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Ex Man Utd, England & Sampdoria Star Lee Sharpe Interview: Luciano Spalletti | Scott McTominay & Alejandro Garnacho | Italian Women & More (Ep. 490)
2 Playsin 15 hours
The Italian Football Podcast is delighted to interview former Sampdoria, Manchester United & England star Lee Sharpe.
From joining Samp thanks to David Platt, working under Luciano Spalletti, to how former club Man Utd made a mistake selling Scott McTominay, Alejandro Garnacho Serie A links, Antonio Conte vs Simone Inzaghi, Napoli's chances to win Scudetto, as well as Inter Milan's chances to win the Champions League and much much more.
The interview is also available as video format on our YouTube Channel.
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Transcript
Lee's Loan Move to Sampdoria
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. So Lee, you joined Sampdoria on loan from Leeds in January 1999. How did that move come about? ah Through David Platt. I played with Plattie for England. ah when i Just after I signed for Leans, I bumped into him somewhere. I can't remember where. And he he was telling me that he he'd been trying to get me to Arsenal as a player because he was ah obviously a player at Arsenal.
00:00:33
Speaker
but Arsenal weren't giving Bruce Reok any money to spend, so I ended up going to Leeds. And then when he was manager of art, Sam Dorries said he was looking for some players. I'd not long got over my crucial operation and reconstruction, and I told him that i was my knee was okay, but I just wasn't match fit because I'd not been playing a lot at Leeds.
00:00:56
Speaker
And he sort of said, don't worry about that. We'll take our time, get you into the team, put you on a weights program, get your fit and health in and add you into the team. So um like I said, I wasn't playing at Leeds at the time. So it was a great opportunity for me. and And how would you sum up your time at Samp? And why didn't it quite work out for you? I guess the knee probably played a part in that. No, the knee was nothing to do with it. No. Platter took me over on, I think it was the start of January.
Managerial Changes Impact Lee
00:01:24
Speaker
And then by the start of February, Plattie had sort of been, I don't know whether it had been sacked or whether it had been pushed out or what it was. So so he he's sort of lost his job. And then Spelletti came back who who was had been sacked. So Plattie could take over. And then Spelletti came in and said, listen, I don't know you. He said, I've got my players from from when I was here before. So you're know you're probably not going to play a lot. So you might want to try and get yourself home. So I stuck around just to to sort of suss out the scenario and see what was happening. And then the the transfer deadline at the time used to be, I think it was mid-March or something. So I put the feelers out at home and then coming home before the transfer deadline. Right. So, I mean, you mentioned Spelletti there. I mean, what are what are your memories of him? I mean, could you tell he would become a great manager? Obviously, he didn't give you much of a chance, but could you see then that he would go on to become a ah top manager?
00:02:20
Speaker
ah Yeah, I think so, yeah. um I think it was it was aggressive, it was intense. um It was really strict. There were a couple of couple of ah couple of points where, a couple of games where he's nearly fighting some of the players after games because he weren't happy with performances.
00:02:39
Speaker
um But no, i could see I could see the hunger, the desire, the will to win. um Obviously, I wasn't speaking fluent Italian at the time, so I couldn't tell you exactly what he was saying word for word, but you you sort of got the gist. He sort of strutted, not strutted. He sort of paced around the dressing room, intensely talking to the players about what he wanted and how he wanted it, and you could feel the emotion in him.
00:03:08
Speaker
and And we, you know, we, we avoided relegation that season. So, um yeah, I think he was, I think, I think from what I could gather as well, most of the players liked him. I know there were one or two that had arguments with him, but I think they all had a lot of respect and and quite liked him.
00:03:25
Speaker
Another manager who commands a lot of respect is Antonio Conte.
Analysis of Coaches: Spalletti, Conte, and Inzaghi
00:03:29
Speaker
I mean, he's Napoli on top of the Serie A. What is it about Conte, in your opinion, that makes him such a special manager, especially when it comes to winning league titles and league football? I think, again, I think it's an intensity. um I think it's... a I think it's a belief and ah and a knowledge that he's done it before and been successful before at other clubs. So he knows that his system works, he knows that his ways work. ah so So I think when when you have full confidence in what you're doing, and I think it's it's a little bit easier to get players on board. um I think he buys the right players for the right positions and and the right formations and tactics that he plays and he gets that he gets the best out of his teams.
00:04:15
Speaker
Another team that is also locked in the Scudetto or Serie A title race is Inter. What do you think of their chances to win the Champions League? A lot of people are mentioning them as one of the favourites. To be fair, i don't I don't watch a lot of ah European football, so I don't know a lot about Inter at the moment. I know there's a few few really strong sides still still in the Champions League that they're going to have to beat if they do win it.
00:04:40
Speaker
um But, you know, historically Italian teams have never conceded many. They've always been very tight defensively. um and And in cup competitions, that that's really imperative that you keep playing sheets and and give yourself a chance ah and and they can score goals. So i think I think they'll probably be one of the three favourites for the bookies.
00:05:03
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, we saw that defensive solidity against both Arsenal and City so far this season. And Simonin Zaghi has been linked with many jobs in the Premier League. Do you think his football would suit the Premier League? And so which club do you think would work out better at? How's his English? That's not very good. I don't know. It's a totally different league. I think it asks.
