Henrik Larsson: Celtic Legend, Man United & Losing His Love for the Game | Stick to Football EP 110

This was on the rail, and I thought it was just a top. No, it's Roy's.

Roy's.

So, no, right, he said, it's his actual top. I said, I'll put it on, by the way, I think it's his thing, you see what he says when he comes in. It's cool, though, isn't it? Hemrik!

Hello.

Yes, Hemrik. Hemrik, how are we? I got it for my son's 50th birthday. A Panda? Is that the Swedish shop? Did you get it over in Sweden?

No, I think he got a contact somewhere. I can't get it. What cheek, yeah.

Wow.

Yeah.

How are you, Emre?

I'm all right. I can't complain.

You sound like you're going to.

No.

LAUGHTER

It's going to be really interesting how you do this, because you know I don't speak very much. LAUGHTER

Thanks for that, Henrik. Henrik, you do.

You should sit in on one of ours.

Henrik, you need to go on Monday Night Football with him.

Monday Night Football? Yeah. Hmm. Hmm.

LAUGHTER

Is it the Monday Night Football or me?

I don't have anything against you. Or for him.

That might change in the next hour.

Yeah, it might do, actually.

Did you play against Carra? Did you ever play against him?

Yeah, we did.

Did we?

We played, I think, in Euros 2000 and...

I don't think I played in the Euros.

You didn't?

No, 2004.

No, I didn't play. I didn't come on for a minute.

2008? We weren't in 2008, we didn't make it.

Did you...?

Yes, you did. England? Oh, we did, yes, so we did. No, sorry, 2006 World Cup in Germany. Yeah, I played right back that game. Oh, Joe Cole scored. You played right back, did you? Yeah, you must have been injured again.

Yeah, I was.

We played Celtic-Liverpool in the UEFA Cup.

Yeah.

2003?

Yeah, the year we went to the final.

Yes. We drew at Celtic and then you beat us at Anfield 2-0.

Yeah.

Yes, Jill! I know, I'm getting... Oh! Oh, get... Oh. Thanks. Hello, by the way. Hiya. How are you? You OK?

I'm good.

When did you come in, Henrik?

This morning.

Fly from where? From Copenhagen.

How beautiful is Copenhagen?

It's lovely.

It's lovely. Expensive?

Yeah.

£12 or £15.

Henrik lives there now.

Henrik calms me. Henry calms me. He just calms me. That's my jacket!

I just hung that on!

LAUGHTER

Are you going to wear it?

No!

So what did you bring it for? Have you got in this?

I came in in that, yeah.

It was on the railing, he said.

I know it was.

He's got my jacket on.

He's taken my gear.

LAUGHTER

I told you. That is so funny. Just make sure this is switched off. Yeah.

Is your phone off?

Make sure your phone's off.

I've seen yours.

It's nice, sir.

So I left mine in the room.

It's good on you, James.

I think it looks nice.

It's a bit snug on you.

It's snug.

Enric, what's happening, bro?

You look great.

Yeah, you as well. I'm a man. Gold record? King must score more. No, man, Henrik's the one. No, I don't have a... Don't ask me numbers.

No, come on.

Can we get the gold stats?

Can we compare gold stats?

It's going to be interesting to see how you're going to do this, boys, because I'm a man of few words, you know.

But Henrik, you're calming.

You just relax. What's your favourite city, Henrik? Favourite city in the world or in Europe? Both.

Both. Glasgow. Yeah, Glasgow. Glasgow's good. Yeah, Glasgow's great.

You love Glasgow? Yeah.

But when you're Henry Lawson you can love Glasgow.

You're like some sort of like...

Miami's not bad where I met you.

Yeah.

Miami? He's been to Qatar! He't gone to HBA to Qatar!

I've gone to America once a month to do NBC.

I'm global.

LAUGHTER

I saw you in a restaurant in Miami and then I see you, Giggsie and... Bex? No, Bex wasn't there.

But he was there.

Nicholas.

And then you saw me at the Champions League final.

Barry? Have you ever seen a man named Barry?

Of course not. freedom of the city of Glasgow? No, but I got a doctorate at Stratclyde University. Honorary doctorate.

Oh, that's good.

Glasgow, you need to give this man freedom of the city.

You know the thing, if Henrik had a statue at Glasgow, of course he'd have to be outside, because anywhere else, they'd deface it, wouldn't they?

It's hard to put people out there.

He doesn't need a statue, he's cooler than that. Most. I already have one. Where?

Back home in Helsinki.

Yeah, but not in Glasgow.

You've got a statue back home? Yeah.

Look, surreal.

Is he good?

Brilliant.

I told you.

He's better than Ronaldo's.

That's not hard.

When they did your statue, was it just loads of cameras take one picture?

I don't have a clue what he did, but it was somebody doing movies for Hollywood. Oh, okay. And I don't know, he measured everything and still I ended up shorter than I am. LAUGHTER But it's a nice one, it's good. I'm honoured about that, so that's alright.

It's great that you're on. You look good. You look fantastic.

But I can't move properly, so... It doesn't matter, but you look good. How are your hips?

It's not my hips, it's my knee. I just had my knee done. I've got a fused ankle, my knee, you know, all for the game.

Your head's more important.

My head's more important. My head's okay. Henrik, what do you do then to keep fit?

Play paddle, play golf, take care of the grandkids.

He loves paddle and golf.

Roy doesn't understand paddle. Can you explain to him how good a sport it is?

Roy don't like golf.

I don't play it very often though.

No, I'm not anti it. It's just every woman. Someone mentions a new sport, everyone's like, oh, it's great, it's great. And I'm a bit, hold on a second.

You just want to make sure.

Yeah, just, yeah.

I like to take my time before I dive in.

Take my word for it.

Yeah.

Is it good, then?

It's good.

It's better than tennis. All of us getting a little bit older. Seriously, honestly. What about your golf, man?

Have you ever played against each other? Like in Pro-Am, do golfers get together for all that stuff?

No, we play golf together.

Sorry?

We play golf together.

We played against each other.

Oh, he's forgotten.

Russia. Me and Gullit. Yeah. Me and Janus.

Janus.

Yeah.

We beat them. That's a handy double. What? We beat them.

Sorry.

They beat us.

Exactly.

Of course they did. Yeah, but Rude is really good.

Rude was really good.

But the carrier.

Yeah, of course.

Jermaine's good as well.

Righty, what's your number? What do you play off?

Seven.

That's good.

