00:00:00
in May 26th you did a famous tweet I'll
00:00:03
speak soon with no filter you ready to
00:00:06
speak 100
00:00:11
and
00:00:12
seismic news for the Premier League
00:00:16
football is brutal that 15 is being
00:00:19
rejected at Leicester 18 I got towards
00:00:21
got a squad number took the pictures
00:00:22
I'll know where the club says and I'll
00:00:24
look into sign you no more you have
00:00:25
scoliosis in your back it hasn't
00:00:27
affected your game Tony I'm a Tony I
00:00:30
don't feel like as
00:00:34
Ivan Tony has won his first England
00:00:37
caller you missed out on the final World
00:00:39
Cup squad do you know why the
00:00:40
allegations somebody's out to get me to
00:00:43
stop me from playing finger Ivan Tony
00:00:45
has been suspended for eight months with
00:00:48
breaching at betting rules I read the
00:00:49
whole fa report you acknowledge that you
00:00:51
lied in that meeting with the FX I
00:00:52
didn't lie I just couldn't really
00:00:53
remember you admit to 232 breaches
00:00:55
destroy those I didn't do vital
00:00:57
responsibility so the whole process
00:00:59
could be cleared up but the bit I to
00:01:01
struggle with is that using someone else
00:01:02
to do the best you'd said to give me I
00:01:04
can't have that one in my name bets for
00:01:06
your team to lose it's a bigger story
00:01:09
what impact was it having on your life
00:01:10
with me I never saw nothing I'm not sure
00:01:13
emotions that's been times I've just I'm
00:01:15
in a room on my own Just Looking Into
00:01:17
Thin Air and just
00:01:22
we're gonna get back to football clubs
00:01:24
are gonna come knocking the next Club
00:01:25
I'll go to if I was to move it would be
00:01:30
before this episode starts I have a
00:01:32
small favor to ask from you two months
00:01:34
ago 74 of people that watch this channel
00:01:36
didn't subscribe we're now down to 69 my
00:01:41
goal is 50 so if you've ever liked any
00:01:44
of the videos we've posted if you like
00:01:45
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00:01:47
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00:01:49
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00:01:50
bigger the channel gets as you've seen
00:01:51
the bigger the guests get thank you and
00:01:54
enjoy this episode
00:01:55
[Music]
00:01:57
foreign
00:01:59
[Music]
00:02:02
I always believe that to understand a
00:02:04
person you have to understand their
00:02:06
earliest years I kind of see our
00:02:07
earliest years as the like oven that
00:02:10
we're formed in so if I if if you take
00:02:13
me back to your earliest years what do I
00:02:15
need to know about you to understand the
00:02:17
man you are today what were the
00:02:19
characteristics of that environment that
00:02:20
shaped you just out the front of where
00:02:22
lives like on the front is a park unlike
00:02:26
the older guys will just be out the
00:02:28
front playing and that's me at like
00:02:30
seven eight trying to get involved and
00:02:32
these guys are like 15 16 and they were
00:02:36
playing rough no matter if you're
00:02:38
eight nine ten trying to play with us
00:02:41
play with them they're gonna be rough so
00:02:43
that kind of helped me into today's game
00:02:46
how I am now
00:02:47
progressed a lot quicker and like even
00:02:50
when I was like 16 breaking through
00:02:51
Northampton I kind of had that bashing
00:02:54
around at a young age by the older guys
00:02:56
so being 16 getting Bust Around by men
00:02:59
let's say
00:03:01
I was kind of like used to it
00:03:03
what about hard work what was your were
00:03:05
you a hard-working man at that age
00:03:07
in terms of running and I I never liked
00:03:10
running I was always the lazy one at the
00:03:13
back of the at the back of the group
00:03:14
because I knew when it's time to get on
00:03:16
the pitch I would score goals
00:03:19
but like we all know
00:03:22
hard work beats Talent when talent
00:03:23
doesn't work hard so it's like kind of
00:03:25
like if you've got the talent and you
00:03:28
can work on the hard work and put them
00:03:29
both together then
00:03:30
you give yourself the best chance of
00:03:32
becoming
00:03:33
a top athlete and you and you put the
00:03:35
work in to improve that part of your
00:03:37
game and attitude
00:03:38
yeah I had to because there was when I
00:03:41
was training like when I was at
00:03:43
Leicester
00:03:45
I got told I wasn't getting a
00:03:46
scholarship there so then I went to I
00:03:49
didn't really wanna
00:03:50
play football as much because being
00:03:53
rejected at Leicester is kind of like
00:03:56
okay let me just chill for now but then
00:03:59
like my parents just like
00:04:01
go to go to Northampton because that was
00:04:03
a game that we played Northampton when I
00:04:05
was at Leicester and then I think the
00:04:06
Phantom said if anybody gets released
00:04:09
from them
00:04:10
let us know
00:04:11
I think Lester must have put me in touch
00:04:14
with Northampton and I was kind of like
00:04:16
I'm in an hour and about going but then
00:04:18
I ended up going and it was kind of like
00:04:21
everybody's playing for scholarship
00:04:24
and then it was like on the last day
00:04:27
everybody already knows again a
00:04:28
scholarship and I was the only one
00:04:31
that wasn't told
00:04:32
so everyone is in the dressing room
00:04:34
talking ah we've got scholarship
00:04:35
scholarship
00:04:36
and I'm there still on trial thinking
00:04:38
when am I getting told and it wasn't
00:04:40
until the next morning on the meeting
00:04:43
like the first meeting of all the
00:04:44
scholarship players joined up I got a
00:04:47
phone call and said
00:04:48
he's got a scholarship we'd like him to
00:04:50
come down and
00:04:52
I think that point was kind of like
00:04:54
okay I got scholarship this is my chance
00:04:57
now
00:04:57
but there was a moment there where you
00:04:59
were because of the rejection from
00:05:00
Leicester you were considering
00:05:02
doing something else with your life yeah
00:05:04
I feel like nobody likes rejection
00:05:06
like being rejected it's not the best
00:05:08
feeling
00:05:10
and it being like
00:05:13
basically you're not good enough to be
00:05:14
playing football how I saw it you're not
00:05:16
good enough to be playing football
00:05:18
even though it was just I'm not good
00:05:19
enough for Leicester I might be good
00:05:21
enough somewhere else somebody else
00:05:22
might value what my quality is a lot
00:05:24
more than Lester did have to see that in
00:05:26
the moment though yeah it's very hard
00:05:28
it's very hard and how old 16s was like
00:05:31
15 15 yeah
00:05:33
that's kind of like
00:05:36
you don't want it you don't you want
00:05:38
that rejection again it's like a kind of
00:05:40
fear of getting that again
00:05:41
then when I do like I said when I got
00:05:43
the scholarship on what's new
00:05:46
it wasn't happening again
00:05:49
because your journey through football
00:05:50
just generally has been a real climb
00:05:53
you know it's been a real real climb
00:05:55
like and also reflect on the fact that
00:05:57
most so many kids at that age 16 years
00:06:00
old they get they get a rejection and
00:06:03
they don't bounce back from it and if
00:06:05
they don't make it to the very top
00:06:06
they'll often
00:06:07
take that badly and pursue a different
00:06:09
career path but you're rejected at 16
00:06:12
you persevered you got into the team at
00:06:15
Northampton you made a good
00:06:16
um good impression there and then
00:06:18
eventually you end up at Newcastle at
00:06:19
what 19 18. 18 years old how was that
00:06:23
experience
00:06:25
it was crazy first time away from home
00:06:28
at such a young age 18 is like
00:06:31
and as well you thought he was a man
00:06:33
like from League two there was talks of
00:06:37
you going to a Premier League team and
00:06:39
like
00:06:40
I would never in the Northampton
00:06:43
changing feel like
00:06:44
I was a man like there was talks going
00:06:47
on but nothing's done until it's done
00:06:49
so it's kind of like actually before I
00:06:52
was going to Newcastle I was supposed to
00:06:54
go to wolves right
00:06:55
but I've got there I've got tools
00:07:00
um I've met everybody winning the change
00:07:01
rooms got my number on uh took the
00:07:05
pictures
00:07:06
they come to the contract side
00:07:10
and then I think that was a bit of
00:07:12
talk with my agent and the club
00:07:15
on certain things and then it related
00:07:17
back to us and I was all just confused
00:07:19
me my family didn't know what was going
00:07:21
on and then
00:07:23
I don't know where the club come out and
00:07:25
said um
00:07:26
we're not looking to sign you no more
00:07:28
due to you having scoliosis in your back
00:07:33
so we just think it was so confused from
00:07:37
getting the squad number meeting all the
00:07:39
players meeting all the staff and then
00:07:40
for them to come out and say
00:07:43
your scoliosis in your in your back we
00:07:45
wasn't we're not looking to sign you
00:07:46
it's kind of like
00:07:48
is that really the reason is there more
00:07:50
behind it
00:07:52
but then
00:07:55
be from having to go back to Northampton
00:07:58
like I've said my goodbyes at
00:07:59
Northampton and I'm supposed to be
00:08:01
concerning the Wolves then the next day
00:08:03
I'm back in Northampton and training
00:08:04
with the boys
00:08:05
everybody's like what's happening and
00:08:06
when I just sat me down and said listen
00:08:09
don't dwell on that I'm sure other
00:08:11
things will come and come into place and
00:08:13
I think a few weeks later new class
00:08:15
we're interested in
00:08:17
I went there scoliosis in your back what
00:08:20
is scoliosis and were they aware that
00:08:22
you had scoliosis
00:08:23
I thought there was aware because before
00:08:25
we set up to see a specialist
00:08:28
because they they I feel like
00:08:31
that wanted to know what was going on
00:08:32
how bad it was because I think it was
00:08:34
certain scoliosis it stops you from
00:08:37
walking at a certain age and just gets
00:08:39
worse and worse but
00:08:41
I feel like I would be busy especially
00:08:43
she said you'd be lucky to be walking at
00:08:46
28 still really yeah
00:08:50
and then I was just like it doesn't
00:08:52
really register like you think at the
00:08:54
time at 18 I'm thinking well I'm fine
00:08:56
now I'm I'm enjoying football now so
00:08:58
it's that really registered but being
00:09:00
27.
00:09:02
closer to 28 you kind of think well
00:09:05
I'm strong fit and healthy food
00:09:08
continuously so
00:09:10
what is scoliosis
00:09:12
where your back's not straight
00:09:14
It's like got a slack yeah yeah
00:09:19
hasn't affected your game I don't feel
00:09:21
like it has and you know going back to
00:09:23
moving to Newcastle it's like
00:09:27
going from League two to Premier league
00:09:30
is
00:09:33
crazy
00:09:34
like as soon as
00:09:36
since I went there I don't know fancy
00:09:38
you get recognized but it's not crazy
00:09:41
and then go into their Newcastle I'm in
00:09:44
the hotel
00:09:45
everybody's recognizing me straight away
00:09:47
it's like a crowd outside the hotel
00:09:48
waiting to see me and it's kind of like
00:09:51
this is what happened
00:09:54
so fast you're away from home as well
00:09:56
away from home bam a long way as well
00:09:59
what you what are you feeling when
00:10:01
Newcastle make that phone call and they
00:10:03
they say they're interested in you and
00:10:04
then you move there what does it feel
00:10:05
like as an 18 year old because I can
00:10:07
only imagine I was I was always playing
00:10:09
football when I was younger I was always
00:10:10
hoping a little bit to be a football I
00:10:11
knew I wasn't good enough but you know
00:10:13
I'm going with that whole got injured at
00:10:14
16.
