Football firsts
Ex-Coventry and Stoke midfielder John Eustace talks us through his football memories
First game you watched live?
It would have been an Aston Villa game, in 1987. I’m pretty sure it was against Huddersfield Town in the old Division Two, when Allan Evans was the captain. My family are all Villa fans and I would have been about six or seven when I first went. I was the mascot for that game as well.
First football hero?
David Platt, first from the Villa and then from watching him with England. Me being a midfielder, he was my inspiration, really.
I loved the way he got forward and scored goals. Everyone remembers the amazing volley he scored for England against Belgium in the 1990 World Cup, but we used to see him do things like that all the time at Villa Park. The other big hero of mine was Kevin Richardson.
First football boots?
A pair of Umbros. Everyone was wearing Puma Kings at the time, because they were the best boots you could get.
We couldn’t afford those, so I went for Umbros. I don’t even think they were the Specialis with the foldover tongue, just the cheap bog-standard version.
Fortunately, I got a sponsorship from Umbro when I was 21 or 22, so I finally got the pair of Specialis I’d always wanted.
First kit?
A Villa kit. I can’t tell you the year but I can picture it vividly. It was sponsored by Mitre and was halved. One half was claret and the other half had really thin blue and red lines going down the front. I’m guessing it was from the late 80s or early 90s.
First professional game?
For Dundee United against Aberdeen in 1999. I went on loan from Coventry City when I was about 18 or 19.
It was brilliant.
Going up north, across the border - a real baptism of fire. It wasn’t something I was expecting at all. Gordon Strachan, the manager at Coventry, rang me the day before and said ‘Pack your stuff, John, you’re going to Dundee United’. I was like ‘Where is that?’
I was living with my mum and dad at the time, so to go up there and live in digs for three or four months was a brilliant experience.
Then to play at places like Parkhead and Ibrox, where I set up a winner - I couldn’t have asked for a better move.
My first game for Coventry was a League Cup tie against Tranmere, which we lost 5-1, so the less said about that the better.
First professional goal?
For Dundee United, away at Hearts. It was a header from a corner. We were 3-0 down at the time but I celebrated like it was a last-minute winner. Everybody looked at me like I was crackers!
First red card? Away at West Brom, when I was playing for Stoke City. Me and their captain, Andy Johnson, had a scuffle in the penalty box after about two minutes. I remember my dad was coming to the game and he got there late. I was sat in the dressing room and I rang him up. He said ‘Where are you, I thought you were playing?’
I said ‘Count the players dad - I’ve just been sent off’.