McDermott is convinced Klopp will lead Pool to trophy glory
WOULD you like to be a footballer now, Terry? The question came from the floor of the Nine Bar, underneath the Gallowgate End at St James’ Park, where around 100 Newcastle fans were sat.
“Nope,” replied Terry McDermott. “They mess about too much!”
There is laughter, as there is throughout the night. McDermott knows how to tell a story. He also knew how to play.
There will always be a desire to quantify a player from the past’s value in the current game. McDermott won three European Cup finals and five English titles and scored 58 goals (no penalties) from midfield in a staggering threeyear period at Anfield. Raheem Sterling left Anfield for £44m in 2015.
“I did a tour of Anfield recently and some of the people there were saying to the young fans, ‘Log onto YouTube, it’ll show you what a player he was,’ said McDermott.
“Afterwards, this lad, probably about 15, came up to me and went, ‘Some goals you scored!’
“You’re proud. The kids under 25 don’t remember you. They’ve been told and they check. He’d never seen a goal of mine before, his idol was Steven Gerrard.
“Of course you get a buzz. The fans who were there and watched you and cheered you never forget. They come up to you and pat you on the back and that still means so much.
“When we didn’t win the league that year at Newcastle, those players have become heroes because of the football. ‘What about those games between Newcastle and Liverpool?’ the fans still want to talk about it. That made their lives and careers.”
McDermott (right), from Liverpool, moved back to Newcastle after that 58-goal burst in
1982. It was his second spell on Tyneside. And he returned with Kevin
Keegan for a third spell in 1992.
Tyneside is still his home. Merseyside is where he was born and grew up. He is indelibly linked to the two clubs now.
“You can see the stadium from everywhere,” he said. “I was at the dentist the other day and I already had my mouth open and then I opened my eye and I could see part of St James’. It’s everywhere. When you come along the A1, when you fly in, you can see it. You get attached to a club like this, as big as it is.
“I came in 1972, moved to Liverpool in ‘74 and I was coming back here, even when I was playing for Liverpool. I
used to come back here after every game to Newcastle to go to the Dolce Vita club!
“Before then I was living with Alan Kennedy’s mother and father. They were fantastic people. I took to the area and how passionate the fans are.”
He lost a Cup final with Newcastle (against Liverpool) in 1974. He lost the title, if it is possible to do such a thing, with Newcastle in 1996.
“Was it one of the happiest times of my life? You could never better that. It’s just a great memory,” said McDermott.
“Sometimes there were two or three thousand people watching. Eventually we brought a burger van into training. I always remember this, me and Kevin (Keegan) were about 20 or 30 yards from the lads, leaning against the van having our bacon butties and we knew it was just a pleasure, the lads were so good to watch, even in training.
“The lads would go into the shower and ordinary people (Newcastle trained at Durham University’s facilities) would be in. They’d have been playing badminton, and they’d be in the shower with David Ginola and Les Ferdinand!
Throwback: Terry McDermott flourished at Liverpool and still has strong feelings for both the Reds and
Newcastle
“We deserved to win it, I know they (Manchester United) finished top, you deserve to be top, but on that one occasion, we were the best team, we played some great football, but it wasn’t to be.”
McDermott does talk-ins for both clubs now, speaks at Anfield before games and does tours of a stadium he graced. No person will be more torn when the two clubs meet tomorrow at St James’ Park. There is admiration for both managers.
“Everyone loves Jurgen Klopp (below) there,” he said.
“The fans love him. The players respect him. From our point of view, the way he acts during the game or when they score or concede, he goes ballistic, and Kevin was like that. I think you have to be like that.
“Klopp has been at the highest levels with Borussia Dortmund, but he’s gone from a big club to a massive club. That massive club wants to see trophies. I’m sure he knows that now. I’m convinced he can win a trophy. Burnley, Sevilla, Leicester, they should have been out of sight in the first half in those games. That has happened in every game, Whether it’s bad luck or bad finishing, or a bit of each, they’re scoring but the defensive side of it, even Klopp has admitted there is a concern, and rightly so, Liverpool can’t keep conceding.
“The Newcastle manager (Rafa Benitez)? Bloody hell. He’s been a top manager everywhere he’s went. Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Napoli, Inter Milan. It’s not a bad CV is it? Imagine turning up, ‘Are you qualified for the job?’ ‘Have you got an hour to spare!?’ The goal now is to stay up. Finishing 12th, 13th or 14th would be fantastic.”
There is sympathy for Philippe Coutinho.
“You understand from his point of view, the biggest club in the world probably, doubling his salary, you can feel for him, but he signed a fiveyear contract.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve an agreement, like they did with Luis Suarez; a good season and we’ll let you go next year.”
It’s all relative. A good season for Terry McDermott generally involved trophies.