Do you play seven? Plus now that my knee's good, because you know with the knee, Henrik, you can load it up now. Yeah, you can load it up proper. I couldn't turn because my knee was so bad. I had to get here and then I'd come back, so you don't finish the swing.

Seven's brilliant.

Now I can finish the swing.

What are you off Henrik?

10.1.

Wow.

That's where you was, especially Rude was amazing. Is Rude good? Yeah. Does Rude play off scratch? I'd say probably not, he wouldn't because he's again, he wants to win all the time, so he'll give himself some shots.

Yeah, I think so.

Is he humble with it?

No!

Jesus Christ! There is a video, he recorded a video one day.

Of our faces and your faces?

I don't have it unfortunately.

Oh God, I'd love to see, I'd love to find it. Because you know he does this stupid face, what he does as well, like this. He's so funny.

When does he do that face?

He just messes about. He's one of the funniest guys. You'll see we had him on here. He's a funny guy. Stick to Football is brought to you by Arm Clothing.

Tell you a story now that nobody really knows. They won't wait for you. I don't know how many goals I scored, but I know I scored a lot.

You're a legend Celtic, but there's always that thing, oh, it's the Scottish league.

Yeah, that's what you English say. Daddy, daddy, why are you always awake? I'm not proud of it, but that's the way the times were back then.

Karen Royer smirky there. Never at first.

Yeah.

Oh, dear, awkward.

Woo!

What do you think about that one?

Biggest myth about Henrik Larsson?

That I'm boring. LAUGHTER

MUSIC

Oh... Henrik. You said there about... Let's talk about it.

Henrik.

Get your stads on.

I have to say, I'm getting older, I can't remember everything.

LAUGHTER

Do you know something? You've definitely played under Martin O'Neill, haven't you?

Yes.

Because you've got the same humour. You know what I mean? You've got the same... Do you know what I think? Definitely got that same humour of Martin. Do you think some of him has rubbed off on you?

He's much more funny than I am. But you've got that same sort of dry delivery. Yeah, dry, yeah. But that's me. Has it always been you? Yeah. I have to say.

Just that energy all the time, you never...

Yeah, relaxed. Never getting stressed.

Where's that, is that from your mum, your dad? Who's, which part of your...

I think it's from my upbringing, I don't know.

A quote here. You grew up in Helsingborg with a Cape Verdean father and a Swedish mother, but he said, I see myself as foreign. I never felt 100% Swedish. I don't think I felt Swedish until I succeeded on the football pitch.

Wow.

Yeah, I think that's probably right.

Why?

Because back in the days, it's not like it is today. I mean, it's much more multicultural, you say, in English.

Back then, I think we were maybe

four persons like me, a little bit darker, and there wasn't very many yeah, that looked like me. So you would always stand out in a sense. People will always know where you were and where you've been and what you've been doing because you were different. But I felt as soon as I started doing good with the football, people tend to forget and don't look the same way

as they maybe done before. They accepted you.

Yeah, they paper over, yeah.

So when did the locks come? When did you, how old was you when you done the locks?

When I started doing the dreads, I was maybe 14.

Yeah, how was that taken?

Nobody said anything. I mean, first, you know, with this kind of hair, it grows. And then now I use some products in the hair. So it's sitting down a little bit. But then it comes together and then you leave it. And nobody said that much.

And also, we talked about Kulit earlier. You saw him as well. There was somebody else who'd done something. Before when I was young my mother used to cut my hair and I didn't go to the hairdresser. First now when I got my hair back that I started going to the hairdresser again because back then there wasn't the opportunity to have that. So yeah, I had like a big half-row bubble like that. And then

you try to like, between the classes when you were doing some sports or whatever, you try to put some water in it to try to get it down a little bit. Yeah and then I just said yeah when I was 14 I said yeah I heard something about the dreads and well I'll try it and I didn't know what to do but obviously when it starts growing together then you have to split them a little bit. Yeah, it was just a chance to have a different haircut.

Yeah, but what was the attention like? Because obviously you're saying it was different, there's not many black people in where you are, and now all of a sudden you're wearing dreads as well.

Yeah, I know, but obviously people knew me more then. Because there wasn't very many that had dreads. Was a older Afro-American ex-basketball player who had it in Helsingborg, but other than that, there wasn't that many.

Okay, so he says, there's a quote here, Rick, that says that basically, if they call you names, you used to hit them or lay down and cry and get on with it.

That's the options you got.

They're the options you got.

I mean, either you fight for it or you lay down and cry and just give up. And I, I'm not proud of it, but I fought a lot my first years in school during the breaks.

How old are you then?

You start when you're seven, so seven, eight, nine. It's mad you have to fight. And then, yeah, if somebody calls your name, yeah.

You just grab him with them.

Yeah.

Did you get into trouble for that in school?

Yes, I did, because obviously it's not the way you should handle it. You should be able to talk about it. But...

That's hard at school.

It's hard, but yeah, I had two brothers at the time as well, one older, one younger, so it was a little bit of fighting at home as well. So yeah, you practice a little bit. I'm not proud of it, but that's the way the times were back then. And that's what I did, and yeah, I can't undo it.

What would your parents say about that in terms of how you handled it? Were they supportive?

No, I mean, yeah. I mean... My mum said if they're... My mum said, yeah, if they're nasty...

Then be nasty.

Yeah.

Hit them back.

Yeah. Never, ever hit first. That's what I got. I think every parent Yeah. Never ever hit first. Yeah. That's what I got.

I think every parent...

You have to say that.

Every kid gets sent to school with that message, don't they, from the parents?

There's still some kids who hit first.

Never hit first.

Karen Roy smirky, then.

Never hit first.

Yeah.

Oh, they're awkward.

It's true, though.

Never hit first. No, and if they hit you, yeah. Then you can go to town. Then you hit them back. Obviously, every parent-teacher meeting, there was always something about that. Yeah, well, that's life. And yeah, I think that also molded me

into the person I am today.

What was the best advice that you got that you remember as a kid?

As a kid? In what sense?

In the sense of just growing up, what's the thing that sort of informs you in sort of your principles and your values?

Treat others the way you yourself want to be treated. And that's not always possible, but try to do it. If you don't like it, now when I'm older, if I don't like anybody, I just do. And I go on, and I don't put any energy at it at all, because it's no point.

I mean, I'm just getting emotional, but the other person doesn't care, because they don't really care.

I think about that, but how but I'm not just saying this to patronize you, but when you came down to Manchester, you were like an incredible teammate in terms of popularity within the dressing room. We never wanted you, obviously, to leave, but you came down for a short period.

I can't understand how you would ever actually have an argument or fight with someone, the way in which you are and your sort of manner about how you go about things.