00:10:18
yeah he's crazy he is crazy he
00:10:21
this is so exciting like
00:10:24
you want to tell everybody you want to
00:10:25
say I'm going here tomorrow yeah I'm
00:10:27
going here I'm going here but with me
00:10:29
how I am nothing's done till it's done
00:10:31
especially after the Wolves stuff yeah
00:10:33
like that was on the back of my mind so
00:10:35
I'm thinking right just wait until it's
00:10:37
all sorted then you can tell everyone
00:10:38
well I'm so excited I want to tell
00:10:41
this person that person this is
00:10:43
something
00:10:44
so yeah it was it was crazy my head was
00:10:47
all over the place I'm thinking
00:10:49
I'm actually going to the Premier League
00:10:50
like
00:10:51
I've made it I'm here
00:10:54
but little did I know is how far if I
00:10:57
made it
00:10:59
what happened
00:11:02
I feel like when you take that step you
00:11:04
get you get noticed more
00:11:07
you get more money
00:11:10
and just just do silly things like
00:11:15
like you get mixed in the wrong crowd
00:11:16
going out
00:11:17
and buying things you wouldn't normally
00:11:20
Buy
00:11:22
just a bit naive
00:11:25
and it's as well being away from
00:11:28
my family although they kept on telling
00:11:31
me don't do nothing silly look after
00:11:33
your money this and that you're gonna
00:11:35
think okay but they're not here to
00:11:37
control what I've got hold of right now
00:11:40
I can spend it on this I can spend on
00:11:42
that
00:11:43
like you just do things like I said
00:11:46
things you never normally do like we're
00:11:48
getting personal shoppers to come to the
00:11:49
house and
00:11:51
you don't think I'll go to the shop and
00:11:53
buy yourself stuff if you want to do
00:11:55
that so it's like these kind of things
00:11:59
but
00:12:00
yeah I think it
00:12:02
didn't come at me fast I wouldn't say
00:12:04
that I'd say just like a surprise kind
00:12:07
of thing like
00:12:09
like I said I thought I'd made it so
00:12:11
whatever happens I'm fine I'm in the
00:12:13
Premier League
00:12:15
what was the advice that you needed at
00:12:16
that point that you didn't get like if
00:12:18
you could go back now and have a chat
00:12:19
with Ivan and say listen bro you arrive
00:12:21
at Newcastle that day and you get a
00:12:23
chance just to say a couple of things to
00:12:25
him what'd you say I'll sit down and
00:12:26
have a long chat with him
00:12:28
it would be a long chat
00:12:31
no I think I'll just say like this is
00:12:34
where the hard work starts it's not
00:12:36
finished you're not you can't pull it on
00:12:38
cruise control you got to go to exit
00:12:40
gear
00:12:41
like yeah I'm at a Premier League club
00:12:42
but I haven't played yet
00:12:45
I've not got continuous games under my
00:12:46
belt to be saying okay I'm a premier
00:12:48
league player now
00:12:50
so it's like
00:12:52
I'd say to yeah a younger Ivan or
00:12:55
anybody that's in that situation go and
00:12:56
doing such a big jump
00:12:59
to say that's when the hard work starts
00:13:01
were you in cruise control do you think
00:13:03
yeah yeah if if I even was moving I'd
00:13:06
probably put a handbrake on really yeah
00:13:09
I just thought I'm Premier League now
00:13:12
as well you've seen all the big boys
00:13:13
like literally training there
00:13:17
it's like yeah I'm here now
00:13:22
and you play two games before they
00:13:24
loaned you out yeah come off the bench
00:13:25
twice against United and Chelsea and
00:13:29
then you went on quite a long loan spell
00:13:32
Barnsley Shrewsbury Wiggins gunthorpe
00:13:35
when you find out you're getting loaned
00:13:36
out how do you receive that as a player
00:13:37
I've always wondered this when you're a
00:13:38
young player in the club big you're in
00:13:40
the Premier League because I think
00:13:40
there's a lot about Manchester United as
00:13:42
a big fan we always low now are like
00:13:44
younger ads and I wonder how how that's
00:13:47
positioned to you as a player and how
00:13:50
you receive it
00:13:52
it's not the best feeling okay because
00:13:54
at the time it's kind of like I want you
00:13:57
know I'm here like
00:13:58
I'm here now you want to send me away
00:14:00
like yeah and you got the personal
00:14:02
shopper coming over exactly yeah yeah so
00:14:04
I need to I need to sort some things out
00:14:05
to me come in Shrewsbury yeah I don't
00:14:09
think you'll travel that far
00:14:11
But now y'all I feel like like it's at
00:14:14
that age you don't really think
00:14:16
what you're gonna learn for
00:14:18
I mean first team experience is
00:14:21
this is probably the best at that age as
00:14:24
well and like knowing that because I
00:14:26
feel like I just specter
00:14:28
Houston football is cool
00:14:30
like tick attacker pretty football then
00:14:33
go into
00:14:35
League one like I said on loan
00:14:38
you're gonna get bashed around so you
00:14:39
need to be ready for that
00:14:41
physical battle
00:14:43
and I feel like going online definitely
00:14:45
help me looking back now it helped me a
00:14:48
lot but at the time I was thinking I
00:14:49
don't need to go and learn I'm ready to
00:14:50
be
00:14:51
playing in the Premier League I feel
00:14:53
like from Young I've always had that
00:14:55
that my dad always told me no matter
00:14:57
where you are if you have that mentality
00:14:59
that you're a premier league player but
00:15:00
at the moment you're just on League one
00:15:01
that's fine but if you don't have that
00:15:04
mentality that
00:15:06
I'm a premier league player so I don't
00:15:08
need to try here then
00:15:10
it's not going to work out so it doesn't
00:15:12
matter where you are if you have the
00:15:14
mentality I should be playing in the
00:15:16
Prem but right now I'm playing here
00:15:17
that's fine
00:15:19
and I feel like you you go you go
00:15:21
a Long Way to the where I am now um
00:15:24
I'm feeling playing
00:15:26
that bit of device
00:15:29
that my dad gave me was
00:15:31
very key when you went off on loan and
00:15:34
they say okay you're leaving Newcastle
00:15:35
now does that take you out of cruise
00:15:37
control and into like I've got something
00:15:38
to prove again it should it should have
00:15:40
it did but it didn't really because I
00:15:43
always believed that no matter what
00:15:45
happened where I went I'm going back to
00:15:47
Newcastle
00:15:48
so no matter if I played didn't play at
00:15:51
all or played rubbish I'm going back to
00:15:53
Newcastle back to the Premier League but
00:15:56
not knowing the effects that could have
00:15:57
well it did have in the end
00:15:59
even though
00:16:02
I think all the clubs I went to about
00:16:04
one
00:16:05
hour I left goal scorer
00:16:08
but
00:16:09
it was like
00:16:10
I could have looking back I feel like I
00:16:12
could have went that
00:16:14
extra step further
00:16:17
yeah
00:16:18
scunthorpe united six girls and 15
00:16:21
appearances
00:16:23
showed a huge promise while you're on
00:16:25
your loan spells as a prolific goal
00:16:26
scorer and then at 22 years old you
00:16:28
transferred to Peterborough United
00:16:31
after failing to secure a regular place
00:16:33
at Newcastle now that
00:16:36
that must have
00:16:38
been an interesting moment because
00:16:39
that's kind of like another knock back
00:16:41
in it goes back to like Lester the
00:16:42
Leicester rejection and stuff that's
00:16:43
like another
00:16:44
step down you've made it to the Prem and
00:16:47
now you've got
00:16:50
to take a step down
00:16:51
yeah it was a must not actually not I
00:16:54
wouldn't say a massive not not back it
00:16:56
was a knockback but it was kind of like
00:16:58
maybe a not back I needed at the time
00:17:01
because like I remember sitting down
00:17:04
with my dad and my agent at the time and
00:17:06
saying listen
00:17:08
like me me and my dad are brutal whoever
00:17:11
we work with we want not we want the
00:17:12
honest honest truth no matter if they
00:17:15
say
00:17:16
we don't want him he's not good enough
00:17:17
for us I'd rather my agent tell me that
00:17:19
but how the relationship was that the
00:17:22
agent with my agent at the time
00:17:24
it kind of sugarcoat things right so
00:17:27
meanwhile that kind of had to get out of
00:17:29
him what did the club say like just tell
00:17:32
us be honest and his words were the club
00:17:35
don't think you're good enough already
00:17:36
at the time at this moment in time
00:17:38
so it's kind of like in my head it's
00:17:40
like okay fine no problem it's time for
00:17:42
me to go elsewhere
00:17:43
then regroup restart it wasn't like I
00:17:46
was too old it was just it was just uh
00:17:48
not back and set back that like I said
00:17:51
at the time probably needed to
00:17:53
kick start my journey again do you think
00:17:55
Newcastle were right in saying that
00:17:59
um possibly like don't get me wrong you
00:18:01
go to a great Club they had some they've
00:18:03
had some great players in doing very
00:18:04
well at the moment but I feel like
00:18:07
I didn't really have
00:18:09
a chance in the first team
00:18:11
to prove if I was good good enough
00:18:15
I feel personally anyway I know too far
00:18:18
at the time was
00:18:19
when Newcastle were fighting to stay
00:18:21
stay up
00:18:24
in the Premier League when Rafa Benitez
00:18:25
first come in oh yeah
00:18:28
so it's kind of understandable you
00:18:29
wanted
00:18:30
these players uh
00:18:32
try and keep them up
00:18:34
we wanted to experience and stuff more
00:18:35
than like to be given youth younger
00:18:38
players a chance and stuff is that what
00:18:40
you're saying yeah I feel like I mean
00:18:42
you can't really put so much
00:18:44
responsibility on you players or young
00:18:46
players to keep you up in the Premier
00:18:48
League it's such a big ask but
00:18:50
I feel like maybe The Following Season
00:18:53
it was kind of like
00:18:54
could he get a Sniff and I think he kind
00:18:57
of was it is his own players in them and
00:18:59
done his own own thing which is that's
00:19:02
football
00:19:03
so if you go to Peterborough
00:19:05
um you're close to your family at this
00:19:07
point yeah yeah oh Mommy's boy at Art so
00:19:10
I leave my mum around close and did it
00:19:14
change your attitude moving to
00:19:15
Peterborough unlike this whole cruise
00:19:17
control thing
00:19:18
yeah he did and especially when I went
00:19:21
to first went to Peterborough
00:19:23
I wasn't playing at the first
00:19:26
I'd say 10 games
00:19:29
the strikers out in front of me it was
00:19:31
scoring every game
00:19:32
assistant playing well
00:19:35
but the manager at the time Steve Evans
00:19:38
was just saying
00:19:39
the warrior trance will come and when
00:19:41
your chance comes it's up to you to take
00:19:43
it
00:19:44
a new trance came yeah and then took it
00:19:47
uh yeah 100 took it he scored 24 goals
00:19:51
in 32 League One games at Peterborough
00:19:53
which is insane yeah yeah like well like
00:19:58
the competitions all over the field but
00:20:00
especially as as a striker you need to
00:20:02
you drop the school goals and especially
00:20:05
when the other two scoring goes if you
00:20:07
get a one Sniff and you don't score
00:20:10
you'll back out again and it gives him
00:20:12
another opportunity
00:20:13
the director of football at Peterborough
00:20:15
said you were an incredibly hard worker
00:20:17
he also said you were their best
00:20:18
defender because you headed away nine
00:20:20
out of ten Corners
00:20:22
I feel like yeah them games I kind of
00:20:25
had a magnet on my head that was just
00:20:27
bringing the vote towards me but yeah
00:20:29
now I think
00:20:31
the hard work as well like when I'm
00:20:33
loved by a manager I feel like I'm a
00:20:36
club I feel like
00:20:38
it's in me to want to give back I want
00:20:40
to do a lot of things
00:20:43
for like run for a brick wall four the
00:20:45
manager that's wanted me in this
00:20:47
position did they become like proxy
00:20:49
father figures to you in that regard
00:20:50
because you're clearly a man that's
00:20:52
close to your father did they kind of
00:20:54
you see what I'm saying is that is it a
00:20:56
similar relationship like uh where you
00:20:58
want to do them proud
00:21:03
when I first signed a piece with Steve
00:21:05
Evans like the first time you spoke to
00:21:07
me
00:21:08
he was just it was like a friend like a
00:21:10
normal chat even though you got the
00:21:12
respect as a manager but he was saying
00:21:14
listen I want you to come in school
00:21:15
girls
00:21:16
and go go go how like the goal just go
00:21:20
for us benefits you and us because we're
00:21:22
going to go higher and you're going to
00:21:24
go out so it's a win-win
00:21:26
and I think
00:21:28
him putting an arm around me at that
00:21:31
time knowing
00:21:32
I've come from a Premier League club
00:21:34
and saying it's not really not back
00:21:37
this is where you kicks out your journey
00:21:39
again
00:21:41
having that I think definitely helped me
00:21:44
and didn't you have I read somewhere
00:21:46
that you had a agreement with them like
00:21:47
a verbal agreement that if a bigger Club
00:21:48
came knocking they wouldn't stand in
00:21:50
your way Peterborough
00:21:52
that probably was a verbal agreement but
00:21:54
if anybody knows the fee of a fever
00:21:57
staff and the owners and therefore we
00:22:00
have different ideas but I mean yeah I
00:22:02
guess when I did go that was the right
00:22:04
timing like
00:22:05
every every player thinks when there's a
00:22:08
move on the cars you want to try and
00:22:09
rush it through and
00:22:10
if things aren't right they're not right
00:22:13
for a reason like you can't rush good
00:22:15
things good things aren't rust
00:22:18
I think at the time that was a chance I
00:22:20
could have went to somewhere I try and
00:22:21
rush it through and it was like don't
00:22:23
worry oh really so there was office from
00:22:24
other clubs there was office from other
00:22:25
clubs yeah but big clubs
00:22:28
um biggest at a time okay Championship
00:22:30
clubs yeah Championship clubs and he was
00:22:32
saying
00:22:33
just just be patient you're gonna get a
00:22:36
better club and I'm just there like not
00:22:39
kick him out I'm not throwing my toys
00:22:40
out of the problem just be like wow it's
00:22:42
just a chance to move now
00:22:44
who used to know what can happen blah
00:22:45
blah and then I ended up staying in
00:22:49
