Rio Ferdinand: How England Can Win | EURO 2024

Rio Ferdinand: How England Can Win | EURO 2024

[Music] hello and welcome to the resty football with me galica um Alan sheir no mic Richards because we’ve got a proper defender in today uh we have a very special guest he’s a six-time Premier League winner and a Champions League winner as well I’m sure you’ve worked it out it’s England and Manchester United Legend Rio Ferdinand guys hi guys great to have you on it’s been a while it’s been I’ve been waiting ages for this mean I’ve been wondering when my turn’s going to come up well and and he was [ __ ] late by the way wasn’t he well he he was doing you’re doing something this morning weren you with yeah I was doing I was with mat doing a bit of Charity so um let me off hey yeah we for charity a common goal actually it’s a really great initiative he got we’re collaborating through another one of my businesses called we8 so watch this space yeah you’ve been all over um Germany for this one you spent quite a lot of time in dusel dorf yeah dusel dorf because there’s a lot of games around there cluttered around the area Dortmund Etc so that’s well we’ve we’ve been staying we’ve been working with um with UEFA as well on they got a legend kind of package that they they work at bring loads of Legends flying them in and out for the games and we’re just doing loads of little content around those those guys so it’s been do five I’m the interviewer I’m not Legend no we we’re five we we film all the stuff and then we we distribute and put it out there so it’s been really good man it’s been a good tournament England are in the final makes a big difference do it yeah definitely I mean if You’ have said it’s been a good tournament as we got to The Knockout stages i’ have said no it ain’t it was boring when it I was bored I got to be honest you no one nothing really excited me other than a couple first round of matches were good and then the next two rounds yeah I just found it kind of it was a bit underwhelming and then it then obviously knockout stages it kind of lit up a bit and here we are England are in the final can’t wait what have you made of the grounds and atmosphere and fans and because you’ve been traveling around yeah like I’ve been in the pubs and the bars and stuff like that so like it’s absolutely like crazy monkers like the the Georgian fans the albanians obviously the Dutch is well documented but those the the smaller Nations have been ridiculous and they’re so friendly Turkish fans make crazy huge population of Turkish people here and obviously the English fans um when they came down to dorf amazing time it’s just the friendliest in terms of the fans that you’ve noticed it seems that they’re getting on you see pictures don’t you with the Dutch would like singing with the English fans and we’ve never really had that that before really like party Vibes I don’t know what it was for me it’s been like a stag do I got to be honest you I feel like just been I’ve been drinking beer every day you I mean tell us about dorf because it’s you youve said it’s it’s great it’s fun if anyone’s got a weekend go I’m telling you because you’ve got you’ve got like a bit of a a Bond Street Posh area line of a road with loads of shops on with nice hotels then behind that you’ve got like a magalo strip and then which is unreal right and then you’ve got like um a you got a river with loads of like Riverside bars and few restaurants which is nice in the middle so you’ve got the best of like three worlds there unreal yeah really good what do you think of England I think they’ve just grown into the tournament I mean if you could have if I could have gone you know let pick a way of of working through this tournament that isn’t perfect but gets us to the final this is probably it in terms of starting slow um so taking expectations down maybe a little bit and at each and every single game we’ve introduced somebody from the squad to be part of the team if you know what I mean do you know when we were in the squads and you’ve always got your first 11 or 12 13 players and there’s normally a few that are don’t get involved and feel a little bit detached from the group but with penalties and with last minute goals the substitutions that gas been like ridiculously uh done really well with you’ve they’ve just kind of they’re adding people to that first core group that I think makes you so much stronger and they’re in a a wonderful place now you you were part of the golden generation yeah it didn’t quite happen um do you see a difference in in the way the the team and the squad are together nowadays cuz I’ve heard you talk in the past about it was a little bit clicky there was a man united group and a Liverpool group and an Arsenal group and do do you see a difference yeah it was same in Al was time yeah like the table you go down and there was a man united table then you had like Arsenal few Liverpool players and that and then you had our’s group um which Gareth was aart of and it just you with Gareth really well and it’s just like you just as a newbie I walked in and was like where the hell do I go really that’s what you feel like and it’s just like whoever makes eye contact First actually got a go on their table I was with like um righty and Les Jamie redn Robbie fer so the strugglers really but it was um no it was and then my generation was very much more driven by Club rivalries like you had the man united guys then you had the Chelsea guys at the time then you had some of the Arsenal was Liverpool lads as well so it