That's what I became. I mean, in the early stage, then you have to find where am I, where can I fit in? And you have to learn to be sometimes a chameleon, you say? Because, I mean, you have to be able to handle all kind of different people. And if I'm in a dressing room, that's an environment that I'm totally secure in.

Because I've been there so many years in my life, so that's never a problem.

What are the sort of things that you just won't... What are your non-negotiables that you think that you just won't accept? As a football player, but also off the pitch?

Can you be a little bit more specific, Gary?

You're definitely like Martin O'Neill.

It's...

I'm not supposed to hear that!

Give it back to him!

Give me a sidekick!

So beautiful what you're saying!

Gary, what principles and so what sort of traits would you say that are things that you sort of won't accept in other people that would mean that you would push back? Not just things that you just don't like, what don't you take to in life? What things don't you like?

Rude.

Phones going off?

I heard about that one, no, I don't know, but playing with other people's time is nothing nice. If you do it once, yeah, that's okay. But if it's a pattern, it's never good. Being a bully in the sense of making fun of others that really can't defend themselves.

I hate it.

Yeah, I hate it because it's so easy. If you're in a powerful position and making something, saying something, I don't like that at all. It's cowardly, yeah.

Yeah.

Um, you want more answers? Yeah.

I'm enjoying listening to you, because it's nice to listen to you speak, actually. Just peaceful.

It's just that what, yeah, that what Enric's saying is that he's gone, because what he's been through, he's at a place now where he's at total peace.

Yeah.

Oh, I've been dead for many years.

Many years now. Yeah. You're one of the lucky ones.

Yeah, no, I mean.

Yeah, when we done the World Cup, yeah, we felt that when we were doing stuff.

You were dead quite, you were really chilled out. Were you overly stressed when you played? Like, you know, when you stepped over that white line, did your emotions get the better of you or

were you pretty chilled as well? I wouldn't say that. That was when I was feeling at my best, when I was crossing into the pitch, because then you know what to do and what you have to do. Sometimes you succeed with that, sometimes you don't. But as soon as you're in there, you know the rules. 90 minutes plus, free kicks, penalties, scoring goals, conceding goals, you know the rules. So that's where I always felt the safest, really.

I mean, stressed. If you ask my missus now, she's outside, she's looking at this. She feels that now when I'm getting a little bit older, I'm getting a little bit stressed. I want to be on time on the airport.

But I've always been like that. But it's just her paying attention.

There you are.

There you are.

There you are.

I think we need to get her in. If you want to come in, defend yourself.

We need to give you the right to defend yourself.

You can bring her in.

I love it.

She's quite funny.

She's quite funny.

This episode of Stick To Football is brought to you by Armed Clothing.

Can I take you to Celtic? I mean, you're an absolute god there. And I was, obviously when you were coming in before, I was talking to Gary, I don't know if it is your most famous goal at Celtic, but it certainly talks about the chip against Rangers. I was at that game actually.

Yeah?

The 6-2 game.

Yeah.

Yes.

And I think it was Martyn O'Neill's first old firm game, I think, if I've got that right. Could be. Yeah, it was. I mean, talk to me about Celtic. I mean, it's a huge football club, isn't it?

They always constantly, when you look at the comments, they say, get Enric Larsson on. Get Enric Larsson on.

Yeah.

No, I'm smiling when you talk about it, because for me, it's... Yeah, it was a happy place. Did you know it was a special club before you went there? No I didn't have a clue. I was playing in Holland and the only thing you used to see was like the BBC match of today and you would see Pierre van Hooyen score a goal for Celtic. Other than that I didn't

have a clue and I'm so thankful I didn't because stopping Rangers that year from winning 10 in a row was so important. And I think that if we would have realized how much it meant for everybody, there would be immense pressure for us. But Celtic is my club. I mean, it's where I made my name.

It's where I became the player that you guys know and a few others know. But that's where I made my name as a player. Getting the opportunity to go there with Wim Jansen, I think he moved from Japan and took Celtic. I was at Feyenoord at the time and been there for three and a half years and felt that it was time for something else.

How old were you at the time?

I was 21 when I came to Holland. No, I wasn't, sorry. I came in 1994, so I was 23.

Was that a gap? Not the Celtic, but going to the Scottish league from the Dutch league,

was that, were you seeing that as a step up or what were you...

No, I would...

You're just looking at Celtic.

At the time, I would say it was a step back. I have to say because Feyenoord at the time had won, the year before I came, they won the league and then we managed to win two cups but you had an Ajax team that was so strong winning the Champions League and with I mean players like Clairvaux, Van der Sar in goal, brothers De Boer, Seedorf, Davids. I mean there was a good team but I didn't always play at Finals. I wanted to play a little bit more. I had signed a new deal at Finals, but I had a clause in my contract as well. I had a clause

that... Let's see. A certain amount inside Holland and a certain amount outside Holland. And obviously Wim was one of the guys who brought me down to Holland, Feyenoord. But he was only like there for three months and then he went off to Japan because there was something with the board at Feyenoord. But obviously he knew my situation in the contract, which maybe he shouldn't have known.

I'm happy to this day that he knew that because that's how I ended up at Celtic.

Where was you before Feyenoord?

Feyenoord, I was playing at Helsingborg, before that Högaborg in the third division, back in the days when the third division was the third division. Nowadays it's a lot lower because they changed the system in Sweden.

You were a striker?

I always loved to play as a striker but I played as a midfield player. I played central mid. I played left-hand side on the midfield in the 442. But the last few years at Högaberg, I played as a strike, and that's how I got the move to Helsingborg. And yeah, that went well.

You said before Glasgow was one of your favorite cities, did you settle in straight away, as soon as you arrived arrived or did it take you a little bit of time?

It always takes a little bit of time. Everybody was talking about the weather. But I mean, it's the same in Helsingborg. It rains a lot. Okay, you might not get four seasons in a day, but it rains a lot in Helsingborg as well.

And I was here in Manchester as well. It rains a lot here as well. So for me, that's not the problem. I mean, it's the people you have around you. And yeah, I was, me and my wife, Magdalena, I just got our first kid, Jordan, our son. When we moved, I moved straight away

and my wife had to take care of everything. With the moving houses and everything. And come over to arrange a house. Stayed in Botwell, in the same house for seven years. It was fantastic, great place. A few other players was there, the captain Tom Boyd,

Wim Jansen was there as well, Stefan Maher was there as well, Lubomir Muravchik, he's a great player. So, I mean, yeah, it was great.