and I went to Brentford which was
00:22:51
probably the best
00:22:53
choice in the end and around this time I
00:22:55
mean just before then 21 years old you
00:22:57
become a father for the first time yeah
00:22:59
I mean that's that's as well what
00:23:01
helps me Kickstart My Journeys as well
00:23:04
because I feel like
00:23:06
I've got people to provide for
00:23:09
um I have expensive taste as well so
00:23:12
it's either choosing my expensive taste
00:23:14
for my family so
00:23:16
if I could school goals and help both
00:23:19
then it's perfect so I think that's what
00:23:22
helped me pick things up and
00:23:24
I had to provide for people
00:23:27
does that Focus you because I'm not a
00:23:28
dad yet but it's around the corner for
00:23:30
me I'm sure
00:23:31
um does that Focus your priorities in a
00:23:33
sense like does it make because I speak
00:23:36
to my mates who have always had kids and
00:23:37
they almost described that moment when
00:23:39
their baby first comes they kind of see
00:23:41
the world differently and they're like
00:23:42
responsibilities differently and stuff
00:23:44
100 100 like you can't do the things you
00:23:48
normally do
00:23:49
you have to think baby first in all
00:23:53
aspects did it make your game better 100
00:23:55
yeah yeah 100 definitely how
00:23:59
it's in like I want to make him proud so
00:24:01
when he's older that's my dad he's done
00:24:04
this he's doing this this is this so
00:24:06
it's kind of like a pride thing as well
00:24:08
as wanting to do well
00:24:11
for my family and
00:24:13
have a better better lifestyle for
00:24:15
everybody not just me and my people
00:24:17
provide for when did you find out that
00:24:19
Brentford are interested
00:24:21
it was actually training at St George's
00:24:23
Park yeah uh with Peterborough
00:24:26
and there's talks of
00:24:28
going here there and I was kind of like
00:24:32
I'm gonna know him just like yeah when
00:24:34
it's when it's something concrete then
00:24:37
let me know right now I just want to
00:24:40
focus on training hard
00:24:42
because it's easy to if you let us stray
00:24:45
when this club's interested in you this
00:24:46
club's interesting you hear loads of
00:24:48
things
00:24:49
but then nothing's concrete like this is
00:24:52
all well and good he's looking at you
00:24:54
he's looking at you but this time I'm
00:24:56
not a kid no more when they want me and
00:24:58
put a bidding then we can start talking
00:25:01
was
00:25:02
hearing they're interested what does
00:25:04
that mean that doesn't mean nothing like
00:25:07
everybody can be interested but nobody
00:25:09
wants you yeah yeah so when
00:25:11
Brentford come along and I was I was
00:25:13
interested and actually put a bid in
00:25:14
that's great it's like okay
00:25:16
I spoke to the manager he kind of
00:25:20
it was straightforward and said you're
00:25:22
gonna come in and be the main man
00:25:24
we want you to be starting every game
00:25:26
and
00:25:26
school goals and
00:25:28
do your job then
00:25:30
either take us up or go to a go to a
00:25:33
higher Club
00:25:36
so you get that call from Brentford they
00:25:37
put a bid in you speak to the manager
00:25:40
Thomas Frank yes and Thomas says listen
00:25:43
you're going to be on number one
00:25:45
I think it was a no-brainer I think I
00:25:47
did speak to other clubs
00:25:50
um
00:25:50
actually I went into Rangers oh nice
00:25:53
spoke with uh the manager there which is
00:25:56
Steven Gerard at the time
00:25:58
and Manchester United did you speak to
00:26:01
yeah they said I wasn't good enough
00:26:03
yeah
00:26:07
I went to I went to um went to Rangers
00:26:10
we spoke a bit but then they said I was
00:26:12
like
00:26:14
twos of those two strikes at the time
00:26:17
and then I was looking to get another
00:26:18
one in so it would have been like four
00:26:20
strikes I think and I think the
00:26:21
formation they played majority of the
00:26:23
time one strike at top so you would have
00:26:25
been like third choice or something yeah
00:26:26
something like this
00:26:28
but and then uh we went to Celtic we
00:26:31
spoke to Celtic and I think it was like
00:26:33
the same there I'm one of three strikes
00:26:36
or something like this
00:26:37
and I think
00:26:39
at the time of when it was I was moving
00:26:42
I wanted to be like the main guy like I
00:26:45
think the crucial thing for me is
00:26:47
playing games
00:26:49
even though I backed myself on competing
00:26:51
with other Strikers but I honestly know
00:26:53
that when I go in what first first
00:26:55
through the door on the main man up
00:26:58
front and it's up to me to keep my
00:27:00
position I feel like when I went to uh
00:27:02
when I spoke to the manager at Brentford
00:27:04
he pretty much
00:27:06
said you're the main guy and I don't see
00:27:09
nobody
00:27:10
taking your spot
00:27:12
so you make sure you produce produce the
00:27:15
goods and it feels really
00:27:17
you you've worked a lot of clubs
00:27:19
um you've played a lot of different
00:27:21
clubs brunfield are special they're
00:27:24
really really special because they are
00:27:25
based on their resources they are
00:27:27
objectively over achieving
00:27:29
in a really really significant way
00:27:32
um
00:27:33
what is it about Brentford from your
00:27:35
experience that is make what is that
00:27:37
magic that they have
00:27:40
hard work plain and simple hard work
00:27:42
like we're not the best
00:27:45
technically gifted team we have some
00:27:48
magicians in the team but other than
00:27:50
that it's just hard work
00:27:52
I mean
00:27:54
and we fear nobody we respect them we
00:27:56
don't fear them
00:27:57
so when we go to the let's say I'm
00:28:00
filled away
00:28:02
or Chelsea aware of these kind of games
00:28:05
we know they're probably on paper better
00:28:07
than us got some big names and this and
00:28:09
that but
00:28:11
if at the end of the day the main thing
00:28:13
that wins the games is
00:28:14
hard work and a little bit of quality I
00:28:17
guess putting the hole in the back of
00:28:18
the net
00:28:19
and I feel like
00:28:21
throughout the
00:28:22
throughout the club everybody knows what
00:28:24
the manager wants
00:28:25
you have to you have to you have to be
00:28:27
willing to run for your teammate plus
00:28:29
your left first your right and the fans
00:28:31
and everybody and everybody knows the
00:28:33
responsibility they have
00:28:35
on their shoulders when they step onto
00:28:37
the pitch
00:28:38
so I think that's that's probably what's
00:28:40
brought us to where
00:28:42
and how well we're doing at the moment
00:28:44
and even like at the moment the team
00:28:46
playing without me I hear and people say
00:28:50
oh drinking breakfast we're going to be
00:28:51
like this now you're not playing this
00:28:53
and that I don't think in no they're not
00:28:55
gonna struggle because
00:28:57
they work hard and when you work hard
00:29:00
you give yourself the best chance
00:29:02
of winning the game
00:29:03
and I I know deep down Brentford would
00:29:06
be fine with or without me
00:29:08
well you've played a lot of clubs right
00:29:10
so you can kind of compare and contrast
00:29:11
is there anything else other than just
00:29:13
that work ethic that you've noticed is
00:29:15
just different at Brentford
00:29:17
so you've got super hard work is there
00:29:19
anything else their approach to things
00:29:21
or the strategy or the way that they I
00:29:22
feel like they're to govern this as well
00:29:25
how everybody's like everybody talk to
00:29:27
everyone I've been at clubs where it's
00:29:29
like
00:29:30
a certain groups it there certain groups
00:29:32
that they're like everybody's divided
00:29:34
it's like but it's not that rental
00:29:36
everybody
00:29:37
makes it to everybody how you got people
00:29:39
of Spanish Danish which is majority of
00:29:42
the club at the moment
00:29:45
um English and everything and everybody
00:29:48
just mix it together so it's not like
00:29:51
oh let me where my friends where should
00:29:54
I sit down at lunch you just get your
00:29:56
lunch sit down here you talk with
00:29:58
forever and the manager
00:30:01
that comes from him I feel like he makes
00:30:04
sure that togetherness and humbleness
00:30:06
like there's no
00:30:08
nobody at the club thinks
00:30:10
they're better than nobody like even
00:30:12
last season I scored 20 goals I was I
00:30:14
wasn't about nobody
00:30:16
I Was the Same
00:30:17
the person that doesn't really play too
00:30:18
much
00:30:19
they're not less of a person than me
00:30:22
we're all the same we'll
00:30:24
in it together
00:30:25
so I feel like that comes from the
00:30:27
manager and his philosophy at the club
00:30:29
and how he wants things to be run what
00:30:31
are the things that you often think with
00:30:33
managers and CEOs and stuff like there's
00:30:34
they have their like core principles
00:30:36
which you just get bored of hearing
00:30:38
because they say over and over and over
00:30:40
and over again what are those things
00:30:42
that he just repeats over and over and
00:30:43
over again togetherness yeah humble yeah
00:30:46
an attitude
00:30:49
and I guess he polices that pretty yeah
00:30:51
all the time it's all over the club it's
00:30:54
all in the meetings
00:30:56
which is probably why like I said
00:31:00
we do we're doing so well
00:31:02
as a club and as a whole whole unit
00:31:07
what's the what's the dressing room the
00:31:09
training ground dressing room culture
00:31:11
like
00:31:12
I can ask this because I've spoken to so
00:31:14
many players at United in particular and
00:31:16
especially in the Fergie areas they
00:31:17
always talk about the like the
00:31:19
self-policing culture in the dressing
00:31:21
room
00:31:22
you know like what's that like
00:31:24
versus other clubs yeah it's like like I
00:31:27
said it's yeah it's good there's other
00:31:29
clubs I've been at has it's been good as
00:31:31
well but not
00:31:32
how it is in Brentford I feel like
00:31:33
Brentford is probably one of the best
00:31:35
dressings I've been in in terms of
00:31:39
everybody knows that drill everybody
00:31:42
knows that position everybody's helping
00:31:44
others like everybody's just like the
00:31:46
respect if something's on the floor tidy
00:31:48
pick up pull in there
00:31:50
like
00:31:51
them kind of things is key if you want
00:31:53
to be
00:31:55
achieving something big and I feel like
00:31:57
with that
00:31:59
in the change room as well as in the gym
00:32:01
or in the in the dinner
00:32:04
is key and everybody's up for everybody
00:32:07
it was it's like one big family unit
00:32:11
26 years old you're named brentford's
00:32:13
player of the season
00:32:15
um
00:32:16
you scored 12 goals in the First Premier
00:32:18
League season and then you scored 20
00:32:19
goals in your second Premier League
00:32:21
season finishing third in the golden
00:32:23
beat rankings behind Harland and Harry
00:32:25
Kane
00:32:27
that's big yeah
00:32:30
it is big is Big but sometimes I don't
00:32:33
really
00:32:34
realize how big it is
00:32:36
because sometimes I'm at home I'm
00:32:38
thinking
00:32:39
yeah well not first in my head if you're
00:32:41
not first you're lost
00:32:42
then let my family say but look who
00:32:45
you're behind and look at the caliber
00:32:47
players that are playing in the Premier
00:32:49
League and you scored more than these
00:32:51
guys
00:32:52
I'm always thinking yeah but I could
00:32:53
have scored more and you think it's
00:32:55
called more than Holland
00:33:01
I mean not
00:33:05
more but I look back on chances that
00:33:07
should have been a goal and I feel like
00:33:10
there probably is like 15 15 16 chances
00:33:13
that I probably could have scored or
00:33:15
should have scored
00:33:16
so if I was as clinical as Ireland was
00:33:20
not to say I'll beat him but I could be
00:33:24
a lot higher than a lot higher than 20.
00:33:27
England
00:33:28
's football team
00:33:30
I saw I think I saw a post on your
00:33:32
Instagram a couple of weeks ago about
00:33:33
that being a huge dream for you
00:33:36
to play for England yeah
00:33:39
I think
00:33:40
everybody wants to pay for England yeah
00:33:43
I remember just screaming like
00:33:47
Gerard's name and the lampard's name
00:33:49
like when I'm on the field just kicking
00:33:51
and they said when that
00:33:54
opportunity was around and I was in
00:33:57
talks of it
00:33:59
just didn't it didn't feel real
00:34:01
from being
00:34:03
Ivan from the fountain just playing out
00:34:05
the front getting bashed around by the
00:34:07
old a lot too actually having a chance
00:34:09
to play for England was
00:34:11
something I would never have jumped off
00:34:13
you missed out on the final World Cup
00:34:15
squad
00:34:18
um lots of circulating rumors about why
00:34:22
do you know why
00:34:24
um
00:34:25
I guess
00:34:27
I guess it comes down to
00:34:30
allegations
00:34:32
on the Ben scandal
00:34:34
but I feel like
00:34:36
personally I felt like it was a bit of a
00:34:39
questionable time when they decided to
00:34:41
bring it all out and then when they
00:34:43
actually dealt with the situation come
00:34:45
the end of the season is kind of like
00:34:47
why'd you bring out then
00:34:49
to
00:34:51
and then punish me
00:34:54
at the end of the season
00:34:56
so they brought so I guess you're saying
00:34:58
that you suspect they brought it out at
00:35:00
that time to prevent you going to play
00:35:01
for England I assume so I'm to make it a
00:35:03
bigger story ah okay
00:35:05
personally anyway I don't know if it's
00:35:07
true that how not to know what's
00:35:10
behind the scenes but I feel like if you
00:35:12
have somebody go into the World Cup
00:35:13
that's
00:35:15
supposed to be betting then it's kind of
00:35:17
like
00:35:18
a bigger story
00:35:21
what's the real I'm not really clued up
00:35:23
on this or how fa thinks the fa
00:35:25
the England team
00:35:28
play Under the fa
00:35:31
yeah and the fa are also the sort of
00:35:34
body that brought the charges against
00:35:35
you yeah so they
00:35:37
so one might assume that they release
00:35:40
the charges at that point because if
00:35:42
they didn't then there might be some
00:35:43
ramifications on the England team or the
00:35:45
perceptions of England team or something
00:35:47
yeah I assume so right like I'm not too
00:35:50
aware of all this stuff but
00:35:52
I feel like it was a bit of a
