Inside Soccer
Inside Soccer
Episode 5 - Celebrating the return of EPL. Neil Sillett on UK player id and development
Inside Soccer celebrates the return of the English Premier League, welcoming 3rd generation footballer Neil Sillett to discuss player identification and youth development in England. An exciting conversation with many insighful thoughts and a great story at the end. Enjoy!
Hello and welcome back. You're listening to another incredible episode of Inside soccer when your host bill Peterson inside soccer brings you a soccer fan expert analysis and opinion on the critical issues facing the game today. also bringing guests that have incredible stories and historical perspectives on the game, with soccer experience spanning 20 Rolodexes open to bring you the voices and opinions you want. Sit back at wherever you are in the world. enjoy today's episode.
Unknown Speaker :Welcome listeners to inside soccer. This is Episode Five. I'm Bill Peterson. This is Premier League week here at inside soccer a celebration in return of one of the greatest soccer leagues in the world. We'll spend the day discussing just how the clubs in the Premier League identify and develop English players and Thursday will focus on what makes it the best league in the world and what we should expect On its return. This is the show that brings you true heroes of the game the people who get their hands dirty with the issues, bringing you information and insight you won't get in other places. So welcome from wherever you may be around the world. And we're going to jump right into this. This is again Episode Five. The celebration of the Premier League as we're calling it here on inside soccer. And today we're going to be joined by Nils sell it as Neil's a longtime talent evaluator, Academy director, Coach player physio in both England and the US. His own bio says he's born with soccer in his blood. He's actually a third generation so to have a career in professional soccer, following his grandfather who played in Southampton and his father played for Chelsea and Coventry. And he's been involved in FA Cup victories, at different levels or FA Cup victories and championships at different level. And he has seen and heard it all. But for us, Neil, first of all, welcome to Inside soccer.
Unknown Speaker :Thank you very much pleasure to be on. I'm looking forward to the action we've all been waiting for. I think it's certainly, you know, there's a little bit of a climax now to the games this week. Even though they'll be no fans, everyone's really looking forward to it.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, we're looking forward to it here as well. I mean, Premier League has a great following here in the United States and a lot of people have adopted teams for different reasons. And you know, we get some pretty good coverage. I think we get better coverage. Maybe then you actually do an England that at some at some points in the year, but you know, your experience of being involved there for so long, but also being involved with the game here I think gives you an interesting viewpoint. of what's happening. And so what I want to try to do today, Neil is understand how it works in England, what makes it tick? Why is there so much success on literally a fairly small geographical plot of land floating in the ocean there. And then what we should be learning from, you know, the the centuries of experience that you all have. So with that said, like always, we're going to try to keep this to 30 minutes. And there's a lot of questions and a lot to cover. But I have faith that we'll get through quite a bit of it. So let's go ahead and get started. Why don't you just spend a minute or two and give our listeners a sense of your background and your experience? And and take us up to where we're at today?
Unknown Speaker :Okay, well, thanks, Bill. Yeah, as you mentioned, I'm a third generation from my family to about a career in, in professional soccer.
Unknown Speaker :I was a
Unknown Speaker :all from my single figure years on the bench when my father was a coach and was having watched him play at Chelsea in Coventry. He took up coaching positions and had a lot of success in in sort of the lower leagues early in his career. And then I played it very, very slowly. That was my problem. I lacked base. A good knowledge of the game obviously having a football education. Really my my education was totally football not going to school. So we came to a made up of going to watch the youth team played and joined the father on the bench for for first 10 games. And then following that, I quickly got qualified having played professionally at Coventry, Bristol Rovers, Swan gene for a little time in Finland. Long careers is infused with spells in rehab and medical side of the game fitness side of the game with Portsmouth, Coventry City where we enjoy success within the FA Cup, Darby County, Crystal Palace, and then an international level working with Costa Rica, Scotland, and I'm now heading up the national sketching team in the Brighton and Hove Albion Academy, which is a category one Academy in the UK.
Unknown Speaker :So walk us through let's get started. Let's jump into this walk us through how a top level club in England in the Premier League is going to identify not develop yet but just identify talent. What's that structure look like at the club level? What years are they starting to look for players and a little bit of what they're looking for. It may sound obvious, but I'm curious.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, sure.