And you played in one of the greatest Celtic teams, obviously.

Yeah, we had a few really, really good sides, I have to say.

Did you enjoy Wim Martin? Any issues with him?

Oh yeah, I had ones, but we'll come back to that one later, I think. No, but I enjoyed Martin. Obviously, I enjoyed Wim, But he stopped after the first year. And then we had... You were up there as well. When I broke my leg. But I mean Martin was just playing after the same principles.

Maybe a few tweaks here and there. But the same principles. Like get the ball in the box. Get the ball in the box. Get the ball in the box.

That's music to your ears, isn't it?

Yeah, it is.

Finally, yeah, I mean, there's not many crosses coming in in the modern game. No, totally. I used to love the crosses. And if my wingers wouldn't put the ball in, I would scream at them.

So, Henrik, you didn't really know about Celtic too much, but when you played the first game, what was that like?

My first game? Thank you very much. We played away at Ips.

When did you play at home?

We played the next game after Ips. We played them firmly, I think, at Hibbs. Oh! Oh, yeah. When did you play at home? Oh, we played the next game after Hibbs. Played them firmly and I think home. I think we drew and lost that one as well. We didn't start off very good.

Did you score in your first couple of games or not?

No. I don't know when I scored my first in the league. Yeah, I. John's and away. I was a diving header. How many games in was you? Oh, seven.

Wow, what was it like?

They started to dote you.

Oh, they doted me after the first game, I can tell you.

Get him out.

You got Whittingham, now it is.

We were at hips. You were lucky. I came in as a wide left. I think it was 1-1 or I don't know. But I got the ball and I look up, Darren Jackson is coming short. So I want to give him, but he spins and goes deep. So I played short to Chick Charlie, a hips player, and he advanced.

Boom, scores past Marci. Wow. People weren't too pleased back then. But after the game, I held my hands up and said, yeah, it was my fault. Even though Darren should have done it.

Yeah, I guess.

I was the next bit.

You took one for the team, did you?

Yeah, no, you have to.

What was the best connection you had? Because obviously you scored so many goals for Celtic.

Yeah, but I had a lot of connections. I mean, if I look at strike partner, I had Viduka. Nobody talks about. Mark Viduka. I had Chris. I had John Hudson. Who else did I have?

Harald Bratback up there. Simon Donnelly, who I played very well up front with. Then I had my midfield players, like Stylian Petrov, Alan Thompson, even Paul Lambert, Jackie McNamara. So it was a lot of connections. Bobby Petta, Reggie Blinker as well.

I'm probably gonna forget somebody, so sorry everybody. But I had a lot of connections.

But the three you mentioned, like, so you got Chris Sutton, John Artisan, and Mark Maducan, then Freed, that was perfect for you in respects of you being that striker that can run or be around them, because they were brilliant linkers.

They were great target players, even though I could play target myself as well. They were great because, I mean, you know as well. If the ball is coming up high, you've never seen a striker bring it down on his head, have you? Then that's a sign you have to go in behind a little bit on the side. If it's coming here, then you might have to come down side in order to receive the ball.

Or you look where the midfield player is, play it back and then you go in behind. But that's common thinking.

To some people it is. To some strikers that is.

Who influenced your game?

Pele. Pele was my idol. I got a videotape of my father when I was about 12, 13 years old. And I used to watch that. I watched it when I came home from school instead of doing the homework. Kids, do your homework.

It's important. You have to have a plan B. No, Pelé first, then the homework.

Yeah, okay then. As long as you do it.

Yeah, of course.

Exactly. So I used to watch that before practice, before games. The way he played was just… He could score goals, but he could also assist goals. That's what I liked.

Do you think people recognise how good you were in the air?

I don't think so, but once they met me I think they realised.

Did you play in the testimonial, was it Giggs' testimonial at Old Trafford?

Yes, I was there, I didn't score, a little bit disappointed.

With Chris Sutton up front? I played centre-back and you actually battered us. I remember I got subbed at half-time.

In a testimony. In a testimony.

It was a week before the start of the season. I remember thinking that. It's still playing on his mind. I was every time I played against Tufair, like John Hartson or Sutton, they were?

The club, how special and what it means to a lot of people, I think I started realising after New Year, and more closer to the end of the season as well, How important it was that we really won that league. So I think, yeah, coming March, you were fully aware how important and what it means. And then I traveled the world with Celtic and with Swedish national team.

And you always have Celtic supporters attending. Doesn't matter where you are. Always.

Over 100 caps for Sweden. That's pretty special.

To that. Must have meant the world to you.

Oh, yeah. Getting up to 106. Could have had a lot more, but 106. Yeah, it's a great number. I'm proud. Doing more than 100 caps for your country. When you're a kid, I think you guys and you as well, Jill,

had the dream when you were a young kid, becoming a professional football player, representing your country, Europeans and World Cup. That was my first dreams as a football player.

Big disappointment with Celtic? What was the huge disappointment you'd have at Celtic?

Whenever we didn't win the league, I think. The biggest one, one you know is the European Cup final against Portugal. Still tough to talk about. I think Mountain still hasn't got over it. No, I don't think anybody really won't ever get over it. It was so many, I had a lot of friends down there. My father was down there when he was alive. And...

How many Celtic fans were around that day?

It was busy. They're saying there was somewhere between 50 and 80,000. Wow. And it was a lot of, because I had one of my best friends walk in the city with my father during the day. And they only saw green and white there.

It was just unbelievable, they said. So, well.

I think there was 50,000 alone in our hotel.

Yeah. I think it was 250,000. That has to be the, because I think it was 250,000. That has to be there because I think that the fans and us as a team were worth more. But they weren't no mogs, were they?

You mentioned the injury. Was that your low point in your career?

Bad one, wasn't it?

Yeah, when I broke my leg. Obviously that and my cruciate. The jaw was only six weeks. That was, I had been playing for six weeks when we drew against you guys at the year we won. Yeah, yeah.

At Celtic Park.

At Celtic Park, yeah. Gaffer called me the evening before at the hotel. Are you ready? 10 o'clock at night, I was almost asleep. Are you ready? Yes, I'm ready. I'm ready. Okay, you will start tomorrow. And I got 60 minutes I managed to do that game. But yeah, obviously I had a cruise yet in Barcelona as well. And there I was really close of just saying, you know what, I'm not going to do this rehab.

But having a few bottles of wine with my friends during the night, I said, yeah, I would give it a try.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Did you ever fear that you wouldn't play? I remember the pictures of that leg break. But did you ever fear that you wouldn't play again after that? Did your studs get caught in the ground?

