Welcome back to Stick to Football, brought to you by SkyBet. On this week’s special episode we are delighted to be joined by Premier League legend Les Ferdinand.
Joined by former England team-mates Gary Neville and Ian Wright alongside Jill Scott and Roy Keane, ‘Sir Les’ kicks off the show talking about the competition for a starting spot in England’s stacked frontline in the 1990’s.
Despite being called up to Euro 96 and the World Cup in 1998, Les didn’t play a single minute and reveals which one incident meant he never made an appearance at a major tournament.
A legend for QPR, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in his playing days with 149 Premier League goals, Les talks about his time as Spurs coach where he worked with record England goal scorer Harry Kane.
The former QPR man also talks about his role as Sporting Director at the R’s and why he left the club after eight years in June 2023.
Lastly Gary doesn’t let Les away without discussing the 1995/96 season that seen Manchester United pip Newcastle United to the Premier League title.
If you liked the episode don’t forget to let us know in the comments and if you want to listen only you can catch Stick to Football on all major podcast platforms.
Chaptering
00:00 Promo
00:45 Behind the Scenes
05:50 Introduction
06:14 1990’s England strikers
19:24 England caps quiz
28:39 Harry Kane
41:32 Role of a sporting director
56:52 Why Les left QPR
01:20:39 Post match scenes
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In the Argentinian game he’s telling me right you’re going on and this this this this this is what I want you to do and as he does it beex falls on the floor kicks out at Simone and as he kicks out at simoney I look at Glenn Glenn looks at
Me I got to put someone on that can play midfield what has happened to The English Center forward Ronaldo and Messi every young player wanted to be that everyone’s talking about financial fair play now we had that 8 and a half years ago you got whack didn’t you got whack
440 million why did you leave with the that became toxic I was thinking why do I need to take this do you remember scoring a goal at the back post against me where you put me in the back of the net yes why you do that every used to do
You used to love that [Applause] one welcome to stick to football brought to you by Sky one take one take Gary that’s what they call me one take Gary go you back on Instagram did I oh yeah I sent a picture last Instagram did I do a picture what did I
Do last week what did you WR put on Instagram last week my memory is your memory my memory oh my God you the remember nice crazy yeah Ollie yeah sorry was it Ollie yeah I felt bad as if I’d slagging Ollie off when he was here remember Ollie was on him the
Lusin everyone loves OE don’t they oh here he is he’s let himself go you know cuz his wife’s away he hasn’t even had a he hasn’t even had a shave why you realize how she didn’t say you did have a sh this morning you like this I like it yeah righty’s got
Competition I tell you look at this horn richest guy in the world never miss can we start with this we start with myone problem richest can we just have a look at Roy’s F can we get a new F his Grand kid play with why don’t you get decent it’s still
Got the button be careful the way you’re using your finger smell smell this that’s nice isn’t it nice yeah what is it um Tom Ford this one oh it’s nice that Bloody L writing that was a good po that was a really good boy I really like I’ve got note here
That you have a helicopter license yo man used to always wow yeah do you fly helicopter yes you come today by helicopter no that is incredible you still you still I I um I passed my test while was at Spurs wow how you do that that to get out of Spurs
Quick when I was when I was at Newcastle yeah GE I was uh Keegan the put sank out saying like um you know what he said to me was like you’re coming into a golfish ball in terms of like Landing you can you can get lost and stuff can’t do
Nothing up here so I said three things you want to do I said I want to learn how to play saxophone learn how to cook and I want to learn how to ride a motorbike he said to me I can let you do two of them but the third one a I can’t
Let you do so riding the motorbike said I can’t let you do yeah so I said [ __ ] well you asked me what I wanted to do that’s what I want to do so goes right uh there was a place in newcast built him Harley and he said I’ll let
You pass your test if you ride the Harley back to my house so I said all right no problem yeah but someone in Newcastle just built it for him he he couldn’t ride it but he was just going to Showcase it at his house so he said as long as you agreed
To ride it to my house said yeah no problem and then some some he put this in the in the program saying like you know just things for me to do and and then someone Guy come on and said look you want to learn how to fly helicopter
And at first I was like n not really and he goes come and have a look so I went down and had a look it just got just got into my head you know what I mean scared I’d be so scared is it scary no not it’s one of those things once you
Go up you go you either love it or you hate it you go get me down straight away or you go but and to be fair when I first went up I was like [ __ ] no I’m not sure I like this and then the G said
Where’ you live and I said I’ll just live over there so go let’s go and have look at your house as soon as I saw my house that was it just changed my per it was just it was just just changed my perception of everything we did it in
The jungle did you and I was like get me out of it’s on the side I don’t know if it was meant to be but this one was and I was like oh scary oh so SC did how did you get into the jungle we drove in but
Like I think we had to go one to go up to when we had to do the The Walking on that big tower so we had to go round and then they landed somewhere but I’m not really fast with them to be honest doesn’t bother me with I’m not scared
Have you been in one I’ve been in a helicopter not no oh no it’s not not we jumped out with playing didn’t we last year you would do that oh no I was I was ill for a couple yeah I was ill for that what was it like when you was coming
Down what was it was it was it was it like freeing I didn’t mind the Free Fall bit it was when you went into the you know the parachute goes and then you start to swing and you you just get like motion sickness I was getting I felt ill
Is that why you were ill after I was ill for a few hours after that night yeah you were as well it wasn’t great jeez started to learn while I was up there but I came back London and then too many distractions in London you what
Year did you go to Newcastle then uh 959 95 season yeah next season right right here we go right Season welcome to stick to football brought to you by Sky Bet and our guest this week joining me righty Roy and Jill is a Newcastle Tottenham and QPR Legend lford now he’s going to talk to us about his career the the famous Manchester United Newcastle running and his time at QPR as sporting Director we’re going to start with Center forwards okay and we’ve got two English Center forwards in why hey by the way do you remember do you remember this do you remember us playing Center half against Newcastle me and you were center backs and a Christmas and it was like ice on the
Pitch yeah do you remember the setup for Corners that day defending yeah no but hopefully you’re going to tell me I so I was we had two on you right me and him it’s it’s a fact this I was there to block you as the ball got
Kicked and Roy was literally stood there behind me to go win the ball because you basically used to score from head Al you remember that no I remember scoring in the game I scored yeah from Center half yeah car yes from Center half they should have put two on him Corner was
From a SE when they defending and Phil played I sted up from remember yeah no I do remember I think 2-0 W it do you remember the game yeah yeah there yeah be a low point in your I mean delivery weren’t great was it and you got you didn’t get any com one
Corner you think you got maybe two or three English Center forwards so in the 90s I always say this I I was obviously in the squad and Mike loen Alan Sheera Peter Beardsley Teddy sheringham Ian Wright Robbie Fowler Les Ferdinand Andy Cole Stan cmore Chris Sutton and Dion
Dublin with the center forwards wow that could have been selected in the squads in the mid 90s well the last four or five you made Jesus Christ come on Jus man what has happened to The English Center forward Les uh Ronaldo and Messi I think in
Terms of went for a period where Wingers were scoring goals we’re scoring 30 goals a season yeah and everyone wanted to be Ronaldo everyone wanted to be be Messi and um what the managers manag to change it I think I think the players no longer wanted to be a traditional Center
Forward didn’t want to be a number nine they wanted to be that person H re comes onto the scene they want to be that person that comes off the wing and score goals and they were scoring an abundance of goals so every young player wanted to
Be that that player hence was the you know the the the demise of the the number nine wow who was you so who was you want to be when you grew up I suppose the the the person I kind of looked at and D Washington yeah
Exactly that was one sorry God sorry how good at football Des was I want to be like but growing up I suppose you know I used to look at Van Baston I used to look at VI and you know I mean younger than that was obviously P when I was when I was
Growing up as a kid I looked at p and that was about it you know I wasn’t allowed to go to football so I used to watch it I used to watch what I could on the TV there wasn’t a lot about then so um weren’t allowed to go because of my
Parents didn’t think it was an environment that was safe for me to go to so when I was growing up I couldn’t actually go what area was you in I was uh I well I grew up around a corner from uh QPR I was in the lab of growth so uh
It was a stone throw away um and my parents just didn’t think it was an environment for me 70s would have been intense yeah I was going the middle water all the time myt yeah cuz my aunt used to live in depford so every other week
You’d have to go and stay there so some of the times M will be playing so you’d end up going there but it was it was intense did you go and watch did you go I used to watch a lot of mid games when
I was that age like 12 and 13 used to watch a lot of them did you feel safe when you were there well this is the thing this is the the thing when you when you went and watched me you could you know you you’re jumping over the top
You know what I mean and then cuz it was a lot of people there there you know when you got that metal bar you could you could stand on that you could get to see if it was packed and then you can hold on to someone’s neck so so you
Stand on and so would fall off so it was it was really quite friendly but like it was it was it was good I used to love it yeah just I know Center for I name before you we’ve talked about your frustrations with England haven’t we did you feel frustrated with England because
Obviously at the time the main the main partnership that was seen was like Shir and sheringham did you feel that you were respected with England or didn’t get the sort of the the love that you probably could have got I know you feel the same about that don’t you with yeah for sure