Unknown Speaker :There There are three levels of academies in the UK. So where I'm at now Brighton is a Catherine one Academy. The criteria is dependent on the investment into that Academy the size of the academies. And it's all if you're very strictly from the EPL and the government, so the government help from some of the kids education, but a category one Academy we'll start recruiting kids from the ages of five, six and seven in the pre Academy ages. So it's cutthroat even at that letter level in the UK. We have a set of around 20 skater Brighton that are looking to spot talent in what we call grassroots clubs, which is the same as as what the standard is in the US at that age. And then they come in and they Twice a week at local centers. And then from the age of nine, if they're selected, they'll join what's called the foundation phase. And that's the first real serious phase in terms of their football, education, so we're still scouting and still bringing in new talent from the ages of nine to 12. But that's the first competitive phase where they'll play against teams from other categories and other clubs, other professional clubs. So it becomes a little bit more serious from the ages of nine to 12. The games are still small sided, at that point, the scouting sketching becomes more serious and you know, then from the age of 21 onwards, it sort of goes in there contracted to the club to stay at that club, and that limits the amount of soccer they can play school, for district school teams, etc, etc. So really from the age of five or six, we have Challenge spotters out there. People that work with clubs close within the vicinity of the club. recommending guys and their raps, followed up, double reference cross reference, and then then invited in for trials and tryouts. So it really is sort of, it's crazy in a way because there's so much development that has to go on before they even get to the first foundation phase at the age of nine before things start happening, but they are being brought into the clubs from the ages of five and six.
Unknown Speaker :So number of questions you Yeah, that's perfect because you tee up a number of questions that I have and hopefully others have, first and foremost, when you talk about grassroots soccer from nine years of age and younger and in the UK are those kids paying To play, who's funding those clubs.
Unknown Speaker :The lower the lower league clubs where they find the grassroots clubs. They do pay to have a referee, which all clubs have to find the money for that for sure. They don't pay generally just to sort of to actually maintain the standard of grassroots football. So those little clubs that surround the pro clubs, they're all you know, the coaches don't get paid. They do it for the love it. And then when they're brought into the club, they don't pay anything.
Unknown Speaker :And do you feel like any kid in a country who has a desire and a little bit of talent as an opportunity to play somewhere at those young ages?
Unknown Speaker :Very much so bill, yeah. It's encouraged the clubs will reach out But they sort of all they're paying for is the administration and the games to be officiated. So there is very little cost. And if there was some someone from single parent or someone controlling the club would do all they can to make sure that they can take part and they can participate at that level. That's very much the case. It's really, you you just play because you want to play and that's it really.
Unknown Speaker :Okay, so I'm building a funnel here for those who are listening. And, you know, we're at the wide end of the funnel here. And it sounds like everyone has an opportunity that would like an opportunity to at least be seen. Now, Neil, I'm 910 11 years of age. I'm starting to show some some skills at a level that the other kids don't have, and clubs are going to start to see and hear hear about me. I mean, am I gonna go to an 11 year old match and find 15 scouts standing on the sideline?
Unknown Speaker :Um, you'll certainly find a few scouts probably not 15. But that's for the older age groups really because there is a a the ruling regarding how far that sort of a radius, mileage radius, pro clubs can bring in between nine and 12. So we have to skate which is unfound Brighton because half of the conference is in the sea and we'd end up in in the dock somewhere. So it's not quite there, but you're supposed to be able to go within an hour so we flood all those games you're talking about anyone with any talent. We're hoping to get a shout out your kickoff recommendation on any kid between nine and 12 and they will be watched when you turn it Those games as the scalp Gordon if I haven't got people there I am done my job properly so flooding those things in and in the area the London clubs can come our way from London so we're fighting Arsenal Tottenham Chelsea Crystal Palace rest time for the same kids so I don't want to give away club secrets but we have to compete with them and we will compete with them in their area as well you know there's plenty of kids as you said right to go around but there will be scouting those games to show
Unknown Speaker :so
Unknown Speaker :and I've been told never to tell a joke but if you're a bright and they give you a bug and tell you to go south and scout players you know your careers pretty much washed up
Unknown Speaker :exactly.
Unknown Speaker :Fishing Boat
Unknown Speaker :yeah that's becoming more difficult.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, you can get Kalla in less than an hour. Okay, so then let's go to London for a second. Okay, I wasn't aware of that hour rule. I guess if you took a bullet train, you could cover a lot of area. But you know what, 12 or 13 or something top level clubs in London, how do they sort through a talent evaluation in London?
