Wes Brown’s Zizou misery
After getting over the fear of upsetting United’s king, Wes won the Champions League with his boyhood club – twice
Having made two appearances at the end of 1997- 98, your first- team breakthrough at Manchester United came in the season they won the Treble. So, are you their most effective academy graduate ever?
Oh, I don’t know about that! [ Laughs] I mean, there were so many of them. But it was good doing it – I was lucky enough to be there for that incredible season, and the expectations then were very high.
You came in shortly before fellow defender John O’shea, and then left with him to join Sunderland in 2011. How close were you?
We’re still very close – there were a few of us. We both decided to go to Sunderland, but he wasn’t there on the day I arrived. I called him saying, “What’s going on?” He said, “I might be going somewhere else.” I couldn’t believe it. I said “You best not be!” Luckily, he signed the following day. But we’ve been everywhere together since we were kids.
Speaking of when you were a kid: you used to clean Eric Cantona’s boots. Was he a fan of your work?
Cantona didn’t say much, but he didn’t have to! He had an aura about him. I did mess his boots up once, but other than that it all went fairly smoothly – just a little “thank you” in his French accent. Eric was a guy that everybody looked up to, and I was only 16 at the time. Once, his boots weren’t there in the morning. I knew I hadn’t lost them, but I couldn’t find them either. He just said, “No problem” and
walked away. I was devastated for the whole day. Luckily, the kitman had some spares and eventually we found Eric’s boots.
A former team- mate, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is now United’s manager. Was his coaching potential obvious when you were players?
Yeah, you could see it in him. You could see it in Laurent Blanc, Jaap Stam and Roy Keane, too. These were the guys I looked up to, and two of them played in my position. I tried to copy certain things and Blanc was excellent in that way. He helped me all the time. These guys were very experienced when they came to United, and that’s where I wanted to be as a young lad learning the game.
If you really had to pick, which United side was better: 1999 or 2008?
A very good question! Sometimes I’ll look at that 2008 squad and think, ‘ Oh my god’ with all the players we had. But we didn’t quite do the Treble – we were very close. In 1999, the teams we played en route to the Champions League final – Bayern, Barça, Inter, Juventus – were incredible, and we obviously won the Premier League and FA Cup, too. Then there are factors like injuries, other players coming into the squad, and the fact you didn’t have as many substitutes in the league then, and you can’t beat that 1999 team. It was one of those where the players really wanted it. You pretty much knew from Christmas that it was on – we were playing so well in every position. We had the same thing with our 2008 team.
You’re one of the few who were present for both seasons. What do you think made you one of Alex Ferguson’s favourites?
There were times when I had serious injuries, which meant I was out for a good nine or 10 months. I always believed in the physios and myself, that I would get back fit, but you had to repay your manager by doing the best you could. Everybody got the hairdryer treatment when it was needed, but the gaffer was very good at complimenting players as well. A lot of people forget that side of him.
What effect did a rollocking have on you?
Every time I got the hairdryer I played better in the second half – so it works! There were games when you’d walk off at half- time and know you were about to get it, because you knew you hadn’t been up to scratch and that the manager knew, too. It was just a kick up the backside to make sure you played better.
Do you remember prankster Karl Power gatecrashing United’s team photo against Bayern Munich in 2001?
I do! I’ve seen the photo a few times. He was next to Andy Cole. I remember us walking on, but you’re pretty focused just before kick- off. I can’t remember if I spoke to him, but a few of the lads said, “Who’s that?!” Within a split second we’d forgotten about it because we were about to get going. He did well getting out there, anyway!
You’ve previously said that your toughest opponents include Zinedine Zidane and... Duncan Ferguson?
John Hartson, too! The toughest game I had when I was a kid was against him. Growing up, I was a bit bigger and quicker than other lads, but then you face a player like that and you learn very fast. When they’re bigger and stronger than you, you have to play against them in a different way. That was the same with Ferguson – you tried to beat him in the air, but it was difficult. You tried to fight him, but there’s not much you can do. So I had to learn how to deal with this guy very quickly.
I honestly did, but they were definitely some of the toughest games I had because I was fighting them and playing their type of game.
What about Zidane, then?
Different, obviously. Real Madrid were playing three in midfield [ in April 2003] – he was on the left and I was at right- back, so I’m sort of marking him. We lost 3- 1 and it was one of those games where I could say, ‘ I didn’t do anything’. If I moved up into midfield, he’d just run past me and I was in no man’s land. When you grow up, you understand – Paul Scholes was the same. These players get you into areas where they want you. They’ll drag you out, and you can’t get a tackle in because they’re clever. They create space. Every time I got close to Zidane he’d use one touch, and when I wasn’t near him he’d have more time.
In India you played with Dimitar Berbatov – another mercurial star. Had he changed from your United days together?
Berba’s still exactly the same. He’s a cool guy, and we all know what he can do on the pitch. We were nearing the end of our careers and lived in a hotel together. I had a brilliant time, even though it was far too hot sometimes…
Wes Brown was speaking before the launch of Marriott Hotels’ Seat of Dreams at Old Trafford
“I MARKED ZIDANE AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE GAMES WHERE I COULD SAY, ‘ I DID NOTHING’”