalkeeping, and life at Celtic.
The panel also discusses the importance of mindset and the responsibilities that come with being a goalkeeper.
Kasper reflects on family influence, particularly his relationship with his legendary father, Peter Schmeichel, and the unique atmosphere at Leicester under Claudio Ranieri. Plus, they touch on how football philosophies have shifted over the years and what it means to play with perfection in mind.
This episode is brought to you by Huel.
Start every day off strong with Huel – the ultimate meal on the go.
New customers get an exclusive offer – plus a free gift at https://www.huel.com/theoverlap
00:00 Intro
02:37 The Importance of Clean Sheets
11:04 The Role of a Goalkeeper
12:34 Psychological Aspects of Goalkeeping
16:28 Kasper's Early Career and Loan Moves
21:33 Kasper's Relationship with His Father
28:27 Modern Goalkeeping Tactics
37:08 The Evolution of Goalkeeping
37:36 Man-to-Man Pressing in Modern Football
37:53 Goalkeepers as Outfield Players
38:20 Innovative Goalkeeping Strategies
40:09 Training and Confidence for Goalkeepers
41:17 The Changing Role of Goalkeepers
42:31 The Importance of Goalkeeping Skills
54:05 Leicester City's Remarkable Journey
57:57 The Role of Team Spirit and Ownership
01:07:23 Reflecting on a Football Career
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Kasper shares his experiences from Leicester City's fairytale Premier League victory, the intricacies of modern goalkeeping, and life at Celtic.
The panel also discusses the importance of mindset and the responsibilities that come with being a goalkeeper.
Kasper reflects on family influence, particularly his relationship with his legendary father, Peter Schmeichel, and the unique atmosphere at Leicester under Claudio Ranieri. Plus, they touch on how football philosophies have shifted over the years and what it means to play with perfection in mind.
This episode is brought to you by Huel.
Start every day off strong with Huel – the ultimate meal on the go.
New customers get an exclusive offer – plus a free gift at https://www.huel.com/theoverlap
00:00 Intro
02:37 The Importance of Clean Sheets
11:04 The Role of a Goalkeeper
12:34 Psychological Aspects of Goalkeeping
16:28 Kasper's Early Career and Loan Moves
21:33 Kasper's Relationship with His Father
28:27 Modern Goalkeeping Tactics
37:08 The Evolution of Goalkeeping
37:36 Man-to-Man Pressing in Modern Football
37:53 Goalkeepers as Outfield Players
38:20 Innovative Goalkeeping Strategies
40:09 Training and Confidence for Goalkeepers
41:17 The Changing Role of Goalkeepers
42:31 The Importance of Goalkeeping Skills
54:05 Leicester City's Remarkable Journey
57:57 The Role of Team Spirit and Ownership
01:07:23 Reflecting on a Football Career
SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL HERE
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Not Just Football - https://podfollow.com/1772633121
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SportsTranscript
00:00:00Do you even know you're sat here and there's people in here, it just feels quite peaceful
00:00:08sat here.
00:00:09It's nice though, isn't it?
00:00:10Yeah.
00:00:11It's just you and six cameras.
00:00:12But it doesn't feel like there is six cameras, Ben, that's the homely atmosphere that you've
00:00:16all created.
00:00:17It's only taken almost two years.
00:00:20Mmm.
00:00:21I haven't had one of these for a while.
00:00:27He has to have the same snacks out every thing.
00:00:30Really?
00:00:31Yeah.
00:00:32He's a bit weird.
00:00:33Kasper, welcome.
00:00:34Welcome.
00:00:36Welcome.
00:00:37Hi Kasper.
00:00:38Kasper!
00:00:39Okay mate.
00:00:40That's a proper, that's a handshake.
00:00:41It does go!
00:00:42Wow.
00:00:43We have already done that.
00:00:44Hold his hands.
00:00:45Was I a bit grumpy last week?
00:00:46Yeah, you were really grumpy last week.
00:00:47You were grumpy last week.
00:00:48No, no, no.
00:00:49You were grumpy.
00:00:50You were grumpy last week.
00:00:51You were doing exactly what you do to me all the time.
00:00:52I think you were on your period to be fair.
00:00:53Kasper's the best smelling guest.
00:00:55Is that right?
00:00:56Oh.
00:00:57What is it he's got on Kasper?
00:00:58What are you wearing Kasper?
00:00:59Can I not tell?
00:01:00Yeah.
00:01:01Don't tell.
00:01:02Never tell Kasper.
00:01:03Tell us Kasper.
00:01:04Don't tell.
00:01:05Don't get a sponsorship deal out of him.
00:01:06Kasper go on.
00:01:07It's Louis Vuitton Imagination.
00:01:08Oh!
00:01:09Imagination.
00:01:10I thought you were Saltyk Pina.
00:01:11I'm saying that's Salah.
00:01:12Remember Salah?
00:01:13We interviewed him after.
00:01:14Oh, you smell beautiful Sal.
00:01:15That was after the game.
00:01:16Now tell me about Des Walker.
00:01:17Des Walker.
00:01:18It's like he went onto the pitch.
00:01:19He had his hand up.
00:01:20He had his hand up.
00:01:21He had his hand up.
00:01:22He had his hand up.
00:01:24It's like he went onto the pitch he had his hand up after the game.
00:01:26He smelled amazing.
00:01:27I think him.
00:01:28Who is the best smelling?
00:01:29Patrick Vieira.
00:01:30Louis Vuitton.
00:01:31And he would never share what it was when he was at Man City.
00:01:34Is it?
00:01:35How did you smell him?
00:01:36What are you doing smelling people Jill?
00:01:38What are you doing Jill?
00:01:39I was in the academy.
00:01:40In the academy.
00:01:41Do you know before when us and me used to change our noses?
00:01:43How did you smell him?
00:01:44How did you smell him?
00:01:47He worked at City didn't he?
00:01:49At the academy.
00:01:50I know he worked yeah, but how did you smell him?
00:01:52Well, because we were in, like, literally the smallest building ever
00:01:55when we first signed for City, so he was just always there
00:01:58and he smelled lovely.
00:01:59You know aftershave? You know, when you were growing up?
00:02:01Faraday, I used to drink that stuff.
00:02:03Yeah, but what I'm saying...
00:02:04Juke, juke, juke.
00:02:05I thought, because it was called aftershave,
00:02:07you'd only put it on...
00:02:08Oh, yeah, aftershave.
00:02:10You'd put your spray on, but if you didn't have a shave,
00:02:11I wouldn't put stuff on.
00:02:12I think that was a bit like, what are you putting, smelly stuff?
00:02:14You'd have to put it on after a shave.
00:02:16Aftershave.
00:02:17And because I didn't shave that often, I hardly ever put it on.
00:02:19I know, where do you actually put aftershave?
00:02:22I just, like, spray it here, but what I'm saying is,
00:02:24I used to think, I can only put it on after a shave.
00:02:26So, now, we don't...
00:02:27Again, was it last year with Patrick, did he do it?
00:02:29And he said, Gilly, you remember, said, you smell beautiful.
00:02:31What?
00:02:37The difference between the best in the world
00:02:40and just below that is mentality.
00:02:42The ones that make it to the absolute top,
00:02:45they're ruthless killers.
00:02:46Someone gave away, apparently, away at Chelsea.
00:02:47I was going for the Golden Glove.
00:02:48Who gave it away?
00:02:49Jeff Schluck.
00:02:50Don't forget, do you?
00:02:52You would obviously hear it from him, when you come,
00:02:54you come with violence.
00:02:55I was like, oh, I love that.
00:02:57Sitting there, watching you guys, that was the standard that was set.
00:02:59I remember thinking, these kids are a nuisance.
00:03:02So, he was behind me, and I'd mark him like that.
00:03:06The usual, keep it, shouldn't be beaten at the airport.
00:03:08That kind of indicates, well, it's OK to be beaten at the Farpost.
00:03:10No, it's not.
00:03:11We always joke, we're the best pub team in the world.
00:03:14We're sat on the bus afterwards, and like, lads, this is happening.
00:03:17Jesus, how much drink did you have?
00:03:21Caspi play last night?
00:03:22Yeah.
00:03:24Yeah, he did.
00:03:25You've done your homework, guys.
00:03:26Yeah, you must...
00:03:27Did you not know we played last night?
00:03:28But I was watching Palace, Villa.
00:03:30You just said we had been...
00:03:31You must know Celtic have been...
00:03:32Yeah, but...
00:03:33You must know Celtic have been home to Aberdeen.
00:03:35Everyone knows that.
00:03:36You won last night.
00:03:37We won last night, yeah.
00:03:38Leashes?
00:03:40Lost in the night.
00:03:41Oh, no.
00:03:42Do you want to tell me you got beaten by the near post?
00:03:44Oh!
00:03:45He already knew that.
00:03:47He knew that.
00:03:49He knew that.
00:03:50Cas, is that...
00:03:51See when it happens, like...
00:03:52That's what you should say to your dad, strangely enough.
00:03:54When you get into that stage of the game, Cas,
00:03:56are you actually starting to think,
00:03:58I just don't want to concede now?
00:04:00I know you don't want to concede anyway.
00:04:01I was going to say, that's the whole game.
00:04:03No, I think...
00:04:04And again, that's the thing with clean sheets, I think,
00:04:07is it's a bit of like a vanity stat,
00:04:09because we're 4-0 up at the time.
00:04:12You know, we are pretty comfortable within the game,
00:04:14and then they go and get a goal,
00:04:16and then we go straight down and score again.
00:04:18But that's what I mean about when you're 4-0 up as a goalkeeper,
00:04:21that's when you think, right, I've got to keep a clean sheet.
00:04:23I think, Casper, I'm the same as you,
00:04:25I can still remember times, and I'd feel worse,
00:04:29the fact that it was 4-0,
00:04:31and then they scored, and if it was 1-0 or 2...
00:04:33Not 1-0, because you'd be drawing, but let's say it was 2-0.
00:04:35And I always go back to a game,
00:04:37I still remember, Portsmouth away.
00:04:39It was our last away game of the season,
00:04:41and we were going for the record most clean sheets.
00:04:43So, at Liverpool, I think Hanson and Lauritzen,
00:04:46it was like, we were both on 33 clean sheets for the season,
00:04:49so we were beating Portsmouth 3-0.
00:04:51Harry Kuehl doesn't go with the full-back, or an overlap.
00:04:55The goal goes in, back post, last minute of the game, we win 3-1.
00:04:58I come in, I kick the door,
00:04:59they've put my foot right through the door,
00:05:01when we came in the dressing room,
00:05:02and everyone was like, I was like a lunatic,
00:05:05and we didn't get the clean sheet.
00:05:07And the next week, we played our own against fucking Charlton.
00:05:11Benitez rested all players,
00:05:12because we had the Champions League final.
00:05:14We drew 2-2 at home with Charlton,
00:05:15so we don't get the clean sheet again,
00:05:16and we don't get in the Champions League final,
00:05:18and we don't get the record,
00:05:19and it all goes back to that fucking Portsmouth game.
00:05:21Harry Kuehl, the former is runner, 3-0.
00:05:23Isn't it clean sheet bonus, though?
00:05:24No, but it was just a thing to say we had the most clean sheets.
00:05:28You'd have to get Harry on the podcast.
00:05:29Yeah, get Harry on, yeah.
00:05:30He doesn't call Howard Rock on the back.
00:05:31He's a talented boy, don't be looking for him.
00:05:33Would you have been annoyed last night, Kasper?
00:05:34Yeah, I mean, it's a mentality thing.
00:05:38And to be fair, we've been brilliant at it this season.
00:05:40You know, when we have had games where we have been comfortable,
00:05:43we have been quite ruthless.
00:05:44I think it's more of a ruthless mentality that you're saying,
00:05:48like, we're not going to be beaten in any way.
00:05:49You'd have been annoyed in the dressing room last night.
00:05:51Yeah, I was annoyed.
00:05:52And also because I think, I didn't actually know this at the time,
00:05:54but I was told afterwards that it would have been the first time
00:05:56in Celtic history that a team had kept ten clean sheets.