Every time I played for England it always felt like if I didn’t play out my skin and have you know that was at top of my game yeah um that was always going to be my last chance it was always my last chance I was never given I never
Felt was given a run in the England side even when I was you know going for a period of where I was scoring goals in the Premier League and felt on top of my game and never felt I was given an opportunity to to play always going to
Be my last game the pressure the pressure sorry the pressure from that as well though is that when you name all those people on that you know that if you don’t do it then someone’s waiting to get their opportunity but is that good pressure um it’s good pressure but
Then while you’re playing trying to get it done you know I mean it’s something that you you you yes you you want to be able to you know like you know Teddy comes in Teddy’s not someone who’s scored loads of goal but Teddy brings something else but when you look at what
You’re trying to get in in front of Shar and that that that person was mine and Les’s role and Fowlers and Kohl’s and cmore Teddy had a different role so if you came in and you weren’t hitting it and scoring straight off the bat and I
Know I missed a few especially in the Norway game and the Russia game got marked out the game in Russia Norway when those were my opportunities two opportunities I missed and I knew not going to get that chance again it’s not going to come again do you think you
Scored a lot of goals because of that mindset I was watching some videos of you and there’s so many goals where it’s like 7030 in favor of the keeper or you think the defender’s going to get it and you just come from nowhere and it’s
Almost as if you just want the ball more than them did did you feel like that I think it was a little bit like right just said there and the names that you read out there those those those guys sparked me they inspired me cuz like they were scoring at the weekend and
Then you felt I’ve got to score I’ve got to score so that 7030 you had to make into into your favor because if you weren’t scoring you weren’t going to be you weren’t going to be in mentioned in those um in those circles in your
United6 you you won I think fa play of the air m in 96 but didn’t start a game yeah players play the A and didn’t and didn’t win a game it didn’t start a game in the Euros that I mean I didn’t start a game I didn’t even come on so forget started
The game I didn’t even come on and um I remember that was probably the the the worst time for me because as you said PFA po yeah okay we didn’t win the league that year but I felt had a decent season and not to play a minute yeah in
Euro 96 I didn’t played a minute started again yeah no I didn’t I didn’t come on I knew that as well because obviously I didn’t get into the squad and I thought well Les who’s the um PFA Player of the Year and Robbie Fowler who’s doing what
He was doing as well playing well you think okay but then to see none of them get even a minute no Robbie came on did Robbie come on what game come cuz he came on in the first game cuz I remember after the after the first game um we
Went to training the next day uh some of the boys the boys that played did the warm down and the ones that didn’t did a little bit more and I remember uh Venable was pulling me and saying look I know you got the amp um but I know what
You’re capable of doing I just needed to see Robbie I hadn’t seen Robbie and so I needed to see Robbie so Robbie came on I was like okay no problem and then in the end he got to the stage where I was like I was just going home I was coming back
I was coming back to the oot in the afternoon you I was just going home V gave me the same talk but it was on the phone he said listen I’m going to bring F cuz I know I know what you could do you so that’s that’s obviously that’s
That his line was why do managers do that cuz they’re almost setting themselves up for an even tougher conversation down the line it’s almost like than the B now but did you do but when you have that many options I can see why managers would obviously try
And pull a player and almost giving excuses isn’t there it’s difficult listen it’s difficult for a manager you hope they’re going to be up front with you but you mention the players am amazing the options a manager has but maybe not to get on I think that can be
We talk about going playing for your country is great and I was lucky when I went up I generally played but it must be frustrating for a player Who’s involved in their country who’s generally one of the main men for the clubs obviously like you were that year
One player of the season one player the and a go and it is it’s frustrating and and and I said before the tournament I because I um i’ before I I went to Newcastle I’d scored 26 goals uh at QPR in all competition the year before and I
Remember we went to uh went to Barbados end the end of the season on on a on a preseason tour with on that’s where I kind sat with r and said look you know I’m moving on and so on and so forth we knew it was going to happen anyway and
Um it was it was there that uh there was the umra tournament coming up yeah I played in that yeah the umra tournament was coming up and I was speaking to Doug Ellis the the late Doug Ellis who was as Villa at the time Mr Mr the tap
Up and he was on he was obviously vill at the time and blah blah blah and he was on uh the England U fa uh committee at the time and he pulled me while I was in Barbados saying um we started talking he was saying like you know we’re going
To try and sign you at the end of the season of I spoken to Richard Thompson and and he’s saying that if we bid BL would you come and speak to us and I said well if you bid and they accept the bid then I’m going to come and speak to
You and he went yeah he goes um shame of that you’re not in the umro tournament and I went what are you talking about he said um have you not seen the thing it hadn’t come out yet but the obviously the committee had had it and I wasn’t in
The umro tournament everyone was in that I know that’s what I mean I mean I liter I played 17 games to United that was where David unsworth at Colin Cooper from middles there was like a everyone pulled out didn’t they what year is that 95 year before the
Euro my my my my debut for England there was I think it was 19 or 20 there was it was against Japan and Brazil in that umbrell tournament yeah it was like a tournament pre the the tournament the year after the Euros oh okay and so I
Saw I’d gone through that period and I and it was Doug Ellis that told me I left out never was F ter vbls nothing just was left out R tournament and I didn’t get back into the England squad until I was uh around about November right December after scoring the goals I
Was scoring at Newcastle and still being ignored and and the papers were going how comes he’s scoring all these goals back in the England squad and why we think why would you think there you w i I had no idea and and I said to venol I
I actually said to him when when when he called me back into the squad and we kind like we had a conversation I said look the truth is if you don’t F me as a player I got no problem with that just tell the world just tell everybody I
Said you’re the England manager they’ll say right okay if you think I’m a good domestic player no problem but I’m not I don’t cut it International they’ll listen to you why bring me into the squad and he went you know you know go take out you I’m do you think that I
Mean Terry to be fair I think he would have wanted a a striker and he would have wanted one off I think that that that would have been certain but do you think he thought you and Allan couldn’t play together do you think that he was
Looking at you both I can’t both of them just don’t you know they just don’t work together and share is my number one you think it was simple as that it was simple as that yeah I I I that’s the only thing I can I can think of he he
Felt that me and Alan could uh play together and and when Keegan actually brought us together he said look I’m not trying to prove anybody wrong I just believe that you two can play together and um and so did you have a good partnership with Al yeah did yeah yeah
In terms of the way in which you work together in terms of everything yeah 100% it was like you know we you know uh it was never a problem you know I’d work with there so many forwards in you know at card and back then it was you used to
Play so up front mhm so it was never a problem to to to adapt to whoever I was playing with I never had a problem with it I knew ERS as two frontmen you know if it like if if you made a run if you was making a run into that channel then
You had to come and face up here just in case they wanted to do you know that’s how it used it’s like when people say I to stra they can’t play together yes you can yeah because back in the day if you come short then you have to be going
Long those kind of things that’s what happens it’s got to be like those I always say about I say about Midfield players now I said when you played a holding Midfield player you played with in if in went forward you went I tuck in
A for him if you went forward n he go I got tuck in here do you know what I mean and so you just you just you just played off each other now it’s like it’s become stru isn’t it like holding Midfield player who never goes forward who passes
Sideways and backwards and never goes forward it’s like n Quin Kevin Phillips partnership they never happen now but they’re so effective like the big guy going up and then the little one running getting knock Downs you had it a palace that’s what you done brighty had it with
Arsenal Alan Smith for a bit even with Kevin Camp people were saying I we’re kind of similar obviously Kevin was a bigger guy but Kevin you know I mean surely one of them will gone for head is more than you all okay all of Them going to play a little quiz we’re going to go through the Caps that you think those Strikers got for England Jill Les Roy and Ian Micha loen how many cups for England yeah we got be about 10 of them come on come not the
End don’t give your guess away 57 I was going to say 50 [ __ ] seven um I’m going to go 54 lot of injuries didn’t he yeah yeah I’d go about like closer to 60 C cuz what it 40 goals or something right to your one up 89 wow 89
Many start playing he was n how how many goals you think he got go 40 40 40 how’ you know that cuz he’s a forward and I I look at these things right Chris Sutton I’m G to move around the around the list Chris Sutton how many capsw um oh
God only one in it yeah could six no not I was going to go three I’m going to say none he played for England he under he got cuz he pulled out that b Squad all right I’m would have said Tre I’m going to I’m going to say one one
I’m telling you bro wow I was near one Jesus you know what because Andy Cole Andy Cole great Andy Cole played scored hundreds of goals I feel he’s trying to kid us on here yeah Amy go Amy caps he play for England we do I feel Under Pressure
Feel under 50 uh wow was he wow or more come on I feel like you’ve do you want to go this way we go this way so you get think yeah yeah you got first we got this 11 19 I was going to say 10 yeah I would have got I 23
15 near I think I’m nearest one goal 11 service 19 both four away right you’re not allowed in I know this I I’m going to say 37 no more reading up is it no no no Jesus I’m going to say 30 I was going
To say like round 50 I was going to give you 50 33 oh wow nine goals it’s bad probably against samarina sh oh she’s got a lot this is more your 29 882 I’m not that 65 no 68 I’m going to go 78 63 I thought he played more games did I jesus