was really kind of we’re all just our own separate entities really so was there even a rivalry within the camp did you sense cuz I I find that it was certainly wasn’t like that when I played maybe was it subconscious I don’t know but it was there was an under undertone of rival I I could sit there and would sense that Cara and Stevie really didn’t want to chat to me or didn’t they were they tolerate me yeah would knock my da and go read F your coffee no chance and I KN knock theirs do you find that strange or difficult at the time it was just I don’t know we just do you know what do you know what it is we didn’t have someone like Gare who could knit us together you I mean we didn’t have a a manager that maybe put importance on the group being more knitted together and maybe done things to kind of make sure that we were welded together and became a group and forgot the outside noise you got to remember we’re going to a camp with with England and the manager is going you if you play more than 45 you ain’t playing Saturday that’s s gaffa was he and he was so and that then becomes ingrained in you you just you just start thinking I want to win the league though yeah I mean and you go with England you’re there for five days or six days and you go back to your Club so like did actually put pressure on you perhaps not to go if you felt you a little bit no he never he never said don’t go he just said listen manage your minutes you know what I mean and it was like there was no uncer that’s not a Player’s Choice really is it no it isn’t but again you normally have two games on a trip yeah do you I mean and and like you could go to the manager and say list I’m a bit tired maybe the second game I don’t know you could say that I never done that but it I don’t I do know that it happened but it your your Club rivalry almost just kind of it overtook the importance somehow of building a group with England and I think that was our biggest problem because the stand of the play perhaps why you weren’t ultimately successful because you see even these guys today they’re under pressure the media us they’re not happy that we’ve said x y and Zed Siege mentality galvanizes them but as a coming together we never once had that where if there was things said in the media it’s like about I don’t know Stevie or Frank whoever you kind of leave them to deal with it cuz I ain’t got that relationship with them and it’s not oh England it’s like well he’s he’s a Liverpool player subconsciously I never ever went out of my way to think like that I just I think it just happened I think that the two things that GTH has been through as an England player that what Rio’s just said about the togetherness and all of that what and the other thing is penalty shootouts the two things that have been brilliant of that Gareth has changed as the mentality now and the togetherness and and obviously the penalty shootouts we we I don’t remember many times you go to a squad where everyone’s bouncing to be at the squad to be there and to meet up it used to be like got come we never played well together games are really hard and I just always and I think and I look at this group now they look like they can’t wait to get there meeting up on my pals it’s like a youth club doesn’t feel didn’t never felt like with us you know what I mean it was weird it I mean the plays you had as well yeah we got called the the golden generation yeah but you look at the squads we were playing against look at the French team look at the the actual evental winners the Brazil team if we were the golden generation what would they Brazil team is unel on Ito Ronaldo yeah revaldo kafu Roberto Carlos it was an endless name of superstars but we had a wonderful group who are super talented great characters for their clubs but we never managed to kind of bring that all together Under One Roof with England unfortunately and it I think it was just the club rivalry that really stopped that also the manage the management that we had I think then Sven at the time really was the main guy Sven Capello yeah I think their tactics were very rigid I keep saying this we would go to bellus or Albania and get popped off the park and come off and go how hard was that and these fellas were going to work the next day some of them like and it shouldn’t be like that no but we were just we were our tactics were so R sometimes I look at and you think it doesn’t matter how talented you are if you’re not the pieces aren’t put in the right place it makes it very difficult to perform and I think early in the tournament people were perhaps saying similar things about this England side and I remember you talking I’ve had lots of conversations over the years about about the way England used to play and I remember distinctly always stuck in my mind and it reminds me a little bit perhaps of Jon Stones now where you said that Sven said to you you carry on yeah no no we were walking we done it I think my my second off training session with sang gar eron you’re all excited to play for Italian football think and Italian football was like when he was there was big coming off the training ground and he just pulled me and we started walking slowly off the training ground he said rio um my center backs don’t run with the ball if you want to play for England with me you don’t run with the ball and that was my game like running out and committing someone and then playing to the Spearman well if you run out as a central Defender that that some something has to happen on their Midfield to go towards you and that