00:05:59Oh!
00:06:01In a row at home.
00:06:02In a row at home.
00:06:03And we've only conceded two at home all season,
00:06:05and that was against Aberdeen back in October.
00:06:07So this was the first time we conceded since October at home.
00:06:10Sloppiness at the end.
00:06:11Just that stick at your head.
00:06:13Yeah, 100%, but again, I think...
00:06:15It will! You've got to get that record again.
00:06:17You've got to go another, you've got to go ten more.
00:06:19Well, yeah, by doing ten games.
00:06:21I know, but it's hard to do.
00:06:22It is, it is.
00:06:23Our records are there to be broken, ain't they?
00:06:25I know, but they never broke it.
00:06:28Yeah, but somebody else will probably break it.
00:06:29I know, but it won't be him.
00:06:31Yeah, but when you get that league medal in a few weeks,
00:06:32hopefully it won't be on the back of how many clean sheets you had.
00:06:34You get that medal, don't get bogged down.
00:06:36Oh, 100%.
00:06:37I mean, for me, that's why I say clean sheets is more of a vanity stat,
00:06:40because it's much more about, I'd much rather win 2-1.
00:06:42I've never been called vain.
00:06:44I've never been called vain.
00:06:45So, again, it is all about winning, and you have that...
00:06:49I probably had about an hour of frustration after the game.
00:06:52But then, yeah, you win the game,
00:06:55and at the end of the day, that's the most important thing.
00:06:57Can I ask you about this?
00:06:58Because I used to have this debate with Pepe Reina.
00:07:01So, the goalkeeper, when you get clean sheets,
00:07:03I know what you're saying, the most important thing is winning,
00:07:05but the top goalscorer gets a golden boot.
00:07:07And in England now, I don't know if they have it in Scotland,
00:07:09there's a golden gloves or something with the most clean sheets.
00:07:12Why does the keeper get it?
00:07:14Who's more important to clean sheets, a keeper or a back four?
00:07:17No, and that's, again...
00:07:19Absolutely no chance.
00:07:20No chance.
00:07:21I actually more agree with you in the sense that...
00:07:25As a keeper, you can only keep one clean sheet a game.
00:07:28Not like a golden boot, you can score more than one goal a game.
00:07:32But it gives you a platform to win the game, obviously.
00:07:35But at the end of the day, it's not that important to keep a clean sheet.
00:07:38The most important thing is to go and score goals and win the game.
00:07:41But, listen, the year we won the league,
00:07:44I lost the golden glove because of a penalty.
00:07:48Like, someone gave away a penalty away at Chelsea.
00:07:50I was going for the golden glove.
00:07:51Who gave it away?
00:07:52Jeff Schlupp.
00:07:53So you don't forget, do you?
00:07:56Also, we had the game before against Everton,
00:07:59we had the chance, and Golo Kante missed his first tackle of the season.
00:08:03And Kevin Morella scores, and that definitely sticks in my mind.
00:08:06Because you figure out, or you find out,
00:08:09that there are certain times in careers
00:08:11that you might have a chance to win these things.
00:08:14I never played for teams in the Premier League
00:08:16that were always competing for these kind of things.
00:08:18But I had one chance to win a golden glove, and it didn't happen.
00:08:23And that's, of course, as a vanity thing,
00:08:26of course, that's something you look back and think,
00:08:28oh, God, I'd have loved to have had that.
00:08:30But at the end of the day, after the Everton game,
00:08:32I stood with the real trophy.
00:08:34I still go with the goalkeeper.
00:08:35We just swap it for the golden glove.
00:08:37I go with the goalkeeper because he's making that save.
00:08:40OK, then, let's give...
00:08:42This is what I used to say to Reina to wind him up anyway.
00:08:45The best defence in the league, the best back four, and the worst goalie.
00:08:49Yeah? Put them together.
00:08:51Put the best goalie in the league and the worst defence together.
00:08:54Who'll keep the most clean sheets?
00:08:56Um, probably the goalie.
00:08:58Yeah, the best defence.
00:08:59Yeah, anyway, that's a stupid question.
00:09:02Let's go.
00:09:03Go on, Gal.
00:09:04I do agree with you, because it is one of those things that...
00:09:07The best games for me are the ones where I'm not involved.
00:09:10Because that's when the team is working perfectly.
00:09:13And when you're playing for top clubs,
00:09:15as a keeper, you might just have one action a game.
00:09:18And that's because of your defence,
00:09:20and that's because of, particularly in modern football,
00:09:22because of the pressing now,
00:09:24you've got to be 11 people, 10 people,
00:09:27pressing and defending.
00:09:29It gives me a much better chance as a keeper of getting a clean sheet
00:09:32if they're all on it.
00:09:33Remember, he used to be a defender, Kasper.
00:09:35Different angles to these arguments, yeah.
00:09:39This episode of Stick To Football is brought to you by Skybet.
00:09:44This episode of Stick To Football is brought to you by Huel.
00:09:47I finished playing football and was finding a new way of living,
00:09:51a new way of sort of being in the office,
00:09:53where you're not training,
00:09:54you're basically sort of snacking, picking things up,
00:09:58not eating properly, not eating at the right times,
00:10:01and started to basically sort of do things very differently.
00:10:04Not training, obviously, is the biggest thing,
00:10:06because you're training for a couple of hours a day as a footballer,
00:10:08but then not eating the right things.
00:10:09And before you know it, you're on a sort of a...
00:10:12And then I just thought, right, I'm going for it.
00:10:13So now I train six o'clock, four or five times a week.
00:10:18I eat breakfast properly, eat lunch properly,
00:10:22but then I will in the mid-afternoon, or if I don't get a lunch,
00:10:24because the odd time, say, for instance, even like today, to be fair,
00:10:27I'm travelling now somewhere, we've run over to Laugh One,
00:10:31it'll be a day where I will basically go for one of these.
00:10:34And then sometimes, if I'm not eating until later at night,
00:10:35like half seven, eight, let's say I'm going to a dinner of some kind,
00:10:38I'll be thinking about four o'clock, thinking,
00:10:40I can't get to eight o'clock.
00:10:42And that's where sort of I use them.
00:10:44Right now, new customers can get my exclusive offer,
00:10:47plus a free gift at huel.com forward slash the overlap.
00:10:51That's my exclusive offer, plus a free gift for new customers
00:10:54at huel.com forward slash the overlap.
00:11:04I actually said that the goalkeeping position is,
00:11:06I think it's been disagreed with around this table,
00:11:08is the most difficult position on the pitch.
00:11:11I'm going to ask a goalkeeper, would you agree?
00:11:12No, I agree with that.
00:11:14I agree in the sense that...
00:11:17It's like everyone always says you've got to be crazy to be a keeper.
00:11:20And I agree with that,
00:11:22because goalkeeping is the position of ultimate responsibility.
00:11:27Without perfection, or as close to perfection as possible,
00:11:29you're going to cost your team.
00:11:31And there's no worse feeling in the world than costing your team,
00:11:34walking off that pitch, looking around the stadium,
00:11:37like, this is my fault, you know?
00:11:40So to embrace and love that kind of pressure,
00:11:43you've got to be a little bit crazy,
00:11:45because that's a big pressure.
00:11:46Because any mistake we make will be exposed.
00:11:49So I think we have to be more meticulous in our preparation
00:11:53in everything that we do.
00:11:54I think we have to assume a responsibility
00:11:58that not many people on the pitch would assume.
00:12:00I think if outfielders maybe had the same attention to detail,
00:12:05then we'd probably be better.
00:12:09But we cost the team if we make mistakes.
00:12:11So we have to be ultimately prepared.
00:12:14But your biggest challenge is a reaction after a mistake.
00:12:17Everyone says it. At the big clubs, if you make a mistake and it costs you,
00:12:19it's how you react, it's your next movement.
00:12:21Not that it drags you down.
00:12:23The great goalkeepers, including your dad, would obviously make mistakes.
00:12:26That's to name it a game, we all make mistakes.
00:12:27But the top goalkeepers would move on quickly from it.
00:12:30Like a top striker, you miss a chance, it's gone.
00:12:32I think that's the test for the top goalkeepers mentally, isn't it?
00:12:35Would you use a psychologist?
00:12:36And the reason I say that is because I think, as a goalkeeper,
00:12:40I always remember Rafa Benitez saying something as a goalkeeper and a defender.
00:12:43We can't win the game, we can only lose the game.
00:12:46You know what I mean? We've got to try and keep...
00:12:47The guys at the top will win the game.
00:12:49So it's about not making mistakes.
00:12:51And I know the feeling I used to have making a mistake,
00:12:53but I'm sure that must be doubly difficult for the goalkeeper.
00:12:57You're probably more susceptible to that, making a mistake,
00:12:59or maybe costing your team.
00:13:01I found that difficult as a player over the next few days,
00:13:04waiting for the next game, always thinking,
00:13:05I want to play the next day.
00:13:08Yeah, I think...
00:13:09I mean, to answer your question, yeah, I've used psychologists a lot.
00:13:12But I think, as a keeper, you've got to be bulletproof.
00:13:16So I think, particularly my dad, and you'd obviously know,
00:13:22there was this bravado of, it's never your fault.
00:13:26But that's a kind of...
00:13:27No, but you've got to protect yourself.
00:13:29Because if you start doubting yourself,
00:13:31and if any kind of doubt creeps into you,
00:13:33then you're in trouble as a keeper.
00:13:35So you have to kind of put on this cloak of invincibility
00:13:39that it's never my fault.
00:13:40You know, it's always someone else's.
00:13:41And that's probably just a coping mechanism.
00:13:43But you have to have this...
00:13:46You have to have this confidence in yourself.
00:13:48And I think the confidence comes in the work that you do.
00:13:52Like, if you're preparing right,
00:13:54if you make sure that throughout your career,
00:13:57particularly in the younger years,
00:13:58you're getting your basic handling techniques,
00:14:00all these little things, you're getting them right.
00:14:03That just means the muscle memory's there.
00:14:04So that automatically just builds the confidence.
00:14:08And then when you make a mistake, you've got to just...
00:14:12You've just got to own it. That's it. You move on.
00:14:14Because the worst thing you then do is go looking for work as a keeper.
00:14:18Because if you go looking for work and wanting to show,
00:14:20actually, that mistake isn't me,
00:14:22I want to go and show that I'm better than that,
00:14:24then you start causing chaos within the team
00:14:26and you start causing chaos within the defence
00:14:28and then more mistakes are made.
00:14:29I've never heard a goalkeeper say they're really interested in that.
00:14:32You know, that sort of thing of...
00:14:34I'm trying to think of it as a player.
00:14:36You know, you give a pass away,
00:14:37you want to get the ball and make your next pass right.
00:14:39But as a goalkeeper, you're probably thinking,
00:14:40I might not touch the ball for 10 or 15 minutes.
00:14:42How difficult is that to stop yourself getting involved?
00:14:45Is that something you learn with midfielders?
00:14:46I always thought, I always looked at outfielders as lucky
00:14:49in the sense that, you know, I think you said that, you know,
00:14:51you'd sometimes just smash into someone just to make yourself feel better.
00:14:54I can't do that.
00:14:55I can't go and make myself feel better because my position is reactionary.
00:14:59I have to wait for something to come.
00:15:01And even the next action could be someone putting in the top bin
00:15:03and I can't do anything about that either.
00:15:05You know, so what you have to learn is patience
00:15:09and you have to have, you know, some kind of feeling of acceptance
00:15:14that this is my position.
00:15:16I'm not going to be able to go and rectify a mistake.
00:15:20I have to wait for the next opportunity to do it.
00:15:23And then you've got to separate yourself from that.
00:15:25Is that where you can be more vocal?
00:15:26I see certain keepers, just say they make a mistake or they're having a quiet,
00:15:29they're shouting at players and you're going,
00:15:31you're not shouting real sense for goalkeepers.
00:15:34And I'm including your dad here, top goalkeepers.
