FOR 48 HOURS, BRUCE HAD BALE IN THE BAG
I wonder if he’d give me a hand now! After more than 40 years in football, a stellar playing career and a string of ups and downs as a manager, Steve Bruce is still going strong
By Joe Bernstein
STEVE BRUCE’S alarm is set for half-past six, and by 7.15am he’s in the car heading for work. This past week has been spent formulating a plan to beat Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup and juggling all the phone calls and meetings that come with the January transfer window.
‘It’s taken 80 per cent of my time. Everybody is offering the new Paul Scholes or David Beckham. For the agents, they’re all world-beaters,’ says Bruce, chuckling at the absurdity of it all. Not that he’d want to be doing anything else of course.
After more than 40 years in football, Bruce’s decision to quit Hull City in the summer left him outside the game with a rare three months off. So when Aston Villa came calling in October, the 56-year-old found accepting the challenge was a need rather than a choice.
‘I’ve lost count of the number of people who come up to me and say, “Are you mad?”’ he admits. ‘But you know what, football is the only thing I’ve ever done. Of course if you lose on a Saturday it can engulf you if you’re not careful. But the vast majority of time, I have been very fortunate. Football has given me a beautiful place next to a golf course in Portugal, it’s given me a lifestyle which many can only dream of. Until I lose that enthusiasm and don’t want to get up early, I won’t accept my time is up.
As a player, Bruce captained the biggest club of all, Manchester United, to the inaugural Premier League title.
His managerial career has never quite reached those heights at Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Sunderland and Hull, though he won promotions and reached finals. There was even a point when he was on the verge of signing Gareth Bale from Spurs.
So when he left Hull, some sensed it may mean the end of his long career, particularly as he was overlooked for the England job shortly afterwards.
‘Of course it was hard to walk away,’ said Bruce, who spent his lay-off sailing in the sun and losing weight. ‘There are only 20 Premier League managers and I was going to be one of them.
‘But I knew that the owner [Assem Allam] was ill and his son [ Ehab] wanted to go in another direction. That was his prerogative but it’s fair to say that in the end we didn’t see eye to eye.
‘One thing you need in a football club is the relationship between the owner and manager to be watertight and unfortunately it wasn’t. So I made a decision to do what was best for everyone and stop the continual arguments and fighting between me and Ehab. That’s never healthy.’
As for his England near-miss, he adds: ‘To be interviewed and not get it, you’d wish sometimes you’d not even been on the radar! But I was the first on the phone to Sam [Allardyce] and wished him luck. We’ve known each other 25 years. I am still convinced he would have been a very good manager but it wasn’t to be. Now I hope Gareth [Southgate] does a wonderful job. The decision to leave Hull was perhaps vindicated last week when Bruce’s former No2, Mike Phelan, was sacked after only a dozen games. ‘I feel for Mike. He took over a difficult club at a difficult time, now he’s lost his job and it just shows you what foot- ball is. It’s a brutal industry. I am under no illusions here, at Villa. You would love to say, “Can I have three, four, five years and I know for a fact I’d get the job done”. But we know these days, are you going to get that time?’
Bruce was already set for the Villa job when the England post unexpectedly became available again. It didn’t take him long to assess that things needed to change after last season’s relegation and an unhappy start to the season under Roberto Di Matteo.
That’s why Villa are getting column inches this month, with new owner Tony Xia offering a reported £25million war chest. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has already arrived on loan from Manchester United and striker Rudy Gestede has gone to Middlesbrough for £6m. There will be more ins and outs, though Bruce insists: ‘We are going to box clever and wait for the ones to make us better.’
Bale won’t be one of his targets but today’s clash reminds Bruce of the time he thought the superstar was going to be under his charge. Harry Redknapp had just arrived as Spurs boss and Bruce recalls asking him if Gareth Bale would be available. ‘Harry said, “Give me the weekend to think about it, I will call you Monday”. It never got any further, but for 48 hours I thought maybe there was a deal to be had.
‘Bale has done all right since then. Wonder if he would come and give me a hand now?
‘I watched [on TV] Spurs beat Chel-
sea on Wednesday night and thought: “Gosh, we’ve got them next.” I can only hope Mauricio Pochettino makes a few changes against us! This is easily the best Spurs team in my lifetime. They could have won the Premier League last season with a bit of luck.’
There is genuine enthusiasm in Bruce’s voice, still strong Geordie, when he discusses the future at Villa Park: ‘I have to say this is the biggest club I’ve been at as a manager. This is my greatest opportunity and I hope I can turn this around and get them marching where they should be.
‘There something quite unique about Aston Villa, its name for a start. The Villa is always going to be mentioned as one of this country’s big clubs for tradition, history and trophies.’
The sacrifices made to win are still worth it, though Bruce acknowledges his celebrations are unrecognisable from when he played with Bryan Robson and Peter Schmeichel.
‘Now I am at an age where I go home, have a glass of wine or go out for a quiet bite to eat and put my feet up to watch Match of the Day. It is not like the old days, put it that way. I do believe a manager needs most of his energy on match day, so by the end of it, I’m physically exhausted.’
Having been at United when the Class of 92 emerged, Bruce is taking responsibility for helping Villa’s out- standing young asset Jack Grealish live up his promise.
Since masterminding Villa to an FA Cup semi-final win against Liverpool, the youngster’s reputation has been blighted by off-field stories about his drinking, smoking and partying, though White Hart Lane is a perfect stage for him this afternoon.
Bruce says: ‘I think things have changed for young players even compared to 20 years ago when David Beckham and Paul Scholes came through. They are treated like rock stars and it can be very difficult for them. Jack has been blessed, the game comes so easily to him. He’s made mistakes and been silly at times but underneath he is a really good boy. He always has a smile on his face and he wants to be a footballer.
‘I will give him every bit of advice I can, from my past experiences to the horrible world that’s out there. It’s up to me to give him the platform but I won’t mention Beckham or [Ryan] Giggs. That wouldn’t be right, he has to fight his own way. But I think he has learned very quickly that he can’t be like his mates at work or college.
‘The public don’t want to see footballers drinking in nightclubs or out in bars. Back in my day, you could go down the local pub and have a couple of pints with the supporters. I don’t think they really want to see it now.’
Monday’s defeat at Cardiff left Villa mid-table though their form since Bruce took over is among the best in the Championship. The play-offs remain an aim, however. ‘We can’t give up. We are Aston Villa,’ he says.
The FA Cup is important, too. Villa have won it seven times, the last in 1957, and reached the final in 2015, where they lost 4-0 to Arsenal. Bruce took Hull to the previous final where they lost 3-2 to Arsenal having led 2-1 with 19 minutes left.
‘Perhaps I undermined the competition in my earlier days because staying in the Premier League was so important. But I’ve learned to take the Cup seriously. If you ask the people of Hull what was their greatest day, they will probably say going to the final.
‘Are Aston Villa capable of winning the FA Cup? Yes, we are, so we’ll take it seriously. We have had a horrible draw, we’re under no illusions about that, but we are capable of winning five games to get to a cup final.’