Harry’s GAME
Harry Redknapp wants to make football’s legendary stars pitch perfect again. So who will be match fit?
FOOTBALL manager Harry Redknapp has a new challenge fresh from being crowned King Of The Jungle in I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! He’s returning to his football roots in a two part TV special to get legendary soccer stars in shape for a match against Germany.
David Seaman, Robbie Fowler, Mark Wright, Matthew Le Tissier, Chris Waddle, Rob Lee, Ray Parlour, Lee Sharpe, Mark Chamberlain, Paul Merson and Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock are the participants in this fascinating as well as amusing show.
All of them retired a while ago and, as any ex-professional player will tell you, maintaining fitness levels after hanging up your boots is far from easy.
Certainly the majority of those featured here have put on some extra upholstery since their playing days, but they’re going to attempt to get back into shape... under the watchful gaze of Harry, 72, and his assistant John Barnes, 55.
The team of legends made their names in an era when a few pints, a big fry up and kebabs were all part of their normal working week... and their habits have continued long after they said goodbye to the Beautiful Game.
But Harry means business and says of the challenge: “I loved it, it’s been great, I’ve really enjoyed being around good footballers for the weeks we had together. They’re all such good lads, every single one of them. Really smashing.”
What were his highlights during filming? “Loads of stuff really, Razor’s been splitting his shorts and the whole group going on the training camp in Spain, we had a great couple of days and had a good time there with all the boys, I’ve just enjoyed it all, being around the lads has been good fun.
“Some of them really bought into it, and Matt Le Tissier is amazing really, and has lost around 10 kilos, his body fat has come down unbelievably, but they all have, Paul Mersons is going well and only Razor I think has put on weight.”
Do you think they could cope in this era of football? “I think they’d win the premier league, this group, a forward line of Waddle, LeTissier, Fowler and Merson.
“I mean what would Man United or anyone else give you for that forward line?” Harry adds.
But what did some of the players think of the plan to get them match fit all over again?
CHRIS WADDLE – 58
I THOUGHT it would be really good to be back in shape again. The opportunity came along and I loved the idea and thought it would be interesting to see what happens.
I think the hard side, for not just me but for a lot of the lads, is obviously you’re invited to weekends away and parties and you’ve got to almost police yourself and it’s very hard.
Sometimes you can afford to let your hair down and catch up Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but overall I would say, if you look at the results we’ve had, the lads have had a real good go at it.
When I was at Tottenham and Newcastle you’d get up in the morning and have a full English
before the match, and then at about 12.30 you’d have steak, chips, mushrooms. People back then didn’t know about pastas and this and that and rice.
PAUL MERSON – 50
YOU can see a different shape in me. My wife has noticed a major difference, you can tell when you put a jumper or a suit on, but it is nice when people recognise it.
I miss Chinese, I miss the beer if I’m honest too, I do like a beer, but I haven’t drunk beer. I’ve watched what I eat, before I used to go out and eat massive pasta bowls, bread, now I’m in a routine, I’ll have two or three poached eggs on a piece of toast.
Before I used to skip breakfast sometimes, and then have the biggest lunch you’ve ever seen and then a big dinner.
DAVID SEAMAN – 55
I’VE ENJOYED it, if I’m honest, getting back into a fitness regime, diet plan and I’ve done it. I’ve not had massive results because I was in pretty good shape before the experience, I still ice skate and bike ride, I play a bit of football and stuff, not a lot, but for Soccer Aid and Arsenal legends game.
Don’t forget I had Arsene Wenger for seven years at Arsenal, so we knew what was right and wrong.
Wrighty used to have a fillet with a fried egg on top before the game, I would have a ham omelette with cheese and beans, a whole variety of different foods. Both sides of training worked because we won the trophy for the Reds.
LEE SHARPE – 47
FAMILY and friends noticed a difference in the shape of me. I had a bit of a belly, that went and my body shape changed, so it was pretty noticeable as everyone was saying that I was slimmer.
My missus decided to get into it as well, now she’s addicted to spin. We’re getting married in the summer so we’re trying to keep fit for that.
RAY PARLOUR – 46
I WAS probably the one who was in the gym the most out of everyone because I quite enjoy it.
You can always tell the people who aren’t going to continue after their careers. But I never had that problem. I was probably in better shape than some of the others.
It was all about the intake, eating less, have a beer and all that, maybe drink a few gin and tonics instead now. I was healthy eating anyway, I like all vegetables so I didn’t have a problem with that.
I wasn’t too bad, but again I’ve just cut down. You know when you have a bag of peanuts and a pie, I don’t have the peanuts anymore.
MATT LE TISSIER – 50
I’VE always struggled with my weight since I retired, the show gave me a nice focus to lose some serious poundage.
Back in the day we were weighed on a Monday morning and then on a Friday, as long as your weight wasn’t going up nobody really cared about how that weight was made up.
Towards the back end of my career things started to become a bit more serious, taking body fat percentages but for the majority of my career, as long as you make your weight, it didn’t really matter.
I used to play tennis on a Sunday night then sit in the sauna, and then on the Monday morning my weight was okay... it’s crazy looking back.