00:15:36It's almost as if I'm just keeping myself on my toes.
00:15:38I'm just keeping them on their toes.
00:15:40They're not sitting there going,
00:15:41hopefully I'll get that save in the next 10 minutes.
00:15:43Because I used to think your dad, remember he used to be shouting,
00:15:45what are you shouting for? We're in control of it.
00:15:47But it was more just for his concentration levels.
00:15:49Keeping them in the game, yeah.
00:15:51Yeah, of course. I think so.
00:15:52I think the game has changed from my dad's era
00:15:55in the sense that the big shouty keepers,
00:15:58you don't see that that much anymore.
00:16:00And I think, yeah, it was a way of keeping yourself involved in the game.
00:16:05Myself, I think when I was younger,
00:16:08you know, I modelled myself on his behaviours.
00:16:10And I think as a young kid coming up,
00:16:12that probably got me in more trouble than anything.
00:16:14Because, like, who's this little kid shouting and screaming?
00:16:17And then you learn, actually, you know, I can't do that.
00:16:20I have to be different. I have to be more...
00:16:21How old was you when you kind of realised...
00:16:23Where was your first... Where did you first go and go where,
00:16:25it's on me now, I'm the goalkeeper, I've got to make this happen?
00:16:28Um, well, it would have been my debut, my league debut for Darlington.
00:16:32Darlington.
00:16:34How old was you?
00:16:36I was 17, something like that.
00:16:39Young as...
00:16:40It was an emergency loan.
00:16:41I was called up on the Friday and we played on the...
00:16:44I came straight to the game. I didn't know anybody.
00:16:47By the way, we didn't have a name on the shirts and all that.
00:16:49So, honestly, I was struggling to kind of communicate.
00:16:52But isn't that great for a young player?
00:16:53Just trotting in like that, off you go.
00:16:55It was great.
00:16:56I think it was better that way, maybe.
00:16:58For me, 100%. 100%.
00:17:00It was one of those. I felt like, as a kid,
00:17:04I'd had this dream of being a goalie.
00:17:07And now I was a goalie.
00:17:09OK, granted, it was League Two and all, but it didn't matter.
00:17:12I was now... Now it mattered.
00:17:15I'd played reserve football, I'd done all those things,
00:17:17but what I had done, I'd spent so many hours
00:17:21just simple, maybe boring, catching balls, just catching,
00:17:25trying to do it, and now I had to implement it.
00:17:27This was now the test for me.
00:17:29Right, OK, I could go in training and I can do all these things in training.
00:17:33Can I now go and bring it in a game?
00:17:34And I remember we played, I think we played about a minute,
00:17:38a minute and a half, and they got a wide free kick.
00:17:41And I don't know if you remember,
00:17:43there's a defender called Ben Futcher, who's like 6'6",
00:17:47and they obviously seen the 70-year-old kid,
00:17:49they're like, let's stick it on top of him.
00:17:50So stuck it on top, I came out and I punched it,
00:17:52and he absolutely...
00:17:54He melted.
00:17:54Yeah, exactly.
00:17:55But then that was kind of right.
00:17:57I'm in it now, this is it, this is real.
00:17:59And honestly, yeah, exactly, it's real football.
00:18:01But what it also was, it wasn't the money of the Premier League,
00:18:06the win bonuses they mattered to these guys.
00:18:08And I was now responsible for this.
00:18:10If I came into this as a 17-year-old not prepared for this,
00:18:13then I'm going to cost these guys.
00:18:15And that for me, that's real responsibility.
00:18:17And that was what I just felt straight away, wow, I love this.
00:18:21I love this, this is me.
00:18:23How difficult, because you had quite a few long moves, didn't you?
00:18:26At the beginning, how difficult was that
00:18:28to go and impose yourself in the dressing room?
00:18:30Did you just...?
00:18:31I kept pushing for it, because my dad had always said to me about training,
00:18:36you can train all you want, but it's about games.
00:18:38And having games on your CV doesn't really matter at that age about the level,
00:18:43because you've got to be able to go and do it.
00:18:45And you've got to do the hard stuff as well.
00:18:47So for me, it was great, because I went to Darlington,
00:18:50I went to Bury, I went to all these kind of smaller clubs.
00:18:53And I'd come from Man City,
00:18:55and we had great facilities and everything was done for.
00:18:58And you go to Bury and you've got to wash your own kit
00:19:01and you've got to drive to the training ground,
00:19:04we're training on Goshen Park and things like that.
00:19:06There's glass and dog crap on the floor.
00:19:10But that kind of was like, well, this is the game.
00:19:14And it was all for me, right, I have to do this to get to where I want to be.
00:19:19And again, I loved it.
00:19:21I was part of a relegation battle as an 18-year-old,
00:19:25and we saved ourselves on the last day away at Notts County.
00:19:27And I gave away a penalty and cost a penalty.
00:19:29That was that feeling of, wow, I almost got us relegated.
00:19:35You obviously saved it, no?
00:19:36I didn't save it. We were 2-0 up, luckily, at the time.
00:19:40But again, that was that feeling of responsibility,
00:19:42knowing that you've got to be perfect here.
00:19:45Because it came from a save where maybe in another game I'd have held it,
00:19:50but because of the magnitude of the game, I chose to parry it,
00:19:53and then I went for the second ball and clattered into him.
00:19:56You know when you're going on loan?
00:19:58That's difficult, I think, for any young player, 17, 18-year-old,
00:20:01but you're a goalkeeper and you're Peter Schmeichel's son,
00:20:04and you're going into these dressing rooms.
00:20:06Was that ever, I wouldn't say a problem,
00:20:08did it feel extra pressure?
00:20:10Because your dad's such a legendary figure in the game.
00:20:13I mean, how did you deal with that? Did you ever find that?
00:20:15Do you know what? It's weird.
00:20:17My dad always said to me, it's going to be harder for you than anyone.
00:20:21And I didn't understand why.
00:20:23Because at the end of the day, football's football. I loved football.
00:20:26I grew up watching football, I grew up watching you guys,
00:20:29and it was just like, that's where I want to get to.
00:20:31And there was no doubt in my mind I was going to get there.
00:20:35But I think the journey of it is what I learned.
00:20:38I thought, OK, I'm at Man City, I'll go on loan,
00:20:40and then I'll get my debut, and then we're going to be cruising,
00:20:44we're going to be stepping up every season.
00:20:46But then you get a few setbacks, you get a few, you get an injury,
00:20:50and you learn, actually, to do that job of being a Premier League player,
00:20:55that is tough. That is such a tough job.
00:20:58So, in terms of my dad,
00:21:01he never, you know, he never kind of...
00:21:06He never put any pressure on me.
00:21:07He always said to me before every game, you've got nothing to prove.
00:21:10Just go out and play football.
00:21:12Be the guy you are, love the game,
00:21:15but don't go out to prove anything.
00:21:18You know, obviously, we've spoke a couple of times on the CBS show that we do,
00:21:23and his dad's been on the road doing the games and done a couple of Celtic games,
00:21:26and they've come in at the end, and it's been brilliant, brilliant TV watching.
00:21:28So his dad's interviewing him about the game, and it's been brilliant.
00:21:31And obviously, love working with your dad.
00:21:33Being away from Dortmund was an interesting experience.
00:21:38But there was something your dad said that I took for myself,
00:21:41because my son's in the game, and I thought, I really like that.
00:21:44He said, you and him almost decided very early on in your career,
00:21:48that he was your dad, not your coach.
00:21:52Your coach is at the club, and you had that sort of father-son relationship in goal.
00:21:58Could you just explain how that worked, or how you decided that?
00:22:01Was that ever a problem at some stage early on?
00:22:03No, I think...
00:22:05I was at sports college in Denmark,
00:22:08and I had the opportunity to stay there another year,
00:22:11or I had an opportunity to go on trial.
00:22:13I went on trial at Man United, at Fulham and Aston Villa.
00:22:17Fulham and Aston Villa gave me the opportunity,
00:22:20and then I went to Man City, and they gave me an opportunity.
00:22:23And basically, my dad and I had a conversation where we just said,
00:22:27right, he asked me, what do you want my role to be?
00:22:33And I said, I want you to be my dad. That's it.
00:22:36Because I just think that relationship between a father and a son particularly is...
00:22:42I didn't want to tarnish that. We had such a good relationship.
00:22:45I didn't want it to become difficult for him,
00:22:47because he'd have to be critical of me,
00:22:51which I think now, as a father myself, I know that's difficult.
00:22:54And the lines would become blurred a little bit.
00:22:57So we made the decision quite early that we're going to stick with what we have.
00:23:00And then I had Tim Flowers, Premier League winner as well as my coach.
00:23:06So I was in good hands. We had David Seaman as the senior goalkeeper.
00:23:10So there was enough good people around me to learn from.
00:23:15But he was always there if I wanted to ask anything.
00:23:20And I think what I have used him for is more the life of a goalkeeper,
00:23:26or a life of a professional. How do you balance that?
00:23:30I think that's kind of more the conversations that we have.
00:23:34Not really in terms of technical stuff, because I'm built very differently to him.
00:23:38I'm not the same size as him.
00:23:41I have very different attributes to what he had.
00:23:44So I'm never going to be able to be like him.
00:23:47So it's one of those we just very, very early decided
00:23:52that we're going to keep this family and that as kind of business.
00:23:57I love that.
00:23:58Did you think about not being a goalkeeper in your young age?
00:24:01We obviously remember you coming. You always had the goalkeeping top.
00:24:04Obviously, Dad's one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, if not the greatest.
00:24:07Did you ever think, I want to try and play out, I want to try and play different positions?
00:24:11I played lots of different... I only really became a goalkeeper probably at 14.
00:24:16Obviously, like you say, I was at the training ground and stood behind the goal
00:24:20and tried to save some of the shots that went wide and stuff like that.
00:24:23But I didn't...
00:24:25That was very nice.
00:24:27But no, I enjoyed playing outfield as well.
00:24:32So it wasn't really till 14.
00:24:35I kind of got to a stage where I thought, right, I want to be a professional footballer.
00:24:39What's going to get me there?
00:24:41And I was a winger and a striker. I wasn't quick enough to be a winger.
00:24:45A striker could maybe play target man, but it was probably for 40 minutes, no more than that.
00:24:51But so I thought, what's going to get me to be a Premier League player?
00:24:56That would be goalkeeper.
00:24:57So I made the decision at about 14, right, I'm going to stick to this.
00:25:01Had you been in goal before that?
00:25:03Yeah, I'd been a bit kind of all over the place.
00:25:07Like Gary said, I'd been to the training ground a lot.
00:25:10I always had the goalie gloves on and all that.
00:25:12And that, for me, was the start of my love for football.
00:25:18I used to sit on... If you remember the cliff, they had the concrete benches.
00:25:22I used to sit on the roof of that and watch you guys train, do the boxes,
00:25:26do the games with the overturned benches.
00:25:29And, you know, that was just like...
00:25:32I was like a sponge, just absorbing all this, the ferocity of the...
00:25:37I remember thinking, these kids are a nuisance.
00:25:41Yeah, look at these kids.
00:25:42Look, Tommy's in there, Tommy's in there.
00:25:45I can't even imagine the old grouch you are.
00:25:49This episode of Stick to Football is brought to you by Skybet.
00:25:55It is great, though, because I've seen all them pictures of you
00:25:58with the Premier League trophy when you're little,
00:26:00and then to see you then lift it.
00:26:02In that moment, do you think back about being little?
00:26:05Because some pictures, they must be so special to keep,
00:26:07like you with your dad, and then you've went and done it.
00:26:10It's incredible.
00:26:11Yeah, I mean, it's weird to say,
00:26:15but winning is the be-all and end-all in my family, you know?
00:26:21And I think if I look back on my career without a name, just numbers,
00:26:27I'd say, you know, I've done okay, but my dad won five.
00:26:31You know what I mean?
00:26:32So in my mind, it's never enough.
00:26:34You've got to win every single game.
00:26:36There's no, you know, there's no settling.
00:26:39This isn't just a game for me.
