GAUCHO THRILL
Pellegrino: I’d love to be a Cup hero like my pal Ricky
Ricky Villa was a top player who featured in World Cups. I admire him as a person and as a player
SOUTHAMPTON manager Mauricio Pellegrino wants to follow in the footsteps of fellow Argentinian Ricky Villa by making himself an FA Cup icon.
Pellegrino watched on TV back home as Tottenham legend Villa scored his famous Wembley winner against Manchester City in the 1981 final.
Former Liverpool star Pellegrino, whose Saints side take on Watford today, said: “When I was in Argentina, I remember the slogan, ‘The oldest competition in the world.’
“Players like Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa who have references in my childhood and obviously I remember some goals in this competition – in the final.
“I knew Villa personally as a friend of mine is a friend of his. I respect him. He was really kind with me when I met him.
“He was a top player who played in World Cups and was a big player for big clubs. I admire him as a person and as a player.
“Every year he is here in Tottenham, he gets invited and hopefully in 20 years’ time people in Southampton can invite me and send me a couple of tickets.
“We have to think step by step. To arrive at final is the peak of a mountain but we have the mountain still to climb. We will try to do it. For us it is important to keep growing.” Javi Gracia will take charge of Watford for the first time and Pellegrino has warned his former La Liga colleague the Premier League will be a step up from what he is used to in Spain.
Pellegrino said: “The best and worst thing is right now the Premier League is one of the hardest competitions.
“You have 10 or 12 teams within six points of each other and it’s really difficult to see another league with the same level of tight competition.
“Maybe 10 years ago three or four teams were really separated from the rest. Now the difference between the bottom and the middle of the table is the middle class moving a step closer.
“Liverpool can beat Manchester City and lose to Swansea in one week.
“It’s really hard to find this in any other league.”