Are you ready for one another?

They're off scripts.

I think so, Yeah.

I don't know, But something kiss good.

It's It's always That's why it's called off.

Script is not only off, script is off.

The cuff is Well, I gotta say, your hair's looking nice.

Who attacks that?

I, uh I was sat home last night.

Thinking is too long.

And I think, you know, I'm only 1/2 court from next few weeks.

So I let the kids do it.

Yeah.

I must get the garden shears out for my quick, but there you go.

Now I want to talk to you about something, despite all your years in football, something that you personally I have never experienced ago and that you've scored a transfer because you're one club man.

But even though you've never experienced it, you experienced players coming into your club players leaving your club.

Would it create the whole thing?

So let's start with you.

First of all, was that ever appoint, or was there ever a conversation where another club came in for you that you were aware off long?

I've been made aware off on No, I haven't.

No off and I would imagine probably Sir Alex, in his poll, most Manch United Career or in his interviews when I left the club would upset that somebody would have called in for me or something like that would have come out.

So I was aware of any interest that's ever been shown in me where you was there, ever a point.

Now, obviously, you know, here, leave your club you supported as a boy and also hugely successful club.

But was there ever a point where you thought this is great?

But I'd like to experience something else different in life as a player.

Never for one second.

Did I have a take the blinkers off?

Um, I could never understand the off.

For instance, when when?

Just before David Beckham left.

I knew probably a few months before that there was probably something brewing.

I couldn't get my head around at the time, being so much united how any player that was at the club would ever think to want to leave.

I just couldn't computer.

It's all in from that cell.

It never one sense of my head.

I mean, my contractor got Oshi ations the longest was probably three meetings on that was made when Peter Kenyon was the CEO.

There were normally done inside.

What meeting are two meetings?

Maximum?

They were always long contracts.

I was over there.

I think I signed a four year contract.

Was 80 a five year contract when I was 19 or 20 a seven year contract when I was 22 a six year contract when I was 26 a five year contract, 29 on one year contracts from 34 to 36.

I literally was always in contracting.

I know it sounds crazy, but that's a stroke home to me, actually, this week thinking about players, Um, on, you know, during this parole, a virus period and thinking about not not from a plane point of view but thinking about how I was supply always saw security is being really important, and you always been in long contracts.

I remember speaking to a few players in January that which, on the sign with soul food, thinking about a conversation with one of the players that we eventually did sign it was out contract in the summer.

Who was toy was trying between ladies contract runs with Summer or signing a 2.5 year, there wouldn't be any jobs in time to have a beer with us.

Oh, what a good shot that is Now, honestly, Jeff, when you think about the precarious situation that probably about 15 under players are going to be in tube on sign around.

Contractor know everybody in football always talks about the 200 grand, the weak players.

But it's going to be an incredibly difficult time for a lot of players.

Early in probably 34 500 parts were killed.

The pounds a week in the lower leagues, National League players.

150 quid a week.

You know, in terms of the players who have let their contracts run down, there will be some little bill to rise, but because the policy, but there'll be some that are out of contract in the silvery made a choice to let the contract run down, thinking that the magic money tree that his football is gonna continue and there's gonna be a huge scratching coming.

So in terms of going back to my own personal situation, I own spell.

It's group family, really, that Security was really important.

Have any contracts tied under on tied down was critical on DDE.

I think it was the right approach but probably meant that I didn't know probably no place to live with the contracts to run down.

They were all that nice, but it could get a lot more money out of it someplace united.

But round the contracts down to Boston on Profited Health away from it because they obviously were, you know, you know, in fire more, stronger position to negotiate a higher wage.

But I never saw that be in my room for what I was took longer Contractor wanted security, and no one knows that United for of course, transfers have always been part and parcel off football, the huge pile off a ball.

But when you said it didn't compute with you, say, for instance, when David Beckham was thinking about leaving, did you find it harder when it was somebody who was a member of the Class of 92 when they were leaving, as it didn't feel like one of the family was leaving?

Yeah, uh, I remember David leaving.

I don't if you remember, it was absolute.

He whispered to me on then on the pitch at the end of the game, in the player and the newspaper.

It was Reddy's on.

Get rid of your lip reading him.

If you remember, Um, I think his words were, I think they want to sell May UM, time Madrid and Barcelona, Room for him on I at the time.

Said she just signed a contract stating, Well, hey, wanted if I think he wanted to go he wanted part of him.

Wants to go on experience.

Barcelona and Real Madrid or one of them he always saw himself beyond.

I think Manchester's much she loved you night and his family were means movement.

That's still what united remember every week now nearly Yeah, yeah, on and absolutely obsessed with the club.

He just Oh, I always felt that he had an incredible vision about what he wanted to do with his life.

I never obviously, about 10 days ago.

Two weeks ago I was in Miami on DDE.

I was covering his first game.

Are supposed it was gonna be covering his first game for his youth club in Miami.

I remember being asked a question out whilst I was out at the age of 45.

Now I'm thinking, You know what I thought the age, your mid twenties waiting, David left Manchester United.

I couldn't understand that.

But then when I saw the fur around his first game in my arm, and I think that you know he's played it Real Madrid, these played a seam, allow.

He's played a Paris on German.

He's played in L.

A.

Is now.

The club in Miami is wealth of experience of these experiences, that he's having his life just out of this world and obviously to stay that Manchester United would never have experienced them so easy.