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, what do you do then? They will have a show in London. And it's an interesting thing because maybe we will have time to talk about it. And other times I have used that what basketball and what American football is done with inner city programs will can be replicated in soccer in the US, but I think that's for another day in London, what the clubs do. They work with a with private academies, so a little clubs that Develop kids from young ages, and they are funded privately. But we know who funds his way in the world. And if you can't beat them, you're gonna have to join them. They also you can have satellite centers within your our radius. So if the if the guys that you like you invite them in for training a couple of nights a week, coached by one of your members of coaching staff. So it's all done professionally they'll get kicked from the club. And that's done in three or four satellite centers in most cases. And if they are with it, if they're at side of your hour, then we know that there are clubs in the northwest of England that have academies working with them on sound Academy. They're like, what we call soccer clubs in America. Soccer Academy, they're working with those big clubs, and they're not supposed to assist them but maybe they are getting
Unknown Speaker :So let's go back to where you are. And roughly how many 12 year olds are you going to select in any given year,
Unknown Speaker :we would have around about 60. Oh, in various places, right around 20 would be coming in regularly to the, to the elite Training Center, Brian. And then we would have possibly two, maybe three or four other groups, which aren't full time in our academy, but they are training with us and being evaluated and being coached. So those 60 that can change the number they'll have some come in, some go out all the time. That's a fluid sort of arrangement, the nines to 12. They'll be contracted around 20 to 30. For the club, they can't play for anyone else. They can't go to a private Academy train. Totally, totally with Brian.
Unknown Speaker :And how much churn is there? So I'm a 12 year old, I've been selected. I've got my sights set on playing at the highest levels, I still have got a shoot 56789 more years or so. What's my chances of making it just generally speaking?
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, it's really slim. numerically, historically, and statistically, it's, it's very, very, very small numbers that get through some may go on to play for other clubs, but the churn issues is massive. And from a from a kid that signs a club, even at the age of 12. to still be at that club as a professional when he's 19 is between one and 2%.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, now I believe by the way that's that's that's a that's a percentage. It's actually pretty I mean, I would argue that that's pretty good talent evaluation to be able to pick a kid out when they're 910 11. Put them in a program when they're 12. And they're gonna play at the highest level in the world when they're whatever 1819 2021 to two out of 100 you're not doing too bad
Unknown Speaker :actually, I think that's pretty good. No, that's true. Yeah, it's not bad and most clubs would aim to get to that mark. We have a system now of evaluating the KPIs within our academy, based on on who gets first in minutes. I think that's a little bit unfair, because they might not believe me, they might go somewhere else. Explain to me are the moral issues that you've just mentioned, there's a huge churn. A huge turnaround is are we making careers for kids? We're not just a one club, but you know, I may move club Next year or two years time, 10 years time, who knows? But that's kids. The dream is there, as you said, it's everyone's dream, and if they have an interest in soccer, so you can't just say, Oh, he's not gonna make our team. Let's put him on, we have a moral it. You know, there's a moral issue here to do the best for them, and make sure that they are being looked after they are given education on what might happen. Should you not play in our first team? Should you not make it when you're 16? Because that's the big cutoff point, though, is when they get to the age of 16. Do they get a full time scholarship? So that's something that you know, is really got to be they have to be prepared for the worst because of those numbers. Yeah, and it's something that the game is working on. Excel here, really. And even then, I mean,
Unknown Speaker :obviously, there's no guarantees ever I mean, Professional, your professional athlete at 16 if they're paying for it, and you know you're as good as your last match, most of the time I was I was visiting a time a brand new training facility in North London a few years ago. And there was a scrimmage going on between. I don't know maybe it's an under a team Navy, something something in that range. One of their so one of their teams was scrimmaging a team from a different club. And I asked the person who's giving me the tour, I said, Okay, there's 11 people in the field. Tell me what happened to those 11 players. pointed it to him. He said those two will play for us on the first team. So okay, he pointed three or four more he goes, and this is a top parentally a top 10 team in the Premier League even higher most times. He points at three or four more and it says we'll sell those guys to other clubs in the Premier League or championship maybe
Unknown Speaker :he stops talking. And I said, Okay, well, what about the rest? He goes, they go home.
Unknown Speaker :And that was it. And then, yeah, it. I've been in this for a long time. So it's not the first time but it dawns on you like, it's just so cutthroat. It's so hard. And that's what makes it so special. And that's why these guys are so special. So, you know, we're, I fear I know the answer that's coming. But I'm going to ask the question anyway. Here in this country, the numbers who play the game, it's incredible how many kids start out playing. If we were developing one or 2% in the professional players, we'd be feeding the world. We're obviously not. Why is that?