[ __ ] shocks I nearly got Le Ferdinand not you Les well he should have had more I’m say 17 or 19 I’ve got I’m going to say I got 18 I’ll go 17 you’ve looked it up I haven’t looked it up I haven’t looked it up because I’m just checking it
With but tell me why why when I look at Les your your goals and C your caps and goals 17 five goals Andy Cole 15 caps one goal um I right 33 caps nine goals Robbie Fowler 26 caps seven goals these were great goal scorers for England for
Out but there must be managers at the time Todd these are really brilliant players listen to be reasons at Club level but they have Maybe not maybe doubts or I’m going with a certain Striker and I’ll hang my hat on him would it be a sheer or whatever and
That’s why Lads would miss out because and remember the gaps in between remember with Al you know fal’s done an unbelievable thing for our with the two years Le when he didn’t score exactly to know did you know [Laughter] it it’s the kind of thing when you hear
When you hear a conversation so can you imagine being a striker on the other side of that listen fera amazing venables having the the faith and in the end paid repaid the faith but if you’re a forward and you hear that you you know that you what you playing for you’re
Playing how good was Robbie fer Robie was unbelievable finish he was how many caps did Robbie get and how many goals no Robbie was 26 and only seven goals see I think these players I think of them as been like 758 like yeah it’s call but there certain players would go
Into the England squad and not just England International and they just don’t feel it or get on with the stat and Lads don’t they end up not going Coley definitely stopped didn’t he kind of almost fell out with that side of it yeah because you go through the same
Thing like you’re going there and every time you play it’s not just the manager but the press a this is his his last chance Last you a minute only had one Chancey needed seven yeah that was that was a killer and but to be fair I always remember
When Glenn came out and said he need seven sh sh me another Center forward that get seven chances in the game of course there’s different ways of looking at of course yeah you know that’s a tough one for Co I think you went to 98 as well and didn’t play a minute you
Went to two tournaments 96 and no new 98 but 96 and 98 you’ve gone to two tournaments maybe Lesar was a bad lad he’s dropped you were running yeah we have to bring it he’s got loads of Gos in the Premier League I tell you
What the bad lad around the place 98 was was kind of really really different because I went there you you broken your ankle didn’t no no no I done to mystring to to his hring so I wasn’t expecting I wasn’t expecting to go tonight because I’d had a few injuries That season Glenn
OD put on a a B Team game at QPR for me and Laz and um played in it scored and everything and he goes I just need to get you some games I want to take you and then he takes me to the to and then we was in the Argentinian game warming
Up Glenn rer comes and gets me from behind the goal says you’re going on so come back get my top on blah blah blah walk to the sidelines with with with Glenn and we we’re standing on the side and he’s telling me right I’m taking BL Michael off blah you’re going on and
This this this this this is what I want you to do go through all the bits in pieces and as he does it beex falls on the floor kicks out Simone and as he kicks out Simone I look at Glenn Glenn looks at [Laughter] me cuz the referees right as the
Referee’s running over you know he’s going off he’s going cuz the way the referee’s running over he’s just kind like this go listen I got put someone on that can play midfield and get forward and that was Paul m m yeah [ __ ] Retreat were you frustrated in in 96
When you played Germany they didn’t make Subs did that were you expected come on someone came on what what what happened in that game you know when right next to the the the the benches right next to the crowd and all that and all the crap was sh get ferand
On get fbl what you doing get F on and he went like this and when he did that I just went back and sat down probably wasn’t help managers are stubborn if the media pushing for a certain player they go no I’m in charge L you should got hold the
Backs I used to sit on the bench and people would be like we need to change it up the manager would look and be like if to see if we’ve got nothing on the you we sat there like hi but yeah I think managers can I bet you it’s funny because even
Listening to Les now because obviously missing out on um those squads but then it would have been even worse actually like our let you because you’re so close you’re even closer especially when you feel especially when you you know you’re going into a squad and and I remember
The Graham Taylor Squad you go into those squads buzzing because you’re scoring and you get nowhere near it and that happen you’re thinking oh maybe next time but then to get so close cuz I I used to think to myself god I didn’t even get there you know but if I was
That close and knowing the Golden Goal is in that F tournament as well remember you fig come on and score the Golden Goal and you don’t get a chance when you’ve scored that many goals it’s a hard is a hard for a strike you think
Because we’ve all have a you need a bit of ego don’t you a top level to be again you’re obviously scoring goals at Club level and it’s about being you’re the main man then going away with your country not it must even your family getting in your array you know a
Defender you don’t want to come on a Defender you that’s what I’m saying it’s a different exactly I used to be the one running up and down like War just really being being eag honestly I remember I remember sitting next to far Williams and I went and started running for it was Phil
Actually when he was in charge and there was two minutes left of this game and I was running and she was like Jill they’re not going to put anyone on and I was like the might and I got on and I was like I don’t think I touched the ball I was
Like another C it’s another C the might you never touched the ball you said no normal game was it Let’s talk to us about Harry Kane and he he’s the one Center forward that England have that’s world class at this moment in time we know that obviously there are a couple behind like Callen Wilson Ian Tony Watkins Watkins um but what do you what did you make of harri kanane I mean
Sort like when we when we had him at at Tottenham coming through uh I remember looking at him when I first went to Tottenham I said he had the the intelligence of Teddy sham because he wasn’t quick so he always played as that number 10 that number eight and he knew
And because he played under Chris Ramsey when he was coming through the ranks at at Tottenham Chris had played him as a seven played him as an 11 played him as an eight so that he could understand all the different positions so what he was he had that intelligence to know that he
Weren’t going to go in behind so at times he’d come ficking up the Midfield and we’d play with one up front and he would just yeah operate in and around that place and I said to him at the time I said he had I said to Tim and Chris he’s got the
Shooting capabilities alir but he’s got the intelligence of Teddy sharing him and um but I’m going to be honest we none of us saw him where he is today we knew he’d have a career didn’t know whether it would be in a premier league um certainly F weren sure that off of
The back of the the loone moves in that he wasn’t getting like unbelievable yeah he wasn’t getting he weren’t getting R reviews and always remember him going to to Norwich uh and chrisy hon was there and say came back he broke unfortunately broke his leg while he was in nor and he
Came back I remember calling chrisy and said look how’s it going I said I’ve been to watch him a few times what you and he went well he’s not a number nine in in in the the sense of alz Ferdinand and he’s not a number 10 in the in the
In the in the sense of a teddy showing him he said I think he’s a nine and a half what he said said I think he’s a n and a half and um then he went he went off to Lester leester yeah and I remember watching him going I went watch
Him play at Leicester and if you ever watch Harry Kane jog he’s not he’s not easy on the eye when he jogs I remember going to to Leicester and I’m standing and the crowd were giving him a bit of stick cuz when he lost the ball he
Joging back it looks like he’s gasping for and what age was he there when he was on lawn at these clubs was he still like a kid like yeah he 19 18 19 20 you know and he came back from from like they fired him back from Leicester and I remember calling him
After the game at leester and I said to him look when you’re going back do me one favor either Sprint or walk don’t jog and it’s not and cuz what he was he gives you everything he’s got but his jogging just doesn’t look like looks
Like he’s like so um I said just I have a Sprint or walk gate you know he’s like yeah and then they fired him back he came back to to to the training ground I always remember it and he’s he it was like something clicked inside him and he
And he realized whatever he was doing weren’t enough so he became the first player into training Ground And when everybody had gone in the afternoon he was in the gym he was doing boxing he was doing everything just to get his weight down to get himself back in shape
And then and then when we took I went to him took over as manager and we was we was he was chomping it to bit to get in the side and who was up front at the time was it sard sard was up front and
We was like well we can’t and and the thing is it always remember if Harry played after 5 10 minutes if he hadn’t scored they were seeing in zeld zeld and so we we was protecting him we we sto cuz we didn’t want him to go through
That but was Chomp it a bit and then in the end we just we we we we unleashed him and he he just started going and he’s just not finishing in training was he’s finishing in training always on point yeah we used to um at at times
I’ll take I’ll take a shooting session after after training and there was Erikson there was Harry Kane um Addie boo would join in there there was a few of them the level of finishing was just incredible and he was always in there he was always in there work you do not
Realize the power he has until obviously walking close up with him l and a lot of forwards from England as well they always say who was you impress he said har Kane’s finishing he’s right foot and left foot as well right foot and left foot both same both and that’s where
I’ll probably put him above Allen in terms of shooting you know finish yeah in in terms of his right foot’s as devastating as his left foot Allan’s great on his right foot he’s left he’ll get it done but H is very very competent on on on his left side do you like him
When he does drop into them 10% positions cuz sometimes when I watch England I’m like he’s so sometimes he’ll make goals where he’s got such a long range passing but sometimes I’m like let the midfielders do it because we’ll want you in the Box finish was a time where I
Was watching him the thing is everyone started talking about a he’s dropping into he’s dropping a bit deeper and all that but he’s always done it yeah people just never saw it before you know it’s always it’s just something they Spike about because like coming up that’s he
Used to drop into those positions and he’d make goals for people but he’d get forward as well and score but it’s a great when you see a player like Kan where people can write a player off at 178 or if he’s at 19 stage he’s out in
