And the fact that he was so young, 17 years old, it

was a joke.

I watch him, I watch his movement when the ball's over there, I'm watching his movement and the left back is on...

I'm watching the left back and I'm going, he doesn't know what's going on there.

For a young player to have that effect on a fullback is unbelievable because he's like, I'm scared of him running in behind, but I'm also scared of him getting it to feet.

It's your worst nightmare for a defender because he can go past you dribbling or he can just run in behind.

So he's just obviously got that raw ability, but also his intelligence when to run in behind.

But what were you thinking when you used to get a defender 1v1?

Yeah.

But the impact it has on the City back line, on the City team is huge, and eventually you will find a way.

Now, you know, I've played in loads of games.

You're in the Stretford End, Steve.

You, you, you're expecting that wave after wave after wave, and it just didn't come.

When we did stretch the, the game, it felt like that the wrong players were on the ball as well, and I mean wrong players as in the fullbacks who aren't the ones who are expected to break down, you know, teams.

Now, when you stretch the team, you have to move the ball quickly.

Mm.

Mm

... he's making a run to the near post, and the ball just wasn't coming.

So finally, those sort of things that the penny dropped, that I actually touch out my feet, cross it.

Next time, dribble.

So them sort of changing the way that, um, he approached the game rather than just dribbling every time, which in Portugal he was used to doing growing up, he was used to doing 'cause he could beat everyone.

But coming to Premier League and the Champions League, it was a little bit more difficult.

And then teams double up on you, and teams try and stop you because he is such a talent.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mm.

They're never injured.

So the professionalism and the toughness where, okay, they don't play 20, 30 years ago where there's ridiculous tackles, but they still get tackled, and they get up, and they don't miss games, and they're not injured.

They're, they're just levels that we'll never, ever see again.

And he was...

You know, it was like he, you try and...

You, you can't get your arm across him 'cause he's too small.

Mm

Mm-hmm.

Even the staff that he's got in, I thought it was a great move, getting a bit of experience, a bit of, um, players who know the club and, um, the players will respect.

So you've got obviously Jonny, who has been in the dressing room recently.

Steve Holland, someone who's looking out from in, and just brings that little bit of experience and maybe something different that, you know, the people within the club don't see, but-

Yeah.

And it is hard to defend, but getting that, uh, sort of first win and the confidence that it breeds, that now you know that you can do it, 'cause you're always thinking, "Can I do it?" And then when you do do it, and you add to the squad, and you add, sprinkle a little bit, a more quality into the squad, the players are already there.

You're coming into a club that's champions.

congratulations cheers mate i'll take that from this interview it's the best part of it so far um but that took me through the um you're one of you and skulls are the only two people that played in arguably two of the best squads that the manager produced the 99 squad and the 2008 squad um some might say the 93 team was up there as well um compare them for me

I do think there was three.

And obviously the restrictions we had in Europe killed us a little bit in 93, 94.

But that was just slap bang, that was just you attack, we attack.

It was just bedlam.

It was just bedlam and we just had power all around the pitch and players who could run.

You know, if the opposition are crossing it, Pete's not even caught it.

What's the interview process like for that? How did it start?