00:26:42This means the world to me, because the standard was set.
00:26:46And that was you guys, as a kid, sitting there watching you guys.
00:26:50That was the standard that was set.
00:26:52Anything below winning the league or winning trophies,
00:26:56just that's not good enough.
00:26:58But that was all in my mind.
00:27:00No one else has kind of said that to me,
00:27:02but that's just the way I grew up,
00:27:04because I grew up watching greatness, and I was so close to it.
00:27:09I was a part of these parties, winning parties.
00:27:12And again, I think in my young years, I thought, oh, that's normal.
00:27:16You know, that's normal.
00:27:18Of course, at the end of every season, there's a party because we won.
00:27:22But then you realize, oh, Jesus, it is a lot harder than that,
00:27:27and you appreciate it a lot more.
00:27:29And I think also, with the relationship with my dad,
00:27:33now going into a career like this,
00:27:35I appreciate a lot more what he kind of went through as a younger man,
00:27:40balancing life, balancing football, all these kind of things.
00:27:42It's not easy, and that is why not everyone can do it.
00:27:47You're obviously wanting to reach the top,
00:27:49seeing your dad, like you mentioned, he's got five.
00:27:52And you're at certain clubs where you're thinking,
00:27:55is it going to happen here for me?
00:27:56Because obviously it happened at Leicester.
00:27:58It's like winning five, doing it at Leicester.
00:28:00It's amazing.
00:28:01You were saying that last week, Gal.
00:28:04Yeah, I think...
00:28:04No, it's the best.
00:28:06Look, it's the greatest achievement by any Premier League club,
00:28:09but it's the greatest, I think, achievement, maybe.
00:28:11I can't think of another achievement that even comes close to it.
00:28:14I think Forrest. We have to mention Forrest.
00:28:15So, yeah, Premier League, yeah.
00:28:16You're talking Premier League, but let's just talk about achievements.
00:28:19Yeah, no, Forrest comes into that category, but to be fair...
00:28:22Leicester in the Premier League era.
00:28:24Yeah, without a shadow of a doubt, it's the best achievement, I think.
00:28:27So, I want to go back to that psychologist.
00:28:30What work was the psychologist doing with you specifically?
00:28:34Because I'm thinking about, obviously, you've got your dad as a mentor,
00:28:37who, to be fair, had an unbelievable mentality.
00:28:39And you've obviously picked up those traits.
00:28:41You've got a big personality.
00:28:42So, what was the work that the psychologist was doing with you
00:28:44in terms of specifically?
00:28:46It was more trying to compartmentalise things, you know,
00:28:51to be able to...
00:28:56Yeah, I don't actually know how to explain it, really.
00:28:58With a mistake management basis?
00:29:00No, because, I don't know, the thing about mistakes is,
00:29:04I was always taught to embrace mistakes, because that's where you learn.
00:29:07You know, I was always taught that mistakes in your younger years are good,
00:29:11because that's when you learn.
00:29:13It's the mechanism that you then use,
00:29:16where you analyse exactly, what did I do?
00:29:19And that's what I always did.
00:29:20I always went into real specific detail.
00:29:22If I'd made a mistake, I'd really watch from every single angle,
00:29:27watch things like foot position, things like hand position,
00:29:30all these little minute things.
00:29:33But at the end of the day, I think if you took all 20 Premier League keepers now,
00:29:36and you put them in the same training session,
00:29:38they'd all be equally as good.
00:29:40But the difference between the best in the world
00:29:43and just below that is mentality.
00:29:46You know, I think the best goalkeepers,
00:29:49they don't care if they make a mistake.
00:29:51They just embrace that as just a part of the game.
00:29:54You make a mistake and you move on.
00:29:55A good striker doesn't care if he misses.
00:29:57You say that about mistakes, and just to counter that,
00:30:00because I know you've come through it,
00:30:02but I look at, say, for instance, the lad at Chelsea, now Jorgensen,
00:30:05I look at Sanchez, they've made a series of mistakes,
00:30:07and I'm only highlighting that goalkeeper
00:30:10because he's the one that I've seen recently.
00:30:12If you make too many mistakes as a goalkeeper,
00:30:14your reputation, and then you get dropped,
00:30:17and when your goalkeeper gets dropped,
00:30:18I think it's the most savage thing in the world
00:30:20when a goalkeeper gets dropped.
00:30:21I always, like, my stomach churns a little bit.
00:30:24When I see two goalkeepers vying for the same position,
00:30:27one makes a mistake, then the other one comes in,
00:30:28it's almost like no one likes it in the media,
00:30:31no one likes it in football.
00:30:33You can't make too many mistakes.
00:30:35No, you can't.
00:30:37And, yeah, it's as simple as that.
00:30:39And that is the cutthroat nature of being a goalkeeper.
00:30:42If you make too many mistakes, you're out,
00:30:43and the chances are of you getting back in anytime soon is very, very small.
00:30:48To feed for goalkeepers, you know, we all take good goalkeepers,
00:30:50and we've had it at United, Mass,
00:30:51and when these players, they make a mistake,
00:30:53and they go under.
00:30:54They go, yeah.
00:30:55And you know, yeah, you look, we walk around,
00:30:57you go, no, he's a really good goalkeeper,
00:30:59but they've just gone under, and you just,
00:31:01your heart does go to a goalkeeper.
00:31:02I know we can all be critical of goalkeepers,
00:31:03we do the TV every week, oh, he's got to save it, blah, blah, blah,
00:31:06but when you see a really good goalkeeper going under,
00:31:08it's tough to watch, isn't it?
00:31:09And the keepers must have a different view on that.
00:31:12There's always respect between the keepers,
00:31:13because we know what each other's going through,
00:31:15but the ones that make it to the absolute top,
00:31:19they're ruthless killers.
00:31:21They're absolute ruthless killers.
00:31:22Like I said, you have to be bulletproof.
00:31:24So you have to have this magical cape on that you are the man.
00:31:29You are the best.
00:31:30And regardless of what anyone says,
00:31:32whether it's the coach, teammates, your dad, pundits, whatever,
00:31:36you are the best.
00:31:37They have no idea what they're talking about.
00:31:38But that, again, that only comes if you've done the work.
00:31:42So like I say, if you've done the work, you know.
00:31:46I always said, I never did anything to prove anyone wrong.
00:31:49I do it to prove myself right.
00:31:52And I can only say that because I know I've done the work to be there.
00:31:57If I had cut corners, I wouldn't have that confidence in it.
00:32:02I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I'd cut corners.
00:32:04But keep it up.
00:32:06You know, I think your dad was probably described when he was a player,
00:32:09people might say he's arrogant on the pitch,
00:32:11if you didn't know.
00:32:13Would people describe you as that?
00:32:14But if they did, what I'm saying is, is that part of this cloak?
00:32:17Is this part of this, like...
00:32:19Yeah, I think it is.
00:32:20I think it is.
00:32:22And again, I think you have to have a certain bit of arrogance about you.
00:32:28I think if you look at someone like Emi Martinez,
00:32:31the career that he's had,
00:32:34to get the chance he then had later in his career,
00:32:37it's as if he's put on a cloak of...
00:32:39And now he is bulletproof.
00:32:41Invincible.
00:32:42He is invincible now.
00:32:43And that chest forward now, he's unbeatable.
00:32:46And he's one of the best in the world.
00:32:47But that transformation from the guy who's on loan at all these places
00:32:52and never really getting a shot at Arsenal
00:32:54to then going and being the main man for Argentina and for Aston Villa,
00:32:59you know, that's a mentality shift.
00:33:01He's made a few mistakes this year.
00:33:03But keepers will make mistakes.
00:33:06And you're always on the border.
00:33:09You're always on the line.
00:33:10And the best keepers...
00:33:11You look at someone like Edison,
00:33:14the bravery he shows in playing that high,
00:33:17that is, you know...
00:33:19You can be brave taking shots.
00:33:21You stare into the watch.
00:33:22No, but it's not...
00:33:23I love watching it because that, for me,
00:33:26it goes beyond bravery.
00:33:29It's like Neuer.
00:33:30Neuer, for me, is the most complete goalkeeper of the last 25 years
00:33:34because there's no weakness.
00:33:37And, again, he'll make mistakes by playing that way.
00:33:42But he won't care. He'll do it again.
00:33:43He'll do it again because the 98 times it goes well,
00:33:47that serves the team a better purpose than the two times it goes wrong.
00:33:51And the two times it goes wrong, you live with that.
00:33:53It's great for goalkeepers to be appreciated.
00:33:55For years, I know back in the day,
00:33:56everyone thought you needed a top goalkeeper.
00:33:57Remember, we used to train and you'd walk past the goalkeepers
00:34:00doing a few drills and players would go,
00:34:01-"They'll do nothing." You know? -"Nothing."
00:34:03But now everyone looks and goes,
00:34:04if you want to go places, you need a bloody good goalkeeper.
00:34:07Yeah, but it's true.
00:34:08You mentioned Martinez.
00:34:09I was watching this last night and it absolutely drove me crazy at home.
00:34:12So I had to wound it back and play it.
00:34:14We can't show it on television, but...
00:34:16Right.
00:34:17There you go.
00:34:18So who's this? Who are we talking about?
00:34:19This is Martinez.
00:34:21He took so long here.
00:34:23Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:34:23Remember this time?
00:34:24Yeah, yeah, we were talking about it.
00:34:26Because we're footballing people.
00:34:27Yes.
00:34:29No, no, rewind it back. We want to hear that.
00:34:30We want to hear it.
00:34:31Yeah, but it's like chess, isn't it?
00:34:32They're waiting for them to make a move.
00:34:34No, no, just watch. You have to just watch.
00:34:35It's incredible. I've never seen anything like it.
00:34:38This is taking so long here.
00:34:39He's already fixing it up with a guy who's springed.
00:34:40Yeah.
00:34:41No, no, no, no.
00:34:42No, he doesn't pick it up.
00:34:47They're away from home now. Do you know what I mean?
00:34:48So Martinez has been on the...
00:34:51It's 25 seconds.
00:34:54Yeah, what's the score at this time?
00:34:56Nil-nil, 15 minutes in.
00:34:57Yeah, he did pick it up. He did pick it up.
00:34:59He picked it up in front.
00:34:59Right, I said he picked it up.
00:35:00Then he goes back to him.
00:35:01Yeah, remember, we was watching this, Roy.
00:35:03He goes wide, yeah.
00:35:05I mean, he...
00:35:07Gal, what are you on about?
00:35:08What's your point?
00:35:11He's going to give it back to him, then he blasts it.
00:35:13Right.
00:35:14Right, and now he's got it back.
00:35:15Right.
00:35:16So it's one minute of football, that.
00:35:17That was a great play.
00:35:18What's wrong with you?
00:35:19That's how they get told to play, though, isn't it?
00:35:21It's like chess, like, make a move.
00:35:23That's one minute of football
00:35:24where Emi Martínez has literally stood on the ball
00:35:26for 35 seconds and just rolled his foot over it.
00:35:29I mean, can you try and convince me
00:35:32what the strategy is and what the thinking is behind that?
00:35:34Do you know what the strategy is?
00:35:35What is the strategy behind that?
00:35:36They're trying to entice him on.
00:35:37They're trying to entice him on and pass through quick, Gal.
00:35:39That's in our memories.
00:35:41We played them in the Champions League,
00:35:42and that was a big feature of it.
00:35:43The second you jump towards him,
00:35:45then that's when the pass comes.
00:35:47I mean, we at CELIC play differently.
00:35:49So we do a similar thing,
00:35:51but we do it from the centre-halves.
00:35:52So when I get the ball, I'm not standing on it.
00:35:54I'm giving it to the centre-half.
00:35:55And then they're waiting for the movement.
00:35:57And I think it's just tactical chess.
00:36:00That's basically what it is.
00:36:01And obviously that example there,
00:36:04it ends up a little bit muddled
00:36:05and it ends up back in his hands.
00:36:07But the whole point of it
00:36:09is obviously to make people move out of position,
00:36:12very much like the Zerbi used to do.
