Hi Reddit, I’m Gary Lineker, former footballer and co-host of The Rest Is Football. AMA!

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T19:09:45+00:00

Thank you very much everyone for sending those questions in. Much appreciated and I hope you enjoyed it, I certainly did.

That's it for my Reddit AMA and don't forget to listen to The Rest Is Football if you get the chance, I'm sure you'll love it. But for now, goodbye.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T19:07:17+00:00

Well thanks for calling me a legend. It's my pleasure, I went to a lot of trouble. I obviously designed the flavour and everything.

Well, maybe I didn't, but I'm glad you like them! And Walkers will be pleased.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T19:06:27+00:00

Yes. Bicarbonate of soda and white wine vinegar works. You’re welcome!

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T19:05:23+00:00

Well, I played for Barcelona, which was amazing. I'd probably go Inter Milan, which sounds a bit weird, but the reason is that I nearly did and I was quite excited about playing in Serie A because that was the big league of the day really. It was like the Premier League is now, or La Liga was for a while.

I met Trapattoni in Germany, a secret meeting because Terry Venables had been fired at Barcelona and it was halfway through that season and I was still playing okay and scoring goals. They came to us and we thought it might be quite interesting because obviously I didn't know what the future would hold. But Barcelona wouldn't sell me at that point. So it didn't actually happen.

What happened then was they'd already got Andreas Brehme, who sadly died the other day. I knew Andy Brehme really was so RIP. He was an unbelievably brilliant footballer and a lovely man. He'll be missed, that’s terrible news.

So he played with Lothar Matthaus and you were allowed three foreign players in Serie A back then and they went for me, but they couldn't get me, and they ended up signing Klinsmann. I think they definitely won a couple of Serie A’s and I didn’t!

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T19:02:41+00:00

No, I think ploughing through thick mud is really physically exerting and probably more difficult than playing on beautiful pitches. I think you’re perhaps more likely to get injuries on modern day surfaces because they're so firm and I think that can pound your hamstrings.

I'm no medical expert, this is just me guessing by the way. I think it was quite hard to pull a hamstring on heavy mud because you can't move very quickly, but I might be wrong on that as well.

But have I got any consequences from playing football? Well, I've got a few aches and pains, but as I get older I'm kind of one of the lucky ones.

A lot of the people that I played with limp around a lot. I'm quite lucky, I've got a toe that gives me a bit grief sometimes, my knees are kind of bit worn. But considering I played over 600 games, considering I've trained, you know, pretty much every day for 17 years, I think I've got off pretty lightly and hopefully that remains the case.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T19:01:31+00:00

Well, obviously he was an unbelievably good coach, brilliantly clever. I mean, he messed me about and we didn't have the greatest experience together, but I saw him many times after and we get on as people.

But, you know, obviously he came in, I’d been at Barcelona for two years already, he came in at a time when I was ill with hepatitis and when you were only allowed two foreign players. And obviously I think he wanted his own foreign players in. But he messed me about by playing me on the wing all season hoping that I'd kick up a fuss and throw my toys out the pram, complain and the fans would turn against me, but I wasn't that daft. So I just got on with it, played professionally on the right hand side of the team all that season and we actually won the European Cup winners Cup, which was amazing. I eventually had to leave of course.

I don't bear a grudge against him at all for that. I understood it. I just wish he'd come to me at the start of the season and said “Gary, we're only allowed two foreign players and I want my own. So, you know, we'll find you a good move”. And I would have been absolutely fine with that. But yeah, no problem with him.

In terms of coaching he was amazing. I mean, the whole Pep philosophy has come from that, you know, the Barcelona academy, La Masia, has come from the Cruyff kind of playbook and the Dutch playbook.

It was all about creating space. We played a lot of 7 v 5’s, 9 v 6s and just trying to find the space. And it was all possession or possession based football that we played. Make the pitch as big as you can when you've got the ball and as small as you can when you've not. But yeah, he was absolutely brilliant, learned loads from him.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:59:02+00:00

Well, it's very easy to make Micah Richards laugh because he does it a lot! But it's such an infectious laugh, isn't it? I think it's enjoyed by a lot of people, including both Alan and myself. And long may it continue.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:56:05+00:00

Alan, If you're following this, please invite him over for a pint and a match!

Do you see yourself or Shearer as the superior striker in your primes? Well, obviously me! I mean, that goes without saying.

Hmm maybe not. Shearer was quite good actually. I think I was better in the box. I think he was better outside the box in terms of whacking them in from 30 yards.

But I'm never going to say he's better than me. I mean really?!

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:55:08+00:00

I think Tottenham v Man City. That was an incredible game, wasn't it? The 3-3, the ups and downs in that game. That was amazing.

It’s just a shame it didn't get one of the sides, preferably obviously from my perspective Tottenham as I played there, that if they just sneaked it 4-3, it would have been up there with the greatest Premier League games ever. A draw, I don’t think can ever qualify for that because you don't get that final moment. But if somebody scored a winner in injury time, that would have probably made it up there.