No. I'll tell you a story now that nobody really knows. I had the wrong shoes on that day. Somebody forgot to pack my shoes for the game.

So did you have studs?

I had studs. I always played in studs because I mean since Martin O'Neill came in, or the gaffer as I call him, he said I don't care which shoes you're playing in as long as you don't slip. I said oh I'm going to put the studs on. Because I always used to play in studs. But I had a stress fracture already in my left leg. And I asked, can I stand up?

Of course.

You know, when the line is here behind me, I just want to put my left leg down, let him kick.

Mm hmm.

Yeah, that's right. Since I had the fracture on the left leg already, and then him kicking here, and I'm taking the ball to that side. I was boom. So I felt something, I just felt

finding myself on the grass.

From his force of the kick into the back of your leg.

Yeah, but it wasn't very hard though.

It was the fracture.

It was just the angle.

Just weighed just the angle. I was just waiting till the end.

The angle, it caught me. And we tried to treat it before with shock waves and everything. But it was just...

Waiting to happen, maybe.

Yeah, it was really. And yeah, I found myself on the grass. And I told the referee in Dutch, I think I broke my leg because it was a Dutch referee and I speak Dutch. And I didn't really feel anything.

I mean, until they put me on the stretcher because then Roddy, the doctor, and Brian Scott, the physio, just wanted me, because it was close to going out, open leg break is not good. But I was a little bit, a few inches away from being open. You just want to fix it in place.

And then I felt, but then you get your morphine. Yeah, then you don't feel anything. And then after the game, I went to the hospital straight away. So I was before all the players on the airplane before we went back and then I had one night

at the hospital and then the surgery, I think the day after, something like that.

Would the boot have had anything to do with it? I mean, I was just...

No, no. I mean, it was waiting for happening. Yeah. It was just, I wasn't strong enough because obviously, I don't know how I probably got it through a kick or something like that.

And yeah, didn't really notice it. And yeah, kept on playing. But what I started feeling was when I planted my left foot and shot for shooting, it was hurting a little bit over that. So that's how it was.

When you shoot with the other leg, because you put the pressure on it.

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Like the golf swing.

Do you feel it now, or is it?

No, knock on wood, I don't feel anything. Still have the rod in, it's like that. Yeah.

Did you get your other boots back?

Yeah, I got them six months down the road.

You've just got to score all them goals.

Jesus, the goals.

You once said I didn't become a superstar at Barcelona, I became a superstar at Celtic. You scored 242 goals in 313 games, which is obscene.

Ridiculous.

That's ridiculous.

Obscene.

Thank you.

You can have a ride easy.

Yeah, no worries.

Don't drink water.

Yeah, no. Yeah, I don't, yeah. I don't know how many goals I scored, but I know I scored a lot.

At Celtic.

You know what, I don't think I ever watched when you played, you didn't score in a game I watched.

Never.

Never.

Obviously there is a few. Yeah, well I didn't know.

Every game I've watched he's scored in it.

Yeah, but you know yourself right. It was your job to be fair. Yeah, it was your job. I heard that one before. But I mean, you know, the players you have around you, as I mentioned before, with the Lubos, with Stylian, with Thompson, with Chris, John, everybody.

I mean, if you get the service, you have a chance to score those goals.

There's a rumor you could have gone to United in the 90s. Is that true or not?

Yeah, I think so.

What happened there?

I didn't want to move.

From where were you at that time?

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm joking.

I'm joking.

You have to be...

You have to be in the interview for specifics.

United came in for you when you were at Stoke, right? Yeah, they were interested in me.

Yeah.

That's what I heard, yes. But I didn't want to move because I came from Holland, didn't play week in, week out. The family started to get settled in Glasgow, Botwell, where we stayed. We were happy. I was, I think it was my second contract, something like that.

So I was, I had good salary. And I mean, we were playing European with Celtic, either Europa League or the Champions League. I was playing with Sweden in the Euros. I was playing with Sweden in the World Cups. So I just felt it was...

You're doing everything.

I'm happy where we are. And I've seen the other side where when you maybe not... I think the most important thing for a football player is to play. Week in, week out. And now with the system of changing a few players, that wouldn't mean anything for me. Because I like to play 90 minutes.

Week in, week out. Now there's maybe a few more games. I don't know, you guys notice that more than I do. I don't know how many games more do they play these days than we did.

I think there's more in the Champions League now, isn't there? There's an extra round of that.

Yeah, I mean, I think if you're a successful team, it's always 50 or 60 games a season. That's what you've always had in your head, isn't it? But as you said, I always think, you know, you always want the playing, as you just said. The thought of me being like a squad player, or I couldn't have handled that, being a sub. No, I'd have found that tough.

That's why I left Barcelona in the end, because I was a squad player. And my kids, or Jordan, was turning 10, and my daughter was 5. Janelle, she's doing show jumping.

Oh, amazing.

Lives in Holland. But that's, I mean, I felt still, I mean, I think I was, yeah, 34 coming up to 35. Still felt that I had a few good years to be able to play instead of sitting on the bench. That's why I went home to Sweden, Helsingborg.

You know the move to Barcelona, because obviously you're a legend at Celtic, we've just seen the stats getting all the goals, but there's always that thing, oh, it's the Scottish league.

Yeah, that's what you English say.

No, but...

That's a good line. That's a good line. That's a great line. There's a lot of Scottish hate coming your way.

We played against a few English teams when we played.

And you beat them.

Oh, yeah. We were one of them.

We were one of them.

When you go to Barcelona and then, arguably, one of the biggest clubs in the world, then you go there and succeed as well, it almost puts that talk, what you've just said about people saying it's only Celtic. But you've actually then gone to one of the biggest clubs in the world, you win the Champions League. Do you understand?

Is that fair?

Yeah, no, but I mean, that's always been. I mean, I knew, I stayed seven years in Scotland with Celtic, but at the same time, I played in the Euros, I played in the World Cup, and I scored there as well.

So you weren't measuring yourself about...

For me it wasn't important. I mean, I played in the Europa League or we played in the Champions League, you play against English opponents, you score against them, so I mean, yeah.

So why leave Celtic when you did, if you were like...

Because I felt that the state of seven years, it was time because same time you start. I mean, if you don't score in two games, it's not the same old arson anymore. I actually had a meeting with the Gaffer because I decided already in the summer that I would... Run your contract up. Exactly. I would run the year out, but I would tell everybody. I told the gaffer and I told...

And how was he? Was he okay with that?

