Football's Greatest Folding Pocket

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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In our latest Replay, former Arsenal, Aston Villa and England forward Paul Merson talks about the impact of Harry Redknapp on his career from our Greatest Mavericks episode. The two men had a memorable season together at Portsmouth in the Championship, winning the title and gaining promotion to the Premier League.

This bonus episode also includes unheard material, including a brilliant story where Merse recalls the time he took an unsanctioned mid-season break in Barbados and Harry found out. He also reveals:

Why Harry was such a brilliant manager to work under

Harry’s hilarious assessment of his Portsmouth squad as he tried to convince Merse to join

The set of fans with a fearsome reputation who gave Merse a standing ovation


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


Listen to or watch the full episode of Football's Greatest Mavericks with Paul Merson, where he talks about Jack Grealish, Ian Wright, Paul Gascoigne and Diego Maradona among others:

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/footballs-greatest/id1721822502?i=1000643477759
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/032OzhhC8OVG1Th3ZqzeuM?si=0272c8ee280a4d0e
YouTube - https://youtu.be/O6ZU4Zpd2V0?si=tZXHuTTxGgSuZtDI


Follow Football's Greatest and join in the debate:

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Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Germany legend Michael Ballack joins Jeff Stelling to discuss his Top 5 Bundesliga players. 

Which midfielder was the best player Michael Ballack played with during his career?
Who has seen off all-comers at Bayern Munich?
Who has changed the way his position on the football pitch is played?

As well as picking his Top 5, Ballack gives his opinion on England’s Jude Bellingham, marks out what has impressed him about Xabi Alonso’s managerial career so far and recalls how he felt when his former clubs Chelsea and Bayern Munich contested the 2012 Champions League Final.

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

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Watch or listen to our previous episode with Michael Ballack where he discusses his greatest ever German players in the Premier League:

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/footballs-greatest/id1721822502?i=1000645958379

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0hNWiqCWugNK1hZR6QI6OP?si=fd7c2bd82a8d4fe8

YouTube - https://youtu.be/8XYx4ajTIeE?si=5y0QJ2FveWnW-0_Q



Follow Football's Greatest and join in the debate:

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