Footballers you met...and how were they...

Put up on another thread that a friend of mine worked in WHL and insists that Gary Linekar was just very unpleasant, despite his apparent popularity in the media.

Got me thinking. We analyse footballers a lot on the basis of their ability...understandably. We also have received impressions, eg. Milner is boring, Terry is horrible etc. So, at the risk of name dropping, anyone here meet a footballer and what was your impression of him?

I'll start with one that might have been a name to drop 10 or 15 years ago, Patrick Kluivert. Met him in a bar on his hols here in Ireland when he was with Barca, ended up drinking with him for a night. Bottles of beer only. Very nice, down to earth, not in the least bit up himself. Even pretended to take interest in my Kerry District League stories.

retalivity

Jason mcateer in HMV in Dublin 10 or more years ago a few days before an Ireland friendly. He was sound, but a bit of an eejit.

Liam O

Think there's a long thread on this somewhere, anyway, remember going over to Celtic as a youngster and after training the day before for whatever reason they checked in at the ground to shower or get changed or whatever. We went into the superstore and when we came out they'd all gone, all that is except Bobo Balde who stayed and signed literally everything he was asked to. I've met a few lower league players who are normally all ok due to having a couple of cousins in the league system and they're normally fine.

keano_afc

Martin Keown in Oxford castle a couple of years ago. As a Gooner I was delighted. He was a gent, even took the piss out of my Liverpool supporting nephew.

Actually heard that about Keown before, that he was sound.

Vurnon San Benito

Met this fella (George Boyd) when he played for N. Forest during their away trip to Newcastle in the Championship. Sound fella in fairness. Spent most of the game on his iPad on the bench though!

castletownman

Have met Paul McGrath a couple of times at Wexford GAA matches. Couldn't meet a nicer fella. Seems to take genuine interest in all sporting matters in his adopted county.

GavRedKing

David Luiz in the Chelsea corporate lounge before the Villa game last year.

Stopped for pics and short chats with everyone that came up to him (kids or adults) took him about 15mins to clear a small room, came across as a very likeable and jolly character even if he cant defend for s**t :pac:

Agent Coulson

castletownman wrote: »

Have met Paul McGrath a couple of times at Wexford GAA matches. Couldn't meet a nicer fella. Seems to take genuine interest in all sporting matters in his adopted county.

I met him on one of his bad days 12/13 years ago a lovely man but it broke my heart seeing that way.

HalloweenJack

Paul McGrath is a very approachable guy by all accounts. Lived in Bray for a bit and would always greet and smile anybody who came up to him.

osarusan

Jason Hughes - Limerick FC player.

He was wearing a top with some Japanese text on it. I tried (drunkenly) to explain what it meant but he didn't give a f**k. He seemed sound, but he'd probably say I was a clown.

NapoleonInRags

Robbie Fowler in Liverpool - diamond of a bloke.
Steve Mc Manaman in temple bar a few years ago - obliging but not overly friendly (which is fair enough).
Frank Stapeton - sat beside him on a flight from Manchester - lovely fella
Bob Paisley - Flower Lodge Cork, 1985 - absolute gentleman.

eagle eye

While they played for Ireland I met pretty much every player during the Jack Charlton era.

The best of the lot was Mick McCarthy. Paul McGrath was a very nice guy as well. Kevin Moran, Frank Stapleton, Tony Cascarino, Denis Irwin and Andy Townsend would have also stood out as more approachable and down to earth people.

I moved to the States then and over there I met Curtis Fleming along with Terry Phelan. Gotta put Curtis in that bracket as well. Phelan didn't do anything wrong but always felt he would rather not be near you and that goes back to when he was with the Republic. There were plenty of players that you'd feel that way about.

I met Ray Wilkins in the 80's along with Moran and Stapleton and he came across as a very decent guy too.