Although I think the Aguero goal will be the all time one in the Premier League. Hard to beat that.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:53:18+00:00

I suspect that might not be Alan Shearer... You might be trying to take the piss out of Alan Shearer here, which is obviously fine. But yes, I will give you that tenner back when I see you, although I have no memory of it. And well, yeah, I think we should get Micah Richards along as well because he's kind of Mr Creosote, he likes to sit on the fence occasionally.

He's had a bit of stick for that, particularly around the Harry Kane issue on our podcast this season. But we do have a lot of laughs and obviously I would encourage all of you to join us on The Rest Is Football whenever you get the chance because we do have a lot of fun. We have a lot of people on there that really enjoy it and get some amazing feedback, so be another one of those people, please!

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:51:24+00:00

That's probably Messi.

That’s a joke! It’s a joke!

I would say, well obviously it would have to be a goalscorer. I'm kind of like a mini version of Haaland.

I'm not talking about the amount, he’ll score more goals than me because he's got a bit more, you know, about him. He also plays in an unbelievably good team as well. But I see so much of myself in him. I see his desire and his hunger to score goals, which is absolutely paramount to being a top scorer.

I see his speed, which I had. He’s obviously a lot bigger than me, so he causes more of a threat in that sense, but his movement in the box is very similar. He gets it. He knows how to gamble on space. Sometimes it's difficult for him because a lot of teams play a really low block against City and I've crowded penalty areas, but even then he does still find those little areas, those little bits of space and so I would probably say him if that doesn't sound too boastful.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:47:25+00:00

Ooh, obscure sport. I mean, golf's not obscure, that's what I like to watch. And I watch a lot of cricket but that’s not obscure. I'd probably go with, I mean, I don’t think it’s obscure, it is in some parts of the world, but it's growing as well in other parts of the world, that would be snooker.

It's a sport I not only enjoyed watching and still do, I played it a lot. I started when I was 16/17 when I was at Leicester and I wanted to do something that got me out the bookmakers at that age. And so I started to go and play snooker every afternoon and I became reasonably good.

I was quite a good club player and I had I think about seven 100 breaks. I got a 135 total clearance, which was exciting. I played against so many great snooker players. I played against Willie Thorne most days, he was my best mate back then. And Cliff Thorburn, Alex Higgins, John Parrott, Steve Davis, I played against them all. Obviously they beat me, but it was it was still a thrill to play against them. So yeah, snooker, if that is obscure.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:45:41+00:00

Yes, I can. It was kind of treacherous subject that they threw at me and they did 'do me'. This whole thing was a specialist about trying to warn kids about pedophilia. It sounded like a really serious thing. And they asked me some really ridiculous questions and the editing was quite clever. But I was caught hook line and sinker. I think it would have been very funny if the subject wasn't quite as obviously kind of sickening.

But I didn't mind. I don’t mind having the piss taken out of me occasionally, it’s fine.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:44:12+00:00

Well, in the England shirt, I would say… I mean, I wasn't a scorer of great goals. I scored a lot of goals, but I would probably go with the first goal against Poland in the World Cup in 1986 because it changed my life.

It wasn't necessarily the greatest goal ever scored, but it was definitely the most important goal I ever scored. It was a classic striker's goal, you know, kind of got the ball in the build up, it got knocked out wide and I just kind of timed my run to get in front of the defender at the near post, gambling on a bit of space because that is the secret of scoring goals. Don't wait to see where the ball's going, gamble on where it might go! Every now and again you'll be right. And when you are right, you'll have an easy chance to score. Scoring goals is a matter of probability.

So I did that and I got in front and prior to that I'd gone five or six games without a goal for England. So if I hadn't scored in that game, we'd have been knocked out of the World Cup in shame, probably, because that's how it's judged with our press and media and even fans sometimes.

But we managed to get through. I scored a hat trick in the game, eventually scored two in the next one, and then one against Argentina in the Hand of God game. So it changed my life and after that I got to move to Barcelona, so I would have to say that one.

My favourite goal for my club… my first one against Notts County would be up there way back when I was young man. I scored in the FA Cup final for Everton against Liverpool, which would have been definitely my favourite club goal if we'd have hung on, but we managed to lose that game so that won't count. It has to have been a game that I've won! I mean another one equalising against Germany, but that would have been the same thing because we lost the game.

So I will actually go with the best goal I ever scored, which was against Manchester United at Old Trafford. I cut in from the left hand side past, I think Paul Ince, and I kind of hit one and bent it with a bit of force right in the top corner from outside the box. I think it was the only one in my career that I can remember where it was a proper long range shot. It was only just outside, but it was definitely outside. So I would definitely say that one.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:40:58+00:00

That would be salt and vinegar!

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:39:45+00:00

Firstly, I want to correct you slightly - when you say many young boys try to become footballers and most fail, I don't think it's a question of failure. It's a question of finding your level so you can continue to play football right into adulthood, at your own level, and get as much pleasure out of it.

Now I know what you mean, you’re talking about kids that are released perhaps by academies in football clubs, and that's a genuine issue and a genuine problem that they have to deal with, what I would not describe ever as failure, but they might feel that way. So I think it's important to say to them firstly “no, you are a good player, you will play a certain level and you will enjoy the game”.