Loan you go and then something happens for a player just having that Pati particularly for a striker you maybe they get more of a benefited out sometimes and then for the just change like that as you said he just the penny drops you penny in you know you know who
Else was Andy Cole yeah Co Andy Cole you know they done when young kid at AR yeah yeah when he was at young kid AR brist on law they went and then just absolutely I remember he went on loan what CU I when I got when I got there he
Went on loan to Fulham then he went onong to Bristol then he came back and then he got bought by but like some they they would say um Arsenal people were saying he probably won’t score more than 12 goals a season where he was and the
Way he played and to be to be fair to him when he was training it’s he’s and calls how he is he does his stuff but like he something clicked at Bristol and then obviously you get him to Newcastle with Beardsley and all that lot he turned into a monster he went supernova
And again it comes down to what you’re saying there Roy about people kind of writing people off at that age what kind of personality was Cy down was he a bit you know what he’s still no he was still because like that’s the thing with Andy
Even youed he was a bit us no he’s he’s just I wouldn’t say Surly he’s just he’s just in himself he’s just I like call I’m well but never CH and that’s and that’s what happened through his career I think that’s what happened in his England career people took him the wrong
Way people took him the wrong way good lad you know great lad yeah exactly you know somebody that what everybody’s got to be a Jester or joval and you know the the great thing for for for for Harry and and some of the younger players that
Came through at Tottenham in the end was because we’d been where they had been you know Tim sherard had been where they’ve been Chris ramay had been where they’ been I come in I come into the game late was we knew that they needed a chance they needed an opportunity and an
Opportunity ain’t one game because you get a lot of the time a player goes in if he’s not the young player is not the best player in the first two games and he’s not ready yet you know I mean we persevered with him we used to say to
Harry red all the time just afford him the same opportunity affords zeld because El I know you’ve paid 30 million to pay 30 million for someone he must have done it somewhere something yeah but you give him an opportunity to to develop and the fans love love get extra
Kind of bonus points for that yeah managers Under Pressure I don’t know if that’s always the case because I always think sometimes you know supporters talk about we love a young player coming through but sometimes they don’t give him the the time to come listen different pressure but if he does hit
The ground and he starts doing well then they’re fly behind him our own you’re probably you’re probably one of the best place people to look at and it’s probably a bit of a pub question but sheir versus Kane you play with Alan sheir obviously work with Harry Kane who
Do you select if you have to make a decision Gary pants together but what I’m saying to you’ve got to pick one and You’ worked with hurri kanane you played you got you got to give us something Liz these are both this is the headline this is the
Headline it’s got K isn’t it is you’re out of all you that’s tough really tough um be diplomatic bro no I’m going to be diplomatic but I I would I would go with Shar at the moment because I play with him and I know I I kind I work with I work with
Harry but I’d probably go still with I always thought I never thought he’d go to Munich I never thought he’d leave the country I thought he was destined to break Alan sheer Premier League record do you still think he’s got that in his mind and that he’s
Coming back here in a year’s time to go somewhere to break that record as long as he comes back to Arsenal he’ll have a chance what a sign he a going there why would you surprised he left N I just didn’t think to be fair he would got I
Just thought that for me the England record he’d be that hung up the Premier League I don’t look he had to escape he had to get St stri it was a thought that I had that he would go to a Premier League club and would going and try and break a record
He may he may have had to have Escape abroad Daniel Levy to come back how many is he behind 40 I think how is he behind like 40 something do something like 40 I still think he could do it he could yeah CU how old is he now 29 is he that all
He’s about 30 now 30 you know something aric Kane could in the right team he’s 47 behind Alan sheir need two seasons back when yeah he’s not going to come back somewhere where he’s not going to be on the end of things getting one touch finish and stuff like that you
Don’t know what’s going to happen with Harland how long he’s going to stay imagine if Harland left like next season and Harry Kane came to Man City he could probably do that in a season I always think if Kane had gone there instead of Harland he would have smashed that
Record wouldn’t Heely smashed it that’s that’s a different story that One I want to ask you about two things one is about the Tottenham and the he’s probably more critical Tottenham than anybody over last years in terms of the flaky tag did you no no no no how how does that sit with you and how did it sit in the club and where
Sort of do you feel you is it unfair or do you feel it’s just a case of obviously they have underachieved there’s no doubt about that yeah I think if you look over the over the over the years um they they’ve they’ve got that tag and they have to wear it because
That’s that’s how they’ve been whenever you think Tottenham have climbed the mountain it’s comes like a ski back down it again you know mean and they’re starting from from from zero again be Daniel ly’s done a great job in getting the club to where it is but it’s just the investment in in
The players and he just doesn’t want to take management look at poino was a perfect example of him backing a manager at that stage he wanted to get load in he wanted to because they just come out the champion the Champions League final they lost what they finished second yeah
You know what I mean if if there’s any time for an owner Les to go you know what I mean I’m GNA go in on this guy you know what I mean that would probably was the time but Le I I I once said that he’s the best operator in football
Because when you look at what he’s done off the pitch yeah I mean the stadium and the training ground are the best they’re unbelievable probably apart from cities in terms of training ground but the training ground’s fantastic why does he not hand over the football side to
Why why does he does he I mean he obviously interferes on the football side what is why won’t he get that bit I got no idea I think he’s he’s he’s he’s got this reputation of being the Wheeler Dealer that he is and he’s done some fantastic deals in terms of players
Going out of Spurs uh when they’re ready to when they’re ready to leave and I think he he just enjoys that that part of it he enjoys being involved in it he enjoys making those decisions and he’s not alone um in terms of chairman and and and other directors
Wanting to be involved in in in certain parts of of the football club that they should leave well alone but um you know should he leave it well alone I think he’s done some he’s done some great deals and I think he’s he’s bought uh uh
Fell Co Scott mans in now who he said going to he’s he’s going to take over the the the day-to-day running of the the football club that’s yet to be seen I think he’s um he’s so heavily evolved in it that people still go to him and um
He I I don’t see him putting that mental down anytime soon it’s a shame because I’m sure the fans listen fans won an unbelievable stadium in it but they want to win things to yeah but they’ve not won for 30 or 4 years why are they
Putting it on Levy in the last 10 or 15 years in regarding the new stadium as if that’s all he’s obsessed with spores have been like that for yeah for a long time a long long yeah but they they get to a place and then it just it just kind
Of play like saying about po the next bit is the hardest bit that’s for lots of football clubs that’s up to Ley to make the decision if what more what more does potina have to do to say listen we finished second we got to the Champions
League I just need a little bit more somebody has to take the leap get I always think as well there with with with with managers uh managers their job and it it’s never normally just about results there’s something more going on of course there’s something more going
On just the results so we look at it and go well Postino was doing great and blah blah blah blah blah but there something El explain what you mean with that Les with your Tottenham experiences I say just not just my Tottenham experiences but being in the in the role that I was
As a director football at QPR sometimes you you you lose a manager and people go well why have you done that because the manager is not sticking to the plan that that he’s comeing to do and the change room’s lost lost and so people don’t see that part they just see
Results and they go right okay well he was doing okay why haven’t you not backed him you ain’t backed him because he’s not doing what you asked him to do where did you find that at qpri was come on to QPR in a bit in your role there
But where did you find that at qpri well find I’ll find out a lot of times where managers came in and you sit down and you say right this is what we’re looking for in a manager cuz this is what QPR needs not what Les Ferdinand needs this
Is what QPR needs and um so we we we we we set out where where the things are um what the criteria is for man just give us two or three things that you would look for so we was we was about development at QPR right we got
Relegated from the the Premier League which we knew was going to happen we had to change everything that was going on in terms of we had some what I’d call experienced players on quite a lot of money you took the budget from 70 OD million did it down to 17 or 18 78
Million and we had to and try and stay competitive in in the championship and doing that and at the times when we were in like I mean under Mick Bill we was we was top League at one stage and we was the 14th best players in the league at
The time so we were overachieving you know when we was in in sixth place when the Mark wton we were overachieving because we were 15th or 16th best players in the in the championship but what happened was you get managers coming and they they go they agree to
What you you know the criteria of what you’re looking for in terms of we needed to develop players so the likes of B comes in and goes out you know um starts in the academy with with Chris Ramsey and Paul Halland those guys we get into level gets into the first team we’re
Selling for 20 nearly 20 million that has to that was our model that’s what we needed to do and then managers come in and we say well this is this is what we have to do because for for for qbr to be sustainable this is what we need to do
This is what has to happen and then they want to change that and go well okay uh I need this senior player and I need it and I know you need some senior players in in your squad to help those younger players I can’t keep going senior