He was okay because I said, I just want to get out when I'm still ahead. And he said, yeah, that's fair enough. And to be fair, I mean, he was always nice to me and always good, but I was good for him as well. Absolutely, he supports Odom and all.

It's two ways. Where were we?

You just felt that was the time to leave something

after seven.

Yeah, no, but, so I said straight away, I mean, I need to tell I wanted to get a As good as possible

And the support

Sport is because I told the supporters early as well. I will not Extend my contract. I will go after the season. I tried to do that in order just to get the…

Be transparent, to be honest.

Yeah, to be transparent. And so nobody was kept in the dark.

And nobody booed you like Liverpool did with…

No, like… Exactly. But I mean, I just wanted to… Yeah. It's just the I just wanted to, yeah.

Yeah, it was just the time.

The time was right.

Yeah, time was right. And I went to the, I had a break from the Swedish national team after the 2002 World Cup. But 2004, Euros were coming up. And I started to feel like...

Time to go back.

Yeah, and my son, the reason why I stopped was because Jordan said back in the days when he spoke a little bit Scottish, I will try to do it, sorry everybody for my Scottish accent. Daddy, daddy, why are you always away?

That's not nice.

Are you going away again?

Sound like Rasvi Nesbitt.

No, but then you feel like going home, traveling and things were okay with the Swedish national team, but getting a little bit of hassle from the Swedish media when things weren't going the way they wanted. And then I thought, well, is it worth it? I'm getting a little bit older, might stay home and go for a little bit of travel when you get a few days off extra. And you can let your body recoup again and be ready for the games. And... I'm losing it now.

What I love when they come on, like a lot of the foreign lads we've had,

they're very, they know what they want to do, innit?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's like, I want to run my contract.

They won't get blown by the wind.

Yes.

No, but yeah, so I mean, I think we're done with the contract part there. But I mean, then the viewers were coming. That's coming back. I'm not seeing that yet. I was advertising, advertising really in the papers that I wanted to move to a little bit warmer country. Maybe some Spain, Portugal or whatever. But I had no dream that Barcelona would come in for me. Maybe a lesser team in the mid tables or something like that.

But then during... We were about to play Holland or Netherlands, what you're allowed to say today, in the quarterfinals, in the Euros. And my wife calls me, Magdalena, says, Barcelona wants you.

I said, I don't have time for that now. and Magdalena says, Barcelona wants you.

I said, I don't have time for that now. They have to wait for me. And she's like this in the film. They won't wait for you. So I told her to go together with my agent, she's done all my contracts together with my agent Rob Johnson, to go over and do the talks and discuss everything and I come afterwards after Euros, which was very important for me, and do the medical.

So I've done that. And obviously, my friend Giovanni from Bronquist heard that I was coming over, so he already booked a house for me right next to his. It was the old house of Philip Cuckoo. So I stayed a week in a hotel, and then I was at Barcelona.

What other clubs came into it for you at that time?

Oh, I don't know. It was a lot of clubs. You have to ask Rob Jansson. I think that would be a good guess. English clubs? I think there was a few, yeah. There was about 28 or 29 clubs, something like that. Wow.

But the goals you scored and everything. Of course.

I was only coming up to 33 at the time. Yeah. I was still fit. Yeah. of course. I was only coming up to 33 at the time. I was still fit.

To get that many clubs is amazing, isn't it?

Yeah, that's when your scoring goals are that rare.

This episode of Stick to Football is brought to you by Armed Clothing. You go to Barcelona, I think, is Messi 18, 19?

Messi is not in the squad. My first year. But the second year you were there. The second year when we were in the pre-season in, I think it was Japan. And obviously seeing him on the flight, but never thought more of that. And then I see him in practice and I ask Giovanni, I was like, who's that? He's a kid, yeah.

That's Messi, he's going to train with us and we'll see if he's going to belong to the first team squad or not.

Could you tell straight away how good he was?

No, you couldn't because at the time, people hadn't seen Ronaldinho. I was playing with Ronaldinho at the time and at the time I would say he was the player at the time. He could do anything with the ball, but also efficient, I think. I didn't see him being that good, I mean, the technique, the left foot, the speed and everything was there. But for me, it was hard to see anybody surpassing, you say, how do you say it? Surpassing Ronaldinho, because you didn't think it was possible. But afterwards, when you see it, it's just crazy.

It's just, I mean, him and Cristiano, it's just, I mean, I came over to Manchester. I think that was, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's around the time where Cristiano stopped doing his 25 step overs and then doing some, but now he was efficient.

He's the end product now.

Yeah. It was an end product. It was goals, it was an some, but now he was efficient. He's the end product now. Yeah, he was an end product. It was goals, it was an assist, it was something. And I think we're just blessed to have had two such great... And we're still playing. Still playing.

Did you score on your debut for Man United?

Yes, I did, against my old gaffer, Martin O'Neill.

Oh. Yes, I did against my old gaffer, Martin Nolian.

Which Ronaldinho is the best player you ever played with?

Yeah, I mean, he's up there, but Lubo Murapchik. Honestly, he's so underrated, man.

I still can't tell you if he's left-footed or right-footed.

I don't know. But he could find you. His left foot, I still can't tell you if it's left foot or right foot.

I don't know. But he could find you. He could find you anywhere and he could score goals.

A lot of people don't know much about him though, do they? No, no. But I mean, if...

He was an amazing player, no?

Oh, he was great. I mean, his technique was just something else. Left foot, right foot, didn't matter. He could hit it hard, he could caress it. It was just great.

You said before you didn't want to come to United, but you eventually did. How did that happen?

That was, I think it was, I moved home 2006 in the summer after the World Cup. And we played the other way around. Finishing in November, Swedish season. And then you have like a month off for two maybe. I don't know.

You don't start playing again until April. I'd done the Swedish preseason in the past. Once I got to here, we played our last game for the season in Växjö, that's east of Sweden. We had an English coach at the time, Stuart Baxter. He was also a national coach for South Africa a few times. He's been down there. He was friends with the Chief

Scout at Manchester United at that time. I don't know who that was. – Is it Mike Robinson? – Yeah, no, but after the game... I don't know. He was a Mick Robinson? Yeah, no, but after the game… Mick Robinson? I don't know. He was a good friend anyway. Jim Lawler?

Yeah, could have been. And he said, we came back to the stadium afterwards and he said that Manchester wanted to make a loan deal during the pre-season period. I said, yeah, well, let me think about it. I have to go home and talk with the missus. But I already decided I'm going.

