Who is your favourite player of all time and have you
ever met him?
Diego Maradona is my favourite player of all time and yes
I have met him a few times.... lunatic... but I love him as a
player.
Do you think Liverpool would have won the European
cup in the late 80’s if English teams weren’t banned?
We will never know if my Liverpool team of the late 80’s
would have won a European cup because the great AC
Milan team of that period were also very good - but I’d
like to think so and I’m sure we could have come very
close!
Outside of LFC, who were your most admired players
during your day and who do you have your eye on these
days?
The players I admired in my early professional days were
Glenn Hoddle for his technical ability (the best English
player ever in my opinion from a technical perspective)
and Bryan Robson for his drive determination and
leadership and of course Rush and Dalglish!
You are an ambassador for The Hive - the excellent new
Wirral Youth Zone in Birkenhead, how did you become
involved?
Being a father of 7 and realising what my children have
achieved (two doctors, one banker and a daughter just
finishing her degree at Liverpool John Moores University
in Criminology) has in no small way been down to the
opportunities afforded to them. I know that most children
can maximise their potential if the right environment
can be created for them. When I heard about The Hive
and saw what they did and what they provide for mainly
underprivileged and disenfranchised children, I had to
get more involved - so I jumped at the chance to become
an ambassador.
What is your perfect day?
My perfect day is spending time with my whole family -
wife, 7 kids and 2 grandchildren.
Where is your favourite holiday destination?
My favourite holiday destinations are Jamaica, Dubai, Bali
and South Africa.
Everyone can remember your amazing goal against
Brazil in 1984, but if not this, what is your best goal for
club or country?
My best other goal for England was a chest and half
volley at Wembley against Uruguay and for Liverpool,
the second goal I scored against QPR in my first season at
Anfield. What’s your favourite car (even if you’ll never own
one)?
My favourite car is any 7 seater where all the kids can fit.
We’ve conducted our own poll and after ‘King’ Kenny
Dalglish, you’ve been voted ‘the best LFC player’ by our
generation. You’re regarded in the highest order, Sir
Alec Ferguson expressed regret at not signing you. John
Aldridge said in his autobiography that ‘Bobby Robson
stated that you were as good as George Best at his peak’
and even a young Jamie Carragher talking about when
you were 34 said “Technically, he’s the best player I’ve
ever trained or played with, he was great with both feet,
they were both exactly the same. I’d say he’s the best
finisher I’ve ever played with (including Torres, Fowler
and Owen). High praise indeed. What are your feelings
on fame and fan adoration?
Fame means absolutely nothing to me, in a team sport
like football appreciating your teammates and what
they’ve done to help you be the player you are is the most
important thing. When I won my first PFA player of the
year, the most pleasing thing for me was that six of my
teammates were in the team of the year and it’s always
nice to be appreciated by the fans. What’s your favourite food?
My favourite foods are Indian, Thai and Chinese.
18 wirrallife.com
What’s your favourite film?
My favourite films are True Romance with Christian
Slater and Memento with Guy Pearce.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasures are KFC and McDonald’s.
What would you say are your 3 defining moments?
I’m defined by my love and commitment to my family.
If you could replay your life, what would you change or
do differently?
I wouldn’t change anything of my past. I’ve regretted
many things and wish I hadn’t done them, but to get you
where you are today, it’s necessary to have gone through
everything in your past to grow. So if you’re happy with
where you are now, don’t risk going back in time to
change things because in changing your destiny you may
end up in a worse place than you are today.
Looking to the future, what is important to you and
what else would you like to achieve?
All I want to achieve is happiness for me and family -
however that comes!