creat space for other Midfield players yeah and it really kind of nullified a big part of my game and but I I want to play for England do I mean I want to get as many caps as I can I want to be successful for England so you comp play you kind of go okay I’ll just do what you ask then and yeah and and that maybe contributed to as to why we were so rigid as well and do you think it was also one of the reasons why could never quite get skols Lampard and Gerard into the same Midfield because he had a rigid four in Midfield as whereas nowadays obviously with those kind of players you probably blend in like work out a tactic that suits them because it’s the game’s changed a little bit well I I think no disrespect to those managers but if Glenn huddle was a manager of that group of players we get to a final great he was Unreal coach as a coach yeah forget not a manager I’m not talking about as on the training field with your boots on on the grass he was ridicul he saw things other people could dream we’ve sat next to him so many times and we covered the Champions League over the years and and why the game’s going on he’s talking I you got he just sees things doesn’t he in that that kind of way I played with him he played like that as well I mean he he was just he saw pictures of us couldn’t see he was so the best pass of the ball I think I he was actually the best player in training something when he was manager yeah who just pissed a few people off you know do you know go back to your time when you compare your time and you uh you came into my squad as a youngster and then you went on did what you had to do in tournaments we always hear you got to blank out the noise I mean that hasn’t changed from my time your time my time and your time and it’s happening now isn’t it I mean it’s is it more now is it because of social media or or or what I was talking to someone about this the other day um I tell a little story quickly I mentioned it the day that I um I would spent time with Theo walart after the game and uh he was saying when I rang him up when he made his debut in 2006 my advice to hear or one of my pieces advices was blank out the noise don’t listen to all of that and I’m thinking back in 2006 but it’s always been that it’s always been that way because there because people care so passionately about the national team and they so want them to do well it’s like all these things even your own club side you’re more critical of your own club side than you are of anyone else because you care and that’s the same for pundits and we we all we’ve all had that in the career and the players will know that sort of stuff did you ever notice that kind of yeah I mean going into the squad with Glenn hoddle he used to say it’s us against them yeah that’s what he used to say about the Press it’s them against us don’t give them anything but I look at it now and I think are these Lads going through like what anything like what the squads that we had with Becks or with wazo at times the Beckham thing was unbelievable wasn’t it are we anywhere near that I don’t think we are I don’t think there’s the Venom when I look at the the criticism around this team in this tournament it’s been I can’t remember it being anything vindictive or personal it’s tactical analysis A lot of it and I look at the squads that I was in and previous to me with you guys turnip head gra tayl like Ry with the Broly like this is personal stuff do you know what I mean so I think it’s a bit different the only thing I would say is that these guys can’t get away from it we’d read a paper and see you later these guys or you went on cax or something like that but but now it’s it’s always on media so I think that’s a difference where it can really overcome you and really be like overwhelming did it affect you yeah I think I’d be lying if I said it didn’t the pressure I think it was more of the pressure like knowing that do you know what it was it was like they were waiting for you to foul that’s what it felt like with England the media and it wasn’t social media it was like the the journalists sitting there with their pen pen sharpening their knives that’s what it felt like when you walked into a press conference with England you felt like they were sharpening arms all waiting there with smug looks on their face to say how bad you are just to pick something out of you that’s what it really felt like and that pressure mounted and because you knew the influence they had on on the fans to create um a certain atmosphere which was really negative and and toxic um so I understand with and I sympathize with the players when it be when it feels like he’s getting that cuz I think during this tournament he started to feel like it was just going to push towards that but the results the last minute goals really got got them away from that and went positive it’s probably something that g Southgate deserves a lot of credit for isn’t it you know the way he’s got the team together yeah man I mean like what he’s done has been like nothing short of almost a miracle because no one could get the England squads to feel like they were a family and a a club feel and all the other teams that win Spain are a great example they became like we David David deir used to he couldn’t wait to leave United to go and join up with the international team and we used to sit there scratching our like how is he what have they created this maybe you just didn’t like you come from maybe that yeah but it’s just like used we used to scratch our heads and think how are they bouncing