Football's Greatest: Euros Folding Pocket

Welcome to the first episode of 'Football's Greatest: Euros', a new show with Paul Merson and Jeff Stelling for the duration of the European Championships. They kick off by looking at the contenders for the tournament. For Merse, it's down to two teams - England and France. But is he backing the Three Lions to bring it home?

The guys pick their starting elevens for England's opener against Serbia - Merse is not having Jeff's team at all. They discuss a theory about why Gareth Southgate isn't more adventurous and Merse reveals the one time he saw the England boss misbehave, and they pick their greatest ever Euros moments.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Our next episode comes out on Sunday and is a Q&A with Merse and Jeff where you can react to anything they've said or ask them about the Euros, football or themselves.
Send us a voicemail or message at:
Email: footballsgreatest@foldingpocket.co.uk
What's App: 0203 951 9653 (+44 203 951 9653 from outside the UK)

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Football's Greatest: Euros is a Folding Pocket production with BBC Studios.
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For the last of our Football’s Greatest interviews, Gordon Strachan joins Jeff once more to discuss his top 5 captains from his career.

Along the way Gordon recalls the best footballer he ever played with, the moment he says was one of the best of his life and the player who lived his life in chaos.

He also reveals how he ended up in the boot of a car on his first night out at Manchester United, why he only went to England once Graeme Souness had left, what made Scott Brown an inspirational figure and why Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t want his players talking to the Liverpool lads on international duty.

NEXT WEEK: Look out for a brand new show - Football’s Greatest: Euros. Paul Merson and Jeff are back together every week throughout the Euros to discuss all the big stories. You can also ask them questions about the tournament, about players, managers, transfer rumours or about their own careers. Email Jeff and Merse at footballsgreatest@foldingpocket.co.uk.

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


You can catch our previous episode with Gordon Strachan where he talks about his greatest managers, including Fergie, Jock Stein and Howard Wilkinson, here:

YouTube - https://youtu.be/ZfevpE4nSRA?si=xEKzQtI_7Kv4D20D

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/footballs-greatest/id1721822502?i=1000654024332

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6faMDcDKSpSvUoQbtQP0Ip?si=c3a072a25f864b3b


Follow Football's Greatest and join in the debate:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@footballsgreatestpod
Instagram: www.instagram.com/footballsgreatestpod
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ftblsgreatest
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@footballsgreatestpod
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Former Manchester City and England defender Joleon Lescott is back with Jeff to pick the top 5 forwards he faced during his career. 


Who made him realise what the level was in the Champions League?

Which Champions League winner turned into Iron Man inside the box?

Who is his surprise number one?


Joleon also reveals how facing Wayne Rooney would leave you exhausted, why Carlos Tevez once refused to come on as a sub in Munich and who he’d pick between Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.

Fernando Torres, Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez and Samuel Eto’o all get a mention too but do they make his final five?

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


You can catch our previous episode with Joleon Lescott where he recalls Manchester City’s epic Premier League title win in 2012 here:

YouTube - https://youtu.be/hX6mZOBc6Ho?si=eY2IlJg8ly00g_Y9

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/footballs-greatest/id1721822502?i=1000652573677

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0E2zLwg8M5WiLjKE9R3eGS?si=9d41a647eb1041a8



Follow Football's Greatest and join in the debate:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@footballsgreatestpod
Instagram: www.instagram.com/footballsgreatestpod
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ftblsgreatest
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@footballsgreatestpod
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Australian football legend Mark Schwarzer joins Jeff once again on the pod, this time to pick his Top 5 Australian men’s players ever. Some top names from the Premier League era are discussed including Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Tim Cahill.


Which of his five does he suggest could have played for any of the top clubs in the world?

Who, according to Mark, was the most talented player his country has produced?

Whose move to one of England’s biggest clubs didn’t work out and why?


Mark also recalls what it was like to like to be part of the squad that reached Australia’s first men’s World Cup in 32 years and picks out some of the current crop he thinks could have an impact in the years to come.

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

You can catch our previous episode with Mark Schwarzer where he picked his greatest ever Premier League goalkeepers here:

YouTube - https://youtu.be/p7DKmtkrreE?si=hDxAq0Kws1nPKx-P

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/footballs-greatest/id1721822502?i=1000648035222

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1K0cikT6iaoXTx33QLVLwB?si=c0a25c2f0aa54981

Follow Football's Greatest and join in the debate:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@footballsgreatestpod
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TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@footballsgreatestpod
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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.


Follow Football's Greatest and join in the debate:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@footballsgreatestpod
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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.


Follow Football's Greatest and join in the debate:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@footballsgreatestpod
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Twitter: www.twitter.com/ftblsgreatest
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