00:35:54
coincidence when they desire to bring it
00:35:56
all out and then
00:35:59
having to be dealt with the punishment
00:36:02
at the end of the season
00:36:04
so far after it's kind of like
00:36:08
I mean you know well I feel like yes I'm
00:36:11
banned now but
00:36:13
the biggest punishment for me was
00:36:15
missing out on playing at the World Cup
00:36:16
personally
00:36:18
I felt more hurt and
00:36:22
what's the word kind of like
00:36:28
yeah I just I just felt I felt down
00:36:30
around the time
00:36:32
it felt like
00:36:34
somebody's out to get me at that time to
00:36:37
stop me from playing for England it was
00:36:39
in my head like that's just how I seen
00:36:41
it at the time it's like
00:36:43
they want to punish me for this
00:36:45
missing out on England
00:36:47
the World Cup like everybody's dream to
00:36:50
be playing at the World Cup
00:36:51
and then further down the line
00:36:53
ban me as well
00:36:55
it's kind of like
00:36:58
a double hit I feel
00:37:02
in a sense was like I said
00:37:05
if he was going to do if he's gonna stop
00:37:07
me from going to World Cup do it there
00:37:09
and then and deal with it deal with the
00:37:10
whole situation
00:37:12
rather than doing that missing out on
00:37:14
the World Cup and then let me play the
00:37:15
rest of the season
00:37:16
and then binding me off to the season
00:37:20
is it is not enough in my head to be
00:37:23
fair anyway
00:37:25
I felt down about it what does that mean
00:37:27
in real terms if I was a flyer on the
00:37:30
wall in your life when when that
00:37:31
information came in that was probably my
00:37:34
excuse me that was probably that the
00:37:36
lowest point
00:37:38
I was like with me I'll never show
00:37:41
nothing I'm not sure emotion too tough
00:37:44
but I think that was probably the
00:37:46
lowest point I felt
00:37:49
like you'd ask me about uh
00:37:51
yeah he's always
00:37:53
but that is what it is it's kind of like
00:37:55
I don't want to talk about it yeah damn
00:37:58
it hurt it did hurt
00:38:01
do you cry
00:38:04
no I don't feel like crying solves
00:38:07
anything
00:38:08
personally that's my personal views
00:38:10
everybody says
00:38:12
to we need to show emotion you can cry
00:38:14
isn't this it's okay but like
00:38:17
I feel like I've only acquired once when
00:38:19
I see
00:38:21
my Nancy
00:38:22
from losing my pap
00:38:24
and seeing her her as much as she was
00:38:30
killed me inside
00:38:31
and it was kind of like I didn't cry cry
00:38:34
but it was like tears in my eyes coming
00:38:36
down and it's kind of like
00:38:37
it was painful
00:38:40
do you express your how you're feeling
00:38:42
to anyone in your life at that point to
00:38:43
your partner to your family your mum
00:38:45
your dad when you when you find out that
00:38:47
you're not going to play for England and
00:38:48
they've you know the rumors are out
00:38:50
about this gambling situation do you
00:38:52
tell anyone how you're actually feeling
00:38:55
um no but people that know me know
00:38:58
my actions
00:39:00
and how that leads to how I'm feeling
00:39:03
like I'd be a lot more like Snappy about
00:39:06
things
00:39:07
or I'll just be like
00:39:09
I can just be like a zombie talking to
00:39:12
me and it's not like really registering
00:39:14
but
00:39:15
my head's not really in the room kind of
00:39:17
thing
00:39:18
and that people that know me know
00:39:21
like
00:39:23
something's up something's wrong what
00:39:25
was the reality of the situation what
00:39:27
was going on inside your head
00:39:29
and how was it when you say down and you
00:39:31
say that was the lowest point how what
00:39:32
does that mean in real terms
00:39:37
um
00:39:38
I wouldn't say depressed as such
00:39:42
but it's kind of like
00:39:44
not far off that
00:39:47
if anything towards that direction but
00:39:49
not
00:39:51
completely
00:39:52
because like that's still how I stay in
00:39:55
my head it's like
00:39:56
next opportunity next next day another
00:39:58
day is another day to
00:40:00
put things right and try and be as
00:40:02
positive as I can
00:40:04
have you ever had anxiety
00:40:07
probably but
00:40:10
how I am I don't let it
00:40:13
get to me as much
00:40:15
like I'd say
00:40:16
the loan spells when when I'm on loan
00:40:20
I'm in a room on my own there's been
00:40:22
times I've just literally sat there and
00:40:24
about the TV on just just sat there I'm
00:40:27
just like
00:40:28
chilling and just looking to thin air
00:40:30
and just
00:40:31
thinking about things
00:40:36
but I've never
00:40:38
actually I'd never like let nobody know
00:40:41
how I'm feeling because how I am as a
00:40:44
person
00:40:46
I feel like it it eats away at me but
00:40:50
I'm just always a smiley one
00:40:52
always like I asked people at Brent for
00:40:55
now on the Drake I'm making sure
00:40:57
everyone's fine these kind of things
00:41:00
I think that's my kind of way of
00:41:02
beating my
00:41:04
emotions
00:41:05
um if I see this person happy for me
00:41:07
doing that then it kind of brings me up
00:41:10
to make me happy kind of thing
00:41:13
did you did you not speak to anyone like
00:41:15
a professional about about this stuff
00:41:16
because I always think when we bottle up
00:41:18
our emotions it's not like they go away
00:41:20
it's like almost like they they eat us
00:41:23
up from inside and they they come out in
00:41:24
other ways like you were saying
00:41:25
snappiness or whatever or
00:41:27
you know
00:41:29
surely there's someone around you that
00:41:30
said you need to see someone yeah that's
00:41:32
yeah there was but as well me being
00:41:34
stubborn is kind of like nah I'm fine
00:41:37
it's fine like I'll be right next
00:41:40
tomorrow I'll be right later I'll be
00:41:42
right next week
00:41:44
I feel like I can speak to anyone in my
00:41:46
family but like my stomach is just don't
00:41:49
allow me to
00:41:52
I think a lot of men can relate to that
00:41:54
you know yeah 100 I feel like
00:41:58
that
00:42:01
personally
00:42:04
in May 20 26th uh you did a famous tweet
00:42:07
do you know that's what I'm talking
00:42:09
about yeah I'll speak soon with no
00:42:12
filter
00:42:14
you ready to speak
00:42:16
um
00:42:18
what did that tweet mean
00:42:20
that was just speak on everything really
00:42:22
but obviously when I've done that they
00:42:25
went crazy and then
00:42:27
I think my family just said listen you
00:42:29
don't need to talk
00:42:30
just
00:42:32
when you get on a pitch
00:42:33
that if you do the talking
00:42:36
but what's up damage is done you can't
00:42:38
talk and
00:42:39
it's not gonna help no situation if
00:42:42
anything could not damage my reputation
00:42:45
or my career but
00:42:47
just make people think
00:42:50
not that I care what people think is
00:42:51
just could put in the words that who do
00:42:54
you think he is that kind of thing but
00:42:56
it doesn't benefit no parties what
00:42:58
headspace were you and when you tweeted
00:42:59
that probably a reckless one really yeah
00:43:01
how are you feeling
00:43:04
thinking
00:43:07
I don't care attitude
00:43:09
I'd say
00:43:12
kind of a defense mechanism against
00:43:14
pretty much yeah against everybody
00:43:16
like even like little things like
00:43:20
for the whole situation not not like my
00:43:23
friends my friends my friends the one I
00:43:25
sit with better people I chill with all
00:43:27
the time but it's even that one that
00:43:29
goes
00:43:30
I don't know if it's just me thinking
00:43:32
side of things but it's like when I go
00:43:33
certain places like maybe some people
00:43:35
don't want to be associated with me in a
00:43:38
certain way of
00:43:39
obviously because the media kind of
00:43:41
thing and it's kind of like
00:43:43
not killing that image but it's kind of
00:43:45
like you're doing this guy he's a match
00:43:47
fixer his match fixing football the the
00:43:52
I'm not even like I remember at the time
00:43:55
when there was allegations
00:43:58
I wanted to go to a restaurant and I was
00:44:00
like
00:44:01
no you can't uh we're not taking you
00:44:04
the restaurant a restaurant I was like
00:44:07
what do you mean
00:44:08
that's ours because the allegations
00:44:10
we're not allowing you in or something
00:44:12
like this
00:44:15
I was actually so confused
00:44:17
I was thinking for starters it's
00:44:18
allegations
00:44:20
and secondly your restaurant how can you
00:44:22
not let somebody introduce a bad press
00:44:24
That's Why They Call It Bad press
00:44:26
I was just baffled and even to like
00:44:31
my car insurance
00:44:34
they wouldn't insult me due to
00:44:37
the whole scandal
00:44:39
I was just like a car insurance they
00:44:42
don't want me on their books because
00:44:45
which was baffling
00:44:48
I read through the the whole
00:44:51
um fa report many many pages I think it
00:44:54
was like 25 2500 pages I have it here
00:44:56
just to understand the case better just
00:44:58
so I made sure I didn't make any errors
00:45:00
in my observations but there's no I
00:45:03
think there's actually a line in there
00:45:04
where the commissions say they
00:45:07
um didn't believe you were doing any
00:45:08
match fixing
00:45:10
it was far from match fixing yeah I
00:45:12
wrote that down in my in my notes that
00:45:14
um
00:45:15
They concluded that you hadn't been
00:45:17
match fixing or anything like that in
00:45:19
the report
00:45:20
um so that that allegation from whoever
00:45:22
said that the restaurant or whatever
00:45:24
um doesn't seem to have a basis in the
00:45:26
report at all I'm sure there was certain
00:45:29
articles on saying match fixing as well
00:45:31
which is that's probably the media for
00:45:34
you making it a big
00:45:36
talking point
00:45:38
when the fa first Contact you and
00:45:41
and they ask they make a request for
00:45:42
information don't they so they want to
00:45:44
know more information this is dating
00:45:46
back to 2022 I believe
00:45:49
when you get that first Contact
00:45:52
how does that feel like your dad or your
00:45:54
agent must have told you that the fa
00:45:56
have been in touch well they wanted
00:45:58
information from as far back as 2015.
00:46:03
so it's kind of like
00:46:06
well I haven't got that uh
00:46:09
I had back then to give you information
00:46:12
but I wanted to cooperate how I can to
00:46:15
let you investigate what you want to
00:46:17
investigate
00:46:18
and when I was when I the club actually
00:46:20
pulled me into a room and they spoke to
00:46:22
me and said they're faving in touch with
00:46:24
you match fixing this and that
00:46:27
they want to speak to you and I said
00:46:30
okay this is Brentford yeah that's okay
00:46:32
no problem like
00:46:34
then he is that have you done any bits
00:46:38
whilst whilst you've been at Brentford
00:46:39
and have you been betting on football
00:46:43
and I was like no I haven't I haven't
00:46:46
done no
00:46:47
bets are fixing fixing football match
00:46:50
fixing football like he's like okay well
00:46:52
therefore I want to speak to you
00:46:54
don't delete nothing on your phone
00:46:55
because there's a system like they said
00:46:59
they can get like old messages or
00:47:00
whatever they said I said no problem I'm
00:47:04
not I'm not doing nothing
00:47:05
if they can go through what they want to
00:47:07
go through
00:47:08
and then they called you in for an
00:47:10
interview in May 2022. yeah and they ask
00:47:13
you all these questions again about what
00:47:15
you've been involved in
00:47:16
with betting Etc yeah and they asked me
00:47:20
certain things happen like I said
00:47:23
seven eight years ago
00:47:25
onto the top of my head
00:47:27
so much information in front of me at
00:47:29
one time
00:47:30
it's kind of like as you can't remember
00:47:32
I can't remember and there's
00:47:34
I think I was in there for like what
00:47:36
five hours
00:47:37
five hours yeah
00:47:39
but at that time you you maintained to
00:47:41
them that you're not betting on football
00:47:42
yeah and I was I wasn't aware what what
00:47:46
that was what I was trying to get
00:47:48
you acknowledged later on that you you
00:47:50
basically lied in that meeting with the
00:47:52
fa I didn't lie I just couldn't really
00:47:54
remember what what they was asking for
00:47:56
at the time I couldn't remember until
00:47:57
they brought certain things in front of
00:47:59
me and it was kind of like okay he's
00:48:01
talking about my memory and we
00:48:03
like I said I cooperate with everything
00:48:04
they wanted to do and we kind of
00:48:07
spoke on it and then I told him the
00:48:08
truth about everything one of the things
00:48:10
people might find surprising is they
00:48:12
they asked for your they asked for your
00:48:13
mobile phones and stuff and then they
00:48:15
like image your mobile phones to check
00:48:16
like all the messages you've sent to
00:48:18
people
00:48:19
going back a long time on the on these
00:48:22
phones to find out everything you've
00:48:23
been said and also as you said they they
00:48:25
ask you not to delete any messages which
00:48:27
you didn't from from what the commission
00:48:29
said
00:48:30
um
00:48:31
but how does that feel when the fa asks
00:48:33
for your mobile phone and they you know
00:48:35
they're going to scan it
00:48:36
for everything it doesn't feel yeah it's
00:48:38
just kind of like
00:48:40
it's your privacy and they're like
00:48:42
invading it it's kind of like
00:48:45
I've got certain pitch on there I won't
00:48:47
want them to see like these kind of
00:48:49
things so it's
00:48:51
pretty much like you have to go with
00:48:53
what they're saying otherwise I feel
00:48:55
like I think you get a longer band for
00:48:58
not cooperating or something like this
00:48:59
so what what can I do yes you want to
00:49:03
take my phone take my phone and all your
00:49:05
bank statements as well they also your
00:49:07
bank statements which you handed over as
00:49:09
well yeah
00:49:10
um
00:49:11
you hand it over I believe multiple
00:49:13
phones no just one phone oh just the one
00:49:15
yeah I thought there was a there was
00:49:17
some they said that was another phone
00:49:18
but that wasn't that much fun I had that
00:49:22
as well and then eventually you admit to
00:49:23
232 breaches of their rules and their
00:49:26
favorite E8
00:49:28
um
00:49:29
which is betting over five seasons from
00:49:31
25th of February 2017 debating up until
00:49:35
January 21.