Players cuz that means we’ve got no value in the squad and that’s what I inherited when I came to when I came to the the the the club so when they start going away from that that’s when you need to make changes Beal didn’t stay
Very long did he yeah that was that was disappointing 20 OD games yeah that was disappointing CU he got us to the top of the league and he had the boys eating out the palm of his hand yeah um the problem with the championship doll is as
You know is like to if every every club would believe they can get in them playoffs but the average age as you know in the championship to get promoted is 29 so the experience does I understand what the plan might be but if that’s the plan and you’re not winning every week
You do need you do you need a mixed bag obviously yeah you’re not winning every week that’s where the manager young players are welling good but I think if there’s as you know if there’s too many young players on your team in a championship they get eaten alive yeah
So it’s a it’s obviously a tough balance an act isn’t it is is trying to get that balance in that right but at the same time you you have to understand what your what Your what your position is and um as I said like I went to keep on if I
Could if I when we got relegated if the just said to me look the parachute money and everything else is going to help us get back to the Premier League now go and get the players that we need go okay no that wasn’t the case the case was we
Needed to trim the squad and just try and survive in the championship that next season because everyone’s talking about financial fair play now at all the the Premier League clubs we had that eight and a half years ago you got whacked in you got w40 million pound wow
So you had that on top of the excess wages that you had at the football club so you had to trim all that down so we had to get you know so most of your parachute payments went on paying these guys to leave your football club wow cuz
They were sat there no other club was coming into those players at the time you were talking was there some big you had big money didn’t that QPR team that went down and I was working on sky at the time I say that’s one of the most
Difficult sides I’ve ever had to watch it was difficult in that Premier League season it was they weren’t putting a shift in some of them with it exactly and so you had you had those players that were on you know 60s and 70 Grands
A week at at QPR I mean when QPR went down they were the fifth best players in the Premier League and then gate of 14 a half thousand so you know so those players weren’t going to leave your football club you know they because no
One else was going to take them on the money that they were on so the only way you get rid of them is to to to pay them to go because what what was happening there the boys that you were bringing into the club right the the the new
Signings which were of a lesser grade than the players that were already there you’re bringing in on 15s and 20s and and the boys that are on the 60s and 70s are talking about how crap this football club is those boys coming going yeah this must be crap because we’re running around and
These boys are in the treatment room not wanting to play and they’re saying how crap this is it must be crap cuz we’re running around and they’re not so the culture wouldn’t have been great so the culture wasn’t great so you’re trying to change them and then when you get rid of
Those those big the big earners you realize the boys that you brought in for 15s and 20s shouldn’t even be on 15s and 20s so you got get rid of them as well so so is there a desperation why you bring those guys in because you feel
Like we need to bring these guys in and then all of a sudden when they’ve gone you realize oh these ain’t the guys and when you say desperation it’s the desperation is no you’re bringing in players that you you’re hoping are going to take the club to where it needs to be
And and stabilize it but they get caught up in the poison of those those those senior players that they talking about how crap the football club is and then you think well hang on I’ve brought you in to do a job and they are they’re doing a job to the best of their
Abilities but then when those senior players are gone you then realize that you know what these are quite not not where they need to be coaching a lot easier than being director of football yeah stressful you seemed quite laidback guy but was it was it stressful you know it’s sleepless nights yeah of
Course because anything that you do and you want it to be successful you’re going to give it your all and I gave it my all so I went to every game I was away home home and away and you want the team to be successful and you’re you’re
In the hands like a manager you’re in the hands of the manager and the players to go out and perform but it must be heartbreaking knowing there’s players at your Club whatever role you had at the time and they’re coming in their bad m in the
Club they’re not putting a shift in to me that’s it’s the worst feeling it’s the worst feeling in the world as a as a as a former footballer um in my role seeing people coming in and the one thing I always felt in my career
Wherever I was I gave it my all whenn Lose or Draw I gave it my all you know of course you have bad games you play Bad Games but you give it your all and you see people coming in and did you have boundaries with people were you
Tempted to be get more hands on or I was J i’ you know one player come in from preseason comes into the training ground of preseason and people don’t know the these are stuff that you do player comes in and we arrange preseason you’re back
In on the ninth of whatever and um he calls out the secretary says when when we back in wow she said well you’ve had the letter and I said that yeah he’s had the letter he knows he’s you had the sign for it so he’s had the letter so he
Calls up when when we back in she said well you know when we’re back in we’ve told you but I I’ll send you an L this is the day we’re back in comes in two days later Jesus just turns up two days turn up two days is that the Premier
League to the championship season we coming in Championship so now this is a premier league player no longer wants to beat your football club so he comes in late for training so um I said to that I said to the secretary no problem just have this letter waiting for him so
Letter two week fine right so comes through the door goes out a train and he comes in my office afterwards and he says to me don’t you think um two weeks is a bit much for only two days said you s [ __ ] piss I said you’ve come in my office you
Haven’t even apologized or given me an reason why you’re late youve just come in here and said to me isn’t two weeks wages w a bit harsh for for two days it was publicized at the time though was it was it was it trapped no no no it wasn’t no it wasn’t trapped
[Laughter] was I wasn’t late sorry ads sorry thought you were going to say that letter was like you’re leaving if I was managing so but that’s what you’d want to do that’s what you want to do then you know what happened find him two weeks wages get a call from the PFA of
Course he did yeah yeah say Les look you can take this to to to to where it needs to be but you take it to all the PFA going to recommend or all they’re going to recommend is that you find them a week’s wages and you suspend you suspend the other God
That’s you give him a week or do you you stick with the two weeks or you I tried to STI with the two weeks but P like this is all that’s going to happen and then all of a sudden does that player then now he’s got the AR with you and
He’s vexed because like because you’ve tried to do that and then it’s gone down to a week so he thinks he’s got one over on your it’s broken it’s broken it’s broken place was broken the place fact he came back two weeks there two days late yeah he broken then you finished sa
In preseason exactly and but that was the attitude of some of the senior players that we had there back back in the back back in the day and you just had to put things in place and and try to get rid of the ones that you could get rid of and and that’s
What we had to do and it was tough it was tough and you know as power people thought about getting players into your Club it’s getting players out yeah that’s that’s the that’s the tough part you know kind of Wes when when I look back on it you know from 78 million down
To you know last year was here he was operating just over 10 million you know loads of frees loads of and and like I said Mick Bill had a top of the top of the league free transfers and three lungs right we’re top of the league and
Unfortunately he decided to go once he left it was um like I said he had the players eating at the palm of his hands and um when he left there was a there was a disappointment around the place with the players and stuff like that
They we were on to Saint here and and I felt I felt for Neil Chrisley who came in after him because those players were now in the Dooms and he was trying to lift him and he he just couldn’t do it and so um it got it got a bit toxic uh
In the end and you know when I look back on it you know in my time in eight and a half years here we spent 33 million in in bringing players in but we sold 55 Millions worth of talent and um so that that left them in a with a profit but
You know people don’t see that they just see what’s going on on the pitch at the Moment my first question to you which we’ve been going 50 minutes first question what have you been up to in the last eight months find his helicopter what what what have you been up to obviously you left eight months ago go yeah what have you been up to
Just been doing a bit of TV stuff here and there um you know you you sit down and reflect on on on what you’ve gone through um I’m now on you know just to keep myself busy and Ticking over I’m on this uh LMA uh uh postgraduate leadership course okay just keeping just
Keeping the skills going and and Topping up and stuff like that so um yeah um so you looking to go back into what you’ve done previously yeah I’d like to um you know I felt I’ve learned a lot at QPR um we to do it a bit differently and um I
Worked under a very good CEO in Lee who it was really helpful to me while I was on while I was at QPR I feel like I’ve learned a lot i’ like have another game was one of your biggest frustrations agents or were you okay with agents I
Was okay with agents because I’m I’m pretty straightforward you know I used to say to them like you come you come through the door we sit down and they go right I’m looking for extra amount of money for this this is what my players worth and I go just shake hands let’s
Let’s forget it mate cuz we’re knowing that number and if that’s what you’re looking for he ain’t going to get it at this football club I go what so no no no what the old qbr that you’re thinking about yeah this isn’t anymore so in the
End agents was I had no problem with the agency it’s interesting what you said before about you feeling let down by managers not sticking to the plan I think when we asked you about managers going into football clubs I may probably a couple of months or so ago um on this
Um program Roy said he felt that clubs weren’t that genuine with managers in terms of explaining it the other way yeah do you do you understand what I mean Ro felt it from Just yeah my point was everyone has great plans at the start but then if you start losing games
You’re so-called project or whatever and it works both ways from the club and the manager Panic sets in and just the plan almost goes out the window the one thing I’ll say about the the the the guys that I work for and the reason why I ended up