to these squads and we just like a lot of our players are dragging their heels was there never a point where the players said come on why don’t we all get together here or sorted out no I don’t think any of us were big enough to do it in terms of like I don’t know right when none of us could rise above it maybe I think and and the power of the of the club and the premier league to win that was so strong that it just stopped it yeah but but I mean Gareth what he’s done there in in managing media he’s been brilliant that he’s managed the players and created that environment from to go to um I think he he deserves huge credit and then even now on the pitch he deserves even more credit for the substitutions that he’s made this tournament I mean he’s he’s won games people think that managers he’s he has won games the one thing perhaps in previous tourn you you could level at him as a criticism because he he’d not managed to turn games I mean some people say you know substitutions are still a bit late but they’re getting J they they’ve all worked so you just go big tick well play exctly even from the penalty situation from what happened in 2021 to the Penalty situation that we had uh the other day when he he changed the players give them enough time to come on and play get into the game and ultimately that’s worked doesn’t it I’m one penalty shoot out as well I know I know and like you say he’s been through that so he knows the the magnitude of that and what it the impact it can have who’s impressed you for England um kobby M’s been a he’s Sensational he’s a kid 18 years old I spent quite a bit of time with his family actually a couple of different times in this tournament and you can see their input into him is definitely is telling like calm level people and that’s that’s the way he go was out there on the pitch is like to be that calm we notice like we go out there for England in a tournament the pressure’s crazy he’s playing like it’s just normal to him like it’s phenomenal yeah and he’s just he’s a he’s beautiful player to watch he always does something in the game that you go not many are going to do that not many can do that not many can be that composed in them areas Under Pressure um foden I think’s grown into it and and show him glimpses of what we’ve seen in a man city sh I think Mark Gay has been the most consistent performer start to finish he’s been ridiculous and again first tournament for him as well so he’s been great sacka has been explosive at times and been probably one of the players that we’ve looked to to create openings but those I think those ones are the ones that stand out for me Dean’s been solid I think Dean gets a bad rap I think oh he doesn’t play this doesn’t play that but I think without him he’s essential isn’t he yeah without him I don’t know what we do who plays that role in this squad in terms of importance so yeah they’re the guys that jump off the page for me I suppose the concerns before the tournament ask you as a central Defender everyone was a little bit worried in that area but you mentioned Mark Gay stepped in alongside Jon stones and it’s it’s kind of become the strong part of the team yeah we’ not given up loads of chances um one of the best defensive records in the in the tournament um and I think again that’s down to to the shape to the obviously the individuals at the back pford as well made a couple of good saves at times um but yeah I think that was just weird it was an area we we were worried about but one thing I would say is that I haven’t seen a number nine come out of this tournament with any glowing reports no it’s there’s no number n that’s I’ve gone oh my God who’s actually putting Center arms under pressure and and really going right come on let’s go Toe to Toe there’s noten no it hasn’t happened and that makes for an easier day at the office for for Center back’s 100% but you still got to go out and do your thing yeah how have you seen the Tactical side of things with with this England side and and the way he’s changed from the formation that was a bit unbalanced not working to the boxing Midfield yeah I think that’s been pivotal in changing the way and the dynamic of the team I think that the all we we were talking about before was the lack of cohesion in this team playing like they were all strangers at first wasn’t they it was like distances between the players was huge none of the players looked anything like they do at Club level and it just reminded me a lot of the teams that I played in the tournaments like just disjointed but then it just clicked and I think that there was moments obviously the penalty shoot out but the last minute goals as well also a change of formation um I think helped them and the the players seem much better in that change of formation but that that rotations between kobby Mayu and Phil foden I think are huge in that so we’re not rigid I think the best teams in today’s football have structure but then there’s the ability for people to rotate and then you ask questions of your opponents you do you know where I’m going to be rice is an important part of that because he’s your anchor yeah and he allows the others to move like that cuz he’s always going to be there and I think it’s important when I don’t know what it’s like you sent it fors but you know when you look behind you and you knew where people were going to be was I think it’s a big thing in terms of confidence for other people in the team and I think Dean does that because he allows others to go and just be a bit free with your traveling