Unknown Speaker :I think a point you mentioned earlier, is a massive point here is the demographic is not If there stop, so the kids are asked to pay. There's a culture there that's been introduced to enable the game to start, I think one a few years ago. Without that, I don't know what there would be. There has to be a change to this is what you come and play. You pay for the for the officials and the travel napkins. So bring the cost of playing down to start with. So it's open to more more classes of kids, that that would open things up. So you get a you know, your mentality has to be more Street. I feel that's one point. The second biggest point, obviously, and I think you know, the answer is the pathway. You're off just off explain the pathways for kids at Brighton. They're in at six and they're taken on at nine to 12, which is a three year degree If they're then going to be kept, they've got two year guarantee that they stay within the Academy to 14. A big one a big then stick is 14 to 16. All this time that they're a local school, they'll use your school they can get transferred to a new school, but they are they are in local school so they carry on with their normal education. But in the knowledge that 16 they leave education more or less totally, and they go full time into being a professional. It's not quite like that because you're not actually a professional there. They are full time I called scholars, so it's like an apprentice, soccer player. Then when a 17 or 18 they can sign bro and that's where the fight begins for the best 16 year olds, that those kids have very little interest in maths or English or geography or science at school. every holiday With every break in this new school curriculum, they're full time within those football clubs and LinkedIn. So it's a full time job from the age of 12. In effect, that pathway, even to my knowledge, and I do love the US. Soccer way, in many ways, is not there, even with the pro clubs, it would be a couple of days a week, then that expect them to go continue to high school to their 18 the chance of being full time at 16. My Not to my knowledge, educate me if I'm wrong is very little in the US used to go to Europe, if they good enough for 16. And there's very few that are able to do that. As you said, I'm with you. If they got it right, they'd be feeding the world for the players.
Unknown Speaker :Well, I think you hit on a couple key points and I agree and you know, I get a chance now to watch a lot of youth soccer and Look, I'm I'm not, I'm not down on it. I think there's a level and I've been involved, or my children been involved in two top clubs. There's some fight there. There's, there's people who want to succeed. Now their view of success is probably going to college and playing. They think they're going to get a scholarship, they probably don't. Their parents could have probably saved the money and paid for college in hindsight, but, you know, that's their goal. And they have parents who are able to support that. Some clubs will scholarship some players, which gives them a little bit of a chance, but, you know, now we're talking, you know, an older age by the time that happens, I mean, they might be 14 1516. And you've missed, possibly kids who could have played and started the game because they couldn't afford to join a club. at a younger age, or the logistics didn't work out with a transportation or whatever it may be, there's, there's a lot of reasons why it doesn't work out. And so I think the sports still misses some players. I think there's a focus on college versus pros, which is probably, you know, in the realm of good things, probably a good thing. But, you know, there is a little bit of a lack, I think, for people striving to be professional players that you would find, and other countries around the world we're playing professionally is, you know, it's important it's like football was, you know, for me growing up in western Pennsylvania people didn't ask if you were gonna play they told you you're gonna play or will beat you up every day. And so you played football and some people are good at it. Some people weren't but it was a it was a lifestyle and it was something that Once you were pretty good at you, you fought hard to get yourself out of those conditions in order to go do that. And it wasn't about, I'm going to go to college, I'm gonna go to college because that's how I get to the NFL. And, you know, it's just a little bit different. I think the mentality is a little bit different not saying, and look, one brush doesn't paint everybody, there's, there's obviously kids out there that want to play professionally. And that's what they're working towards. I just think it has to be a little bit more of the focus. And there has to be a little bit more commitment and risk taking from the parents point of view to say, you know what, when you're 1617, we're gonna let you go to an academy or in this country or another country, and, you know, you may have to go to college when you're 20. Or maybe you'll never go but you know, it's not the day you get out of high school, you got to go to college, because that will never change the model, then if that's the focus, we're going to lose a lot have kids because of that, and that influence. So that's, that's just my viewpoint on that. So So let me ask you another question then. And we'll get a little bit out of development here. But overall, why is there an appetite in England for us players? Or no, they're just not good enough? Or are their work permit issues? I mean, what really? Yeah. What's really coming into play there? Because by the way, let me say this. By the way, let me say this first. in you and I have talked about there's more and more Americans now starting to play in different parts of the world, mostly Europe. I think that's a great thing. You know, we've talked to cobi Jones, we talked to Kevin Payne, they both agreed This is a good thing for the game for these kids to go play, and hopefully they'll come back and contribute to an MLS team at some point, but And the US national team, but they're over there playing against the world's best which is important. So
Unknown Speaker :but I don't know that there are many, if any, in the Premier League.