Staying there for as long as I did was they were very adamant that this is what we wanted and they would stick to that yeah and even when things were going wrong they call the manager don’t worry we’re fine we nice about winning games we want to win games but we understand
Where we are as a football club and this is what our model is we need to produce players because you know we’re putting in extra amount of money every year and we want to reduce that but we’re going to reduce that by selling players so it’s about development we need to
Develop even now even where they are at the moment if go to League one I mean obviously they don’t want to go to Le um but it still has to be about development because that’s the only way progress because the owners are quite wealthy but as we’re seeing with a lot
Of clubs in the Premier League now you can’t put that money into the football club because of the financial fo play situation and that’s where qbr have been for like I said eight and a half years how did you see it Les there was a regulator to introducing football and
I’m not going to go into the technicalities of that but as a championship club and you see the parachute clubs coming down with all that might and then they go back up again which is happening more and more do you feel that the premier league
Needs to be kinder to the rest of the pyramid you’ve been at obviously Championship level and I I would say that because I’ve been at Championship level I think if I was in the Premier League I was saying you know you fend for yourself you can’t fend for yourself
If you’re not allowed to to spend the money that you’ve got to spend what like your owners got you m yeah so the owners have got them money but they can’t spend it you can only lose 13 million years in the championship that’s that’s the sustainability rule isn’t it were you
Losing 13 million every year yeah we out shadowed that yeah so you couldn’t spend more money we could we couldn’t spend more money so that was the problem so that’s why we was we was bringing in frees and and uh and Loans because we couldn’t spend the money so we had to do
That to to enable to for the club to be sustainable a lot of clubs like you go to leads for instance every other week they get 30 odd, thousand yeah plus June June the week their stadium is used by uh the boxes are used and people can have business meetings in there qbr
Because of where it is there’s no parking right so qbr Stadium only became sustainable on on a on a on a match day so rest of the time there’s no other income no no other income coming into the football club why did you leave just
Got too toxic for me and um with what the owners or no buters the great thing for me was the owners didn’t want me to go you know I had various meetings with them had various dinners with him asking me not to go um but with with the fans
It became toxic you know and you know I was thinking what why do I need to take this you know me I don’t you were getting the sort of blame I I was getting blamed for a lot of things and I just felt you know I put my heart and
Soul into this um and listen I I think you know going into the role at some stage you’re going to come you’re going to come in for some flat it’s like you flat are you like getting like abuse unmatched this really nasty stuff want to say nasty stuff never to my face you
Know I mean it was just like you know and I’m on social media and stuff like that and I’m I’m not on social media I’m not on anything apart from WhatsApp but um my kids and my family read all that so I’m thinking what I need that for you
Know it’s got to a stage where it’s just it just became too toxic and I thought it was time for me to step aside you you said a quote that when you left you said some of the criticism that came was because of my color I always say to
People if I was a bad director of football it wasn’t because of my color it was just because I was a bad director of football if I was a good director of football it wasn’t because of my color because I was a good director of football where did that come from what
What what what experiences had you had at QPR in that period that you know made you feel like that at the end to say that again uh again at uh at the end of it well not at the end of it it started from the beginning really well cuz when
When when you first joined when I first join Q I came in as director football and um Harry redn was the manager Harry rnap left uh in the end of January when we at the end of the transfer window so uh Chris Ramsey took over as interim uh
Boston he was he was doing some coaching the boys said some some really nice things about him on social media which the owners saw about you know being coached and this is great and blah blah blah so the owners came to me and said to me do you think Chris Ramsey could
Keep us in the in a in a championship next season I said we’re not going to try and get promoted and they no no no we can’t and and S explain the situation with the financial fair play and what that was going to cost them and and and
Trying to get rid of some of the players so I said if you’re talking about just keeping you in the championship I think Chris has got the capabilities to do that without shadow of a doubt said okay no problem anyway I suppose my naivity my naivity of going into the job at the
Time was I thought we could get rid of the players that we had not realizing the money that they was on no one was going to pay them that type of money so um when we got to close to the start of the Season realized we couldn’t get rid of
The players that we had y went we need to try and get promoted now oh jeez without adding anything to it we need to try and get promoted because we ain’t been able to get rid of these players and if we don’t get rid of the if we
Don’t get these rid of these players and we don’t get promoted we’re going to get done again yeah Jesus Christ so that’s where we were so that’s when um Neil warut came in for a little bit with with Chris Ramsey and and try to help um and
That’s and at the same time we had to try and look for a manager that we felt could um stabilize us uh try and push for promotion but at the same time um make sure we didn’t get relegated as well so at the time we employed Jimmy
Floyd Hass bank and what what we did we had a real Democratic type of uh voting system at QPR so myself and Lee Hughes would go and interview 20 30 different managers we work it down to five the five best that we thought was in the in
The in the style that QPR wanted to play with and then the owners would come in on the interviewing process and they would want to have a chat and so on so we went through that and then we put it to a vote and at the time of voting
Jimmy Jamie Jimmy came out on top and um so I employed Jimmy after Chris Ramsey and then the Press started saying are you going are you doing it the other way are you now being racist boying black manager but at the time what they didn’t realize that Jimmy Floyd hassle Bank
When we employed him had the B best win ratio of any manager in in the whole of England M yeah right but they didn’t look at that they just looked at the fact that I had employed another black manager and it started from there and then and then some of the supporters
Started going I he bringing the Black Mafia in and it sort of like sort of started from there and then towards the end it was um you know Chris Ramsey was in place uh Paul Hall had already been in place in the in the in the in the
Academy before I got to the club and so IED to get you know journalists come and say you’ve got the most diverse uh football club in in the country um what are you doing not doing anything I said I’ve I’ve employed more Caucasian people than I have black people why do you want
To do have a conversation about the black people that work at qbr yeah or the black coaches that work at qbr I’ve employed more Caucasian people why are you not talking about that and so it started from there and then the sort of like the the some of the fans picked up
On it it’s really weird cuz you know some of the former players that was at qbr started put you know adding their penny worth of that stuff into into it and it became who like when what were they what kind of yeah they they were saying like are you you know you’re just
Employing black players now and stuff like that and yeah players that had left no sort like former players that have been at the club before right you’re just employing the best people for the job though and you know what we did Jo in the end we we we what what we had we
Had a policy of not even looking at looking at um people’s names we just looked at the CVS first and foremost and said okay this is the job this is the job spec um does this CV match the job that we’re looking for so you wouldn’t
Have a name or a picture of the person and you just look at the CV to try and so but because of the accusations we we felt that was the best way just eliminate any any any Prejudice in any way just look at the TV and say right
This is the job spec that we’ve we’ve put out there which CVS match that job spec and then you look at the names and then you go okay right let’s get this person and let’s get that person in but we’ already made a decision based on
That CV that we that is that something you had to bring in yourself so as people didn’t accuse you of this or is that something that was just there anyway you didn’t have the names on the CV in the end we felt based on some of
The courses that I’ve been on we just felt this that was the best Avenue to go down rather than it was anything to do with what what color but always was a reminder as well about trying to get a good trying to get a manager that fits
Your Club isn’t it it’s hard obviously never you’ve experienced a saltford trying to get that manager you can interview him but I still don’t think you know the Dynamics of a manager or his personality I think until he’s in he’s until he walks in that door again interviews I’m always intrigued what
Makes a good or a bad interview whatever about a person’s CV you’re on about Jimmy for example good win ratio but sometimes a manager can come in timing Y and it just no logic to is it’s just the timing or it’s got to be the right fit
For the club and like I said you know Michael bill came from nowhere right out of nowhere no one was talking I mean people were talking about him as being a coach but no one he’d never been a number one but we looked at him we looked at the criteria and we thought
You know what that quite fits what we’re looking for you know he came through the door and like I said he was fantastic and even now people say to me I know he’s had he’s had a couple of dodgy Spells at Rangers and then um sundering
But you know if if if someone was to ask me today i’ I always said that he would be a top manager somewhere he’s failed in his last two quests but I think he jumped too early from qbr but when he’s goes in down and you do a deal with him
A QPR well how can a manager leave so quickly then like I’m not saying you can give him an unbelievable contract or huge compensation because you probably might be a to get him in the door but when a manager comes in who’s probably not got that many options that they can
Leave so quickly without decent compensation orever it might be a man who can just walk out the door you know what one of the things I said was you know Michael came through the door and uh I think there was a lot of clubs that had looked at Michael but didn’t take a