In more recent times I've met a few Blackburn Rovers players. Tugay, David Dunn, Damien Duff and Brad Friedel were all very nice.

population

Well this may surprise rather a lot of you, but I met Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand in a pub in Rathmines when they were both still at West Ham and they were genuinely nice and chatty blokes. Bought a round for me and my three mates. Bit of Ireland supporting prejudice ingrained I'm afraid, but I catch myself looking at them sometimes on TV and thinking "I bet they're **** ", and then I have to remind myself that actually no they're not.

rob316

Robbie fowler came to our local club when I was about 10 it was a huge deal he was probably one the best players in the league at the time and my hero. It was amazing such a nice guy, signed everything chatted to us all for hours.

I met him, rush and mcateer in a pub about 4 years ago then he was an absolute prick. Told me go away don't annoy me. Rush was OK and mcateer was a howl he really is as dim as they say.

Met Roy Keane a number of times decent guy but he doesn't have a shred of humour.

Met terry at Heathrow a few years back absolute gent for all the bad press he gets I was shocked.

Met didi and thommo at a meet in greet in our local as well last year both terribly nice guys.

ricero

Saw graham souness before terribly nice guy and gave my friend some stick for wearing a Celtic jersey

Knex*

Jan Molby - Absolute gent.

Met him when I was buying a suit a few years back in Cork, and he must have been doing a promotion or something.

It was around the time Liverpool fired Hodgson. He tipped Kenny for manager and started talking to me about Alonso, Aquilani and all sorts.

Very down to earth and genuine guy.

MagicIRL

Met Niall Quinn as a toddler. Got his autograph and promptly ate it. :cool:

Sir Gallagher

If i was a footballer i'd be the biggest pr1ck going. I'd have no time for anybody who was beneath me.

smileyj1987

First time I went to see a Liverpool game I met John Barnes and I have to say nicest bloke in the world. He signed about 30 programmed posed for pictures and gave my younger sister a Kit Kat chocolate bar. He was the captain of LFC at the time.
Met Gerrard and Enrique while walking around Liverpool and both of them where happy to sign autographs and have a quick chat.
Trappatoni was a gent also but his English wasn't great.

MagicIRL

MagicIRL wrote: »

Met Niall Quinn as a toddler. Got his autograph and promptly ate it. :cool:

How did you know he was gonna be famous when he was only a toddler?!

Anyone have any bad stories? A cousin got into a massive row with John Hartson in a pub when Hartson was at Celtic and they had to be separated, but think cousin may have been more on the wrong side, lots of drink involved.

KH25

Met Paul McGrath in dublin airport on the way to a United game. Really friendly guy.

Met Beckham at a book signing. I was like 10 or something and he was my favourite player so I was terrified. He was an absolute gent to myself and my mother.

Met a handful of the irish squad in dublin airport after the draw with Holland in the 2002 WC qualifiers. We had just landed after a holiday and were waiting for our bags to come out. In walked the team and they went over to the next belt. My mother just grabbed me and we made a beeline for them before anyone else copped on. Think I met 4 or 5 of them before the crowds got mental. They were all nice guys, especially Roy Keane.

V9

met Ronnie Whelan and David May last year when they came to a Q & A for my club in Stradbally.

May was hungover as feck but a sound lad. Ronnie was a bit sharper on the mark of the two and also very sound. when the Q & A was over they both came into the bar and drank pints and played pool with the lads. great craic over all and two nice fellas.

gstack166

Met Brian Robson on a train from Manchester to Holyhead around 8 years ago. He got in at Crewe & off at Chester (he was going racing) absolute gentleman, even with me wearing my Man City coat. Top man I found, sat behind me on the journey & chatted with him & his mates about football all the drive down.

Sat alongside John Aldridge on a flight from Liverpool to Shannon 5-6 years ago when Ireland were hammered 3-0 by Australia in Thomond Park. He was doing media work for the game. Found him the complete opposite to Robson, a man I can honestly say I hope I never see or talk to again. Obnoxious, rude & ignorant to me staff & fellow passengers altough he did seem to smile for the fans with Liverpool tops on.