00:49:39
yes and
00:49:42
like I said there was people saying I
00:49:44
was match fixing but none of it was
00:49:45
match fixing it was just like I said
00:49:48
before I was betting myself to school
00:49:49
first
00:49:51
from
00:49:52
I think this was a while back
00:49:54
and it's kind of like that's not
00:49:58
like I'm not trying to not try and I'm
00:50:01
still trying to do the right thing it's
00:50:02
not like I'm
00:50:04
smashing someone and getting a yellow
00:50:05
card here then everywhere
00:50:07
yeah and the report actually does say
00:50:09
that it says that you weren't you
00:50:10
weren't this the commission said that
00:50:12
you weren't match fixing which is a
00:50:14
completely different completely
00:50:15
different thing yeah they're making bets
00:50:17
on like games that you're either you're
00:50:19
playing in on yourself to school all
00:50:21
betting on the team when you're not in
00:50:22
the team which is what from what I read
00:50:24
which is what what happened gambling and
00:50:27
generally when did that start in your
00:50:28
life when did you start first gambling
00:50:32
um I think it's just kind of like as
00:50:33
you're young it's like a little flutter
00:50:36
they call it like you're in like the
00:50:38
fair arcade kind of thing just
00:50:40
trying to win a little change or
00:50:41
something or these kind of things so I'd
00:50:42
say like
00:50:44
around 15
00:50:48
or 15 and such
00:50:52
and it and it got progressively worse
00:50:55
yeah I'd say the more money you get the
00:50:57
more
00:50:58
the higher the seats go
00:51:00
that's kind of like
00:51:03
oh if I lose this it's fine this is
00:51:05
coming next month
00:51:07
was did you not realize you know
00:51:08
throughout those sort of five years when
00:51:10
you were betting a lot 232 breaches that
00:51:13
your relationship with betting was
00:51:15
unhealthy I think on the on the 200 and
00:51:18
was it for 82 breaches like that was
00:51:20
there was some bets in there that
00:51:23
ladder record making that that but I was
00:51:27
willing to take responsibility just to
00:51:28
get the process
00:51:30
all over and done with because having
00:51:32
that hovering over me and trying to
00:51:34
concentrate my career is not is not the
00:51:36
best feeling far from the best feeling
00:51:37
and then Adam I've done well to finish
00:51:39
on
00:51:40
20 goals if that hanging over me but
00:51:43
in terms of
00:51:45
thinking do you have a problem it's kind
00:51:48
of like you don't think of
00:51:50
if I lose this this is gonna happen
00:51:53
so it's like oh once I won this this
00:51:56
this and this can happen
00:51:58
you never think of the negatives you'd
00:52:00
always think of the positives
00:52:03
and being on the money I was on
00:52:06
which affords a lot of time and it's
00:52:08
kind of like
00:52:09
it's fine I'll get there in the back end
00:52:10
of the month
00:52:12
oh that's coming back this and this
00:52:13
month oh he owes me this it's fine
00:52:16
what impact was it having on your life
00:52:18
betting
00:52:20
um
00:52:23
I feel like
00:52:26
it was just the impact it would have it
00:52:29
was just waiting for payday right that
00:52:32
might happen through the month she
00:52:33
weren't prepared it
00:52:35
but you could spend your wage and then
00:52:36
wait for payday spend your wage wait for
00:52:39
payday yeah well I'd pay and sort
00:52:41
everything I need to pay for first and
00:52:43
then it's like I got this play with do
00:52:45
that it's fine
00:52:47
but it'll come soon
00:52:48
so it wasn't it wasn't like
00:52:51
spend this money I should be giving here
00:52:53
or paying on this you took care of your
00:52:55
I took care of what needed to be careful
00:52:57
and
00:52:58
my head is kind of like my money is my
00:53:01
money for I couldn't spend it how I
00:53:03
wanna and
00:53:06
yeah pretty much pretty much like that
00:53:07
I've made my money
00:53:10
it's up to me I want to spend it
00:53:14
one of the one of the things that was
00:53:15
quite surprising is bets against bets
00:53:17
for your team to lose when you weren't
00:53:19
playing in the team
00:53:21
the you you must you knew bedding was
00:53:23
wrong right like you knew that as a
00:53:24
footballer you weren't allowed to bet
00:53:26
my knowledge of
00:53:29
not my knowledge of betting on football
00:53:31
though I don't think I recall once
00:53:34
somebody coming and just giving
00:53:36
a talk on their experience but not you
00:53:40
can't bet on football
00:53:41
so it wasn't like I shouldn't be better
00:53:43
than this shouldn't be bad on that and I
00:53:45
feel like I think the best that on my
00:53:48
team to lose when I'm not playing I
00:53:51
think a few of the majority of those
00:53:52
were
00:53:54
within the bets that I know
00:53:56
about a person I think I didn't didn't
00:53:58
do but I still took responsibility
00:54:00
of them for them so the whole process
00:54:04
could
00:54:05
get cleared up and you um you don't know
00:54:07
about some of these bets you're saying
00:54:09
because you did them through somebody
00:54:10
else yeah because and you did them
00:54:12
through somebody else because you you
00:54:14
knew you weren't allowed to right it
00:54:15
wasn't through that I didn't knew I
00:54:16
wasn't allowed to is that I didn't see
00:54:18
what I didn't want my parents seeing
00:54:20
while I'm doing my money
00:54:23
this was a point of contention in the
00:54:24
documents the fa said you know he's
00:54:26
betting through somebody because he
00:54:28
didn't want he didn't want the fa to
00:54:30
find out you're saying you you bet
00:54:32
through somebody else because your
00:54:33
parents the male was going to the house
00:54:35
and you didn't want them opening up the
00:54:36
post and seeing it yeah that's right
00:54:38
essentially
00:54:39
that was a point I mean the commission
00:54:41
go go their own way on that
00:54:44
um and then okay so moving on from that
00:54:46
there's there's all these aggravating
00:54:48
factors in the in the document
00:54:50
um was he aware of the rules I think you
00:54:53
eventually admitted that you were aware
00:54:54
of the rules in terms of not being able
00:54:56
to bet on football
00:54:58
um
00:55:00
going back to the days I think at
00:55:02
Northampton I think was it Northampton
00:55:04
um one of your previous chat I think
00:55:06
your previous chairman at the football
00:55:07
club was thrown out because of a betting
00:55:10
Scandal and then you have a relative in
00:55:12
your life that was also
00:55:13
issued with a breach of the fa rules for
00:55:17
betting in 2007 as well so they can
00:55:18
commission concluded that you were aware
00:55:20
of the rules and that you couldn't bet
00:55:22
but you sort of counteract that by
00:55:23
saying you didn't have I think it was it
00:55:25
was kind of a gray area right but I
00:55:27
think there was a time where
00:55:28
like I said the the clubs I've been at
00:55:32
they were like beginning of every season
00:55:34
though I feel like they'd have somebody
00:55:36
come in but not actually tell you what
00:55:38
you can and what you can't bet on what
00:55:39
would that person say just like this is
00:55:41
its experiences on betting like he'd
00:55:43
come in and say this is uh and then I've
00:55:47
lost this much I've gone through this so
00:55:51
when if you think about Ben don't do it
00:55:54
so it wasn't like you can't be banned on
00:55:56
football or you can't be betting on yeah
00:55:58
you can't be better on football it was
00:56:00
just his experiences of going through a
00:56:02
gambling stage
00:56:04
because uh so so you didn't know you
00:56:07
could you couldn't bet as a player no I
00:56:09
think it was a gray area something like
00:56:11
you'd hear you can you hit it you can't
00:56:14
and then there's certain things you say
00:56:16
you can't bet on like
00:56:19
I feel like it was a gray area
00:56:21
and you admitted in the second
00:56:23
aggravating factors about knowing
00:56:24
knowing whether you basically missing to
00:56:27
whether you were betting or not and in
00:56:28
the interview with the commission during
00:56:31
the process you said that you had lied
00:56:33
early on by saying I don't vote on
00:56:35
football in an earlier interview
00:56:38
um but you know that was one of the
00:56:40
first interviews you had and you had
00:56:42
responded I didn't burn football and
00:56:43
yeah that that wasn't accurate yeah that
00:56:45
was when obviously they threw everything
00:56:46
got me I thought if I was just deny it
00:56:48
then it's it's all fine I wouldn't find
00:56:50
nothing but then
00:56:53
went through and then
00:56:56
yeah I'd meet uh
00:56:58
I'm admitted to what Adam
00:57:00
in the fa the fourth average rate in
00:57:03
fact was whether the player sought to
00:57:04
conceal his identity when he set up his
00:57:05
own betting account 2017 the commission
00:57:08
um didn't accept the fa submission there
00:57:10
they didn't they didn't believe that
00:57:12
you'd concealed it in that regard
00:57:14
um whether the player deleted messages
00:57:15
issue number five commission concluded
00:57:18
that there wasn't evidence that you
00:57:19
deleted any messages
00:57:21
they they I was accused of dilemma's
00:57:23
yeah that's right yeah by the fa but the
00:57:25
commission said that they didn't have
00:57:27
substantial evidence for that yeah
00:57:30
um kind of just I was told not to and
00:57:32
you didn't delete nothing from the club
00:57:34
the commission couldn't find any
00:57:36
evidence that you had deleted anything
00:57:37
so
00:57:39
um and then the phone issue we've talked
00:57:40
about already the last issue was around
00:57:42
whether you had a gambling addiction and
00:57:45
they brought out a psychologist called
00:57:46
Dr Philip hopley who looked you did
00:57:49
interviews with you
00:57:51
um he's a highly qualified and
00:57:52
experienced psychiatric expert according
00:57:54
to the commission and he interviewed you
00:57:56
on two occasions and he formed a clear
00:57:58
opinion that you had a gambling
00:58:00
addiction
00:58:01
and accordingly the commission accepted
00:58:03
the findings of the doctor on this issue
00:58:06
and that's part of the reason that you
00:58:07
were given a more lenient sentence
00:58:09
um because Dr hopley said that you had
00:58:12
an impulsive uh compulsive disorder
00:58:18
yeah was that the first time you'd heard
00:58:20
of gambling addiction
00:58:21
yeah through this process this tribunal
00:58:24
yeah because I feel like
00:58:28
it wouldn't be in me to bring myself
00:58:30
forward to
00:58:31
speak to one of these people
00:58:34
to see if I did have one
00:58:38
so it's kind of like like I said my
00:58:40
stubbornness comes comes into play on
00:58:42
this one it's kind of like
00:58:43
no fine I can stop when I want to stop
00:58:47
did he expect someone explain to you a
00:58:50
gambling addiction is since then
00:58:53
a little bit yeah we did speak with us
00:58:57
how to play on on around around one
00:59:00
addiction is but
00:59:01
it's kind of like
00:59:03
you don't allow
00:59:05
yourself to believe it
00:59:07
like I feel like it's gonna stop doing
00:59:10
something I feel like people think in
00:59:12
the head I can stop with one but not not
00:59:15
knowing
00:59:16
deep down you probably can't could you
00:59:18
have stopped
00:59:21
probably
00:59:24
yeah it's it's I feel like it's
00:59:29
50 50. you could have stopped but I feel
00:59:32
like a thrill on it is kind of like
00:59:34
what keeps you going
00:59:36
because the fa though sort of
00:59:37
counterpointed that was that there was
00:59:39
periods where you you didn't you didn't
00:59:41
gamble so they would they were saying
00:59:43
that to the commission that you know
00:59:44
it's not gambling addiction because
00:59:45
there's parts of his journey where he's
00:59:47
not gambling or he's betting on other
00:59:48
things for example
00:59:50
um
00:59:51
do you still gamble now
00:59:53
no anything no any betting at all across
00:59:57
any not
00:59:58
has that required therapy or any sort of
01:00:01
professional support I think it's kind
01:00:03
of
01:00:05
being in the public eye if I was
01:00:09
to be like going into these places and
01:00:11
these kind of things
01:00:13
I think it's more the embarrassment
01:00:15
those eyes still continue
01:00:17
this kind of thing
01:00:20
so I I wouldn't allow myself and
01:00:24
like you look back you I feel like he's
01:00:27
sit take a back seat and look up
01:00:30
all the money you've lost and what you
01:00:32
could have went on and what and
01:00:34
especially now having people to provide
01:00:36
for it's kind of like
01:00:38
you can't be spending that money on this
01:00:40
it can go to to here or
01:00:43
like just manage your money bro our luck
01:00:45
of things and how I look at me off I see
01:00:48
that as
01:00:50
being naive
01:00:53
we don't really get much information do
01:00:55
we uh growing up about gambling
01:00:57
well really it had it like how to spend
01:01:00
our money or tax especially I think
01:01:02
about you guys as like young you know 20
01:01:03
year olds that I just you know playing
01:01:05
football and then you become
01:01:07
millionaires because you're good at it
01:01:08
it's kind of different for like my
01:01:10
Pursuit because like building a business
01:01:11
you have to see a focus your Finance
01:01:13
people around you you have controls
01:01:15
budgets forecasts P L's all this stuff
01:01:17
so you know you're surrounded by like
01:01:20
money minds and brains around you when
01:01:22
you're building a business but being a
01:01:23
young 20 year old millionaire who I'm
01:01:27
presuming nobody gave you Financial
01:01:28
education
01:01:31
no it's kind of like you said yeah being
01:01:33
having that much money at tender age
01:01:35
it's kind of like
01:01:37
what do I do with it
01:01:39
and
01:01:41
I'm not a family that comes from money
01:01:42
so it's not like my parents could
01:01:45
help me a lot with that but they they
01:01:48
would have their say on certain things
01:01:49
but it's like
01:01:51
you kind of have to
01:01:53
try and just manage it yourself
01:01:55
and just
01:01:57
assume doing this is the right thing
01:01:59
you don't know what you don't know
01:02:00
pretty much
01:02:03
the bit of this case that I that I was I
01:02:06
was I found difficult is that using
01:02:09
someone else to do the best because for
01:02:11
me that's that points to like in that he
01:02:13
did know I think that's what people
01:02:14
would think they'd look at that again of
01:02:15
course 100 conceal it because I'm
01:02:17
thinking your mom your mom and dad ain't
01:02:19
opened your post at 27 years old like my
01:02:21
mum ain't gonna open my post no this was
01:02:22
it was when I was away
01:02:24
yeah so I know my post did go to my
01:02:28
parents and I feel like of course your
01:02:30
parents want to be
01:02:32
knowing what's going on if you're
01:02:33
getting this letter through that's
01:02:34
you're not paying this or
01:02:37
like like I said seeing what you're
01:02:38
spending your money on and I feel like
01:02:40
because we're a tight family my mom
01:02:42
would worry about that
01:02:44
and there was actually times where she's
01:02:46
opened it and she's kind of said certain
01:02:48
things about it
01:02:51
and the fa had highlighted text message
01:02:53
you'd sent me you said to give me I
01:02:54
can't have that one in my name
01:02:57
what was the app I gambled on on your
01:02:58
phone this time from text messages that
01:02:59
they'd found that's the bit that I
01:03:01
struggled with was I was like I wasn't
01:03:03
sure that but this chapter of your life
01:03:06
has clearly been
01:03:07
a big learning moment 100 I feel like
01:03:12
looking back on
01:03:14
what I've done what I changed some bits
01:03:16
probably but
01:03:18
is what it is and the man I'm now
01:03:21
continuing forward is kind of but it's
01:03:23
different to what I was before do you
01:03:26
take like when we think about
01:03:27
responsibility for our actions what's
01:03:30
what what responsibility do you take for
01:03:32
all of this where you say listen
01:03:34
this is this is what I take
01:03:35
responsibility for here
01:03:37
um and this is also like
01:03:40
going back to a question I asked earlier
01:03:42
about like what do you wish someone had
01:03:44
had said you
01:03:46