around and seeing different teams player you’d have to say Spain have been the best haven’t they Yeah by far yeah yeah 100% by far with him without the ball by the way like their press and their counter press when they lose possession is is phenomenal like it’s the best in the tournament so they look like a team whose coach knows all of the players and he does he coached them under 17s I think under 19s 20s and one stuff with these all of these players so he’s got a real in-depth knowledge and and understanding of all these individuals as players but also people and it looks like that because they play like a like a club team almost like a team that know every single phase of the game and I think it’s going to be difficult I think for England I think England could beat them but they do scare me a bit because they are so such a good team you uh you you came into uh an England squad as a 16y old didn’t you just to come in learn and what the Euros in the Euro 96 wasn’t it did you yeah unreal came into our Squad as a 16 just about say I was just about to say that he’s come into the as a squad as a 16y old but he’s he’s actually playing and starring and like one of the performers of the tournament at and if I think back to when I came to that Squad right so the mobiles weren’t really a thing then it’s that ago for anyone listening who’s a bit young but you used to get an allowance on the phone in your room didn’t you yeah carrier pigeon unbelievable so I was sitting there getting getting finishing training with like these guys who are like they these guys were like on my wallwind as like posters and sticker books and stuff like that so I’m getting back to my room and I’m thinking about Le your mouth what he must be doing he probably be on this now but i’ would be going like to my mes oh my God Alan sheir eats broccoli it’s unbel it’s unbelievable I’ve seen by the way Gaza he plays double-handed at table tennis it’s it’s unreal like I saw him having a glass of wine bottle of wine actually before the game against uh Holland night before I like just report I was like a little mini reporter back home yeah and if you think back to something you’re doing your five stuff back practic but you look at let me in your mou now and you think like I was like I was so in awe and it just I was overcome with like just wow yeah but he doesn’t even seem like that it’s just like he’s been here before he’s expecting to be this guy and expecting to be the man by the way did you see him walking into the press conference after he’s got a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask in his hand and and the guy shepher him see it and goes oh takes it off him say no not here like he was going to put it on or something like that to mbappe maybe or something like that I mean I thinking wow like this kid’s got some bollocks do you I mean maybe or maybe RAB maybe something a top of rabie after he had a little dig at him didn’t he how good can he be do you know I I’ve seen obviously online we see all these clips and I’ve seen Clips when he scored a goal not too dissimilar to the one he scored against France when he’s on the 17s and then you’ve seen clips of him when he was like nine he’s playing exactly the same as he did then and doing exactly the same things as he did then his decision making look brilliant then as well he’s weight to pass look good just as not not as much power but everything seems like he’s just shifted a bit like kobby May same you look at clips of when they’re younger they’ve just shifted the same playing skills and techniques and just gone up on age group and look against men against men and the one thing I think I had gone through puberty when I was 60 you were still hiding in the showers you very much absolutely I think he could be anything because I I don’t think he he doesn’t allow for contact that’s one of the things I’ve noce as well not when do you see him get smashed really he doesn’t really he releases the ball before he can get to him he he movement before he gets the ball gives him that space to get a yard and he’s passing it’s like I know Superstar yeah I think because I think he’s got the bollocks to be as well yeah he’s got he he knows he knows how good he is yeah like even his comments after rabio give him a bit he’s they win the game he scores and he gives him some back on social media if I was an attacker that’s that would be me that’s 16 that’s a joke I wish I was an attacker seriously with social media I I would torment people night before games and after games mind you the lot on the other side’s not bad is he Williams He Go Williams pays the only thing with him is I think Kyle Walker can deal with someone like him he’s shown you can deal with the best in the world the quickest in the world and he’s main threat his Pace how do England deal with the two wide men tactically because if you’ve got three do you do you make perhaps the two wide players gay if they still play the same system of course go one and then but that’s Brave cuz yeah you got or do your wing backs drop deep and then you end up with a five at the back and that’s you get hemmed in or do you go for the back exactly we haven’t played our best football as for at the back really or we have but we’ve played good some good football but we seem more comfortable with a f with a five but I I I think that you’ve got to get to these Wingers quick cuz I think if if Williams comes inside he gives Walker a bigger problem if the moment he stays out wide and isolates himself I think Walkers you can deal with that I