Is he richer in his experiences for what?

He did them for the decision, the bold decision that he made?

He definitely is.

I couldn't understand that I was that that's that's 20 years on.

But at the time you said you couldn't understand it, even even though you're incredible and you remain incredibly close.

His friends did it cause friction in French?

No, not sold.

But now there was never friction in terms of, you know, I believe in.

I never felt that talks always view that when he left before it was probably for the best anyway, because the relationship was getting a little bit for, um, in the Seven seas with Bob.

No, just judges.

Generally, you could see that it was coming to it and nothing my line was after it finished.

Was that the shooting bowl partisan politics that still think that I was devastated because it felt like the gang we're breaking up on?

I remember the more I remember exactly the moment when Philip Boxer we were on Soul in America with Nikki and I knew that Nikki and failed.

So we all knew each other thing.

You know, in time we'd always go around to each other's rooms on the away trips.

You know what we saw in the same seats on the bus, talking to each other so well, there wasn't anything about each other.

We didn't know Nicky had become a little bit more frustrated with 25 games this season playing and then being in the team and out of the team, and he just said, Look, is that you know about this article for words?

I want to go play for Newcastle.

I feel like I need to go be don't you wanna go?

I don't want to pay your number three and four anymore.

I remember believing that tour we're in store in America Remembers going back.

Ti England drops a sign for Newcastle I the only feelings that I've ever had like that in four.

Well, when say, for instance, Gasa filled Nikki left out of the England squad from the Glen 198.

When you see you t make it so believing you're leaving the company going back and that's that you don't go on.

It was extremely sad on Nikki.

Leading was another big disappointment, But you obviously know that's gonna happen one day.

That might fill fill right near one Sunday and said, I've made the decision.

I wanna leave on DDE I said, You know, it's a big It's a big call You You played a lot of games united.

We control fist, you said, But you got to say places naked that he wanted to leave.

And I remember filtering in meal way actually went out to silence his house that night.

Uh, and I went and saw him on.

DDE remembers about remember that be a few chairs to go punch in your family in the sense that office ability nights and even now I feel a little bit emotional Sense of the United States The age of I B s since I was 11 and Philip in acid seems 30 um, on DDE going scenes, Alex to say, Look, that he wants to leave.

Um, you know what the boss said?

Well, look, you know, you're an important part of this squad.

I want you to stay.

Somebody also respect the fact that you want to go and play football every single week and Phil wants to go play football every single week.

Um David Moyes the thing had been very keen to sign him Everton and showed a lot of interest.

Nothing.

Bill came right at us.

Well, which is a big influence.

Become a brother and a dad on.

I think ultimately it was the decision was made.

But I do remember all three instances like it was yesterday and I don't remember a lot of my football matches, but I remember those three leaving on the detail around it.

And you know, first I've never been to the bosses.

I will remember that could get on the plane and leaving us in America.

Remember David and the time around him leaving.

So it waas they were big wrench moments in the sense that it was obviously a strong bond that we had.

But it was it was probably three of the biggest disappointments that probably added United when you saw that.

And even when Roy left on dhe, you know, absolutely become so close with Roy.

Um, when I'm trying to think what other players left where it was a big moment where you thought that a servant leaving on people like that you thought they were blows those because there were people who had been so of all the pitch with in the dressing room with you lived through sober in the French, in the trenches.

They were like we were all, like, close, so close with each of those big moments.

What that Christiano when he with, um I think because we know that he did the interview after the 8 2005 l where he saw off alluded to the fact that he was going, um, it was almost like, you know, you have the advanced warning, so you're almost ready prepared for any new leaving here.

After all this, there's always the question is for weeks and weeks and weeks in the media were forever asking on It's so you're prepared for.

It's not like it's a shock, is it?

No.

That that one.

I mean, even the David What was coming?

Yeah, I think the Cristiano was coming.

It was obvious that one day we got a warning on experience.

Betrayed that the leader?

Um, I think some of them are obvious.

Some of them to be fair, catch you.

But I surprised so the up someone caught everybody by surprise.

I always remember the my huge woman from a shot.

Me maybe didn't shock the older players in the dressing room.

I was younger player.

That's apple Paul.

It's usually it was a big shock to May at a time where they left Andi, the others.

Not so much a shock because you saw him coming.

It's only you saw what was happening.

You felt them coming.

But, uh, no, I think that that that will your cristianos well, that you was coming in with your pre war duck, did you?

As a group of players, regardless of who itwas is that if ever there's a player like a CZ, you say you know about it is talk of it in the dressing room, getting a move, some rails as a group, or is a senior group of as you were try and whether it be through serious conversations are a bit of Mickey taking.

Try and talk somebody out of a move, say, But stay here, stay here.

Is there a line that you don't cross because it you're all individuals and you do have to do what's right for you personally.

But even even as a collective, have you ever trying to say, you know, got together as a group and said, Come on, stay here No, I think the common sense I mean, look, most players, that affair will leave inward because it comes at the end of the road with the manager and respective Yo, it's time to move on.

So it was nothing to do with us.

I mean, let's be clear.

It was nothing to do with O where it was more of a choice for the player.

I'm sure I need to be to Cristian or, for instance, about it stayed at the club longer.

I think that I may have said to endure in the air when he was Maybe the weather was a big problem for Cristiano.

And I think he also wanted to Bob's to live in Spain and do a leader also.