Moyes gave me the shake-up I needed, says newwell boss
Graham Alexander credits David Moyes as being the driving force behind his success in the game.
The new Mother well manager made more than 1,000 appearances as a player with Scunthorpe, Luton Town, Preston and Burnley and won 40 caps for Scotland.
As a manager, he has led Salford City into the Football League, Fleetwood Town to promotion from League One and taken Scunthorpe into the League One play-offs.
Yet he believes he might have made none of those achievements had Moyes not picked him up for Preston when he was a 27-year-old.
“David was the one who shook me up when I was player,” said Alexander.
“He was the one who said: ‘Get your life sorted. Do this and do that’.
“I thank him now for his patience. He could easily have given up on me because I was a pain in the backside.
“He could see I had talent, but we would clash about things because I thought I knew better about what was best for me.
“However, he persevered with me and, at length, the penny finally dropped with me.
“I got called up for Scotland and I thought: ‘I have got to listen to this guy!’ That was it. From that moment, I was dedicated.
“I have had other influences, managers who gave me my debut and so on. But I probably was not old enough, or mature enough, to understand.
“David was the first one where I thought: ‘ Yeah, that is it’.
“Without his input, I do not think any of the good things would have happened.
“There is still a little version of him on my shoulder, giving me advice every day.
“I spoke to him before my appointment as Motherwell manager. I just wanted to know if it was what I think it is going to be.
“He has not managed up here, but he was really good, very honest, which was what I was after.”
Anyone who has seen Alexander manage in SKY Sports’ fly-on-the-wall documentary, Class Of 92, will know that, for all his calm demeanour, the 49- year- old is capable of evoking a touch of the Sir Alex Ferguson fury when he feels his players are letting him down.
“All the managers I have played for – the likes of Moyes, Walter Smith, George Burley – had an edge,” Alexander continued.
“I don’t think they ever thought: ‘ I need an edge, I better go and get an edge’. It was there. It was authentic.
“There were times in my playing career when I went over the line, and got sent off.
“But you learn because you want to play, and you want the manager to trust you.
“I love football, I love winning, and if it’s not going right, then sometimes you can lose your temper.
“Sometimes players need it, and then they think they will prove you wrong. It’s all about getting the best out of players.
“I’d like to think that the players I’ve managed in the past know that I’ve always had their interests at heart.”