Unknown Speaker :No awesome. We appeal.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker :There's definitely an appetite all the top category one, academies in the UK, have sponsors in the US, which would be parked on people that they are very small retainer to, but they might have their own what they call clubs, but I don't think they're that challenged, I think the push for increased profile of the club in that area for other avenues of income but I think in terms of the players there's definitely an appetite because that is one aspect To say this, a little bit treading on eggshells, but there is a mentality the kids are generally good in terms of their, their attitude and their attitude towards being fit, being healthy and being in the best shape possible. I find to be generally pretty good, in fact, better than a lot of European countries. There is though, because of the lack of a pathway, you know, am I going to what, where's my where's my path to being a pro player, that that is a problem for them to get your head around. But also, the, the intensity and physicality of youth soccer in professional clubs in the UK is higher. So and can those kids in the US I've seen them I've watched the milk Crop Over in Ireland last year was two or three could change in the US when things got physical the reaction of the guys was May I say miss being very general, slightly petulant. And once any competition, big basketball, American football, rugby cricket, if you see any problems can petulant, you can get under their skin even more. And you'll do that to win become better. There seem to be a lot of, you know, when guys went up for the header, the reaction was, ah, you know, there's not clear because it's part and parcel of the game, I think a protection of those kids. And again, that comes down to the demographic we're talking about. If you look at Scottie Pippen, for example, watching that, the basketball thing on Netflix, the background he comes from, he doesn't have a word if someone smashes him in the face or or push him over, but that isn't there and he could see and he said bastable is going to be my my game, I'm going to be a basketball player, a lot of confidence that he had raw ability and raw, the mentality was raw. And that's what enables the kids in the inner city in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, they all have that they have that edge to Steven Gerrard edge where, you know, he would pick his shelf up after taking a walk and not complain. So that mentality somehow has to come from and I think that's the thing going back to those days, we said, it's the pathway. Is there an opportunity to become a pro? I'm going to really knuckle down I don't care what's in my way. I'm gonna be so dedicated and so tough about this. There's no way anyone's gonna stop. And also, you know, that, that that character, the in the desire to you have some songs from a street warrior, you know, and they're actually
Unknown Speaker :yeah, now that look, that's that's you, you've got to have that burning desire to succeed you Gotta have that sense that no one is going to take my spot here. You know, I once had a young kid tell me they wanted to be a professional athlete and certain sport, it wasn't soccer. And I said, I said, look around and tell me what it is in life you need because I don't see anything you need. And there's a bunch of people in Russia this morning trying to figure out how to eat, and I'll eat you for lunch. Yeah, you know, and, you know, you got it. It's the same thing when you came out of Western PA, it was, you know, this is this is a way to get out of here and possibly see the country or see the world, whatever, but people are trying to take it from you, and you got to get up and own it and keep those people away. So, yeah, it's hard. I mean, again, you know, I was involved in USA cycling at the time, we had an incredible development program, and they probably still do, I'm just not involved. Both men and women, and they would ship the top us cyclists to Europe, and that was the deal and they would race to two times a week. Sometimes At least once a week, and if you could find the finish line and and and learn how to live in the European peloton which was the toughest place, you know, in that sport in a world and and survive off the bike, you know, with the local cuisine and doing your own laundry and everything else, then you might have a shot at it. But if you couldn't succeed with the best in the world who are really trying to, you know, eat your lunch, then you had no chance of succeeding. So that's a very good point you're bringing up and I agree and you know, I think they're here again, the benefit of the doubt in the country is so darn big. I don't think anybody's figured out yet. Just how you really turn over every stone and hopefully they will look for me. For me my motivation. Two things one time a person told me Look, we'll never soccer we'll never own this country until we have the best player in the world is an American I tend to agree with that now I didn't at the time, and two will never win a World Cup until our starting 11 all play in the Champions League. And the more I think about that, the more I think that's probably true as well. So you know, I'm hoping we can continue to go abroad and do well raise the profile the game here, get more talent, get more people, etc. So two more questions, Neal one, and and, you know, I'm going to admit, we're not paying as much attention to this as we can, and about two weeks we're going to do that. But it was when I lived in England and Europe and the 90s. Women's Soccer, I'm not even sure it really existed beyond the grassroots level. And if it did, you know, wasn't well respected. I'll just say that at the highest levels of administration. That's changed now. And there's there's a lot of women's soccer going on there is their development pathway similar to the men. That's the only question I really have for today.