ThunbergsAreGo

gary Kelly seemed like a decent bloke, he drinks in the same local as ourselves sometimes.

let the worst fart I have ever smelt, cleared a room

listermint

Shearer is a dick

Robbie Keane is a top lad.

OnTheCouch

Haven't really met any professional footballers properly, although I did call out to Ray Houghton when he was going through security at Dublin Airport once how he looked a bit annoyed not having a VIP entrance or something similar, which got a smile out of him anyway.

I like to think mind you that for the most part I can read people fairly well. Even just by seeing them on TV. Not always of course!

Deleted User wrote: »

Put up on another thread that a friend of mine worked in WHL and insists that Gary Linekar was just very unpleasant, despite his apparent popularity in the media.

Lineker does come across as quite nasty. Media-trained to an inch of his life, pure corporate-monkey. Gives off this insufferable smugness constantly on screen. Can imagine him being devious and back-stabbing in real life. Also a show-off. A good actor though, one can see where the nice guy image came from.

rob316 wrote: »

Robbie fowler came to our local club when I was about 10 it was a huge deal he was probably one the best players in the league at the time and my hero. It was amazing such a nice guy, signed everything chatted to us all for hours.

I met him, rush and mcateer in a pub about 4 years ago then he was an absolute prick. Told me go away don't annoy me. Rush was OK and mcateer was a howl he really is as dim as they say.

Met Roy Keane a number of times decent guy but he doesn't have a shred of humour.

Met terry at Heathrow a few years back absolute gent for all the bad press he gets I was shocked.

Met didi and thommo at a meet in greet in our local as well last year both terribly nice guys.

Interesting you saw the two sides of Robbie Fowler. I wonder is he the type of person that if he knows in advance that he's going to have to be sociable and friendly he can be very charming, but if you catch him on the hop, like in your second example, he is taken unawares and comes across badly. Like basically he's out with his mates and doesn't welcome any unplanned intrusion.

Your other examples also wouldn't surprise me. Hamann certainly comes across well and Thompson, albeit possibly being a bit extreme, I'd isay he's decent enough.

Terry, yeah surprisingly I can imagine the above. Reading between the lines about him he comes across quite differently to the media image that has been created around his persona.

And Roy Keane, yeah I'm sure even when younger he wasn't the type to go around cracking jokes. But again I'd say if you're pleasant and a gentleman to him he'd generally reciprocate in kind.

Chancer3001

Martin known is around galway a lot, he's sound.

Robbie Keane, wolves days, sound as a pound,

Packie bonner in ñ pub, had no interest in talking to anybody dick.

Danny welbeck, sound,generous.

Ole Gunnar solskjaer , sound, drives a mini!

Stephen hunt and Shane long, stopped for a chat when they didn't need to, very sound, and funny.

Lillian thuram, was playing soccer with his kids in Central Park. We asked him for a photo and he pulled the piss out of us for ages, pretending he wasn't thuram at all. He was so sound.

Nesta, didn't say much, but sound.

Denis Irvin, surprisingly strong looking, sound.

Zola, last year, in absolutely ridiculously good shape for his age. Looks ripped still. Sound.

David forde, irish keeper, in galway united days, sound man!

Eider gudjohnsen, stopped for a chat, sound.

Mars Bar

I didn't approach him myself but I stood beside John Barnes in Liverpool airport in 2013. He took pictures with anyone who asked and seemed sound about it.

blingrhino

Robbie Keane last Saturday night in lillies- sound lad , posed for photo too ..
Didn't want to be wrecking his head but have to keep my young fella happy !

KNS

Packie Bonner - reversed my mums car out of a tight spot after some idot blocked her in while she was walking the dog. We'd to show her a picture so she'd believe us. He was over for some soccer camp.

Said he couldn't have been nicer. No milf jokes!