think better but yeah I think we got to get to their wide players and we’ve got to make sure when their wi players get on the ball and they do get their heads up people have to attach themselves to people like Omar and Morata because the goals that you’ve seen they’re getting In Pockets where you think i’ need you to be tighter there I want you your arms on these guys to to make sure but listen it’s difficult to easier to said said than done but yeah I think once the wi players get on the ball like where’s everybody cuz these boys can play they can pass they see a pass as well you wonder whether the lack of in lack of experience perhaps will help affect them in some way but then England have got young players as well also they’ve got rodri yeah I was just going to ask about him yeah he’s he’s the he’s the he’s the best conductor he is isn’t he in the game he’s I I think he’s actually the most valuable player right now in football player of the tournament so far it bar be him or a 16y old yeah it’s one of them two I think but he’s I just think kobby mon if he has a flyer in in the final but rodri just looks like he’s he’s just he’s just above everybody maturity just he looks like he looks almost like the the teacher on the pitch and the others are just the pupils that’s what it feels like to me he’s got a real calm Authority about him in every every aspect of his game um and he’s it’s weird because I speak to a few of the Spanish expers and I’m going like okay where’s rodri rank you got chabby Alonzo you got buetts and you’re like no buet is he’s he’s that over there somewhere buet was unbelievable I mean people I don’t think people realize unreal I tell you what he said to me yeah yeah you’ve told me this you must share this cuz he’s brilliant bcet buetts mate we played at Wembley got absolutely destroyed CH League final Champions League final pants pulled down everything right and um we’re chasing the game I think 2-1 at the time closing minutes of the game and the ball’s gone out and he’s like wasting time with it and I’ve run over to get the ball you know you do drag the ball off him give me the ball and he kind of pulled the ball away and he went you viit boom boom boom that long ball long oh mate just I wanted the world the ground to just open up and just swallow me just so like dismissive but what a player he didn’t look like a footb he’s like a stick insect I always say if you saw him in like all9 in ASDA you go I’ll destroy him put him on a football pitch there’s no way he get near me because he just he doesn’t look like one you you put him on that pitch mate he’s he does everything position spaces wait a pass and if you press him he ability to get out of things was just like wow phenomenal player the [ __ ] were you last nzda by the way s actually uh if you talked a little bit about where the number where the number nines are in the game now as a Defender now against the ones we’ve seen perhaps in this tournament and you know most of the big ones are aging a little bit um certainly Ronaldo obviously that’s brings to mind and and even Harry Kane is in his 30s now um do you think it’s life is quite easy as a central Defender with the way a lot of teams have played you not seen too many cent center forwards or number nines whatever you want to call them getting behind players until perhaps Oly Watkins came on made a difference marata does it a bit yeah I just look at it and think is it A Hard Day’s work as a center I think it’s I think the most hard work you do for a center back now is get on the ball you’re asked to dictate the game a lot of time and control the pace of the game do you think this the way teams play now would really have suited you wouldn’t it yeah I think so like get on the ball that’s all like my first thought when I i’ got rid that i’ have got rid of that [ __ ] but that was my main thing was as a kid growing up was about playing and getting on the ball and trying to take on the center forward but I had to shift my mindset to think defense first and I think if you find the balance in today’s game you’d have a great a greater chance but listen I’m going I’m going to St James is and playing against [ __ ] shear and Les Ferdinand or Shar and asprilla or Shir and bellam you know what I mean like [ __ ] it’s hard work like it’s me one V one come on let’s go and it’s I don’t care what you say is a hard day at the office even if you win or you going and playing against I don’t know Ian wght and Dennis bur camp or Dennis B camp and tyon re One V one on the halfway line like I don’t see that them battles now it’s like right okay for instance the two best in the Premier League my best pairing in the Premier League is celra and Gabrielle but one of them is going to go tight and the other one’s just going to just chill and wait and if he gets pass him I’ll be there to sweep up then but it’s it’s a it’s a really different proposition for a center back now maybe this there’s other things they got to concern them with with the wide players coming in as Strikers almost kind of a front three rather than two so You’ got to cover your fullback a bit a bit more and be aware but it isn’t that 1 V one 90 minutes going at it which I think probably look at him and think that would be an easier debt office for me I think what about you do you think you would you prefer to play I think the uh the the the nine is without doubt I mean dying out isn’t it I think footballs now we’ve said it before is like they’re more forwards hav said that you could say harand yeah but it’s one of one