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, the development pathway isn't the same as the men's game for sure. But it's definitely getting bigger. Brian, really moving forward with with the women's game. The club, they're out there checking in acting the coach. Oh, wow, really clever girl who has lots of good ideas about developing talents is a different. It's a different game, I think that admit themselves. But this pandemic is gonna really knock it back. Unfortunately, because it was really only up it's getting a lot of high profile exposure on national television and all through the BBC website and having these really, really prominent, so that was all great. Again, the pandemic is Hit six because it's just a financial thing. The club's supporting these teams can't afford to do it when there is much income in that stream at the moment. So it's on the back burner for the time being, which is a very unfortunate scenario because it was definitely pushing forward.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah. And England had a great team.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, they were doing better. Phil never would would come on furbish date but then they said there's some talent for sure. Yeah. I thought just going back while I can briefly I mean, I think my I'm still my ambition is to get this to go to an MLS club in the US and develop their academy because I think it can be done. I think you probably need one of the biggest cities. New York or Chicago, maybe Miami. Dallas might be you know, even on the west coast, there's a couple of seats there la in San Diego, maybe San Fran. Where I think if you really got it going properly and went out to the ship You offered them a free program. You could do it, it would be a five or 10 year program. But I think,
Unknown Speaker :ambition and drive
Unknown Speaker :Well, I'd love to see that. I know there's some people involved in MLS who have been listening to us every week. So hopefully somebody will take you up on that. If not, we'll have to help. Help lead the charge on that. Neil, you've been great. As always, your insights are unmatched, your experiences unmatched your knowledge of the UK game, the European game and the US game. I find unmatched and we appreciate your time but we can't let you off without the final question that we ask everyone and unfortunately, I've had lawyers and other people on and they're not they're not there. They don't tell great stories, but you know, you have any shenanigans you want to share with our listeners something and you don't have to put anybody on the spot but you know, something that has happened that people would shake their head or go oh my god, can you believe that happened? I mean, I know you gotta have more than one, you know, third generation you got more than one but we'll take one for now and we'll save the rest for
Unknown Speaker :later. There are plenty I mean, I've worked with some great people Jim Smith and Harry Redknapp people like that whether the stores are then locking players in hotel rooms so they could get out someone else's team from but I was working as in in player management as an agent in 2008 when Ryan Taylor then of Wigan, we got all the way to transfer deadline day off and negotiating for three weeks with Newcastle to buy him and it just wasn't happening. What's happening, I think kept myself up at Wigan straining ground for for 48 hours, in hopes that something would happen and that I was in the right place should it happen. But Steve Brewster then the manager I subsequently worked with him after he came out of the training grants channel. I'm so sorry. I dropped a couple of days thinking something would happen. It's Friday afternoon, Friday lunchtime. They've been on the phones more than nothing's going to happen. So it's just not gonna happen. So he's on the first team bus but go down to Birmingham, Brooklyn, Aston Villa tomorrow. He's in the team. So, you know, that's the end of the other meeting. Folks focus on the game. So I got in the car and he drove back to London, all the way from Manchester about a four hour drive. Halfway down the M M six on behind the coach by about three miles. to Steve Bruce ran me to where are you? Um, I don't think too far behind you. I just pick some stuff up from my hotel. Are we going to pull in the service station, pick Ryan up the pills done. We got to get in there before midnight. Newcastle. So then this is about three o'clock on on the Friday afternoon. I am pulled over in the service station. The guys on the bus and the team coach was sending pictures of me You see, all over social media because it certainly got off the same bus. I got him up to Newcastle for about 10 o'clock that evening, we signed everything the watch available for Newcastle next day, obviously, they haven't put him in the squad and we needed to make sure that you sign so I actually took a player from the motorway service patients all the way up to the destination of North of England on transfer deadline day and we finished it by about 15 minutes in the end. things will happen. crazy man.
Unknown Speaker :See that's classic right there. That is that is just classic. And people don't realize some of that stuff still going on. That wasn't a long time ago. So look, we appreciate it. Neil, thank you very much. Thank you always for your time. And, you know, we look forward to getting you back here again when we come up with a couple more issues that we need some help with, but we appreciate it and I want to thank everybody for listening this week. This is Episode Five. Please join us for Episode Six scheduled for release on Thursday we'll continue our celebration in the Premier League when we have 25 year executive and currency of Crystal Palace, Phil Alexander on inside soccer so please make sure you tune in today, Thursday and catch all the episodes if you've missed any on www inside top sports comm or your favorite podcast platform. I have a great day everyone. Thank you very much