Harpy

George best - met him when he was over in Limerick years ago, we where in a private lounge area in shannon airport just him and alex best and us.. he was lovely to us, really nice.. But apparently the guy that brought him over said he was a disaster to try deal with it..

AnimalRights

To start off with I'll let it be known that I'm an Arsenal fan.

Ok about 15 or so years ago I was passing thru Stansted or Gatwick and I seen Pat Jennings the former Spurs and Arsenal keeper signing a few autographs, I asked some sort of random footy question and he replied as a Spurs fan without saying he was one.....I have disliked him since.

Darkglasses

I didn't say anything to him myself but Roy Keane seemed like a nice guy at a Cobh Ramblers - Youths match last year. Had loads of time for all the youngsters going mental around him.

Not a footballer but Darragh Maloney is extremely sound.

keano25

eagle eye wrote: »

While they played for Ireland I met pretty much every player during the Jack Charlton era.

The best of the lot was Mick McCarthy. Paul McGrath was a very nice guy as well. Kevin Moran, Frank Stapleton, Tony Cascarino, Denis Irwin and Andy Townsend would have also stood out as more approachable and down to earth people.

I moved to the States then and over there I met Curtis Fleming along with Terry Phelan. Gotta put Curtis in that bracket as well. Phelan didn't do anything wrong but always felt he would rather not be near you and that goes back to when he was with the Republic. There were plenty of players that you'd feel that way about.

I met Ray Wilkins in the 80's along with Moran and Stapleton and he came across as a very decent guy too.

In more recent times I've met a few Blackburn Rovers players. Tugay, David Dunn, Damien Duff and Brad Friedel were all very nice.

I see you never mentioned Roy Keane, your not Frank Gillespie by any chance?

YouTookMyName

Met naill quinn in dublin airport when he was on the Sunderland board. Asked him was roy keane really a bollocks.

naill said "roy has his ups and downs like eveyone else" and laughed it off.

mikemac1

Mick McCarthy - gang of us going to Glasgow for the weekend and to catch a Celtic game. Met Mick in Dublin airport and he was a true gent. He was Ireland manager at the time and stayed and talked with us. Top guy!

Mark Kennedy - was at Maine Road around 1999 I think, just a group of us from Tipp over working in England. Asked to meet Mark and the steward went to fetch him and told him a group of Irish fans were by the tunnel. His suit must have cost a fortune, dressed real sharp and he was another top guy who took time to talk to us.

Packie Bonner - Our Celtic supporters group tried to say hello to Packie on two separate trips waiting for Dublin Glasgow flights and he blew us off both times. He was a coach at the time, doing a lot of commuting and I know he was a family. But this was waiting for a flight and we were all just waiting around, couldn't spare 2 minutes to talk to fans. Thumbs down!

Steve Stone - staying at a hotel in Yorkshire and the Villa squad stayed too. Ex England international Stone was the friendliest of the squad by far. Actually he was the only one who talked to our group, nice guy

eagle eye

keano25 wrote: »

I see you never mentioned Roy Keane, your not Frank Gillespie by any chance?

I wouldn't put him in the 'really nice guy' bracket.
I'm not going to criticise a player or say anything bad about him over a couple of minutes of his lifetime. I'm just mentioning the guys that stood out in a good way. Only reason I mentioned Phelan is because when I met him again years later it was the same thing.

Dacelonid

Met Packie Bonner years ago when as still playing for Ireland.
Really nice guy, but what really stood out for me was the size of his hands. They were fecking massive

And just remembered I sat beside Richard Dunne flying from London to Dublin. Really quiet, but loves his Bulmers. Was really sound as well, stopped for photos and signed autographs for a load of young fellas just after he got off the plane

keano25

eagle eye wrote: »

I wouldn't put him in the 'really nice guy' bracket.
I'm not going to criticise a player or say anything bad about him over a couple of minutes of his lifetime. I'm just mentioning the guys that stood out in a good way. Only reason I mentioned Phelan is because when I met him again years later it was the same thing.

