Sir Alex was arguably the best boss in sport ever... and taught me so much
SAYS JONATHAN SPECTOR
FOR Jonathan Spector, a terrifying encounter with Sir Alex Ferguson beckoned.
Torn to ribbons by the nowdisgraced Adam Johnson in a reserve match at Middlesbrough, the teenage defender’s display saw him dropped for Manchester United’s next first-team match.
He was moments away from a daunting one-to-one audience with his boss, whose infamous hairdryer treatment had been known to melt even the toughest of characters.
Yet what followed was an insight into the man management of a boss Spector still rates as arguably the finest the planet has ever produced in any sport.
‘I had a poor game at Middlesbrough,’ recalled the 33-year-old, who recently joined Hibs on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
‘I was playing against Adam Johnson, who was coming through the reserves and into the first team and he was flying.
‘I wasn’t even on the bench for the next first-team game and after the manager had named his team and given his team talk, he pulled me aside for a word.
‘He said: “Spector?” I said: “Yeah, boss?”. “You were absolutely useless the other night!”. I was like: “Yeah, I know. I had a really bad game. It won’t happen again”.
‘But that’s all he needed to say to me. I know he had a reputation for really getting stuck into players but he never did that with me.
‘That was something that struck me. He knew how to get the best out of each individual. He didn’t treat everyone exactly the same. He knew how to relate to each individual as a person and how that individual would respond best.
‘I found that incredibly impressive. It was not always about the hairdryer, no, and I’ve never played for anyone that understood that or enacted that better than Sir Alex Ferguson.
‘I was incredibly fortunate to learn from arguably the best manager in the world — in any sport.’
The grandson of Boston Celtics basketball star Art Spector, young Jonathan grew up wanting to follow the same career path but failed to make it to the NBA. Switching to ‘soccer’, he’d pull on a Manchester United shirt eight times in season 2004-05, featuring two times in the Champions League. He would go on to rack up a wealth of English Premier League experience with Charlton and West Ham before starring in the Championship during a six-year stint at Birmingham City. After leaving MLS side Orlando City last November, the versatile defender arrived at Easter Road earlier this month to provide defensive cover with Ryan Porteous, Steven Whittaker and Darnell Johnson all injured. The 36-times capped USA international now hopes to pass onto the next generation of Hibs players the tips he learned as a young professional rubbing shoulders with sporting superstars during his formative days at Old Trafford. ‘At Manchester United, I wasn’t just learning from the manager and the coaching staff,’ said Spector, who also cites Gianfranco Zola and Chris Hughton at Birmingham as key managerial influences.
‘It’s incredible how willing a lot of those United players were to lend their expertise and help guide me on my career.
‘Rio Ferdinand was one. Another was Mikael Silvestre.
‘That’s something now, at my age, I can hopefully do for the younger generation.
‘In terms of the best player I played beside, it would be easy to say Cristiano Ronaldo. But to be honest, I’d have to say Paul Scholes.
‘Watching him in training, I don’t remember him ever giving the ball away. He was always a step ahead of everyone else.
‘Scholes was incredibly humble too but that’s something I found at Manchester United.
‘The manager did a good job of finding great players who were good people too.
‘I remember my first day at United. I came out of the reserve changing room and I ran into Ruud van Nistelrooy in the hallway.
‘He came up to me to introduce himself.
‘I was like: “I know exactly who you are. I should be introducing myself to you!”.
‘But all the guys at United were really down to earth. I think that’s one of the reasons that club was so successful.
‘I’ve taken that Manchester United mentality and desire to win with me and it’s definitely helped me in my career.’
When the chance came up to join Hibs until the end of the season, Spector and his wife Olivia were delighted to move to Edinburgh.
‘We came here to visit a few years ago and fell in love with the city,’ he said. ‘The old town, the new town and Edinburgh Castle. The cobblestoned streets.
‘It’s kind of a romantic city in a lot of ways.’
It’s pointed out to Spector that the capital city won’t have such a romantic feel when Hearts host Hibs on April 6 at Tynecastle with just two points currently separating the city foes.
However, his past experience of playing for West Ham in a stormy 3-1 League Cup win over Millwall in 2009 renders him unfazed by the prospect of a hostile atmosphere in Gorgie.
‘I’m certainly looking forward to that game,’ smiled Spector, who will play in a Development League match next week and then hopes to be available for first-team selection.
‘I’ve been fortunate to play in a number of derbies.
‘The first game my wife ever went to in English football was West Ham v Millwall when the two teams hadn’t played each other in a few years. I think there were three separate pitch invasions!
‘That was her first experience of English football and it was eye-opening.
‘But she’s used to it now, so she won’t be too shocked by Scottish football.’