Chance because he hadn’t been a number one right he came through the door at QPR and then all of a sudden everyone’s going oh right this is yeah this is what we thought he could be real and then sort of like you know the Wolves were
The first Club to come you know and and and even then you know and and he’ll tell you this if you ever speak to him wolves came in the day we were playing we were playing at home I think it was playing Hull at home they came in
And um spoke to the CEO SI calls me and he says can you believe they’ve called on a match day Jesus right and I said all right no problem so after the game I go down I say to Michael Michael um we need to say something here because this
Is going to be in the Press tomorrow GI need to say something to the players he goes listen I didn’t know it was happening today said Mike if you want to me you just carry on being friends don’t lie to me right cuz I’ve not lied to you
The whole time you’ve been at this football club he said well look I knew they was coming in but I didn’t know it was it was it was it was today no problem so I said what do you want to do and um I said I’m the director of
Football at qbr and I don’t want you to leave right right I don’t want you to leave this football club where we are at this moment and where we’re going no chance I want you to leave this football club so he goes okay but I I had my qbr
Uh Blaze on and so I took it off and the frot to the side said now I’m Les ferine talking to you you got to do whatever the best thing is for you and your family oh right and he said to me now that you’ve done that yeah he
Said now that you’ve done that you’ve taken the badge out at play and you talk to me like a human being he said I can’t leave this football club he said can you know obviously he was being offered Premier League Premier League wages he said can we change the structure at all
So I went to the own I said look this is the case and they were willing to change the structure for him and then Rangers came in and to be honest to be honest with you very surprised to be honest with you when he came to the football
Club and we’ve all done it we’ve all done it we we’ve been at foot football clubs that we’ve enjoyed when people talk to me about Newcastle it was the best best period of my life in football and so I have fun fun memories of of of of of Newcastle Michael Bill had fun
Memories of of Rangers whenever he spoke about any of the clubs he’s been at yeah Rangers was the one that he spoke about with the most fondness I always said to the owners if we’re going to lose Michael bill I don’t think it be now but
In a year or two’s time I think it might be to Rangers yeah I think that’s the club that unbeknown they they were going to come in as soon as they came in and they did and I think that you know the peel of what what would happen and him
Thinking this may never come around again but how can he just leave then how can to manage I don’t mean it’s like a player so they obviously just agree compensation with the club yeah simple as that okay and and you know what it’s like someone comes to you and says I
Want to you know I’m interested in this you know they’re no longer interested at qbr and they’re heading their heart somewhere else was even less time wasn’t it cuz I thought he was going to come and make a massive impact especially on the back of that and it was only how
Many games was he in charge like yeah why is he struggled l i mean what’s your feeling why he struggled I I Michael’s a very confident confident person um in the way he comes across and in the media and on and uh you know on on social media and everything he’s very very
Confident in what he he did and when he came to qbr um that confidence the the the boys got got on board with and I think taking it somewhere else yeah this this was his first his first for a into it and so I think the boys confident so
He’s having himself a little bit yeah he’s he he’s very confident in what he does and you know in the way he spoke to the players and the manner in which he spoke to the players they you know they bought into it it was his first gig and
And and and you know he done his homework and he he was excellent absolutely excellent and I got to be honest it’s the first manager that come through the door that’s done exactly what we wanted him to do in terms of you know getting the out the players and we
We had players that we thought we’re going to sell this one we’re going to sell that one that was going to go and blah blah blah and like I said he just how many months has he there how many on that QPR so he came in in the in the
Summer and he was gone by November that was just before the uh the World Cup yeah I was just thinking before about when Les was discarding those CVS in the bin that he wasn’t even looking at could be mine and yours anti Irish are you you wouldn’t even know shred we I applied
Once even know he Ki once we we never discarded the series we [Laughter] Looked sporting director’s jobs don’t come up that often do they obviously there’s only you know very rare amount of them in this country have you been for interviews since in terms of sort of a role where where would you like to go back in not in this country I haven’t um
Okay I’ve been called a couple of times by the MLS and spoken to a couple of people over there um [Laughter] Beckham gig that one Miami and M what what does a successful sporting director do because I I was only manager for four months I had a sporting director there
For a couple of months and I was imagining his role was quite difficult in terms of interfering but not looking like they’re interfering managing but not looking like the managing giving advice whether they not but not giving CU you know I think you should play this way or I think you
Should play him or I think you should where’s the line for sporting director is there a line is there a line no I’m just saying I’m where’s that where’s that balance so me personally I I can’t bring you in as a manager and then tell
You how to play no I might as well do your job yeah I might as well apply for your job but if manag get in the team wrong and you can see it and the system’s wrong how do you deliv that message so I think on on occasions uh
Every every game I I would sit and I’d speak with the manager the manager would tell me the team that on on a Friday blah blah blah and um we would talk about it I’d never say to him I think you should play this one or I think you
Should play that one all we do is he says to me Lear we need a right back and I go okay says I want Gary Neville and I go we can’t afford Gary nille but what we could do with all the with all the data up nice don’t
But but I’m saying right we ain’t got we can’t afford G nille but with with the head of Recruitment and and all the sports science and all the data we come up with three or four similar types to to a Gary Neville and I say to what this
Is what we can afford take your pick yeah I never there’s no player that come came into qbr apart from the younger players that weren’t going to affect the first team straight away that the man that the manager didn’t say yes to there were a couple that he wanted and we said
No to M but there was never a player that came through the door that was thrusted upon the manager and said you’ve got to play him that happens Premier League sometimes though doesn’t or not or do you think I think that’s how it’s different at each Club but I
Think that’s one of the popular ways of doing it but I I think manager always got to have a say in of course I think again boundage you have but I always think whoever’s director of football or even if you’re a manager you’ve got staff around you I always say your your
Aim is to help the manager exactly help the manager 100% what is that Roy what does that mean so so you you sit down sometimes that’s where the boundaries that’s where a bit of common sense for example you’re watching a team play in the weekends it must be hard when you’re
An ex player as well yeah and I see you at tford matches and sometimes people think they know what’s better but if you’ve if you’ve interviewed managers you have to give the manager that chance doesn’t mean say you can’t have a sit down chat going he’s struggling yeah
Yeah you you do it but you have to have I had a little bit with it when I was up sundon for a while like n was the chairman I give NY plenty of credit when he was the chairman and n’s an next player and he never once would
He get involved ever and I know he must have been tempted sometimes but he was always there to help as well so if I wanted a player he give a little bit of feedback yeah but he’s too much wage he’s too EXT and I always felt yeah I
Felt he was there to help me at no point did I think he’s in hindrance or I know he’s talking be my back or he’s taking again the usual one I wouldn’t have played him everyone wants to be manager of a football club but I think it’s just
Having them boundaries with people and being growing up as well and sitting down with somebody going listen you’ve played two a half struggle you go yeah bit of feedback but why are you the manager of the club you have your own staff to deal with that that’s what
You’re in the job for I I I don’t you found this Les but I found when I was sort of at sford I wasn’t sporting director but I would have leaz on with man do you find managers I mean the the the toughness of the of the role do you
Find that they get insecure quite quickly yeah for sure they’re so in I I used to find that it used to used to worry me think the insecurity of a manager that they’re questioning themselves they’re sort of asking you for sort of if you like validation of
The team talk and they’re actually to be they’re not as sure as they actually sometimes Propel did you find that yeah because I think sometimes you know what it’s like sitting in the changing rooms you’re not you got 11 players or you got 16 17 players sitting there you’re not
You’re not going to strike a quar with every single one of them and you know what it’s like you can sometimes be talking and someone’s not looking at you while you’re talking and thinking he ain’t taking in what I’m saying so that’s when they’re looking for the validation they’re looking do you think
That was okay yeah you go yeah and like I said I never I never used to go in the change rooms for for the team every now and again after after a game I’d go and listen to what he’s got to say but never ever ever B into anything that he had to
Say um we would go into his office after and we’ talk and like you talk about football at the end of the game he played well he didn’t play well that’s what we used to do but I would never say to him you know what you can’t play him
Next week it was only one there was only one occasion I remember having a bit of a ra with a manager we we’ taken a kid on loan um and we we were paying quite a lot of money and he’d had a couple of horror games and I and I said to the
Manager the only thing I’ll say to you is like all my Scouts and all that said about this player he wasn’t right I came to you and said he weren’t right for us but in the end you you persuade us to take him all I’d like is one of our
Players one of our own players to play as badly as that yeah because if he did you’d be saying to me I don’t want him know we’re near my first team but because we’re paying a bit of money and this is and this is what I’m talking about
Development and giving people the an opportunity you’ll take someone from a Tottenham or uh an Arsenal or some and take him on loan and allow them to play badly in 10 games but you’re very own you give one game to him if he plays like that you go right out the door that