But I came home and I said to Magdalena, I said... Manchester United have reached out to see if... I want to come there just for a short spell. Because I moved home, I wanted to play more football, but I moved home, especially for Jordan. To have a place to call home. He was born in Holland and hadn't been home in Sweden more than in the summers. Our daughter was four or five at the time as well. I wanted to have some place.

That's why I didn't want to move over to Manchester and live in a house. I just wanted a hotel, nice and easy.

And miss pre-season as well.

And miss pre-season, yeah, because I think at my age, I was 35 at the time, I needed to continue playing instead, and then going into the next season when it started. That's how it came about. And I mean, it was just a fantastic experience for me, coming into that dressing room with you guys.

You weren't there.

You missed out.

Yeah, I missed out there. I know that. But, I mean, coming in there, I used to watch you guys playing football a lot on Sky when I was living up in Glasgow. So I knew a lot of the players. I played against a few on the international level as well.

But it was just the way the club was at the time. I don't know how it is now. The feeling of coming home, like friendly, it's a good atmosphere around it. And even though you never invited me for lunch or took me for lunch.

Gary!

He was the captain of the club, wasn't he?

No, the other players did that.

He's not business interested.

It was Patrice Evra, Louis Saha, Rooney took me for lunch.

I knew you were leaving, you weren't a long-term project.

Yeah, yeah.

He only does long-term projects.

There's no money coming back.

He has a problem to attach.

I did one of the best ever assists for him, by the way.

Yeah, and he never stood.

And it was ruled offside and he wasn't offside.

Against Porthman.

Oh my, honestly.

Against David James. Did you cross the first time? He dinked it. He dinked it over a defender and I hit it like side volley.

Yes.

Hit the post and in.

Yeah. Henry, I think, I mean we all wanted you to stay, I know that, because the players were obviously saying, please stay. Did the manager speak to you about staying or did you just have to go back?

No, we had the talk with you and Giggs, he was there as well. Who else was there? Was somebody else.

Maybe Scholesy?

Yeah, maybe Scholesy. We had that chat when the gaffer was there as well. But at the same time, I promised Helsingborg to go home. And they invested a lot of money in me. So I felt it was the right thing. And also plus the fact that the family with Jordan and being there for the kids in the sense I was still playing.

I didn't stop until I was 38.

That's a good innings, 38.

Yeah, a little bit too long but I don't regret it. I mean, I don't wish that I could play football today. Surely not, but I mean, at least I decided when to stop. I think that's important.

I don't know when you made this quote, but this is a quote that I've got.

I do remember when you made this quote.

In 2024, you just said then about, I don't want to play football today. I thought it was an interesting quote. I'm so tired of the game. More now than ever, it's about money. I never cared about money. It was about the love of the game. I mean, you've obviously proven that.

You turned down going to bigger clubs and staying at Celtic and were happy where you were. What, you say you're unhappy with the game,

you're tired love the game anymore. Is it just the way the game is at the moment? No, I just...

Not entertaining?

Yeah, I think it's... I know the football game is always going to change and it's always going to come back to circles and coming back and progressing and everything. But I don't like the...

Is it defensive nature?

No, defensive. I think it's more cautiousness. I mean, the possession-based. I mean, I love a good possession, but to score the goals you need to put them in the danger areas. I mean, yeah, that could be wide right in the box and then you do cut back. But I like the good old-fashioned way when you cross. When you had the wingers to go past the players to cross or go past to make something on their own.

That's what I like, but that's my liking. I know there's a million of others way to look at football. I'm not saying my way is the right way, but that's the thing.

Is that from a striker's point of view?

I think so. Because there's a reason why the goals are on the ends. Yes. You have to get there. Maybe because I'm a striker and I see that you see a striker making a run but the ball is not coming. It doesn't need to be in the air all the time just to go for the headers along the ground or whatever is possible.

But that's the way I like it. I like a good possession when you can control it. And you can... But when you control it to go...

You want a bit more risk.

Yeah, a little bit more risk.

I would love to see that. For strikers, I think that... What's Hendrik saying, I totally get it. Sometimes you're watching and you say, if I was playing now, I'd need him to pass that then. And it doesn't happen because they'll totally...

You always put yourself in the striker's shoes when you're watching a game. Every single time. And then when you're watching a midfield, that's why I say I could play with him or I could play with him because what happens is that you see, oh, he's got to put that through and you don't see it. The ball comes across, they'll wait, pass it back to the right back, then they go back across the midfield. I'm watching now, I say... Frustrating. It's very frustrating. You hardly touch the ball, no, Stratford? Hardly.

You think of Haarlem?

They have to stay so central, don't they? They don't get to run the channels.

Is it just that, though, Henrik? Is it just that? Because you say you're tired of the game, now more than ever, about the money,

which obviously isn't it. a drive. There was never my... It wasn't for them either? No, but to be honest, I never cared about it. And then people are going to say, yeah, it's easy for you to say because you have the money. But it's never been my drive. I mean, for me, it's been about football.

But I mean, football, yeah, but there's a lot of, if you're doing management or coaching or whatever, there's a lot of political games you have to play. And I'm not, how do you say it, how do you put it nicely? I'm not so good at that.

I can imagine. I can imagine. Can you imagine?

No, but I say what I see and like it or don't like it.

You don't like the coach you say, because you were a coach.

I was working for eight years, but we better not talk about that. I'd done that bit and I feel that I'm, yeah. But it was a good transition for me stopping playing at 38, keeping on until I was 50 more or less. It was a good transition for me to start to realise what do you want to do and I still don't know.

You mentioned your children. I mean, there's a big influence obviously now as you go on watching them. I didn't realize that your daughter was a show jumper, which is incredible.

Oh yeah, she's doing good. She lives down in Holland, in Werth, doing show jumping down there, training, buying horses, need more horses.

That's why I'm doing this show. buying horses, need more horses.

That's why I'm doing this show. I'm just kidding.

I don't think you get paid.

What? What?

How old is your daughter?

She is born 02, so that makes her 23.

Okay.

Almost 24. Right. So, but I'm so proud of both my kids. I mean, she's really studying at the same time, doing the horses, fantastic. I mean, I'm so proud of her.

She's been living outside of Sweden for a number of years now. She's done living outside of Sweden for a number of years now. She's done really well. Our son, Jordan, he's a professional football player. He plays for FCK Copenhagen now. He scored in the Champions League, a penalty.

Nice. Go and watch him play when he plays in Copenhagen.

It's a nice city, isn't it?

Fantastic. Beautiful city. go and watch him play when he plays in Copenhagen. It's a nice city, isn't it? Yeah, fantastic. It's a beautiful city. Yeah, beautiful city. But seeing your kids, they don't need to succeed in a grand manner. It doesn't matter. But as long as you see your kids happy.