of how many yeah they just their forwards now even the even Watkins is a nying he likes to spin behind and stuff and he obviously that’s a great option that g got for the final again if if it’s not quite working he can try that because because Harry won’t run behind but you look at okay you look at the their team you had like Al sheram Fowler Les Ferdinand Ian right Andy Cole like Deon Dublin Stan cmore there’s eight Michael Owen Michael Owen there’s nine I mean it was like and they they all players now would walk into that that Squad easy definely 100% most a lot of them probably start I don’t think I would no he would yeah who’s the uh you mentioned about there about the player of the tournament uh I mean it’s going to come from a player from England and Spain because you’ve got rodri you’ve mentioned Manu you got sacka even almore yamal I mean whoever performs on Sunday yeah even Bellingham if he bangs a couple in yeah yeah I mean he’s had a kind of mixed to him but couple of unbelievable moments he seems like that type of player now do he for me that Real Madrid thing is it there’s been an element of that with England Haven they they like Real Madrid they somehow do it find a way they found a way to win by any means and it doesn’t have to be pretty I don’t I like that my my teames that yeah he does but my team done that people that because it’s like gone and people trying they they kind of fairy T the situation a little bit but the real hard facts are that you have to roll your sleeves up sometimes and grit and and resilience gets you through some games not the quality or the Brilliance but I think England are like that now but I think Bellingham is uh like I I don’t think he’s he’s one of them who doesn’t need to play well sometimes it could be scruffy and ugly and miss miss things Etc but then if the moment does come he’s one who wants to be that guy to take it and that’s a special if it fell to him with a minute to go I’d be quite the you were drawing you you’d take that yeah would yeah and Kane yeah yeah them two 100% Watkins what a moment that was wasn’t it given his journey as well like for me like to where he is now and it’s um have you spoke to him he’s a lovely guy as well I haven’t actually yeah really really nice kid and um I was in that actually in the say his mom did you see the clip oh yeah yeah she she W missing about was she [ __ ] play him get son [ __ ] [ __ ] yeah I love that brilliant but he’s a great guy great kid yeah Will England do it i’ I’ve said from the beginning I think win it you I mean I I had a a feeling I don’t know what it was and why um the experiences over the last few years I think they will I think they I think they I think they’re the only team that can beat the Spanish team or get close to beating them um difficult though it’s it’s going to be hard it’s going to be a buzz doing it on the BBC we’ll all we’ll all be there Alan will be co- commentating you’ll be um with me and where are we going to be where we situated on the side or we’re on the ground behind the goal on a platform lovely we’ll be in there so we you got to be there oh mate and uhing Suits Juan Mata is joining us yeah he is I was is great because he’s such a likable such an intelligent human being it’s what you said before was it like not many people are universally liked yeah normally there’s loads of people that hate him because of the team was he in good form yeah he was yeah he’s good he’s uh he’s a lovely fell really nice I play with him for a couple of years at United really good guy it’s going to be exciting is it yeah man what we wearing by the way is it suits or just Cas going smart I can wear what I want I’m on the C oh yeah Shar he wears what he want I I’m going I’m going suited and boot yeah yeah tie I’m going to wear a tie million sins a time my age I’ll join you then I’ll join you okay thanks for joining us been it’s been great and that’s it for this you’re coming on mine anytime you like I’ve already been on yours I know I know but years ago yeah definitely yeah absolutely love to Cheers guys on five perfect that’s it um that’s it for this episode of the rest is football don’t forget we have another episode um today if you’re listening today so it depends that’s um Saturday um with sidlo um if um this if you listen to this late on Sunday it will be on our feed so check it out um he tells us all about this um Spanish side um he’s an expert and um he’s got the Spanish football podcast as well and um you’ll enjoy that um great stories about the The Williams Brothers uh and rodri in particular uh mic returns tomorrow uh where we’ll be previewing the final in detail come on England Goodbye For Me Goodbye For Me Goodbye For Me guys thanks r [Music]

Rio Ferdinand joins Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer to explain why his England team of Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes and Rooney could never work together.

Did club rivalries destroy England’s Golden Generation? And if a teenager wins the Euros final for his country will it be Kobbie Mainoo or Lamine Yamal?
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00:00 – Intro
01:00 – Rio’s Thoughts On EURO 2024
11:15 – Blanking Out The Noise
16:35 – Most Impressive Player
18:00 – The Defensive Worry Before The Start
18:45 – Englands Tactics Change
20:20 – The Best Team This Tournament
23:50 – How Good Is Yamine Lamal?
24:45 – How Do England Deal With Spains Wingers
27:00 – Busquets Story
28:45 – Life As A Defender Now
31:40 – Player Of The Tournament
32:45 – That Watkins Moment