00:36:13They used to stand and wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,
00:36:15and then they pop it off.
00:36:16And that means there's a free man,
00:36:17particularly if they're marking man-to-man.
00:36:20Can I ask you about that because...
00:36:22Did I answer your question, Gal?
00:36:23No, I was going to go back in, to be fair.
00:36:25Whatever happened to shifting the ball?
00:36:27Well, they do that.
00:36:28Well, again, for us at Celtic, that is how we play.
00:36:32We try and shift the ball all the time.
00:36:34We try and get everyone moving all the time.
00:36:35But that's just...
00:36:37Like Chelsea do it as well.
00:36:38They try that thing as well,
00:36:39where they play it off the six,
00:36:41out to the centre-half that moves up.
00:36:43And it's a style of play.
00:36:45Whether it's the right or wrong,
00:36:47that's not for me to judge,
00:36:48but that's what the manager's asking them to do.
00:36:51And particularly with that example,
00:36:53when we were doing our preparation,
00:36:54for Villa,
00:36:55that was very much a part of the preparation.
00:36:58The second that you do jump,
00:37:00then he'll knock it off.
00:37:02Either he'll knock it into the six,
00:37:03who'll pass it out,
00:37:04and that's how they want to build their game.
00:37:06It's coming to the game loads, hasn't it?
00:37:08We did it at Manchester City,
00:37:09but I prefer the ball speed.
00:37:11Because I think as midfielders,
00:37:13you're always just receiving for a pop-off or whatever.
00:37:16But I think the ball speed would help you as a midfielder.
00:37:19But it is something that's come into the game, isn't it?
00:37:21I think the goalkeeping stuff,
00:37:22in terms of goalkeeper has to be good on the ball.
00:37:25This has been in football now for 10 years, hasn't it?
00:37:27Probably going back to Pep when he really did it.
00:37:29So I think it's shifted a little bit more,
00:37:33and I don't know if you've noticed this,
00:37:35in the last year or so.
00:37:36The game has become a man-to-man game,
00:37:39where basically when people press,
00:37:41it's just man-to-man all over the pitch.
00:37:43So forget your system.
00:37:44When a goalkeeper's got the ball,
00:37:45or someone's playing at the back,
00:37:46everyone's just moving.
00:37:48Whether that's the influence of Atalanta
00:37:49in the last couple of years,
00:37:50or teams, everyone playing off from the back.
00:37:53The goalkeeper now is the spare man.
00:37:55And I always go back to the game Arsenal lost
00:37:58in the title run-in last season against Aston Villa.
00:38:01And it was Martinez.
00:38:03And we'd done a Champions League game,
00:38:05Arsenal played Porto,
00:38:06and the Porto goalkeeper come out
00:38:08and actually played like an outfield player.
00:38:09Not in the goal, passing it there.
00:38:11He actually went on the same line as back four.
00:38:13Martinez did the same.
00:38:15And I think teams now can either go long
00:38:17into your front player, we see Ederson do that.
00:38:20But I think the role of the goalkeeper,
00:38:22obviously you know a lot more than me,
00:38:23it won't just be about being in goal and passing it.
00:38:27Why?
00:38:27It'll actually be about stepping out
00:38:29and actually becoming an outfield player.
00:38:30Because you can't go man-for-man.
00:38:32Your goalkeeper's down there.
00:38:33So if your goalkeeper actually plays as an out,
00:38:36I think that's probably the next move forward
00:38:38in terms of the goal,
00:38:39becoming almost like an outfield player.
00:38:41Because man-to-man now is basically
00:38:43winning the ball high, isn't it?
00:38:44And then you're in trouble around the edge of the box.
00:38:45Is that something you've spoke about
00:38:47or thought about yourself?
00:38:47100%.
00:38:48I mean, Manchester City's under-18s,
00:38:51they are now playing the most extreme version
00:38:54I've ever seen.
00:38:56So they play a version where the goalkeeper's
00:38:58over the halfway line sometimes.
00:39:00And I think they're testing it to see how it works.
00:39:03But we did...
00:39:04So last year at Anderlecht,
00:39:06the manager called me and we were playing a local derby
00:39:09and he goes,
00:39:10they're very, very man-for-man.
00:39:12So I'm going to play on the right of a three.
00:39:15Yeah?
00:39:17What? Yeah, yeah.
00:39:18Really?
00:39:19So he said, yeah, so when we're in possession,
00:39:21I want you stepping out to the right
00:39:22and stepping up past the centre half.
00:39:26Where would that be on the right?
00:39:27How far away from the goal?
00:39:28So you're building up with a three.
00:39:30Outside the edge of the line of the box?
00:39:33Yeah.
00:39:33Outside the box?
00:39:34So you know if you're...
00:39:35Yeah.
00:39:36So the idea was obviously I'd be the spare man
00:39:38and we had a very fast winger
00:39:39and it would be the Diags
00:39:40because I could hit a Diag.
00:39:42So the idea was to get the ball to me
00:39:44and then we're hitting Diags.
00:39:45And it worked perfectly.
00:39:48We were 3-0 up at halftime
00:39:50and we reverted back to just normal after that.
00:39:52But yeah, then what we did was
00:39:54it ended up more me being the centre.
00:39:58And the way Belgian football was,
00:39:59it was very tactical that we could do that.
00:40:01And I was literally on the line with...
00:40:04But again, that's something you've really got to get used to.
00:40:07But that comes now with training.
00:40:09You say you used to walk past the keepers.
00:40:11That's not a thing anymore.
00:40:13We'll do our warm-ups and stuff like that.
00:40:15And obviously a little bit...
00:40:16But we're in every possession now.
00:40:17We're in all of that now.
00:40:19Because not just for ourselves,
00:40:21but the players, you've got to be confident.
00:40:24You've got to be confident.
00:40:26If you give me the ball bouncing at that,
00:40:27I can deal with it.
00:40:28You know what I mean?
00:40:29So it is changing.
00:40:31He knew this was coming.
00:40:33It's a Valencia story.
00:40:34I've heard this a million times.
00:40:35So I go out for a training session in Valencia
00:40:38and I walk out and I think,
00:40:40where are the fucking goalkeepers?
00:40:41Because the goalkeepers usually go out
00:40:43and basically, they're first out,
00:40:45they do all their warming up stuff,
00:40:47they're diving around,
00:40:48and then they come and join in later.
00:40:49Diving around.
00:40:50All they do, dive around.
00:40:51What's he called the goalkeeper coach?
00:40:52Paco.
00:40:53No, not Paco.
00:40:53Ocho.
00:40:54Ocho.
00:40:55Ocho.
00:40:56Ocho.
00:40:57I said, where the fuck's Ocho?
00:40:59He's probably saying, where am I?
00:41:02But basically, the goalkeepers come out at the same time.
00:41:05They join in the boxes.
00:41:06Then join in the little 4v4 possession.
00:41:08And they say, no, no.
00:41:08The goalkeepers are part of your session.
00:41:10We do our goalkeeping bit at the end.
00:41:12I was like, and then it made sense, actually.
00:41:14The way in which goalkeepers have been asked to play.
00:41:16That's the first time I'd ever seen it.
00:41:18Yeah, but when they joined in years ago, Gary,
00:41:19they were rubbish, weren't they?
00:41:20The goalkeepers would come in the box.
00:41:23And then you'd be like, we're glad when he gets up.
00:41:25But nowadays, as you said,
00:41:26goalkeepers are, they're like kicking it properly
00:41:28like outfield players.
00:41:28And you wouldn't see a goalkeeper,
00:41:30you wouldn't spot the goalkeeper in the box
00:41:32and you'd go, listen, he's as comfortable
00:41:34as the others in the box, yeah.
00:41:36Have you ever been put in a position
00:41:37where you felt uncomfortable
00:41:38being asked to do something on the ball?
00:41:39Probably that one, were you not?
00:41:41No, I loved it.
00:41:42I loved it. It was something new, you know.
00:41:45Was that the first time they'd actually done it as well?
00:41:47Or did they do that?
00:41:48That was the first time they'd done it?
00:41:49We didn't even do it in training.
00:41:50Wow.
00:41:51Did you not even practice it?
00:41:52That's why it was 3-0.
00:41:53It was after the game, sorry, it was after training,
00:41:55he called me and said, this is what we're going to do.
00:41:56Wow, that's incredible that you did that.
00:41:59But I genuinely, it's one of those,
00:42:01I love trying new things.
00:42:03I was always, as a kid, I was always watching
00:42:06different players, different keepers
00:42:08and trying to see what worked for me.
00:42:10I used to watch Oliver Kahn and Casillas and Buffon
00:42:12and see what they do.
00:42:14Can I use that in my game?
00:42:16And always trying to learn.
00:42:17And this was just a progression, right?
00:42:18Okay, so this is something new.
00:42:20Let's try this.
00:42:21I know, it's brilliant.
00:42:23These conversations, again, the way it's moved.
00:42:25But you still have a chat with other goalkeepers going,
00:42:27but remember, the bottom line is...
00:42:28You've got to save the ball.
00:42:29You've got to save, yeah, sure.
00:42:30Does it not obviously go back to that?
00:42:31Because that's...
00:42:32It does, but I think for me, definitely,
00:42:36you've got to be a good goalie.
00:42:38But that's almost a given now.
00:42:39Particularly if you're at the top level.
00:42:41In the Premier League, everyone's a good goalie,
00:42:43and they have to be.
00:42:44Now is the extras.
00:42:45What else can you bring to the table?
00:42:47Because we can all save shots
00:42:48and we should all be able to deal with these things.
00:42:50And that's just standard now.
00:42:52Now it's, what else can you bring?
00:42:54And Edison took it to the next level.
00:42:56Neuer in 2014 with the sweeper,
00:42:59he took it to the next level.
00:43:00Every now and then, someone comes along
00:43:02and changes the game.
00:43:04And then all of a sudden, that becomes the norm.
00:43:07You know, and now...
00:43:08Cass, you said he's going to be a 14-year-old.
00:43:10I've been told now at academies,
00:43:12they're looking at young players who are old-feeling,
00:43:14going, we don't think you're going to make it.
00:43:16We'll put you in goal.
00:43:16Focus on being a goalkeeper.
00:43:17Yeah, we know you're not great at goalkeeping,
00:43:19but goalkeeping, the way it's going,
00:43:20it's about being good in your feet.
00:43:21Imagine having a big striker.
00:43:22That's exactly what I was going to ask you.
00:43:24Like a Jill Scott.
00:43:25If you've got a Jill Scott,
00:43:26you just put Jill in goal now.
00:43:29This episode of Stick to Football
00:43:30is brought to you by Sky Bet.
00:43:34What were you saying?
00:43:34I was actually just going to ask you that.
00:43:36That's something I've spoke about now
00:43:37because of the, you know,
00:43:39how important the goalkeeper is on the ball.
00:43:41Is it almost you've got to get the football inside first,
00:43:44and then can we make him a goalkeeper?
00:43:46Because I've heard that before.
00:43:47I hope not.
00:43:47I hope that they're in goal
00:43:50because, one, they love being in goal.
00:43:52Because like I said, you have to love that pressure.
00:43:54That's the main thing.
00:43:55If you can deal with that pressure,
00:43:57you're already a long way.
00:43:59But no, I think I agree with you in the sense
00:44:02that at the end of the day,
00:44:03you've got to stop the ball going in the net.
00:44:04That is your first priority.
00:44:07And then, like I said,
00:44:09then it's what else can you bring to the table.
00:44:11But would you say the top clubs now are looking at goalkeepers?
00:44:13Yeah, the priority is it.
00:44:14But if you're not great with your feet,
00:44:15they're like, he's not for us.
00:44:17That's the other pressure on a goalkeeper.
00:44:19Like Pep obviously done it when he first went in.
00:44:20He says, listen, you might be decent,
00:44:22but if you can't pass it, you're gone.
00:44:23Yeah.
00:44:24I think it is.
00:44:25Again, I think football goes in cycles as well.