And if the kids are happy, it's easy for you as a parent to be happy as well. And obviously, having the health and everything, which is the most important thing. I mean, that's the only thing you can't buy. Does Jordan ring you up for advice? Not very often. I think I try to stay out. I don't do anything like with his contracts.

But if he asks anything, he knows he will hear my honest answer.

Is he a striker as well?

Yeah, but now he's playing as a right wing with Copenhagen. I mean, I'm so proud that he's even reached that far as being a professional football player.

People don't realise that.

So, yeah, he's playing as a striker. He likes to... He asks me about things, what I see, and I give him an answer. It's not always the answer he wants, but at least I'm honest, and I think that most important thing is that all the decisions that are being made should be made with him and his management team. So he, I mean, because I can't tell him you have to do this or you have to do that. It has to be his career. He has to be in charge of that. So whenever he's finished, whenever that may be, he has to look back and yeah, probably gonna regret a few decisions he made, but at least he made them himself.

I hope Seldo go watch them, that'd be nice.

What do you think about that one?

I think that would be a difficult one.

You have to get involved in that one, yeah. Henrik, we're going to finish with some quickfire questions.

Oh, damn.

Henrik, quickfire!

Henrik, quickfire! Quickfire.

This could be difficult.

Yeah, but you know, I'm always thinking a little bit, because I'm thinking a little bit ahead.

Nice one, Henrik. Cool.

Thoughtful. Yeah, I'm very thoughtful.

Yeah. Right. The three best players you've ever played with?

Ooh, three best players. I have to say, yeah, Ronaldinho, obviously. Then I'm going to throw Chris Sutton in there.

Wow. Good for Chris.

I'm going to need a defender day as well.

No?

Not really.

I say, should I pick Xavi and Jester's goals? Rooney? It's a difficult one.

I don't know.

He's a quick firey man.

Yeah, OK, but I'm thinking and I say Rooney because I like him.

OK, the best manager you ever had?

Martin O'Neill. The toughest stadium you ever had? Martin O'Neill.

The toughest stadium you ever played in?

Toughest stadium I ever played in?

Heaps.

Easter Road. You lost that first game, I take it. I never liked to go back there after that. I had a weird feeling.

One regret?

Regret?

You're taking so long. You haven't got no regrets.

No, but I mean, you probably regret something, but I don't know.

Yeah.

Favourite goal?

Favourite goal? Quick answers. Yeah, that's not going to happen. Favourite goal? You fire quick answers. Yeah, that's not going to happen. Favorite goal? 6-2 is nice, but there are others that are… If you remember a goal from 94 World Cup against Bulgaria. If you don't remember, look it up.

And then another one in 2004 against Bulgaria as well. Diving header.

Yeah, I remember that.

That was quite nice.

Yes.

The hardest moment in your life mentally? Going deep, Henrik.

Hardest moment?

Read the boom, Gary.

These are questions!

Yeah, I know, but hardest moment. I mean, obviously I lost my father in May this year. Yeah, I was going to say that. I met you at the Champions League final and you'd lost him... Yeah, hours before that. Hours before the game, which is incredible.

That was tough, even though I knew it was heading towards that. It's always tough when you lose a parent. So, yeah. I think I have to go for that.

Probably, yeah.

Biggest myth about Henrik Larsson?

That I'm not the last one!

That's a great place to finish the show.

That's a great show.

Good timing.

Thank you.

APPLAUSE

Really good, really entertaining.

APPLAUSE LAUGHTER

I think that's the best ending to a show.

Hey, where are you?

I'm sorry.

I forgot to talk about the episode in Lil. Lil? With me? Yeah, you and the gaffer.

What happened with that?

You've got to tell us now.

It's the only time I ever told him to fuck off.

Yeah, but you talked back to him. And then you didn't play for three, four weeks?

Yeah, I didn't play for three weeks.

What was the dressing room like?

Oh, everybody was like that. So basically what happened was, weirdest situation I've ever seen on a football pitch. There was a decision against them, we scored a goal. Yeah, we scored a goal and they took their captain for their team took their team off the pitch. I said, we're not playing. So I walked over to their captain and said, okay, come on, get back on.

All of a sudden, the manager started having a go at me and Carlos Queiroz. I went, what are you on about? We've got to finish the game. But they were of the opinion, if they walked off for more than four minutes or five minutes...

They lost the game.

They lost the game? Anyway, so he shouted at me and I went, fuck off, and just snapped. Anyway, I saw his face and obviously I go back over to right. I thought, he's not letting that go. Because to be fair, if you told him to fuck off, that was it.

You were done for a couple of years.

I'd seen Giggsie do it in Juventus, I'd seen Paul Inge do it in Barcelona, I'd seen... All of us at one point, Scholes had done it at Arsenal, I think, or Liverpool. All of us had done it at one point.

Oh, not all of us.

I don't remember you doing it.

Did you ever see him go?

No, I don't remember. If he said that to you, you were done. So basically, he then play me. Then brought me back for Liverpool away two or three weeks later.

Nice. Did you learn his lesson?

Oh no, he was absolutely sending a message to everybody.

So you're not wanting to terminate your contract?

No, he just...

Oh, here we go.

Henrik, honestly.

Politics, politics.

Henrik just pulled the pin out of the grenade.

Now he's going to… I had to come to the academy, look after them because you know…

I never told you, I had one with O'Neal.

Tell us what happened with Mare.

And I had a Mare first half, really. I couldn't keep hold of the ball. It was just bouncing. It didn't matter what I did. He wouldn't like that would he? And I said, just fucking get a hole of the ball. Hole of the ball.

And I said, I don't need you to fucking tell me what to do.

Wow.

And then we started like, and then Robert was in the air. But we calmed down, it was nothing there. And then I got the ball in the second half, I smashed it in. Goal. And then it was solved. Ah, that helps. Was he okay?

Yeah, but he never did. He's not gonna hold that.

No, he's not gonna hold it again.

But he couldn't leave you out for two, three weeks. He'd have a right back, you know what I mean? He was scoring goals.

Yeah, I was.

Have you done it, H? That's what I've been saying for 20 years as well, Gill. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

It was quite relaxing actually.

So, Gill Smith, you've brought such a peace, such a peace.

Henrik, you brought a mellowness to it.

Henrik, it was so peaceful, it was beautiful. Henrik, it was so peaceful, it was beautiful.

It's nice and easy, you don't need more than that. No so nice.