DI CANIO BORE THE TRAITS OF A WINNER
PAOLO Di Canio’s abrasive style didn’t suit everyone during a brief and tempestuous managerial career.
Just ask Leon Clarke, whose two-game stay at Swindon Town ended after a touchline punch-up with his new manager. Or, for that matter, the Sunderland squad who threatened to down tools en masse unless the former West Ham striker was sacked.
Tales of his authoritarian methods are legion, from office staff chastised for typing too slowly to players castigated for poorly executed press-ups.
But Benson, who won the League Two title whilst playing for Di Canio at Swindon in 201112, never fell foul of the Italian. “Paul Benson at 70 per cent is better than any other striker in this league at 150 per cent,” Di Canio famously said. And the admiration is mutual, with Benson still impressed by the standards his former manager imposed.
“Paolo was a Jekyll & Hyde character,” he explains. “He could go from sky high to absolutely furious in the blink of an eye.
“The biggest thing by far was mentality. If it was wrong, you wouldn’t last five minutes. You’d either not be able to handle it or he’d smell it and you’d be out of the door.
“I thought I was mentally strong, but he wanted elite-level mentality. He wanted you to be right on it, every hour of every day. I just think he was so used to being the best that he couldn’t accept anything less. For lads at our level it was tough. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t struggle at times. “Because the demands were insane. He didn’t let you relax at any moment. Running, analysis, tactical work. From the day I joined, I think I had about three days off in six months.
“He’d get upset. He’d get angry. There were a lot of bust-ups and a lot of players who couldn’t cope. But, ultimately, you’ve got to deem it a success. Because we won the league by a distance and would have gone up again if he hadn’t left for Sunderland. I don’t doubt that. “Personally, I enjoyed being pushed like that. I felt it was a window into elite football and it gave me so much respect for players at the top level. People like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi – that’s their mindset and that’s why they are the best. It was a great learning experience.”