W L INTERVIEW they ' re all different because human beings are different . Graham Taylor played in the lower divisions , he never made it to the top division ; he was all about effort and commitment and team spirit and attitude . Graham coached us from morning to night . Kenny Dalglish was a great man manager but also a great observer of knowing good players and how to fit them into what he wants . Liverpool in those days didn ’ t coach . From Bill Shankly to Bob Paisley to Kenny Dalglish , it was about bringing in good players who they knew could use their initiative to fit into a system . You learnt the Liverpool way from the senior players who were already there . Bobby [ Robson ] was just really enthusiastic ; Bobby did a bit of both . He coached a bit , but was like your favourite Uncle , you just wanted to play for him because you loved him . He was so loyal , so supportive and really wanted you to do well .
But of course , Graham Taylor had the greatest influence as I was 17 years old and I was with him for my formative years - when you really learn . When I came to Liverpool , I had been playing in the top division for 5 years ; I was a man , I was already an international player .
Most influential person in shaping your life / career ? My dad without a shadow of a doubt . Graham Taylor kind of reminded me of my dad because he was very strict . My dad went to Sandhurst , his best mate at Sandhurst was Andrew Parker Bowles – Camilla ’ s [ former ] Husband . My dad was a real army officer – British army officer . So you know , stiff upper lip ; discipline . If you are going to do anything you do it with determination , authenticity . So I remember why I had to stop swimming ; I was swimming competitively before I was playing football [ competitively ] but we had to go to training every day and I used to stop off to play football . My dad said if you ’ re not going to go to training every day , don ’ t go at all . If you ’ re going to do it , you do it properly - so I gave up swimming !
My dad was the biggest influence on my life and of course football is a part of that .
Greatest moment in football ? My whole career . And if you want to taper it down the whole 10 years at Liverpool ; six years at Watford . There are no individual moments that tell you the person you are . It has to be a consistency over a period of time . I can pick individual moments – the player of the year which I won twice ; the goal against Brazil ; winning the league and whatever . But they are individual moments . It ’ s the consistency over a career and not one moment in my career , at all .
Watford are playing Liverpool – who are you supporting ?! Now ? Well it depends ; it depends if Liverpool need to win the league and then I ’ ll support Liverpool . If Liverpool have already won the league or they can ’ t win the league and Watford need a win to stay up - then I ’ ll support Watford ! I live in Liverpool and I ’ ve been here for over 30 years , so if it came to do or die for both of them , I think I would go for Liverpool .
What ’ s your greatest attribute that has been key to your success ? Well it ’ s a bit of an oxymoron to be honest because by saying this , you know , you ’ re not really showing it ; but I think humility . Just in life generally , I think it ’ s one of the greatest attributes any human being can have and I ’ ve always just felt like a normal person . That ’ s why I like Liverpool , because in Liverpool you can ’ t walk round with your nose in the air – no matter who you are – and so that ’ s why I just took to it straight away because I never felt better than anyone else .
We as players can ’ t help the way fans feel about us and they ’ re always going to put certain players above others – but I never saw myself as more important than any ‘ so called ’ lesser players . That ’ s a real Liverpool thing and Everton are similar – that kind of character – the Liverpool City character . That ’ s why I chose to stay in the area ; the humility , and I work on that a lot .
Greatest player you ever played with ? Now once again you have to look at it from a team aspect . My favourite players have been Alan Hansen ; unbelievable player in terms of influencing the way Liverpool played - and when he retired ( plus Kenny Dalglish was resigning as well ) that had a lot to do with the so-called demise of Liverpool at that time .
One of the most selfless players I ’ ve played with was Peter Beardsley . He ’ d rather you score or somebody else score than himself . A real team player . Another unsung hero I loved playing with was Ronnie Whelan ; everybody who played with him appreciated him . They were my three favourites .
Greatest player you never played with ? Maradona . When you look at him at the Mexico World Cup 86 .
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