00:44:27You look at, you went, look at the set pieces now.
00:44:30Everyone's just loading it in the box.
00:44:31Whereas like 10 years ago, everyone had to pass it.
00:44:33I think the same with goalkeepers.
00:44:35It was, at least it cost me at least one move, my height.
00:44:39You had to be height, you had to be tall.
00:44:41And you had to, you know,
00:44:43when I was coming through the academies,
00:44:45how far can you kick it?
00:44:46And how tall are you?
00:44:48That was kind of the main,
00:44:49the first thing they looked at as a keeper.
00:44:51And I was always deemed too small.
00:44:53I was always too small to be a keeper
00:44:54or to be a top keeper or whatever.
00:44:56But then it goes in circles.
00:44:58You look at now, keepers are just built different.
00:45:01You know, and it'll come back round
00:45:03because of the man-man thing.
00:45:04We're now seeing the ball over the top again.
00:45:06Kasper, you've done that brilliantly.
00:45:07The big point, the big plus for Leicester
00:45:10was your distribution at Leicester.
00:45:12And that was going long, wasn't it?
00:45:14It was. It was playing to your strengths.
00:45:16And like I say, particularly now,
00:45:17when the man-man is as much as it is,
00:45:20when you're passing into feet,
00:45:22you know, as a midfielder, you're getting pressured.
00:45:25If I'm passing into the six, he's getting pressured.
00:45:27That's got to be perfect.
00:45:28Otherwise, they're on you.
00:45:31So now, when everyone's man-man,
00:45:32the space is in behind.
00:45:33So if you can do counter-movement...
00:45:34And City are brilliant at it, you know, with Ederson's...
00:45:37We saw it the other day.
00:45:38We saw it last week at Newcastle.
00:45:39We talk about Ederson a lot.
00:45:41I prefer Alisson a lot more over Ederson.
00:45:44But I remember you speaking to your dad,
00:45:46and your dad said he preferred Alisson over Alisson.
00:45:48I prefer Alisson over Ederson.
00:45:49So where would you stand on that sort of debate?
00:45:51I think they're both very good.
00:45:53Oh, Kasper!
00:45:54Keepers, you can...
00:45:57For me, I've always had a soft spot for Ederson
00:46:00because I think he changed the game.
00:46:04He changed the game in terms of...
00:46:07Neuer could play out from the back and all that,
00:46:09but Ederson was almost...
00:46:12It was almost poetry watching it.
00:46:13It was so...
00:46:14And I remember playing against him for Leicester,
00:46:18it was the one team we didn't press.
00:46:20Because if you press Ederson,
00:46:21he'd just find David Silva,
00:46:23or he'd find De Bruyne,
00:46:25and he'd play these ridiculous...
00:46:27But he was an office player, wasn't he?
00:46:28He didn't think he was.
00:46:30He was a left-back when he started on as a left-back.
00:46:32I still judge a goalkeeper by two or three things
00:46:35that for me I think will either win a team in the league
00:46:38or not win a team in the league.
00:46:39And for me, it's one-on-one.
00:46:42There'll become a point in a season
00:46:43where there's a big one-on-one.
00:46:44I always think Alisson has got a great chance
00:46:46of saving a one-on-one.
00:46:47I always think catching it under pressure,
00:46:49particularly in big moments in the game
00:46:51which you feel the team's under pressure.
00:46:53And then the other one is holding shots
00:46:55or parrying them well away from goal.
00:46:57They're the three things I always think...
00:46:58That's everything, Gary.
00:47:01I'm removing shot-stopping.
00:47:03I'm removing actually kicking.
00:47:05I'm removing the kicking element of it.
00:47:07I genuinely don't...
00:47:08Son against City.
00:47:10A heartbreaker.
00:47:11One v. one. Huge moment.
00:47:13Yeah, but that was the other...
00:47:14Of course, yeah. He'd just come off the bench.
00:47:16My point is that's why I just slightly prefer Alisson
00:47:18because I always feel like, for me,
00:47:21Ederson's a better kicker of a ball, obviously.
00:47:22I just think in the big moments of one v. one.
00:47:24I get that.
00:47:25What I've been able to counter that with
00:47:27is the way City...
00:47:29Okay, take this season away, maybe.
00:47:31But the way City have been able to press
00:47:34has been because any ball over the top...
00:47:36Yeah, he's out.
00:47:37He's out, so he's actually stopped the one-on-one
00:47:39before it's even happened.
00:47:41And I think when you talk about adding something to the team,
00:47:45when they've been at their best and they're pressing...
00:47:48Trust me, I've been on the end of a few of these.
00:47:50You know, you feel suffocated.
00:47:52And even with us, our out ball was Vardy a lot of the time.
00:47:56Couldn't do it.
00:47:57Because Ederson would just be standing there,
00:47:58he'd chest it down, he'd pass it.
00:47:59And so actually negating the actual one-on-one,
00:48:03it wouldn't happen a lot.
00:48:04And that's why, for me,
00:48:06Ederson just brought something slightly different
00:48:07in the sense that, actually, he didn't even need to keep goal sometimes
00:48:10because he'd stop it at source.
00:48:12And because he was so brave in his starting position and so high,
00:48:16it meant they could press, like...
00:48:18And he's brave in hitting people, isn't he, as well?
00:48:21Oh, he is.
00:48:21I've seen him a few times.
00:48:22He knows he's going to get hurt.
00:48:23Strong keepers sort of do that,
00:48:25because I think people always think it's just a given.
00:48:27Come out, take the ball and wipe everyone out.
00:48:29But that must be difficult if you've got, like, Haaland.
00:48:32Like, do you know what I mean?
00:48:33It's like a given, isn't it?
00:48:35I would say that's one of the little old-school things that is said.
00:48:39You just come and say, you can't do that anymore.
00:48:41That's a penalty now.
00:48:42I told you, I walked with Seamus McDonough years ago with Ireland.
00:48:45I've said this many times before,
00:48:47and I used to hear him speaking to the goalkeeper before games.
00:48:49And he would obviously say to him,
00:48:50when you come, you come with violence.
00:48:52I was like, oh, I love that.
00:48:54Yeah, I love that.
00:48:55You're a goalkeeper.
00:48:56On crosses, not just on one.
00:48:57Come and hit people.
00:48:58It must be great for a goalkeeper, as well.
00:48:59Realistically, you can use your hands and take the ball.
00:49:02And also, you're like, hey, listen, I'm going to take somebody out here.
00:49:05Yeah, but I think I completely agree with you,
00:49:07because I am from that generation, as well.
00:49:10And I do, you know, as weird as it is,
00:49:12I do love a good collision sometimes.
00:49:14But I just think now, with VAR, you've got to be so much more careful,
00:49:19because now it's just perception.
00:49:21Is that violent conduct?
00:49:23Is he, you know, it's really on the day.
00:49:25I remember...
00:49:26Well, usually the goalkeepers get away.
00:49:27We've seen the United keeper get away a few times.
00:49:29He's mistimed it.
00:49:31Worms a couple of times.
00:49:32Yeah, but again, I'll counter that from the goalkeeper's perspective.
00:49:36A lot of the time, for example,
00:49:38if a striker's going in and he gets, like, just clipped,
00:49:42there's contact, that's a penalty.
00:49:43But then that's got to work the other way.
00:49:45Any contact on the keeper, that's a free kick then.
00:49:47Because any contact, particularly on the arms or any nudge,
00:49:50when you're off balance, that's got to be a free kick then.
00:49:54If contact's enough for a penalty,
00:49:56then contact's enough for a free kick for the keeper.
00:49:58It's got to work both ways, in my opinion,
00:50:00because when you are particularly...
00:50:02I remember I watched the Liverpool game,
00:50:04your commentary on Alisson.
00:50:06He punched one from a corner and he held the next one.
00:50:10But the reason he's punched the first one
00:50:11is because he's not had any shout from behind him.
00:50:13He doesn't know what's behind him.
00:50:14So he's deemed in his head, if he's catching that,
00:50:18if he gets clattered, he's falling onto here.
00:50:21But you're not guaranteed, particularly in the Premier League,
00:50:23you're not guaranteed a free kick.
00:50:25Now I've gone and played in Europe.
00:50:26If anyone touches you, it's a free kick.
00:50:29But that's not the way...
00:50:30That drives you mad when you're listening to...
00:50:32Jokes aside, not just Gary.
00:50:33People, obviously, pundits, talking about goalkeepers.
00:50:35Because it is a special position, you're going, like the usual one,
00:50:37keeper shouldn't be beating at the near post.
00:50:38It's all a bit ridiculous. Obviously, you can be.
00:50:40You should have caught that.
00:50:41No, but there are certain things.
00:50:42I thought it was a comfortable catch for him, that first one.
00:50:45And to be fair, he didn't have anyone near him.
00:50:46To be fair, whether he knew where he was
00:50:48or whether someone didn't shout at him, I don't know.
00:50:50Because, obviously, I'm miles away.
00:50:51But the second one he did catch, to be fair.
00:50:54I think there is an element sometimes,
00:50:58because a throwaway comment can be quite...
00:51:01It can sound quite disrespectful
00:51:03because there's a lot of work that goes into these things.
00:51:06But I think, particularly, you said the near post one.
00:51:09Well, does that kind of indicate,
00:51:11well, it's okay to be beaten at the far post?
00:51:14No, it's not.
00:51:15It's not okay to be beaten at the far post.
00:51:16Everyone says it with the near post.
00:51:18But it's not a thing because it's an angle thing.
00:51:21So, if you get beaten at your near post,
00:51:22but if you turn that into the middle of the goal
00:51:24and he gets beat there, then no one says a word.
00:51:26But then that also indicates that,
00:51:28okay, if he curls it around me, then that's all right.
00:51:31I'll let that in.
00:51:31You might as well just stand there.
00:51:32It's not.
00:51:33I told you back as a goalkeeper, it's with the wall.
00:51:35Who was it the weekend?
00:51:36Pickford.
00:51:37Pickford.
00:51:37The wall's there and they do that.
00:51:39And then he still gambled.
00:51:40That can't happen. That can't happen.
00:51:42Just with Kasper, though,
00:51:43there is a way to concede goals for a goalkeeper.
00:51:45You know, sometimes if it goes into the near post...
00:51:48Are you telling him that?
00:51:49No, I'm saying...
00:51:50No, I get that.
00:51:51I get that.
00:51:52From a college perspective, like Pickford one on Saturday,
00:51:54you can't concede that because it's on your side.
00:51:56That's what I'm saying to you.
00:51:57So, my point is...
00:51:57Yeah, but I'm sure goalkeepers will argue.
00:51:59There are certain things.
00:52:00But what I'm saying is every goal is different.
00:52:03Don't you two start arguing.
00:52:04I just think that you can't go...
00:52:07Like, as a rule of thumb,
00:52:09you can't get beat in your near post.
00:52:10You can't... I just don't think you can say that
00:52:12because if the ball goes past you here at 95 miles an hour...
00:52:16That's tough.
00:52:17...but it's near post, then it's your fault.
00:52:18But if it does exactly the same there...
00:52:20It's not.
00:52:21...it's the same goal.
00:52:22It's the same outcome.
00:52:23You know, it doesn't make a difference
00:52:24whether it's near post or far post.
00:52:26What about the wall one?
00:52:27Is there a thing with goalkeepers where you go...
00:52:28If that's...
00:52:29But when lads go through set-piece and the wall is there for a reason,
00:52:33but keepers, I hate when they do this and...
00:52:36Oh, my God.
00:52:37I get that because, again,
00:52:39but I think that's bravery as well
00:52:41of actually just staying there.
00:52:42Because I think it's one of them.
00:52:44Okay, if you get it over the wall,
00:52:46sometimes you've got to hold your hat and say,
00:52:48okay, fine, fair enough.
00:52:49Particularly if you've got the man down and everyone's jumping.
00:52:52If you can still get it over the wall...
00:52:53Of course, you too.
00:52:54...then well done.
00:52:55I do agree that you've got to really try and protect your side of the goal.
00:53:00That's the whole point of it.