Was the only that was the only time I had an argument with manager other than there’s also issues with loan players I know sear where people clubs are under pressure when they put him on law to a QPR or a championship he has to play and
If you don’t there’s a financial put you know yeah there’s loads of different things people don’t say that sometimes understand it wow I want to take you back to 95 96 thank you he knew you weren’t get it’s Christmas yes you’re 12 points clear of Manchester United Jesus what
Happened um spoke about this the other day and and uh someone said to me did you lot bottle it and I said well I said well that’s what a load of people would say we bottled it and then they said so do you think Arsenal bottled it last
Year I said no no no I said because I’ve been in that in that position I understand what happens up until Christmas we were playing free flowing football no one was thinking about everything we just going out we were playing we scoring goals we were winning
Games we got to we got to Christmas always remember going back to to London and coming back straight to the training ground we training we a training session go to training ground and there’s a fellow with a shirt on walking in front of me cuz at at uh Newcastle we used to
Play train at place called Maiden Castle which was a university I was telling someone saw the other day the first the first time the first day we got preseason I go into the the showers after the game I’ve G I’m Shing away go fck me that was hard
Today there’s no response to from the fell that’s two shows away went don’t you think that was hard today look across it’s just a Giza from the University what I’m talking about he come from so yeah get back to the training G back to the story and
This ge has got Champions 96 on his shirt oh no I mean you know those little January yeah this is this is December de this is December we’ll get excited in the Northeast exactly and he’s got Champions 96 and I thought you don’t need to say didn’t really want to say
That and then I think what happened what we started to after Christmas we started to think about it and then we knew that you guys were coming and and it was like what were the team meetings like with Keegan what was he like was he cuz obviously everybody remembers the
Loveely stuff but what was he like in in when he’s talking cuz you could could you feel the anxiety could you feel it no at the time no no I have to I have to to be honest he was he was pretty calm he was prettyy cool I mean I know
Everyone looks he obviously holding it in the leads game and stuff and and and no he was he was pretty calm you know ter D around these guys are one things in their career there wasn’t a lot in in in that in that uh Newcastle side that
Had W things in in the past and so it was a little bit of we start to get caught and we start to think about everything we were doing and you know what it’s like and no matter what sport you play you start to think about everything happens a a second a second
Slower and you the shot that you would take is getting blocked the the tackle that you’d make and you’re thinking about the person goes around you and before you knew it we went went to Arsenal lost lost to Arsenal went to Liverpool lost at Liverpool in that 4-3
Game I feel if we’ have won the the the Liverpool game that 4-3 that would have given us a boost to go carry momentum’s huge I I keep using that word that momentum towards the end of the season even a couple of defeats there I always
Look back at certain teams you got even a draw yeah but you’re thinking yeah someone’s hunting a stone you have to win with no no it’s a few draws along the way the time obviously we’ve end up in one there even a draw there yeah exactly it’s just a gap and momentum and
We ended up getting second what did you make of it when Kevin did the famous of I love it if we beat them what as players I mean I think I think you know what you know what training ground is like we went next next day and everyone
Was going I’d love it everything he did was I’d love it I’d love it and no one saw it as Kevin was one of those you know I always say players fans want players to wear their heart on their sleeves he was that guy he’s emotional
And and Kevin Heart on his sleeve and as a manager that seen as a weakness absolutely not no I don’t think so but but I think most people saw it as Alex Ferguson winning the Mind Games over Kevin Keegan he just wore his heart on his sleeve and I don’t think there was
Any player at the time that thought he’s lost it but he would have loved it he’s just saying why he would have loved it but how are you feeling on the flip side do you know what I mean when you’re chasing that were you confident that you
Could do it did you ever talk about when you saw that interview did you think that experience that belief no not from the interview far from just from the couple of results and you see them obviously slipping up in certain games and the win but not this I’d never be
Critical of Kevin keer for I I admire him not just for that but because he is an emotional guy he’s not a robot so this idea that they losted because of some yeah they probably slipped up just before that the kind of damage was done
And I go back to it momentum and we we’d always feel we could hunt the team down when I saw it the first thing you instantly think he’s in his head now Ferguson’s got him now you know what I mean that’s what I’m saying most most most
You just think that you just because obviously he’s trying to as time went by he’s trying to do it with with venga didn’t it wasn’t just didn’t hit the same but obviously he worked on the fact that Kevin Keegan’s emotional that’s what he went with and so he tried to
Accuse him of something that would go integr it was like you know what it was mean it was a mean tense thing to do what he said cuz we played we played against leads and he he thought they were going to roll over because because of their arrival we we United United and
Then we was we’d agreed to playing uh uh Stuart Pier testimonial at the end of the season we had Forest to play and he went well they going to roll [Laughter] over it was but you know well the perfect place to end that was absolutely fascinating that was so insightful bro
Thank you for having me can’t even You still want to know the player who was two days later but do that was two days later come on no we can’t we’re still on the record watch out was it publicized at the time no no no it wasn’t okay let do you remember scoring a goal at the back
Post against me where you put me in the back of the net yes why didn’t you mention that I just I just remember QPR a chip to the back post your first game was it my first one of my first games and literally he subed me about two
Minutes later and put I think put you right back I just remembered you literally battered me into the back post would that something would that me done that no this you just spoke up a juven this remember you ended up in the goal in the back of the door how no I’m
Saying he literally jumped above me and just went boom because that’s what the manager would have said to before the game you get around the back of himl him please tell me do you know that game I was playing as Trevis Sinclair game did all right but then honestly Les came to
The back Po and is that something that would have bothered you as well you like got the back of you I’d be doing that every day week get back off Neville get used to do used to love that [Applause] one I used to be good at the back post
Jumping into people but I just got Square on which is just absolutely got sad thing is he can’t even remember he’s video Kevin Gall crossed it Kevin G yes Les was yeah but Les had the hang time he used to have a TR in his pocket just put it down
Waiting weren very good in theend never seen any unbelievable think it like want it bravery isn’t it no but if you got what’s good about it though J is that if you’ve got Gary on the back Po and you can just peel off you never I wasn’t that player I wasn’t
That I wasn’t that player I wasn’t the number nine to come in and B because if I was girl you probably would we would probably on the show together I would have absolutely smashed him I smashed a picture where’s the guy where the picture why we all a sudden using a
Smaller camera What’s happen you’ve got a very important we have a business meeting another podcast another offer for us you can’t take a picture on voice Forward brilliant [Applause] w
33 Comments
Everyone battered Gary ha ha
So good
I like Les
Would have loved to know the players that were shirking at QPR.
What a great interview
Les had a great leap,never diss the Ferdinand.
💯…Name of background music ?
Les is Denzil Washingtons long lost brother. Same facial expressions and every thing.
Lets call a spade, a spade.
Its clear why he was never called up to the England squad with Venables..
I wish we had bought Ferdinand 2 years earlier
Bloody hell Les look like Denzel Washington when he smiles. 😂
Great episode
I’ve watched this three times now and Les is fantastic. So articulate, intelligent and personable. Great bloke and top top interview. They all ask him the right questions, gotta give it Gary he knows his onions. Best podcast by a country mile.
If there is a more pleasant (former) footballer than Les Ferdinand, then it would be a clone of the man. Great company, loyal, a really nice, honest guy.
Would love to see QPR back in the Prem. Just need to find the right manager and it can happen. Just look at Luton, and even more dramatically, Ipswich this season.
Hopefully, QPR can rise again. Missed a trick in not getting Nathan Jones as manager who’s excellent at that level. Has already turned Charlton around in his short stint there. Did a great job at Luton – taking them from mid-table League 2 to playoffs in the Championship.
Sir Les. What a man
1:02:15 man I wish this was normal. Massive respect Les.
Where is Jamie ?
Also Matt le Tissier in that time
Also Matt le Tissier in that time
Also Matt le Tissier in that time
What a great guest and seemingly a good guy too.
ferdinand absolute legend
Football fans are a fickle bunch. QPR were owned by billionaires and millionaires not that long ago and look where we are now. Some of the supporters hurling dog's abuse at Sir Les appear to have very short memories, he had 40 million reasons to do his job properly otherwise we'd be in the Isthmian League now. I cannot comprehend how QPR were fined £40mil yet Man City haven't been touched, at least not to date. Smacks of one rule for us another rule for them and I wonder how many palms have been greased at the FA.
I would love to see Sir Alex on here. Obviously Keano being there would probably prevent it but what an episode that would be
Gotta get Andy Cole on please
Bloody enjoyed that all 👍
When are you getting shearer as a guest. Will be nice to see Roy and shearer
Keane called Haaland a League Two player because Haaland has been the leading scorer in the League for Two years running
Brilliant episode. Fascinating insight 👏🏾
Did he sign a contract to agree he's the only one to speak?
Super interesting for a whole but then got earache.
QPR overspending was ridiculous. Yet they pinched a promotion spot over Derby and barely got punished. If only Derby had the punishment teams like this got instead of the 21 points
Really enjoy these podcasts, would like it if they did one on Scottish football, discussing the positives and problems and what they would do about them