I was only messing man.

But on a serious note he's one of the few players I've met several times because of flying back and forth from Cork to Manchester, a really top bloke in fairness. A contributing factor could be that were both from Cork and naturally have things to talk about, but let's not get into Cork against the world debate that has been blown out of proportion over the years.

Cantona's Collars

Met George Best,nice fella but a demon for the drink.

I meet Paul McGrath fairly often as he lives down my way,sound fella and does a huge amount to help local charities,he even plays in a few charity games in the locality.

HalloweenJack

AnimalRights wrote: »

To start off with I'll let it be known that I'm an Arsenal fan.

Ok about 15 or so years ago I was passing thru Stansted or Gatwick and I seen Pat Jennings the former Spurs and Arsenal keeper signing a few autographs, I asked some sort of random footy question and he replied as a Spurs fan without saying he was one.....I have disliked him since.

Can anyone else make sense of this?

keano25

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Can anyone else make sense of this?

Basically he said what ur man didn't want to hear so he dislikes him because of this.

Liam McPoyle

Didn't meet as such but spoke to Paul McGrath on the phone a couple of years ago when he got his drivers licence back and was looking for car insurance.

T'was rather amusing when asking the question "have you ever had any driving convictions"

He just laughed and sheepishly said "have you seen today's news?"

It had been all over the media that he had been given his licence back after been banned for 2 or 3 years and to be fair to him, he took it in his stride and wasnt in any way precious about it.

keano25

Business Cat wrote: »

Didn't meet as such but spoke to Paul McGrath on the phone a couple of years ago when he got his drivers licence back and was looking for car insurance.

T'was rather amusing when asking the question "have you ever had any driving convictions"

He just laughed and sheepishly said "have you seen today's news?"

It had been all over the media that he had been given his licence back after been banned for 2 or 3 years and to be fair to him, he took it in his stride and wasnt in any way precious about it.

Was he happy with the quote?

Morzadec

Think we had one of these before.

Met Glen Johnson and Dirk Kuyt in Madrid about 3-4 years back.

Glen was fine, not overly friendly but not rude either, and he took a photo of me and Dirk without any complaint.

Kuyt was really friendly - shook my hand, asked me my name and gladly posed for a photo. Made me feel at ease about approaching them as I was sh*tting it a bit!

Served Pat Dolan in the bookshop I used to work in. Asked him for his autograph and I think he was surprised! He was really friendly and he even stopped for a little chat about football

AnimalRights

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Met naill quinn in dublin airport when he was on the Sunderland board. Asked him was roy keane really a bollocks.

naill said "roy has his ups and downs like eveyone else" and laughed it off.

Ever the diplomat is Niall.

Chrissybhoy

naughtb4 wrote: »

gary Kelly seemed like a decent bloke, he drinks in the same local as ourselves sometimes.

let the worst fart I have ever smelt, cleared a room

Same as absolute brilliant lad down to earth really likeable

Ferris_Bueller

Met Niall Quinn a good few times and can honestly say he is as nice as they come, always very friendly and chatty and would go out of his way to accommodate you. He came into our school a few times and always took great interest in all of the students, wrote me a reference when I was applying to do a course in college and a few months later when the leaving cert results were coming out he sent me a text wishing me the best of luck.

Dempsey

Met Niall Quinn in a Pub after a Tipp Match in Thurles. I was asking him about some of the transfer speculation regarding Sunderland at the time and unsurprisingly he was very coy with his answers! Very friendly, chatting with everyone around him and taking pictures with people that asked. Harder to met a nicer person really

smileyj1987

I have heard john Aldridge is a gent , I know a fella who had him over for a question night at a football club and Aldridge suggested they go for a pint and Kieran never put his hand in his pocket john wouldn't let him.
By the time it came to the talk john was plastered and made the whole room laugh for hours.