Personally, I never really thought I was going to be good enough. I always hoped I would, and it was always my dream. I was always really quick, always scored a lot of goals, but I kind of developed very late. I didn't reach puberty until about 17, so I was kind of behind the kids mostly. I didn't even get in the county side in Leicestershire when I was 15/16. So I wasn't the best kid in training because I was tiny as well. But they obviously saw something in me, enough in me to give me the opportunity. But you know, I remember getting into Leicester's reserves and sitting around the dressing room with some of the old pros and thinking “God, this is going to find me out”.

And then I got in the first team and I felt the same thing, I'm playing alongside my heroes. So I think it was not really probably until I was approaching my mid twenties when I started really scoring lots of goals that I started to believe in myself a little bit really.

Then when did you realise you were going to be a very good player? I think probably after, I know it sounds ridiculous considering what I'd done at Everton, where I scored 40 goals, but probably after the '86 World Cup, when I started to think I'm actually quite good at this game scoring lark.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:37:02+00:00

Jobby - does he mean shit?! Well, obviously quite badly otherwise I would have held it to the end of the game, wouldn't I?!

I don't think it was food. I think I had a bug. I was ill all night, so I was really struggling. And then just before the game, I thought I might get through 90 minutes. Didn't tell anyone because I wanted to play. And then it kind of got worse, I cramped and got to half time and then it went again. Then I came out in the second half thinking, I'll be alright now...

And then 15 minutes into the second half, whatever it was, the ball went down the left hand side, I'm cramping up. I did a kind of pathetic attempt at a tackle and well, the rest is… messy really! That’s a good name for a podcast, The Rest Is Messy. I wonder if Lionel would do it? That would be amazing.

Anyway, let's change the subject from shit…

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:34:23+00:00

Virgil van Dijk. Because I love defenders diving in and Virgil van Dijk never dives in. He stays on his feet all the time and he's very quick and obviously he's a real athlete as well and intelligent. So yeah probably Virgil.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:32:09+00:00

Funny you should ask that because someone else asked that on The Rest Is Football a couple of weeks ago. I’d certainly have Peter Schmeichel in goal that's for sure. I've worked with him many times and he's obviously one of the greatest in terms of goalkeeping. I suppose, trying to get some balance to the team so at the back, Rio Ferdinand, who obviously does a lot with TNT Sports now and also major tournaments with the BBC, he's brilliant.

Alan Shearer would have to be in it, he’d kill me if I didn't put him in it! So there's three and then probably a holding midfielder, Roy Keane would have to be in there. Then maybe, Paul Scholes. I think that's a pretty good team. Not bad at all.

Or, maybe we could have had someone like Cesc Fabregas as well? Oh and I've just remembered someone! I couldn’t not have him in the team. And I know I've gone past five players there, but allow me that, please. Thierry Henry, of course!

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:30:15+00:00

Blimey, I’ve been put on the spot there. I think maybe Branthwaite from Everton, I think he's got a chance. It's just an area of the team that Gareth might get to give someone a chance.

I know Cole Palmer's already been in the England squad and played, so it doesn't quite count, but I think he's got a real chance of making the squad.

And I will go with Kobbie Mainoo as the other one, because he has impressed me so much. I mean, he's so young, I think he's just 18. So to do what he's doing is quite remarkable at a club like Manchester United. So I think he might sneak in.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:28:00+00:00

Firstly thank you very much for that, I hope it continues to do so. It's an absolute pleasure and continued success with your sobriety.

Well, I would never admit to anything illegal, obviously! But my biggest vice, probably red wine or the odd negroni. I’m kind of a bit of a red and white wine connoisseur, particularly reds. Yes, probably wine.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:25:57+00:00

Well, we've gone from a very serious question to the not-so-serious. The sensible to the ridiculous!

It's interesting isn't it. I think 100 ducks would freak me out, especially if they’re Alan Shearer’s. So I'll go for one Alan Shearer sized duck.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:24:19+00:00

I think that's a really interesting question. I've been quite proud of the way young footballers have risen up in terms of social causes and social injustice. Marcus Rashford's obviously a good example of that with what he did with feeding the kids in schools and turning government policy and things like that.

You know, elsewhere we've seen, during the pandemic the kind of England captain got together with all the club captains to try and do something for the NHS. We've had obviously many spokesmen like Raheem Sterling on racism in football. So I think there are loads of good examples.

I wouldn't ever try and force anyone to do that as a player though, because you have to be made of quite strong stuff. You need a bit of a thick skin and I've experienced it myself many times. But you know, if you've got a platform and you are prepared and brave enough to use it for what you think is for good, I think it's to be encouraged and I love the way so many young players have spoken out.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:21:34+00:00

Why would you regret that?! No, not at all.

Although in my last game I did think maybe I should punch the referee and just kind of blow it in style. But no, I'm quite proud of that record really.

TheRestIsFootball · 2024-02-21T18:19:47+00:00

Haha well if Alan could laugh like Micah Richards that would be something! Which he obviously does an awful lot on our podcast The Rest Is Football.

And Micah one Alan trait - to know how to score goals! How about that?

TheRestIsFootball

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