when you first did that I don't know
01:03:47
those those bets five five six seven
01:03:49
years ago
01:03:50
um what's the responsibility you take
01:03:52
and what's the what's the lesson you've
01:03:54
taken from this process I think the
01:03:56
responsibility I'd take was yeah I was
01:03:58
betting on myself to the school first
01:04:00
which
01:04:01
now you I know you shouldn't be doing
01:04:03
which I take responsibility and I'll
01:04:04
take
01:04:05
full responsibility for the punishment
01:04:07
I'm getting now so uh it was it would be
01:04:10
kind of a lack
01:04:12
and why I tell my younger self around
01:04:15
them kind of times it's like
01:04:17
manage your money but don't get mixed in
01:04:19
there wrong crowd I say and just just
01:04:22
don't follow fashion
01:04:24
of your own of your own mindset uh mind
01:04:27
frame on
01:04:28
what you should and should be doing or
01:04:30
if you don't know look more into it and
01:04:33
if that's what you really want to do
01:04:34
look more into it and what you can and
01:04:36
can and can't do
01:04:38
it's interesting because when they were
01:04:39
deliberating your your punishment one of
01:04:42
the things that came to mind is
01:04:44
perception and what it would the
01:04:47
perception it would send to the rest of
01:04:48
the the game
01:04:51
um
01:04:52
do you think they they made an example
01:04:53
of you
01:04:55
I feel so yeah
01:04:57
do you think that's right
01:05:00
I can't I don't think it's right now but
01:05:02
because you're a high profile Premier
01:05:03
League player obviously if if you get
01:05:05
away with doing something like this this
01:05:07
could other players lower levels could
01:05:09
also emulate it so they've got an
01:05:11
opportunity here to send a message 100
01:05:12
100 and I feel like a lot of people
01:05:16
think that in terms of
01:05:19
if no disrespects are lower leagues but
01:05:21
if I was well actually we actually did
01:05:23
look at some cases that was somewhat
01:05:25
similar someone worse
01:05:27
and their punishment wasn't
01:05:29
like how mine is
01:05:31
I think the fact that's the opportunity
01:05:33
the fact that I'm playing in the Premier
01:05:35
League doing well
01:05:37
snifferon England
01:05:39
kind of like right it's our chance to
01:05:41
punish him then people know this is kind
01:05:44
of
01:05:45
the punishment you're looking at if you
01:05:46
want to do
01:05:48
why don't it's funny because I was
01:05:50
actually surprised to read that in the
01:05:51
the
01:05:52
um the analysis section of this document
01:05:54
where it says the perception of the
01:05:56
impact of football betting on the
01:05:57
Integrity of the game is key a key
01:05:58
consideration when deciding on your
01:06:01
sanction
01:06:03
which does kind of suggest that they're
01:06:06
quite intentional in making sure that
01:06:07
they make an example of you
01:06:09
um thereabouts in their words
01:06:12
um and obviously you have a huge
01:06:13
position of influence so that's that's
01:06:15
key
01:06:16
um
01:06:17
and then they submit that the FAS
01:06:19
suggested that you get 12 months ban as
01:06:21
a suspension I believe and that was
01:06:24
their final sanction the commission
01:06:26
didn't accept that
01:06:28
um ordinarily the commission would have
01:06:31
imposed 50 15 months suspension had you
01:06:35
not pled guilty to the charges which
01:06:38
lowered your sanction and then also
01:06:39
you've got another
01:06:40
um reduction in the sanction because of
01:06:42
the findings from the Doctor Who found
01:06:44
that you had a gambling addiction which
01:06:46
brought your sentence down to eight
01:06:47
months
01:06:48
um and you'll find fifty thousand pounds
01:06:51
it's interesting because you know I'm a
01:06:53
huge football fan so I want to see you
01:06:54
play and I you're on such a role
01:06:57
Brentford are on such a role so like as
01:07:00
a football fan although you smashed
01:07:01
United last year like it was so it's so
01:07:04
good to see like a young black English
01:07:07
striker tearing up the game at his Peak
01:07:09
it's getting to see you out of the game
01:07:11
it is
01:07:13
and I feel like like how I am a lot of
01:07:15
people know how I stay this is this is
01:07:18
nothing I I know for a fact I'll come
01:07:20
back stronger than this I'm better than
01:07:22
I was before like this is gives me the
01:07:24
hunger against uh recharge and come back
01:07:28
on on another another level like like I
01:07:31
said before earlier
01:07:33
no time to dwell on things no time to
01:07:36
dwell on things and it's like
01:07:38
just when that first game comes and I
01:07:41
can play then
01:07:43
it's not a ball game
01:07:45
it's on
01:07:46
when you found out you you suspended for
01:07:49
eight months
01:07:53
how did that feel what's that like
01:07:55
um because you know you're in the peak
01:07:57
of your powers right now right yeah I
01:07:59
know it's it's painful but
01:08:02
I feel like the hard part isn't kind of
01:08:04
not
01:08:05
because right now I'll be playing
01:08:08
football matches and I kind of be around
01:08:12
the players and not the football ground
01:08:13
and things like this and it's kind of
01:08:14
like
01:08:15
okay that's what you want to do punish
01:08:17
me from there but
01:08:19
I thought I'd keep me away from the
01:08:20
ground if I wasn't as strong as I was
01:08:23
in my head that would break some people
01:08:25
and then we talk about mental health and
01:08:27
all these kind of things and what's that
01:08:30
kind of doing to
01:08:31
a player that's not allowed in the
01:08:33
environment even though you can't play
01:08:35
games but keeping away from the training
01:08:37
ground
01:08:38
knowing football's their life and that's
01:08:40
all they've done from such a young age
01:08:42
how is that going to help them
01:08:45
at all
01:08:48
yeah this is I completely agree with you
01:08:50
I think I think the sanction itself is
01:08:54
important because it does send a message
01:08:55
and I agree with that but the bit that I
01:08:57
just struggle with is the can't train at
01:09:00
the club and we know as you you point
01:09:03
out there like
01:09:04
mental health keeping active is such an
01:09:06
important thing especially if you've
01:09:07
been playing football since you're a kid
01:09:08
and it's your purpose it's what you know
01:09:12
um so psychologically and physically
01:09:13
there's a a real strong case to keep
01:09:16
your keep you active and I've seen a lot
01:09:18
of people have their say on this a lot
01:09:19
of people think you know you could have
01:09:21
trained at the ground and then use that
01:09:22
time to educate young players on on
01:09:24
gambling that would have been useful but
01:09:26
to keep you out of the club not allow
01:09:28
you to train and to kind of push you out
01:09:30
on your own it seems doesn't feel like
01:09:33
it's smart it doesn't it doesn't add up
01:09:36
with what
01:09:37
the things they push forward like
01:09:41
like we say the old football Community
01:09:43
is on big on Mental Health then the fa
01:09:46
go and do this and like
01:09:48
push me away from like my the whole
01:09:51
football environment like by all means
01:09:53
it's not
01:09:54
a place where I want people to feel
01:09:56
sorry for me like that's the last thing
01:09:58
that's the last thing I want and me as a
01:10:00
person people that know me with no
01:10:02
that's not what one thing I'm trying to
01:10:04
achieve but so that says what if
01:10:06
somebody that's not as strong as me in
01:10:08
their head
01:10:10
happens to be going through this kind of
01:10:12
situation and that punishment is not
01:10:13
allowed at the training ground
01:10:15
like that would break them like right
01:10:18
now I've been not been around a training
01:10:20
ground it does hurt me but I just know
01:10:22
when I'm at the training ground train
01:10:24
harder be ready for the the game when I
01:10:27
can play
01:10:28
but it's
01:10:30
yeah it's like I said it's not a nice
01:10:33
feeling and the whole purpose of
01:10:35
not being allowed at the training ground
01:10:37
is
01:10:38
it's baffling to me but you have hard
01:10:40
days
01:10:41
still
01:10:42
yeah yeah yeah I feel like everybody has
01:10:45
others I mean like with through this
01:10:47
process has there been days where like
01:10:49
you're ups and your downs and difficult
01:10:50
days where you start you have low
01:10:52
moments because you are away from
01:10:53
football the Press is on top of you
01:10:56
yeah I feel like I've a hard Hours hard
01:11:01
two hours kind of things like in the
01:11:02
mornings
01:11:04
I'd wake up like ah come yesterday
01:11:06
but
01:11:08
getting a song active when you're there
01:11:10
working
01:11:11
it's kind of like oh yeah as much as you
01:11:14
don't want to do it
01:11:15
you've seen the long run that that time
01:11:17
I didn't want to get up I didn't want to
01:11:19
do on uh
01:11:21
put the work in it's paying off now
01:11:24
whereas if I'm
01:11:26
saying all tomorrow
01:11:27
and then tomorrow comes I'll do it next
01:11:29
day
01:11:30
so you're still training yeah yeah still
01:11:32
keeping fit still doing my own thing
01:11:34
welcome to personal trainer yeah
01:11:36
personal trainer which is which is good
01:11:38
and it's not like a lenient one this one
01:11:40
one that pushes me so
01:11:43
I feel like I'm not got it good but I've
01:11:45
got the best people around me to
01:11:48
keep me fit and keep me going and like I
01:11:51
said my family is key
01:11:53
my family is the one that's what the
01:11:55
other people that's helping me going as
01:11:58
well and especially my children
01:12:01
you're you're a mummy's boy yeah
01:12:03
sometimes in these moments it's it's
01:12:06
difficult for us but it's harder to
01:12:07
watch the impact has on our family right
01:12:10
yeah 100 I feel like
01:12:13
like even when the whole thing was it
01:12:16
was like
01:12:17
those allegations and the people like
01:12:19
going into my mum's work and just saying
01:12:22
certain things and
01:12:23
I'd be at a petrol station they scream
01:12:27
certain things and I'll be with my
01:12:29
family and my children
01:12:30
and people just be like shouting dumb
01:12:33
things out
01:12:35
just like oh you pointed like certain
01:12:39
things that are you put the tenor on
01:12:40
today's game or these kind of things or
01:12:42
just silly image all things and how I am
01:12:46
I'm kind of hot-headed
01:12:48
but especially when families are
01:12:50
involved and my children are around it's
01:12:51
kind of like
01:12:56
it's hard for me not to want to say
01:12:58
something called do something cool these
01:13:00
kind of things
01:13:02
it's like going through that period
01:13:06
right it's hard and people that you
01:13:08
wouldn't normally speak to or my parents
01:13:10
or
01:13:11
family wouldn't normally speak to that'd
01:13:14
pop up and just be like oh something
01:13:16
Reviving
01:13:17
so it's when the bad things come along
01:13:18
how you want to talk and find out what's
01:13:21
going on
01:13:22
whereas when I'm screwing goals or
01:13:24
getting big for England you don't really
01:13:26
want to say too much
01:13:28
but
01:13:29
that's life and that's how people are
01:13:31
and we don't miss them
01:13:33
we see them we see the evil eyes so it's
01:13:38
has this process been um has it
01:13:40
illuminated
01:13:42
um things for you in certain areas of
01:13:43
your life certain people and some people
01:13:45
that their View and stuff you know
01:13:47
because I haven't even thinking about
01:13:48
the gaffer Thomas Frank he's come to
01:13:50
your defense multiple times
01:13:52
talking about how he disagrees with the
01:13:54
way that it's been handled the sanctions
01:13:57
and he thinks that you should be able to
01:13:59
train with the team and
01:14:01
um be out there educating young kids etc
01:14:03
etc he disagrees with the the decision
01:14:05
that the commission made not just soon
01:14:06
so uh get out of Southgate as well he
01:14:09
did talk support yeah yeah I know I
01:14:11
spoke to him as well
01:14:13
but how does that feel then what does
01:14:15
that mean to you it feels good knowing
01:14:16
I've got
01:14:18
um then behind me obviously the England
01:14:20
manager and my club manager backing me
01:14:22
100
01:14:24
it feels good and it gives me a bit of
01:14:26
extra strength
01:14:27
to
01:14:28
make sure when I'm back
01:14:30
I'm firing
01:14:32
and
01:14:34
it gives me that bit of
01:14:36
hunger
01:14:38
not that I'm lacking it but I feel like
01:14:40
the extra boost I feel like okay it's on
01:14:43
one on back kind of thing
01:14:45
and the club standing by you in such a
01:14:47
way
01:14:48
has that kind of cemented your loyalty a
01:14:50
little bit to Brentford
01:14:52
yeah I feel like like I said earlier I
01:14:54
want a manager in a club to like really
01:14:56
want me and put their arm around me and
01:14:57
I feel like throughout the whole
01:14:58
situation
01:14:59
have done that
01:15:01
you know even even the players as well
01:15:03
you know I spoke to loads of them
01:15:06
they don't agree with it but it is what
01:15:09
it is
01:15:10
and and your mum yeah she's that one is
01:15:15
like going back to the Tweet when I said
01:15:16
when I put that tweet up
01:15:18
she's the first person to write me a
01:15:20
message me and said listen
01:15:21
he doesn't need to do nothing
01:15:23
just don't do no more please I've been
01:15:26
saying how she's been sick for she feels
01:15:28
sick in her stomach for an hour long
01:15:30
throughout the whole situation
01:15:33
and putting out there she's just
01:15:35
thinking it's gonna
01:15:37
damage me
01:15:39
damage her and damage the family and
01:15:41
things like this so I just thought okay
01:15:43
let me just do the talk of my feet and
01:15:46
when I'm back
01:15:47
get get the family
01:15:50
well they're not smiling but happy happy
01:15:52
again and
01:15:54
I'm sure they can't well they can't wait
01:15:55
to see the
01:15:57
there's some back on the pitch screen
01:15:58
goes
01:16:00
does she does it mean the most to you to
01:16:01
make her happy and to make her feel good
01:16:04
all my family yeah
01:16:06
I feel like
01:16:08
she always just texts me randomly and
01:16:10
she's like she was I don't want to
01:16:12
bother you sometimes I just check on
01:16:14
what I've seen on WhatsApp to wait for
01:16:16
you to come online to know your okay and
01:16:18
alive and well and
01:16:20
that's just that's how my mom is like
01:16:23
maybe sometimes like my mum she knows
01:16:25
and she does she calls me random times
01:16:28
it'd be 12 at night it would be early
01:16:31
doors just checking in I was fine I love
01:16:34
you so much this and that
01:16:36
that's our favorite one checking to see
01:16:39
if I'm online on WhatsApp bro with him
01:16:41
pestering me in our eyes but
01:16:43
so
01:16:44
I think
01:16:46
making them happy and making them smile
01:16:49
as well
01:16:50
is what gives me the filter do well
01:16:53
the Brentford fanbase
01:16:55
yeah strong massive as well yeah
01:17:00
where I go I'll get I get love from The
01:17:02
Breakfast fun so
01:17:04
[Music]
01:17:06
what's your uh you're gonna get back to
01:17:08
football and uh you've you I can feel
01:17:10
you've got a certain fire inside you
01:17:13
yep
01:17:15
I think
01:17:18
I just not that I need to prove anybody
01:17:21
wrong but there's a lot of haters and
01:17:24
doubles out there thinking
01:17:26
you're gonna be saying that when he
01:17:27
comes back
01:17:29
actually they're right I'm gonna be a
01:17:31
different man and even better than that
01:17:32
that guy that scored Them Girls before
01:17:34
so how'd you know
01:17:36
because Mom I'm built different
01:17:39
my mentality is different
01:17:41
I'm not one of these I could have been a
01:17:43
great player
01:17:44
hadn't he done this
01:17:46
I'm I'm gonna go beyond that
01:17:50
honest
01:17:52
like I said not a point to prove but
01:17:54
point to proves to myself
01:17:57
how would you ensure that happens like
01:17:58
what is it that because I think about
01:17:59
controllables what is it that you can
01:18:01
control to make sure that you come back
01:18:03
even an even better player is it just
01:18:04
training harder is it what is it that
01:18:06
you're it's training harder but in my
01:18:08
head every time I step on a pitch I'm
01:18:10
