Football's Greatest Folding Pocket

What makes a great leader in football? Thats’s the question Jeff is asking former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson on this week’s episode of the pod. Thommo was himself a born leader, who lifted the European Cup as captain in 1981.

He talks about how Bill Shankly mapped out his entire career and the time Bob Paisley gave him his biggest rollicking, the best leaders he played with and why captaincy seems to matter more in the UK. He also reveals:


the player that scared him the most

how he pranked an England legend into believing he was joining Liverpool

what he really thought about Alex Ferguson’s great Manchester United sides


Phil also talks about some of his lowest moments, including losing the captaincy at Liverpool to Graeme Souness and being overlooked to be England skipper at the 1982 World Cup, and recalls why Steve Gerrard took the armband from Sami Hyypia at Anfield and his emotional team talk before his first match as Liverpool’s caretaker manager.


You can catch our previous episode with Phil Thompson, where he picked his Top 5 Liverpool players, here:

YouTube - https://youtu.be/eLh7e5tZrow?si=aNp7t-cCv0tM5CpJ

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/footballs-greatest/id1721822502?i=1000647187436

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5dp0JDg6L2l47xrEX83bp8?si=20fa506086d5416d



Football's Greatest is a Folding Pocket Production with BBC Studios.


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Who were the top 5 British players of the 1980s? Arsenal, Celtic, Aberdeen and Scotland legend Charlie Nicholas discusses his picks with Jeff on the latest episode of the pod.

Who was so good that even Diego Maradona was impressed?
Which opponent used to encourage you during a game?
Which defender used to pull your ears off the ball?

Along the way he explains how joining Arsenal stopped him being picked for Scotland, reveals who his favourite strike partner was during his career and which current Premier League player he’d most like to play alongside.

Football's Greatest is a Folding Pocket Production with BBC Studios.


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This week’s guest joining Jeff Stelling is the former Coventry, Celtic and Scotland manager Gordon Strachan. They look back on his career as a player with Aberdeen, Manchester United and Leeds United and he gives us plenty of stories about managerial legends like Sir Alex Ferguson, Jock Stein, Howard Wilkinson and Ron Atkinson including:


How Fergie scared the Aberdeen players into winning

Why Jock Stein could be brutal with his own players

Whether Big Ron really had a sunbed at the training ground


Gordon also recalls when Fergie banned the players wives from the team bus after a Scottish Cup Final win, the time he and a team-mate dared to ask the great man for a transfer and why winning promotion with Leeds was so special.

He also explains why managing Celtic or Rangers is the biggest test you can face as a manager, how he dealt with difficult characters in his Scotland squads, facing the brilliant Brazil team at the 1982 World Cup and the trip to Tenerife where he ended up in a lookalike competition…as himself.

Football's Greatest is a Folding Pocket Production with BBC Studios.


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Kane, Gascoigne, Greaves, Klinsmann, Modric, Bale, Mackay, Waddle, Ardiles, Son, Lineker, Sheringham.

Tottenham have had some great players down the years but who would be in your top 5? That’s the question Jeff Stelling asks Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle in this week’s episode of the pod.


Which forward glided across the pitch?

Who played football like it was a chess match?

Which legend was partly responsible for Glenn being picked up by the club?


Glenn also explains why he thinks Harry Kane finds playing in Germany easier than the Premier League and why he may not have named Alan Shearer as his club captain despite him being his England skipper. 

Football's Greatest is a Folding Pocket Production with BBC Studios.


Listen to or watch our previous episode with Glenn Hoddle where he discussed Football's Greatest Midfielders here:

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/footballs-greatest/id1721822502?i=1000648872418

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Dd1hfyKHSgqLKuXlXhopr?si=CPK2ucuwQgOaZZ_DKeXk7w

Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/Lg3okOZf9l4?si=MgzBZvwNTWoNH6Ur


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Matt Le Tissier may not have been a great goalscorer like Alan Shearer or Harry Kane but he was a scorer of great goals. In our latest REPLAY with Jeff Stelling, Le Tiss talks through some of those that have gone down in Premier League folklore and why he was able to often produce brilliant moments.


Which was the best goal from his canon?

Which goals were a turning point in his football career?

What’s his favourite of his strikes?


He also chats about chipping Peter Schmeichel, why he was never afraid to look stupid when playing football and how he compared to another dead ball specialist: David Beckham. That leads to him recalling the day he took part in a free-kick competition in England training with Becks and then manager Glenn Hoddle. But who came out on top?

Football's Greatest is a Folding Pocket Production with BBC Studios.


Listen to or watch the full episode of Football's Greatest Set Piece Takers with Matt Le Tissier here:

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/footballs-greatest/id1721822502?i=1000645130118

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0oX5y0VsMI0t3Z1Iz2y6Wb?si=00476557f57b4de3

Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/V-qPu3ESR-8?si=hL0MP6XLYErwqGkX



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Jeff is joined by Joleon Lescott to discuss Manchester City’s Premier League title win in 2012, one which some believe to be the greatest ever.
Big names and big characters are brought up, including Roberto Mancini, Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany and Mario Balotelli. They discuss:

THAT game against QPR: the comeback, Aguero’s goal and Joey Barton’s red card
The most influential player in that City squad
Why many of City’s players were happy to see Mancini go the year after the title win

Joleon also reveals how Balotelli’s iconic ‘Why Always Me?’ Celebration at Old Trafford came about and recalls the love-hate relationship between the forward and Mancini. He also discusses Emmanuel Adebayor’s famous celebration against Arsenal, the Premier League legend who used to try and distract him during a match and the former England manager who made him cry.

He also answers this question: who would win a match between the 2012 title winners and City’s current all-conquering side?

Football's Greatest is a Folding Pocket production with BBC Studios.

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Follow Football's Greatest and join in the debate:

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