“NONE OF US SOCALLED MAVERICK PLAYERS EARNED THE ENGLAND CAPS WE SHOULD HAVE”
The magical midfielder chats Bobby Charlton, cup woe and how the Blades saved his life
Fans of a certain age will remember you as a flair player, a showman and a guy who loved to connect with supporters. Should we talk about kissing? [ Laughs] I did kiss my team- mates now and again, but it wasn’t a regular thing. What was far more common was me blowing kisses to the crowd after creating or scoring a goal. The opposition fans would give me stick but, let’s face it, they always target the star man of the other team. It wasn’t just down to the kissing. Who was your childhood hero?
Jimmy Greaves was the one for me. I used to watch Chelsea and Greavsie was my absolute hero, the greatest in the world as far as I was concerned. Growing up, I was also a huge fan of Bobby Charlton and George Best. They are predictable names, but if you loved football, you couldn’t help but love giants of the game. What about your peers, like Alan Hudson, Rodney Marsh, Frank Worthington...?
There were a group of us who got bracketed together because we could all do a few tricks with the ball. Without wanting to sound too big- headed, we were seen as our respective teams’ match- winners. But we weren’t really conscious of competing against each other on the pitch. I think I can speak for every one of those lads when I say that the team came first. If there was a trick or two you could do out of the blue, then great, but it wasn’t the be- all and end- all. Having said that, however, I do remember a game in the Second Division when I was starting out at Watford and we were playing QPR, where Rodney March was already well established. The Rs had turned me down as a 15- year- old, so I was well up for the match. There was an incident when Rod and I were by the corner flag attempting to nutmeg each other. It was just a little bit of fun – I’ve still got a tape of that and enjoy watching it occasionally.
Were you good mates with those guys, and do you feel being similar personalities had any impact on your football talents?
Not particularly, though we did talk about it when Don Revie arranged a big get- together after taking charge of England and told us we didn’t figure in his plans! That was when we realised we did have something in common. None of us won the caps we deserved, in my opinion. I played 17 times for England, and that was a lot more than players like Hudson and Stan Bowles. Under Sir Alf Ramsey, I was lucky enough to play six games in a row. Had he stayed on I might have become a regular, but it wasn’t to be. You made more than 300 appearances for Sheffield United and topped 100 for Leeds. As a Middlesex lad, you would never have predicted that...
Not at all. I was a London boy who knew very little about the North. I remember going up by train for the first time as an 18- year- old – it was a Tuesday night and cost two pounds and four shillings. Sheffield seemed dark and dingy when I arrived. It was raining and really cold, but it didn’t take me long to realise the people were warm and welcoming – I fell in love with the place. It took me three weeks to make my debut but, when I did, I played well and scored, so that helped me. Sheffield United weren’t one of the elite, but you still had great times at the club?
I loved it. Everything clicked for me there and, after a couple of years, a few of the big clubs started taking notice. In 1973, Manchester United wanted me to replace Bobby Charlton but it never materialised. I’m often asked if I have any regrets about that but, almost 50 years on, I’m not one for ‘ what ifs’. You eventually left the Blades for Leeds in 1976. Was that a wrench?
Yes and no. We were relegated that season, and had we not gone down I’d have stayed. After the move to Old Trafford broke down, I’d signed my life away with Sheffield United on a deal taking me into my thirties. But we had a gentleman’s agreement that I could go if they went down. As an England international, I needed to be playing in the top flight. It was a wrench to go, but I had three great seasons at Leeds. Instead of replacing Charlton, I had to take over from Johnny Giles. It worked out well for me and I made some good pals there too. The only disappointment was that after reaching three cup semis in as many seasons, we never made it to a final. You then returned to the capital with QPR where you fulfilled a lifetime ambition...
At the age of 32, I played in the 1982 FA Cup Final against Spurs, which was a dream come true – even though we lost and I wasn’t fit for either game [ including the replay after a 1- 1 draw]. A year earlier, my knee started giving
me problems and the artificial pitch at Loftus Road didn’t help. Even though Rangers never saw the best of me, I enjoyed working under Terry Venables, who built a really good team. After the final we were all confident of going up the following season, but just before the campaign started Wimbledon’s Glyn Hodges crocked me in a friendly. So, although we did get promoted, I managed one appearance. My career petered out after that. I had a few months with Toronto and spells at Southend and Torquay, but I should have quit after QPR.
You became a taxi driver, worked in a video shop and there were dark times. It was the Blades who rescued you, giving you a job as a Football in the Community officer…
I don’t envy modern footballers, with all the pressures of social media and the intrusion it brings. I’m happy I wasn’t around 40 or 50 years ago, because I couldn’t have handled it. There’s more awareness on mental health now. And of course, they earn so much more than we did. I know money isn’t everything, but it helps. I never received more than £ 500 a week, even during my peak. I wouldn’t call myself a soft touch, but I never had an agent to do my negotiations for me and what you don’t ask for, you don’t get. I was very much on my own the day I became a former player, with little in the bank to fall back on.
You’re still working today at Bramall Lane in a role you claim saved your life...
In 1988, I was in a pretty bad place. That’s when I was offered the job as Football in the Community officer, on exactly the same date, February 1, as I’d signed for Sheffield United as a pro. In many respects, that was the most important day of my life. I had nothing and was going nowhere, but they gave me a new purpose. I only earned £ 105 a week, but the job gave me my life back. I’m not pretending that talking to a classroom of kids gives me the same kick as scoring a 30- yarder, though it runs it a close second. A few years ago, the Blades’ board decided to name the main stand after you. Is there a better honour for an ex- footballer?
No. Some players have lounges named after them or get statues, so when I heard about the Tony Currie Stand I was blown away. It’s very humbling. Not too many sportsmen are lucky enough to have such a fantastic honour bestowed on them, and I feel privileged. I’ve been involved with Sheffield United for more than 40 years, first as a player then in various roles off the pitch. The club runs through my veins. It’s my life.