thinking in my head I'm gonna score
01:18:12
today
01:18:12
I'm going to school when a chance comes
01:18:15
I'm gonna score
01:18:16
because in the game you your bands get a
01:18:19
chance that you should be scoring
01:18:21
so in my head now thinking right when I
01:18:24
do play and I do get that chance that I
01:18:26
should be scoring it has to be a goal so
01:18:28
it's going to be a goal well if it's not
01:18:30
next won't be a goal
01:18:32
or if it's not it will be
01:18:35
I'll be two goals
01:18:38
you know Brentford is a fantastic team I
01:18:41
think of all the teams in the Premier
01:18:42
League if we talk about admiration I
01:18:44
really admire Brighton at the moment but
01:18:46
Brentford I absolutely think our
01:18:48
brilliant brilliant team really ton of
01:18:50
admiration for them
01:18:51
um there's a lot of people that are
01:18:52
obviously linking you to other clubs and
01:18:55
saying oh is he gonna join this
01:18:56
Manchester United all of that
01:18:59
how do you receive all of that you know
01:19:01
all these links to because everyone's
01:19:02
looking for a striker Strikers are like
01:19:03
the hardest to find goal scorers in the
01:19:05
Premier League you've got Harlan you've
01:19:07
got Kane he's gone now now you're
01:19:09
technically the second best Striker
01:19:11
that's currently in the league on paper
01:19:13
so you know these big clubs are going to
01:19:14
come knocking they're going to say you
01:19:16
know Chelsea's got [ __ ] unlimited
01:19:17
money over here
01:19:18
united we need a striker how do you
01:19:21
receive all of that
01:19:22
I mean like from Young and like I said I
01:19:25
don't let this
01:19:26
all affect me obviously Ariel going on
01:19:29
in the background but my job is to keep
01:19:31
training well when I get the chance in
01:19:34
the games to keep scoring and doing well
01:19:36
but I think everybody wants to play at
01:19:39
the top of the tree and not that
01:19:40
Bradford aren't there
01:19:42
but
01:19:43
I feel like playing for a big Club
01:19:45
fighting for trophies and these kind of
01:19:47
things everybody wants to do and if
01:19:49
the chance was to come along
01:19:51
I think I'd be silly not uh not to look
01:19:54
more into it but
01:19:57
I feel like yeah and the manager knows
01:19:59
that
01:20:01
I want to be playing at the highest
01:20:03
possible level level possible
01:20:05
and whenever that time comes then
01:20:09
this would be it but I can't think of my
01:20:12
time at brentford's been
01:20:15
been good be probably one of the best
01:20:17
times in my career and that's a special
01:20:19
club like they just got something they
01:20:21
got a culture there which is super
01:20:22
special so you know that culture you
01:20:25
describe will get the best out of you as
01:20:26
a player for sure so it's like great
01:20:29
talent great culture equals great
01:20:31
results it's like one plus one equals
01:20:32
three
01:20:34
yeah now yeah I like the next Club I go
01:20:37
to if I was to move it would be like
01:20:40
the rat club
01:20:42
when you say the right Club you're not
01:20:43
talking about Liverpool are you I heard
01:20:45
you're a Liverpool fan yeah a Liverpool
01:20:47
fan a Liverpool fan I feel you've been a
01:20:49
Liverpool fan your whole life
01:20:50
yeah I've been living for my whole life
01:20:52
but from Young
01:20:54
I liked I've liked Arsenal I like
01:20:57
watching Arsenal from how they play and
01:20:59
the kind of how passionate fans are
01:21:04
but yeah level fan level boy at heart
01:21:06
and so Liverpool at heart love how
01:21:09
Arsenal play love their style their
01:21:12
anything about Manchester United I like
01:21:14
I like Barbershop when he was there okay
01:21:16
I liked watching United a lot when both
01:21:19
offers it so thank you but we do
01:21:21
actually need a striker so I've actually
01:21:23
got a contract here that Eric and
01:21:25
Richard Arnold would have given me soon
01:21:27
imagine
01:21:29
now listen I hope you um I I just want
01:21:33
to see you back playing again because I
01:21:34
think I think it's a it's a gift to the
01:21:36
Premier League your talent and also when
01:21:37
I look at your story
01:21:39
you didn't have a straight line that a
01:21:40
lot of people have in football you went
01:21:42
up down up down up down up down and you
01:21:44
persevered because the talent is
01:21:46
you can't argue with it you can't argue
01:21:49
with the talent and so this whole
01:21:51
gambling section of your life
01:21:54
um it's a bit of a blip in there so I
01:21:56
heard all you've overcome and you've
01:21:58
taken taken your your punishment
01:22:00
um you move on from that you admit
01:22:02
responsibility
01:22:04
yeah yeah
01:22:06
um
01:22:07
and so now it becomes the backup again
01:22:09
about the football
01:22:10
yeah like you said the Journey's been
01:22:12
it's been wild it's been crazy and if if
01:22:15
I was to read a book on
01:22:17
myself
01:22:19
I'd say this guy's done a lot I've been
01:22:21
through a lot and
01:22:23
he's still fighting and it's still
01:22:25
climbing to the top of the tree like
01:22:27
how's he managing with that with
01:22:28
everything that's going on what's the
01:22:30
goal
01:22:31
you know if I if we if we have this
01:22:34
conversation again at the end of your
01:22:35
career and we sit down here and we go
01:22:37
man and you go damn that was a
01:22:39
successful career Steve what happened
01:22:42
I want to be playing for England and
01:22:44
scoring goals
01:22:45
I don't want to be
01:22:47
I played England a couple times
01:22:50
I want to be
01:22:52
the main man
01:22:54
Wherever I Go
01:22:55
and and Finland oh no we got Harry Kane
01:22:59
days
01:23:00
probably one of the best strikers in the
01:23:01
world if not the best
01:23:03
so and that's what I'm up against
01:23:06
so I need to get to that level
01:23:10
so it's just six
01:23:12
working hard and keep fighting a little
01:23:16
Euros around the corner as well yeah and
01:23:18
that's another
01:23:19
it's another place I want to get to
01:23:21
which I do believe that
01:23:23
in my head I'm right I'm ready to get to
01:23:25
you so
01:23:26
and at Club level what are your
01:23:28
Ambitions there in football
01:23:30
um win the win win trophies win some
01:23:33
silverware
01:23:34
I feel like
01:23:37
I feel like I want to play for
01:23:41
the highest highest level possible
01:23:43
playful with
01:23:46
playful Club that's I'm loved that not
01:23:49
just one of
01:23:53
but I feel like
01:23:55
like with all my moves I've not just
01:23:57
gone to a club before whatever or money
01:23:59
or whatever I've gone it's been the
01:24:01
right step for me
01:24:03
and I've achieved something every year
01:24:06
every year I've just got better and
01:24:07
better
01:24:09
you wanna win the Premier League one day
01:24:11
that's that's the aim that's the M I
01:24:13
wanna win the World Cup also
01:24:16
on a win trophies that's like
01:24:18
wow
01:24:20
I'm being from where
01:24:22
I'm from
01:24:23
Northampton not many
01:24:26
people can achieve them things or be
01:24:28
like yeah
01:24:30
he's been at the World Cup he's won the
01:24:31
World Cup yeah I know even then that
01:24:34
my mom still lives in the same house
01:24:36
really yeah she doesn't want to move she
01:24:39
likes being down
01:24:41
people will run there be like yeah I
01:24:43
have his mom lives there I do that now
01:24:45
but it'd be more of achievement
01:24:48
and I've won something like that and
01:24:50
like yeah I'm his mum's there Ivan comes
01:24:52
there all the time
01:24:54
I think that's kind of
01:24:56
kind of how we are oh I am and you can
01:25:00
see like my mom's she doesn't want to
01:25:01
move into some big house she feels safe
01:25:04
and comfy
01:25:05
at the house where she's at and that
01:25:07
shows that I have another no choice put
01:25:10
to be grounded and you have three kids
01:25:12
as well yeah three little boys do you
01:25:14
think about them do you think about what
01:25:16
the Legacy you want to leave that
01:25:17
they're going to grow up and learn about
01:25:19
does that cross your mind a lot yeah
01:25:21
yeah it does
01:25:23
I want to leave Alexi that they don't
01:25:25
have no pressure on their shoulders to
01:25:28
walk into
01:25:30
I just wanted to whether there is a
01:25:32
football or whatever industry they look
01:25:33
to go into which obviously I would want
01:25:35
to say is football
01:25:38
but whatever whatever they do want them
01:25:40
to be successful and be like
01:25:42
be strong like my chosen
01:25:45
I feel like that I'd want them I do want
01:25:48
them to have the same upbringing I had
01:25:49
like I wouldn't put into that private
01:25:52
school under these things because I
01:25:53
don't want to just give them everything
01:25:55
I wanted to
01:25:56
have to work for certain things
01:25:59
what advice would you give them about
01:26:00
how to how to navigate say they uh they
01:26:03
do go into football all three of them
01:26:05
and they say they come to you one day
01:26:06
they say Dad listen I've just got a call
01:26:08
from the biggest club in the world
01:26:09
Manchester United and
01:26:12
I'm gonna I'm gonna accept it go go to
01:26:14
Manchester playing to Eric
01:26:16
um I need some advice dad
01:26:18
I'm you know I'm on my way tomorrow what
01:26:21
advice can you give me Dad how the
01:26:23
mentality as you're the best player on
01:26:24
the pitch
01:26:25
you might not be
01:26:27
but having that mentality will help you
01:26:29
play Bell
01:26:32
and just have the hunger
01:26:35
you haven't got the hunger or the drive
01:26:37
you'll step behind already
01:26:40
I'd say like also
01:26:43
attitude is key
01:26:46
good I'll get you a long way
01:26:48
not just in football or work in life
01:26:52
quick one I discovered a product which
01:26:55
has changed my life called Eight sleep
01:26:57
and I'm so proud to say today that I had
01:26:58
a chat with the founder of the brand and
01:27:00
they are now a podcast sponsor and one
01:27:02
of the things I've come to learn on this
01:27:03
podcast from speaking with Sleep Experts
01:27:04
like Matthew Walker is how important
01:27:06
temperature is when it comes to sleep
01:27:09
the temperature of your room the
01:27:11
temperature of your bed and also one of
01:27:13
the big insights I had from speaking to
01:27:15
some experts was that the temperature of
01:27:17
the room should fluctuate throughout the
01:27:20
night as you move through different
01:27:22
stages of sleep so when you first get
01:27:24
into bed it should be quite cool in bed
01:27:26
it should then get a little bit cooler
01:27:28
and then the temperature should increase
01:27:30
near the end and that is a reflection of
01:27:32
what would have happened in nature once
01:27:34
upon a time you've probably come to
01:27:36
learn that I have sponsors on this
01:27:38
podcast that I use and products that I
01:27:40
love my sponsors should be a reflection
01:27:42
of the conversations I'm having but also
01:27:45
a reflection of what I'm using in my
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life so to celebrate them being a new
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podcast sponsor I always want to get a
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discount for you guys and I've got one
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01:28:04
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your pod cover send me a DM and let me
01:28:08
know how you get on a quick word on huel
01:28:10
as you know they're a sponsor of this
01:28:12
podcast and I'm an investor in the
01:28:13
company one of the things I've never
01:28:15
really explained is how I came to have a
01:28:16
relationship with huel one day in the
01:28:18
office many years ago a guy walked past
01:28:20
called Michael and he was wearing a
01:28:22
heeled t-shirt and I was really
01:28:24
compelled by the logo I just thought
01:28:25
from a design aesthetic point of view it
01:28:27
was really interesting and I asked him
01:28:29
what that word meant and why he was
01:28:30
wearing that T-shirt and he said it's
01:28:32
this brand called heal and they make
01:28:34
food that is nutritionally complete and
01:28:36
very very convenient and has the planet
01:28:38
in mind and he the next day dropped off
01:28:41
a little bottle of fuel on my desk and
01:28:43
from that day onwards I completely got
01:28:45
it because I'm someone that cares
01:28:47
tremendously about having a
01:28:48
nutritionally complete diet but
01:28:50
sometimes because of the way my life is
01:28:52
that falls by the wayside so if there
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was a really convenient reliable
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trustworthy way for me to be
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nutritionally complete in an affordable
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way I was all ears especially if it's a
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way that is conscious of the planet give
01:29:04
it a chance give it a shot let me know
01:29:06
what you think
01:29:07
you know we needed this this tweet the
01:29:09
famous tweet I'll speak soon with no
01:29:11
filter I understand that I came from a
01:29:12
place of anger like a bit defensive
01:29:14
whatever mood settles your mom text you
01:29:16
you're like okay maybe this is not gonna
01:29:18
help the situation there was a lot you
01:29:21
wanted to say right you wanted to talk
01:29:22
specifically about the allegations
01:29:23
you've decided now from what you're
01:29:25
saying that it's not worth it for you to
01:29:26
like go in and dispute things and say
01:29:28
this that the other's not true but was
01:29:30
there anything that you do want to say
01:29:31
to like the football Community or just
01:29:33
to the world generally as a message when
01:29:35
you tweet that like outside of like the
01:29:37
stuff where we're like a bit bitter and
01:29:39
hurt because everything that's going on
01:29:40
and people are attacking you whatever is
01:29:42
there anything else you wanted to say
01:29:43
because I just want to give you a chance
01:29:44
just uh
01:29:47
um
01:29:49
not really like you said that most of it
01:29:51
come from anger and it's kind of like
01:29:52
everybody's against me kind of thing
01:29:54
but with that it's kind of like I was
01:29:57
more worried on people like
01:30:00
thinking how I am
01:30:02
how I am as a person
01:30:05
like what they read and what they hear
01:30:07
rather than how I actually am but the
01:30:11
the people around me friends family the
01:30:15
only people I should be worried about
01:30:15
they know how I am
01:30:17
why don't it's expensive Bob down the
01:30:20
road how I actually am I probably never
01:30:22
gonna see him again so it doesn't matter
01:30:24
that why am I explaining that why am I
01:30:26
going out
01:30:27
there to give it like a back and forth
01:30:30
like
01:30:32
I don't need to do that and it doesn't
01:30:33
benefit me it just benefits him and
01:30:36
trying to get more reaction from me
01:30:40
so
01:30:42
like you said it definitely was out of
01:30:44
our anger anger kind of moment it's kind
01:30:47
of like all right let me say distant let
01:30:49
me say that not knowing
01:30:51
it's not gonna affect it could it could
01:30:53
have
01:30:55
so it's not
01:30:56
I don't need to try and prove nobody
01:30:58
wrong or prove nobody right it's just
01:31:03
focus on myself
01:31:04
family and
01:31:07
do I do best which is playing well and
01:31:10
scoring goals speaking with your feet
01:31:12
correct
01:31:14
I did want to talk to you about one last
01:31:15
thing you did a tweet as well about a DM
01:31:17
someone sent you yeah
01:31:20
um someone had dm'd you calling you a
01:31:22
black c word
01:31:25
um and you posted the Tweet
01:31:27
um subsequently you stopped taking the
01:31:29
knee during at the start of Premier
01:31:31
League games and such
01:31:32
racism and football
01:31:35
do you do you still receive racial abuse
01:31:37
um still today yeah you do if I was to
01:31:40
post everything I've received that's
01:31:43
been racist
01:31:45
I'd have easily
01:31:48
around 100 messages
01:31:51
easy just real off there there there has
01:31:54
that increased since the sanctions were
01:31:57
made against you from the commission
01:32:00
no because I feel like
01:32:03