00:53:01But the same goes within the game.
00:53:05You know, you've got to have these...
00:53:07You've got to...
00:53:09The best people I've ever seen is Bayern Munich, like with Neuer,
00:53:12and particularly when David Alaba was playing there,
00:53:15is how they mark on one-on-ones or how they mark on shots.
00:53:18So if you remember the Champions League a couple of weeks ago,
00:53:22they actually let one of the...
00:53:24I think it was Bratislava players go in one-on-one with Neuer
00:53:28and not go on cover.
00:53:29That's a very clear strategy
00:53:32because they don't want the tapping.
00:53:34So you have to have these kind of agreements within the team
00:53:38that this is how we do it.
00:53:39So particularly on the free kicks, yeah,
00:53:43there'll be an agreement in place, this is how we do it.
00:53:46I don't know what the agreement is at Everton or whatever.
00:53:48It's different at every single club.
00:53:50But, yeah, I think generally that is the consensus,
00:53:54is that the reason you have a wall
00:53:56is that you minimise the area that they can hit
00:53:59and you cover the area that you can cover.
00:54:02This episode of Stick to Football is brought to you by Sky Bet.
00:54:06I just want to ask about Leicester
00:54:09because you've been speaking about City and how hard it is to play against them.
00:54:12You're talking about De Bruyne and Silva and all those players.
00:54:16Remember the game, you beat them 3-1.
00:54:19What was the dressing room like when you went in that dressing room?
00:54:21Because I just watched Liverpool beat City.
00:54:23It's not the same city,
00:54:24but there seemed to be a resonation that this was a big one for us.
00:54:27What was it like in the dressing room?
00:54:29Because I remember watching that game saying,
00:54:31that's it, it's over, Leicester have done it.
00:54:33And then I think you went and beat Man United 1-0 at home.
00:54:35Morgan scored...
00:54:371-1 away.
00:54:38Was it 1-1 away?
00:54:39You went at Spurs as well, I think you had a big win against Spurs.
00:54:41What was it like after that City...
00:54:44That was amazing.
00:54:46I started to think, Leicester can do it.
00:54:48No, I think that...
00:54:50I think we were kind of...
00:54:52We went to Swansea away and beaten 3-0.
00:54:57And that meant we'd be top at Christmas.
00:54:59And we went on our Christmas do after.
00:55:01And I remember we sat on the bus afterwards
00:55:04and like, lads, this is happening.
00:55:06This is happening.
00:55:07Jesus, how much strength did you have?
00:55:10No, good, Kev.
00:55:12Do you know what the thing was?
00:55:13You're saying it that early?
00:55:15Oh, wow.
00:55:16I thought you'd fall away in January, February.
00:55:18Do you know what it was?
00:55:19It was the season before we were dead and buried.
00:55:23We were 10 points off safety with 10 games to go.
00:55:27And it was as if...
00:55:29It was as if you're trying to get a key into this lock and nothing's working.
00:55:32And then all of a sudden you get the right one and you turn the key.
00:55:34We found a way to win.
00:55:36We found a way to win and then you get one win.
00:55:38That turned into two, that turned into three.
00:55:40I think we won eight out of 10
00:55:42and drew one loss to Chelsea who became champions.
00:55:45And that momentum, that belief just carried over.
00:55:49It just carried over.
00:55:50And we'd found this way to win and we...
00:55:53To be fair, we actually started the season, scored a lot of goals,
00:55:56but we didn't keep a clean sheet for the first 10 games.
00:56:00But then we started being solid at the back as well.
00:56:03And then... I don't know.
00:56:05There was a team of good players, don't we?
00:56:07I shouldn't overestimate you.
00:56:08Who was it at the back? Was it Simpson and Morgan?
00:56:10Yeah, so we had Simpson, Morgan, Huth and Fuchs.
00:56:14And then we had Marcin Wasilewski to come in if we were going to go to a three.
00:56:19And then it was Danny Drinkwater and...
00:56:20Kante.
00:56:21Because Kante...
00:56:22Drinky, Kante, Mahrez, Albrighton, Okazaki and...
00:56:27Kasper, who's the most important player in that team from an outfield perspective?
00:56:30Is it Mahrez, is it Kante, is it Vardy?
00:56:33Yeah, the goal scorer.
00:56:35Who's the most important player?
00:56:36I think it's... I think the spine, because...
00:56:39Who's the player that you'd have missed most if you had to take him out of the running?
00:56:42That would have been...
00:56:45Mahrez? Jamie?
00:56:47No, well, yeah...
00:56:48Kante?
00:56:50If you take Vardy out, we're struggling.
00:56:53If you take Kante out, you're...
00:56:55Mahrez, if you take Huth or Morgan out...
00:56:57But we're talking about here at Arsenal, losing Saka or losing Saliba or...
00:57:01No, we're talking about...
00:57:03We always talk about a player and all of a sudden they can't win the league.
00:57:05Who would have been that player for you?
00:57:09It would have been N'Golo, I think.
00:57:11N'Golo was...
00:57:14The glue, he was the glue.
00:57:15But you know, even talking about that Swansea, I remember with 3-0 up,
00:57:19and he wins the ball back, like, down near our left-hand side, left-hand corner.
00:57:24And within 30 seconds, he's up in the right-hand corner.
00:57:26And thinking that, that's just ridiculous.
00:57:28His engine was ridiculous.
00:57:30It was like having an extra player.
00:57:32And the reason I remember that one goal against Everton,
00:57:35it's because it's the first tackle I remember him missing.
00:57:37He missed the tackle and it was like...
00:57:39The reaction in the stadium was like, what? What's going on?
00:57:43His numbers were incredible when you've seen what he ran in a game.
00:57:46But that's his job, though, isn't it?
00:57:48Do you think that goes from having a good dressing room,
00:57:51like everybody doing, like, one-and-a-half jobs?
00:57:53That's what it looked like when you're watching that season.
00:57:57Has any team never won anything without a good dressing room?
00:57:59I know everyone says that.
00:58:01I don't think... I think people always...
00:58:03When you talk about, like, team spirit or dressing room,
00:58:06it's because you win creates the great...
00:58:09It's not like, oh, we've got a great dressing room, now we win.
00:58:11It's about winning. You win.
00:58:13And then it becomes like, oh, we have this, now you...
00:58:15Because when you win, everyone goes for the berry,
00:58:17everyone comes in on a Monday morning, everyone's in a good mood.
00:58:20When you're getting beat, everyone's like...
00:58:22I think it's the winning that actually creates...
00:58:24We had a good dressing room, but we were still fighting.
00:58:26You know how you push each other.
00:58:28I don't think everybody does have a good dressing room.
00:58:30Not everyone, but I think...
00:58:31I think the winning teams do, 100%.
00:58:33Exactly, because they win.
00:58:34I actually think we were slightly different
00:58:37in the sense that we had quite a set core
00:58:40and we were a different club.
00:58:42We always joked we were the best pub team in the world.
00:58:44Because we genuinely were.
00:58:47Like, no, but the thing about... You said everyone goes for a drink.
00:58:50We'd still do that when we lost.
00:58:52You know, and it was...
00:58:55We weren't like you guys.
00:58:57There wasn't the fighting. That wasn't us.
00:59:00We were more...
00:59:01Did you have a fight? Them just arguing each other.
00:59:04No, but it wasn't like that. It wasn't like that.
00:59:06It was the sense that we'd been brought together
00:59:09and we had this really, really good group of players
00:59:12who everyone had a point to prove.
00:59:14But then we also had an owner
00:59:16who was so different to anything I've ever experienced
00:59:20and probably ever will experience,
00:59:22but just did things right.
00:59:24But he was the catalyst for all of this.
00:59:26Win or lose, we were having a good time.
00:59:30That was what it was about.
00:59:31What, going out and having...?
00:59:33Yeah, but he would organise the things.
00:59:35He'd take us out for dinners.
00:59:36And he'd organise these things.
00:59:38He'd make sure that, regardless if we win or lost,
00:59:41that we'd still finish the evening properly.
00:59:45Happily and together.
00:59:47So, we move on.
00:59:48He always said... He never demanded us to win.
00:59:52He just demanded we give our best.
00:59:54If we've given our best, that's all I can ask for.
00:59:58And he went above and beyond for every single player.
01:00:01He looked after every single player.
01:00:02But he, more than anything, he drove the collective.
01:00:05He drove the collective.
01:00:07There was always an event.
01:00:09There was always something.
01:00:10And it was always these amazing things
01:00:11that you'd never get to do.
01:00:13Meeting royalty at polo matches.
01:00:15He'd take us to these things because his son played polo.
01:00:19Sounds like a nightmare.
01:00:20No, but it wasn't. Trust me, you'd have loved it.
01:00:23You'd have loved it.
01:00:24You're probably right.
01:00:26When you looked after like that,
01:00:27you want to then repay them on the pitch, don't you?
01:00:30Because if your family went on holiday,
01:00:34if they were going to Thailand,
01:00:36he'd make sure they were looked after.
01:00:38It doesn't matter who you were.
01:00:39Little few queers.
01:00:40No, he would just look after everyone.
01:00:44And that just meant that everyone was willing
01:00:47to go that extra mile.
01:00:48That's what's really interesting.
01:00:49Because that is very much like maybe...
01:00:52I hear international players that play at Real Madrid
01:00:55or at, say, Juventus that say that they know the owner.
01:00:59In English football, it's very unusual.
01:01:01I mean, I never knew it that basically the players
01:01:03would have that relationship with the owner.
01:01:04I think Chelsea had a little bit of it with Abramovich.
01:01:07It's an unusual model in England.
01:01:09Don't mention there Claudio Ranieri,
01:01:11who's the man in between.
01:01:12Where does he sit in all this?
01:01:14Well, you've got to remember, in the whole ownership,
01:01:17scheme, there was a lot of different managers.
01:01:18So when I came in, it was Sven.
01:01:20And then Nigel Pearson.
01:01:21Nigel Pearson was the one who kind of...
01:01:24With Sven, we were a bit up and down.
01:01:26And obviously, he brought in a lot of players
01:01:29and he was a massive name to get for Leicester.
01:01:31But Nigel was kind of the guy who put the foundations.
01:01:34He kind of stripped everything back to the basics, right?
01:01:37What are we actually here for? We're here to win.
01:01:39How do we do that? We get the right people.
01:01:41So we had Steve Walsh and Craig Shakespeare.
01:01:45Get Mike Stowell.
01:01:46Get these right people in as a coaching group.
01:01:49And I remember they really did their homework on the players.
01:01:52So with Riyadh, for example, Steve Walsh would go.
01:01:56He'd interview his former teachers and things like that.
01:01:59Just to... Is he the right character to bring into this group?
01:02:03And they did a lot of homework with that.
01:02:04And that's why I say that core group was really important.
01:02:07And obviously, Claudio came in.
01:02:08Then we had Claude Puel.
01:02:10Then Brendan came in.
01:02:11And the foundations were laid at the start by Nigel.
01:02:16And that team and that club was built on people, on characters.
01:02:21And obviously, the older we got, people started falling away, you know?
01:02:25Because of age, people left, you know?
01:02:28And it gradually became more and more difficult
01:02:31to keep those standards that were there.
01:02:34But then you got someone like Brendan that came in
01:02:38and he elevated our standards to something different.
01:02:40We played better football.
01:02:42Well, probably more attractive football than maybe we did under Claudio.
01:02:45But I think the whole thing about the ownership was it was so personable.
01:02:52You know, it was unique in that sense.
01:02:55And you never felt you owed them anything.
01:02:57Like, they'd do anything for you,
01:02:58but you didn't owe them anything other than giving your best.
01:03:01That was enough.
01:03:03What he's getting at is I think we were all very critical at the time.
01:03:05When Ranieri went, from the outside looking in,
01:03:08it felt like it was player power.
01:03:10At Leicester, that's what it basically was.
01:03:12I think there was a game when Ranieri went and then you beat Liverpool.
01:03:17I'm sure it was Liverpool on a Monday Night Football.
