Beat England? I’ll manage that
I was delighted to visit my dad’s old stomping ground last week to prepare for Soccer Aid.
I’m going to be one of the co-managers for the World XI team against England. It’s the 10th year of this incredible Unicef fundraiser which features stars of sport and screen at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
This year – more than ever – it’s about people coming together to help provide two billion vaccines for children in developing countries to get them back to school and out to play. It’s a great cause and I’m absolutely buzzing to be involved.
I’ll be teaming up with Harry Redknapp and Robbie Keane and our squad has some big stars like Martin Compston, Usain Bolt, Roberto Carlos and Patrice Evra. It’s a fascinating mix.
The boys loved football when they were younger and I’m used to having a kick-about in the park with them, but it’s a sport I have never played competitively.
So I was delighted to be invited to a training session at Hibernian FC, where my dad, Roy Erskine, was a player in the 1950s. I spent the day with manager Jack Ross, the coaches and players, seeing what goes on behind the scenes.
For Soccer Aid, I’ll leave the training and tactics to my wing men, but I know enough about motivating players, developing a winning mindset and team-building, and much of my role will be about getting the best out of the players. Let’s just say I’m not a fan of losing, so I’ll be doing everything I can possibly think of to help our team come out on top. Go World XIS!