most of it's just been rubbish that I
01:32:05
get a lot of people are saying but I
01:32:07
feel like most of it's from playing a
01:32:09
game and
01:32:10
someone's bet on you or you haven't
01:32:13
scored and then they come on come for
01:32:15
you for like these kind of things or
01:32:17
the fantasy league yeah football league
01:32:20
that you don't get enough points and
01:32:21
they'll come at you like this or
01:32:23
your score to lose that but also just
01:32:26
things like this why don't you stop
01:32:28
taking the knee
01:32:29
because I feel like it's it's a certain
01:32:31
gesture it's not really it's lost its
01:32:33
purpose
01:32:35
and like you can see like before games
01:32:37
like people like run off without half of
01:32:40
the knee forgot about it like the
01:32:42
purpose isn't there no more I don't
01:32:44
think that's doing nothing in the game
01:32:45
to help stop
01:32:47
these kind of things from happening
01:32:51
more needs to be done for sure for sure
01:32:53
100 all over the world not just in the
01:32:55
UK but we obviously saw what happened to
01:32:57
veniscus Jr as well in the in the La
01:32:59
Liga
01:33:00
um and it does does feel like
01:33:03
if there was harsher action taken then a
01:33:05
lot of this stuff wouldn't be happening
01:33:07
even from the platforms and also from
01:33:09
the police
01:33:10
um
01:33:12
you know yeah the most most well some of
01:33:14
them
01:33:15
are from abroad and it's kind of like
01:33:17
it's not in the UK they can't do nothing
01:33:19
about it
01:33:21
and I'm like okay so what you just keep
01:33:24
sending from
01:33:25
wherever
01:33:27
but yes we can't do nothing it's not
01:33:30
it's not us
01:33:31
okay so it's fine then basically you're
01:33:33
saying it's fine yeah it's like what'd
01:33:36
you do
01:33:38
yeah I feel like
01:33:41
it's lost his purpose personally anyway
01:33:43
and I feel like it's kind of like
01:33:44
puppets that people at the top were kind
01:33:46
of like
01:33:48
let's try this well let's do this keep
01:33:50
people quiet for a bit
01:33:52
just do that and
01:33:54
be trying
01:33:57
it's not trying
01:33:58
you're counting down the days now yeah
01:34:01
that is the um it's like really good at
01:34:03
Christmas yeah
01:34:04
what kind of day counting down the days
01:34:06
or too often trying to be around the
01:34:08
boys because like
01:34:09
being in football prison at the moment
01:34:13
when I rounded boys I think it won't get
01:34:16
easier but it'll get a little bit easier
01:34:18
but not
01:34:20
the same was like you train a whole week
01:34:22
hard at the end of the week it's not
01:34:24
like
01:34:25
and go on a reward you're not playing a
01:34:28
match
01:34:29
and then is it January you can play yeah
01:34:31
January the 17th you can train again I
01:34:33
can't play with matches oh you can play
01:34:34
matches yes 17 for September
01:34:37
I can train so
01:34:39
oh September you can train in September
01:34:41
I can train yeah okay being a club
01:34:43
around the boys okay I say not long yeah
01:34:45
not long not long less than a month yeah
01:34:47
it feels like ages or and then you can
01:34:49
play in January that's going to be a
01:34:51
very big game a lot of people are going
01:34:52
to be watching that yeah do you feel
01:34:54
pressure no I know I I I thrive off
01:34:58
pressure when it's like he surely he
01:35:01
can't do that he's not gonna be able to
01:35:02
do it
01:35:04
and that's what the the pressure was
01:35:07
I was spoken about after the playoff
01:35:09
final
01:35:10
I'm gonna go the penalty
01:35:12
after the game it was like you must have
01:35:15
been scared like if you missed you
01:35:16
probably could have like
01:35:18
you could probably could have lost it
01:35:19
massive I was thinking no I can't wait
01:35:23
like I knew four facts I was going up
01:35:25
anyway 100
01:35:28
because it was the pressure
01:35:30
and like the reward after it gives you a
01:35:33
bigger chance to jump into Premier
01:35:34
League
01:35:36
and more money for family so
01:35:40
are you trying to prove people right or
01:35:42
trying to prove people wrong what
01:35:44
matters more to you uh
01:35:47
proving people wrong so I can have a
01:35:49
little bigger yeah I like that I like
01:35:52
when I see certain certain tweets and
01:35:55
then when I do something I come back to
01:35:56
it and just like
01:35:58
a little comment and dig at the person
01:35:59
and there's just lots of words
01:36:02
you're right you win you've been taking
01:36:05
names throughout this process just like
01:36:06
this pundit said this this person I mean
01:36:09
there's loads of pundits I say loads of
01:36:11
things it's all opinions but
01:36:13
when I come back school enough I'm sure
01:36:15
they'll
01:36:16
go back into the bush and back pedal on
01:36:18
what they say
01:36:21
ladies and gentlemen I'm interrupting
01:36:23
this broadcast with a very special
01:36:24
announcement two years ago I started
01:36:26
writing a book based on everything I've
01:36:27
learned from doing this podcast and
01:36:29
meeting all of the incredible people
01:36:30
that have had the privilege of meeting
01:36:31
but also from my career in business from
01:36:33
running my marketing businesses my
01:36:35
software business my investment fund and
01:36:37
everything else that I've been doing in
01:36:38
business and life and from this I've
01:36:40
created a brand new book called The
01:36:42
Diary of a CEO the 33 laws for business
01:36:45
and life if you want to build something
01:36:47
great all become great yourself like the
01:36:50
guests that I've sat here and
01:36:51
interviewed I ask you please please
01:36:54
please read these 33 laws the book I
01:36:58
always should have written if you like
01:37:00
this podcast this book is for you and it
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is available now in the description of
01:37:06
this podcast below and every single day
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until it's out later this month one
01:37:10
person that pre-orders it that takes a
01:37:12
picture of their pre-order uploads it to
01:37:14
their story on Instagram or social media
01:37:15
and tags me will win a Gold version of
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this book signed by me and there's only
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33 copies of those available
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so pre-order it now tag me on social
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01:37:29
and 33 if you're going to win a very
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we have a closing tradition on this
01:37:35
podcast where the last guest leaves a
01:37:36
question for the next guest not knowing
01:37:37
who they're going to leave it for sure
01:37:39
so they wrote a question for you here in
01:37:41
this diary
01:37:42
the question been left for you is
01:37:45
when have you most
01:37:48
had to face your fears
01:37:53
Poppy the bun
01:37:57
because
01:37:59
I think loads of things going through
01:38:00
your head it's like
01:38:02
like I said if I'm having football at
01:38:04
such a young age
01:38:06
not knowing if there's loads of things
01:38:08
that God for your head like what
01:38:11
how are you going to cope with things
01:38:13
like at the time I was kind of like
01:38:15
not wary I feel like I'm a confident
01:38:18
person but going out in certain places
01:38:20
the topic is gonna be about the whole
01:38:23
Scandal that's going on
01:38:24
people gonna talk about it but I'm with
01:38:26
me it's like do they want to talk about
01:38:28
it they're thinking do I want to talk
01:38:30
about it
01:38:31
um not scared in a way but it's kind of
01:38:33
like it's an awkward kind of meeting
01:38:37
kind of thing but yeah it's an elephant
01:38:40
in the room yeah yeah yeah and then it
01:38:41
comes to the point where it's like well
01:38:43
they'll say something like oh I bet you
01:38:45
can't do that and it's kind of like oh
01:38:46
that kind of thing but I'm like yeah
01:38:49
what's done it's done like you could
01:38:51
talk about it
01:38:51
then I talk about it then I mean it's
01:38:54
cleared so I feel like
01:38:56
not knowing what people thinking about
01:38:58
you not people not knowing what people
01:39:00
want to kind of talk to you
01:39:03
not knowing if you're going to be fit
01:39:05
when you come back or
01:39:06
not knowing what you're going to do you
01:39:09
whilst you're off at loads of things
01:39:11
going to your head and it's like it
01:39:13
hasn't crossed your mind you might like
01:39:14
lose your form or something
01:39:16
that that actually did yeah it did at
01:39:18
the time but like I know I can get
01:39:22
myself and go swimming uh positions so I
01:39:24
don't feel like
01:39:26
that that would be such a big issue but
01:39:28
it does cross your mind like whatever
01:39:32
the school within the first five games
01:39:34
six games
01:39:35
you're gonna think that the world's
01:39:37
ending kind of thing but yeah I think
01:39:39
that was the fear of these kind of
01:39:41
things not knowing what's next kind of
01:39:43
thing and as the days have passed it's
01:39:45
got easier right
01:39:46
it's got easy in ways but it's got
01:39:47
harder and like oh okay
01:39:50
easier than like too long around the
01:39:53
boys and that's kind of like my head's
01:39:56
fine now I'm at the club
01:39:58
doing what I do best and enjoy but then
01:40:01
it's kind of like
01:40:02
at the end of the week I can't play
01:40:03
games whilst uh the game was kind of
01:40:06
like
01:40:07
it's like torture watching yeah he's
01:40:09
torture like I hate watching games not
01:40:11
when I should be on the pitch
01:40:14
do you think you deserve the punishment
01:40:16
you got
01:40:19
um I mean
01:40:22
if that's what the rules are
01:40:24
then so be it that's the punishment I
01:40:26
should have got but yeah looking on the
01:40:28
other cases
01:40:30
and the fact that they were
01:40:32
lower leagues
01:40:35
it's kind of like
01:40:36
why did he get that and I got this
01:40:39
is it because he's there and I'm here
01:40:42
but now I feel like
01:40:45
if this is a punishment for doing what
01:40:46
I've done to make that make sure the
01:40:48
next person gets that make sure next
01:40:50
person gets that like make it all fair
01:40:52
fair and correct
01:40:55
what
01:40:56
I think it was fair but
01:40:59
it is what it is
01:41:01
I can't
01:41:03
see
01:41:04
I can't change nothing now I can't
01:41:07
that's not put me focuses on
01:41:11
if it's fair or not that isn't help no
01:41:15
situations yeah I think it's possible to
01:41:16
take responsibility for your actions I
01:41:19
did that but also to think that it was
01:41:22
unfair because they I think maybe
01:41:24
rightly so they are they are making
01:41:25
making an example of you because those
01:41:27
lower league players that would never
01:41:28
send a message would it of course so
01:41:31
with the big wages and the big status
01:41:33
and the popularity and all the upsides
01:41:35
comes this other thing which is like
01:41:38
bigger sanctions bigger publicity bigger
01:41:40
it's more of a talking point and more
01:41:42
and more of a story but and I'll tell
01:41:44
you what you go out there and you start
01:41:46
bagging goals
01:41:48
yeah ain't nobody gonna be talking about
01:41:49
oh anything else that's that's another
01:41:51
reason I want to be scoring goals so
01:41:54
four things right and that people talk
01:41:56
about my goal scoring rather than
01:41:59
rubbish past
01:42:02
I think you I think you're gonna I think
01:42:04
you're gonna go back to Brentford and I
01:42:06
think you're gonna [ __ ] tear it up
01:42:08
um because I sense a real deep Drive in
01:42:10
you that I've not seen in many people
01:42:13
um a real sense of like self-belief and
01:42:15
conviction even what you're saying about
01:42:16
the penalties there like I played at
01:42:17
soccer Aid and they came over to me and
01:42:19
asked me if I wanted a panel you know
01:42:22
I went to the back of the group I swear
01:42:25
of that so hard this year I played this
01:42:26
year I got injured before the game at
01:42:27
Old Trafford but I played in training
01:42:29
and we had to do a penalty issue out
01:42:31
Potch was the manager and um I just said
01:42:33
to myself Steve Stafford and take one
01:42:34
and this was to decide who got which
01:42:36
dressing room I took one I scored it and
01:42:37
then the next day I pulled my pulled my
01:42:39
hamstring got the grade three tear but I
01:42:41
was proud of myself for stepping up and
01:42:42
doing it yeah
01:42:44
I think if you have in your head I'm
01:42:47
gonna do this you have a better chance
01:42:49
of thinking
01:42:52
what is this there's no point thinking
01:42:54
that I even was yeah back is 100 like it
01:42:57
was
01:42:58
Strikers I've played with especially
01:43:00
strikes I play with now
01:43:02
because he's I'll say I'll say his name
01:43:05
Brian good because he knows he's like my
01:43:07
little brother
01:43:08
I said something like
01:43:10
when he missed a chance he gets so angry
01:43:12
with himself saying bro it's fine you
01:43:15
you're not a robot you can miss chances
01:43:18
when the next chance comes you'll score
01:43:20
and he he's he's got a lot better at
01:43:22
that and he's been scoring so
01:43:25
I think just
01:43:26
don't dwell on things but you've got a
01:43:29
big trunk coming up January yes and I
01:43:31
hope you score oh I know I I know I know
01:43:34
I know I do well and like I said this is
01:43:37
just another hard one
01:43:39
my bumpy road but
01:43:41
it's all good it could be worse
01:43:44
Ivan thank you thank you for um thank
01:43:46
you for the time thank you for the
01:43:48
inspiration you've given me
01:43:50
um I feel like I understand you
01:43:52
feel like I understand you and listen we
01:43:54
all make mistakes in life I think it's
01:43:55
really important we've all made mistakes
01:43:57
having so many mistakes I think it's
01:43:59
yours are obviously more publicly
01:44:00
broadcast because of who you are and
01:44:01
you're at the top of the game you're the
01:44:02
peak of your powers but um I think it's
01:44:05
important as you've said that you you
01:44:07
take responsibility for it you move on
01:44:09
and you let the football do the talking
01:44:10
and I think that's exactly exactly what
01:44:13
you have done and that's what um I'm
01:44:15
really excited to see from you going
01:44:16
forward as I said because you're special
01:44:19
you've got a very special talent you've
01:44:21
got a very special mentality and a very
01:44:23
special talent to match it and uh
01:44:26
we can't let that go to waste so we need
01:44:28
to it will go to waste for sure some of
01:44:31
the people around me
01:44:32
they won't allow it to go toys so
01:44:35
good
01:44:36
thank you so much for your time bro
01:44:37
means a lot to me that you um came here
01:44:39
and spoke to me and uh I'm a big fan and
01:44:41
I really do hope you end up at
01:44:42
Manchester United one day
01:44:44
thanks for having me thanks thanks it's
01:44:47
been good it's been good to talk through
01:44:48
things and
01:44:50
maybe this can help the next person if
01:44:53
there was to think twice on doing side
01:44:54
of things or
01:44:56
maybe to open up about sort of thing so
01:44:58
yes
01:44:59
probably it's probably easiest good
01:45:01
effects off me like I said
01:45:05
quick one you guys know that for years
01:45:08
now my office is quite literally been
01:45:10
everywhere on a plane in the back of my
01:45:12
car in a terminal in an airport or on a
01:45:15
train you name it I've probably worked
01:45:17
there ever since I started my first
01:45:18
business at 19 years old I've been
01:45:20
working on the move all I need is Wi-Fi
01:45:23
a desk and my headphones and I'm set and
01:45:26
one of the places that has always had my
01:45:28
back when I'm struggling to find an
01:45:30
office is wework I've been using wework
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London Manhattan or La wework is easy it
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[Music]
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foreign
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[Music]
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[Music]
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foreign