01:03:19There was this feeling from outside of Leicester
01:03:21that Ranieri had been harshly treated.
01:03:24This is the guy who's won the title and then Leicester.
01:03:26I think he was probably fighting relegation at the bottom, half of the table.
01:03:30So what I'm saying, was that fair?
01:03:31What was the communication between the ownership?
01:03:33Have you got such a good relationship with them as players?
01:03:36No, I think we were informed.
01:03:38We were just informed that that was the direction it was going to go.
01:03:43And I think we won six in a row after, or five in a row after.
01:03:48What does that say?
01:03:49Well, for some reason, we changed our shape.
01:03:54We changed our style of play.
01:03:57From the season before?
01:03:58Yeah, from the season before, yeah.
01:04:00And it just didn't work for us.
01:04:03Like I said, we're champions. We're fighting relegation.
01:04:06You know, there's something wrong there.
01:04:09And whatever the perception is on the outside, it kind of is.
01:04:15That's not kind of on us.
01:04:18The decision was made and it was vindicated in the sense that we went and won.
01:04:22We appointed Craig Shakespeare.
01:04:25And the role he played, I want to give him a special mention
01:04:29just in the Championship season, winning the Championship and the Premier League.
01:04:32Like, Sheikh, he's no longer with us.
01:04:35He was an incredible man.
01:04:37And I've probably never seen a more respected man in football,
01:04:42a more loved man in football, because not only did he know his shit,
01:04:46like, he knew his stuff.
01:04:48He was an incredibly good coach.
01:04:50He was very, very switched on tackling.
01:04:52He was one of those, he wouldn't have any problem telling you
01:04:55if you weren't doing it.
01:04:56But also, he had this incredible human side of him as well.
01:04:59And he was always kind of between the players and the coach,
01:05:04whoever the coach was, because he survived quite a few coaches.
01:05:06And he has a massive, massive part
01:05:12of why Leicester became what Leicester became, for sure.
01:05:15I used to do a role for your dad.
01:05:18I said, for your dad, for the team, to be fair, United.
01:05:20So I was the man who stood in front of your dad
01:05:23basically when the player would go and stand on the goalkeeper.
01:05:25And he'd always have me stand between him and the player.
01:05:30So I had to basically mark the...
01:05:31So he was behind me, and I'd mark him like that.
01:05:35I'd mark him like that.
01:05:37And my job was to keep him away from blocking your goalkeeper.
01:05:40When Edwin van der Sar came in, he was the opposite.
01:05:42He would have me stood this side.
01:05:44And I used to think, what a waste of time that is,
01:05:45because now he can just go and block the goalkeeper.
01:05:48Where are you on that?
01:05:51Again, I've actually never really involved myself that much
01:05:54in set pieces in terms of what the roles of others...
01:05:56Even on that role?
01:05:57No, because at the end of the day, my focus is solely on the ball.
01:06:03The reason my dad had that was obviously
01:06:05because he was a very dominant keeper in the air.
01:06:07And he came out.
01:06:08And he came out and was a part of the aerial play.
01:06:13That's not a big part of my game.
01:06:14And that's not really...
01:06:15I think Courtois, probably Neuer,
01:06:19the only two in the world right now
01:06:20that are seriously dominant in the air.
01:06:23It's not a big part of the game anymore in that sense.
01:06:26I think when you go to a...
01:06:27Depending on whatever you're doing, zonal or man-to-man,
01:06:30I think man-to-man, it makes more sense to be on the inside
01:06:34to keep him away from the keeper.
01:06:36But if you're zonal, it's all about looking at the ball
01:06:38and going and attacking the ball,
01:06:39which makes more sense for you to be on the outside
01:06:41so you can go and attack the ball.
01:06:43But I think as a goalkeeper, I'm not a massive fan of zonal
01:06:47because it just creates more congestion for me to have to come into.
01:06:52So you're man-to-man at Celtic at the moment, are you?
01:06:54Yeah, we're man-to-man at the moment.
01:06:55It just gives me more space to work with.
01:06:58Whereas if you've got that ring of players around you,
01:07:02you're coming into double traffic every single time.
01:07:04And that just means, I think, that the keeper stays more
01:07:08within his little area rather than coming out.
01:07:12And it depends on players as well.
01:07:14If you've got van Dijk being able to head everything away,
01:07:17you know, that makes a big difference.
01:07:19But it depends very much, I think, on the system,
01:07:21the way you're marking up.
01:07:23Kasper, you're 38 years of age.
01:07:25Really?
01:07:26Kas, you look well.
01:07:27Are you thinking that I'm not retiring any time soon?
01:07:31Are you thinking I've got another two or three years left in me?
01:07:34Do you know, I've never thought in limitations.
01:07:38You've not thought about retirement at all yet?
01:07:39No, because...
01:07:40What are you going to do after retirement? Anything?
01:07:44Is that because goalkeeping's going longer, Kas,
01:07:46so I don't have to think about it?
01:07:47I've never been the kind of guy to think in limitations.
01:07:51I think if I was thinking in limitations,
01:07:52I'd live into the whole living in the shadow of someone
01:07:55and maybe not achieving the things I wanted to.
01:07:56So I've always lived in the thought that anything's possible.
01:08:01But I've also been lucky in the sense that
01:08:03I've had a dad that's gone through this.
01:08:05And I know, I don't know how you guys feel.
01:08:08You've obviously all retired.
01:08:09I don't know, is there a better job out there than being a footballer?
01:08:12No, no, absolutely not.
01:08:15I was struggling at the end with injuries.
01:08:17I felt like I had to retire, you know what I mean?
01:08:18It was like, oh...
01:08:19Have you enjoyed anything as much as you did before?
01:08:21I've enjoyed my post-football career, yeah.
01:08:23But if someone could give you back your best years,
01:08:28like physically, would you go back to it?
01:08:31Oh, yeah, absolutely.
01:08:31Exactly, that's what I mean.
01:08:32So while I'm physically able...
01:08:35Yeah, absolutely.
01:08:36I know there's not something better waiting for me right now.
01:08:40So, but what I do now is I appreciate it more than ever.
01:08:43Yeah.
01:08:44You know, I've heard you say a few times
01:08:47about having a foreign adventure.
01:08:49I had that.
01:08:50I obviously didn't go to one of the top clubs.
01:08:52If I could go back, I'd never have done that.
01:08:54I'd never leave the Premier League.
01:08:55The Premier League is the be-all and end-all.
01:08:57It is the best, without any shadow of a doubt.
01:09:00And it just means now I've tried that.
01:09:02That's the lesson I've taken from that,
01:09:04is that the British game, I mean, the Scottish game,
01:09:07but the whole British game, that's unique.
01:09:09And I don't want to leave that.
01:09:10I don't want to leave that at all, if I can.
01:09:12So you wouldn't go to America or to anywhere else to play it?
01:09:15I've tried... No, I feel I've tried that now.
01:09:18It's almost like you're on the outside looking in,
01:09:20when you go to another league.
01:09:21Is that how you speak to the Premier League?
01:09:22100%. I think you're in this bubble as a Premier League player
01:09:25and you don't actually realise how big it is.
01:09:28And I think going abroad,
01:09:30as much as there's lots of learning within it,
01:09:33if I could go back, I'd never do it.
01:09:36I didn't want to leave to start off with,
01:09:38but the situation was what it was.
01:09:40But I think the British game is what I grew up in.
01:09:45And I love the mentality of having to win every single game.
01:09:49And I think that...
01:09:52Did you get a taste of it going to Villa with Celtic a little bit?
01:09:54Was that nice to get back into that?
01:09:56Well, do you know what? It was one of those things thinking...
01:09:58It's a weird one, because potentially,
01:10:00that could be my last ever game on British soil.
01:10:02On English soil, at least, you know?
01:10:04But what it does is, I appreciate every game now,
01:10:08a lot more than ever.
01:10:09And I love it. I absolutely love it.
01:10:11There's nothing better.
01:10:12We've now had a schedule where we've played every three days.
01:10:15And we're going to a schedule now
01:10:17where we're probably going to play week-end to week-end.
01:10:20I'd rather just... I just want to play.
01:10:22I just want to play.
01:10:23And obviously, as a key,
01:10:25I'm not putting the same physical output as the outfielders are.
01:10:28So it may be a little bit different for me, but...
01:10:31How long have you got Celtic? Have you got another year left?
01:10:33Yeah, I've got another year after this.
01:10:34But again, I think when you get to that age, you just...
01:10:38Yeah, you're just playing it by ear and not taking anything for granted.
01:10:41Because you know, as well as anyone, an injury could finish it all, you know?
01:10:46So I think...
01:10:47You probably feel Irish a bit as well,
01:10:48knowing you have a Celtic connection.
01:10:50Oh, definitely, definitely.
01:10:52Definitely. I mean, like I say, I love football.
01:10:56I've always loved football.
01:10:57And going away from England really reaffirmed my fact
01:11:01that, no, this is where I want to be.
01:11:04The opportunity of going to Celtic was a unique one for me
01:11:09because you've played for clubs where it's expected to win.
01:11:13I've never really played for those clubs where it's expected.
01:11:16So going to Celtic now, that pressure that if you don't win,
01:11:21if you just draw, it's a catastrophe.
01:11:23But also, I think it's elevated my game
01:11:26because now it's not just about winning, it's about being perfect.
01:11:29Now we don't have to just win, we have to do it perfectly.
01:11:31So every action I do now, every bit of handling, every pass,
01:11:35everything has to be perfect now.
01:11:37It's not just about winning.
01:11:38The Rangers games, you must have enjoyed that experience.
01:11:40Loved them.
01:11:41Loved it. It's an incredible experience.
01:11:43And, like I say, now there's different things that motivate me.
01:11:49Now it is about winning and winning well
01:11:52and how much can we win, you know?
01:11:54And the Champions League this season was an incredible experience.
01:12:00And we, you know, we had a...
01:12:03You competed.
01:12:04Yeah, we competed. I think that was nice.
01:12:06But again, for my mentality, I wanted to win.
01:12:09And that was tough. That was a tough kind of moment.
01:12:13But I think you go through tough periods in your career
01:12:17and you go through great periods in your career.
01:12:19And while you're still physically able, then, you know, why not continue?
01:12:24And is the body okay?
01:12:25Like, if you've got three games a week,
01:12:27do you have to look after yourself a bit more than the younger lads?
01:12:30Or are you okay?
01:12:31I think, personally, that experience is the greatest gift you can have
01:12:35if you're physically still able.
01:12:37Because, yeah, I'll train differently than when I was 20.
01:12:41Of course I will.
01:12:42But also, I spend a lot of time, you know, doing the ice baths,
01:12:46doing the saunas and all these other things that you have to do, but...
01:12:50Gary thinks the ice baths is the key.
01:12:52Ice baths, he's covered up.
01:12:54Sauna's mine.
01:12:55The sauna is...
01:12:59If anybody ever asks where I am in the training ground,
01:13:01they just need to look in the sauna, yeah.
01:13:03Final question.
01:13:05Pundit or coach?
01:13:08Both, I think.
01:13:10Exactly, Gary.
01:13:11I think I try both.
01:13:13I'm doing my badges.
01:13:15And the actual coaching element on the pitch, I love.
01:13:19I love that part. That's really enjoyable.
01:13:22And I enjoy doing things like this as well.
01:13:26So, I think, just kind of see, but...
01:13:29You'll be taking our jobs in the next couple of years, won't you?
01:13:31I'll be joining you.
01:13:33He's got a good look for TV.
01:13:36But I don't know. I think you want to just try and do a bit of everything.
01:13:40And see what kind of life... I don't know what will be the future.
01:13:45I think, right now, I just want to stay in the now.
01:13:47Because I don't want to look too far ahead,
01:13:49because I know the type of person I am,
01:13:52I'll be sitting in ten years' time thinking,
01:13:54why didn't I just enjoy it a bit more?
01:13:55You're too wise for this show, isn't he?
01:14:00Kasper, thank you so much for coming on.
01:14:06Nice one, Kas.