00:05:31
Speaker
Totally different questions of of managers and players. um
00:05:38
Speaker
but if you But if you're a winning manager, and you're successful, and you and you can come over here and be successful, I think Conte proved that he can do that. There's a lot of foreign managers that do come over. Arteta's proven he's good. um Slot. you know there's There's not a lot of British managers that can compete with European and foreign foreign managers these days. they They come over with a ah fresh intensity, fresh ideas.
00:06:00
Speaker
um But as as long as I think i think communication is key, so so his English would concern me a little bit. But as far as tactics and knowledge in the game, I think there's no reason why he wouldn't be successful.
00:06:12
Speaker
OK, just a little bit away from the
Lee's Life Off the Pitch in Italy
00:06:14
Speaker
football pitch. Now, I remember growing up that you were regarded as a bit of ah kind of a party boy, a bit of a ladies man when during your football days. I mean, is that a fair is that fair? Was that a fair representation of you? And and if so, like what was the nightlife like and the female company like in in Italy? If I'm allowed to ask that.
00:06:37
Speaker
well Well in Italy I didn't go out. I never went out once in Italy. Obviously I couldn't tell you and I was in a very ah Italian speaking place where I was obviously Genoa, I was half an hour, 25 minutes outside of Genoa in a lovely little village called Nervi.
00:06:53
Speaker
um And I didn't go out. I didn't go out once. So um I think I got invited out by yeah by one of the players that was my roommate, but I didn't go out in the end. So I didn't get to have many drinks. And of course we were in a relegation battle. So after every game, the players would go, whatever you do, don't be seen out tonight because you'll get lit. The fans will kill you if you get seen to be having a good time while in a relegation battle. So I was like, right, I'll i'll just stay in and put some music on and dance around the apartment. So ah yeah you were very very very quiet three months while I was in Italy. Oh, well, it's very, very professional there. Very professional. Who was your two tea roommate, by the way? Oh, what was his name? Um, he was the right wingback mixed race lad. Uh, quick, high energy. Uh, Vieira, Hugo Vieira. No, um not Vieira now.
00:07:49
Speaker
we'llll We'll look it up. it Right wing back quick, got up and down the line, mixed race lad. I think his name began with B. Wasn't Beleri, was it? He could be, yes, he could be him, yeah, Beleri. Yeah, he was a tough nut, yeah. yeah just Just a couple of quick questions on Man United before we finish with the game. So, um your former team, Ruben Amorim has had not a very good start at Man United. I know he won against Fulham yesterday. um Is he still the right man? Is he the right man for the job at United?
Amorim's Influence at Man United
00:08:21
Speaker
I think so. I think he's ah think he's probably done to the club what the club has been needed doing to it over the last five or six years. I think he's coming with some discipline, with some honesty and some integrity, with an idea and a plan and stuck to it. I think other managers have come in with a plan and thought these players are not quite up to it or not quite good enough or not.
00:08:43
Speaker
tactically or positionally aware of what I'm trying to do. So I'll change change a little bit and try and accommodate the players that are there. And he said, no, I'm sticking to this plan. This is my plan. This is how we play. He's been strict with Rashford and his work ethic in training and and his discipline on and off the pitch. He's done the same to Garnaccio. Garnaccio stepped up and shown that he's prepared to put the graft in and he's got himself back in the team. I think he's come out in the press and been absolutely honest with the way he thinks of the team's performances and um individual performances and and efforts. So I think yeah, I think he's the right man. I think he's going to take him a couple of transfer windows to get the players in that he wants.
00:09:24
Speaker
But I think that the way he's handled himself, the way he's handled the press, I think he's been absolutely spot on so far. And and you mentioned Gonaccio there. and you United have been in talks this January to to sell him to ta Napoli. I've always thought it's a difficult deal to do, so we'll see if it happens. But do you think they'd be making a mistake selling Gonaccio, a bit like you know what's happened with Scott McTominay, who's been brilliant under Conte at Napoli?
00:09:50
Speaker
Yeah, I wouldn't have sold McTominay if I'm honest. I'm not sure it's the man United player. He was good enough as a regular, but bro I certainly think as a. as a squad player, he was better than most people there. He always put a shift in, he could always come up with a late goal. He always wore his heart on his sleeve and um you know his his blood was man united. So I don't think they should have sold him. And now Napoli are reaping the rewards. I think Gonaccio, I could go either way with Gonaccio. I think it would be good business for the club if they could get a really good fee for him. I'm not sure how much Napoli are prepared to pay, but
00:10:28
Speaker
If they could get a good fee for him, it would be all profit. So it would allow the club to go out and buy two or three players as as replacements in positions specifically for what Amorin is looking for. But if he stays, I think if people are patient with him, I know Amorin's trying to get him into a slightly different position rather than rather than a traditional number 11, he's got more as a number 10. So we have to have patience while he becomes accustomed to the new role. But I do think he's got a lot of ability, but I do also think At times in the final third, he can be a little bit indecisive or a little bit poor with his decision making, but he can produce moments of magic and win your games that are nothing. So he's one of those players that will at times frustrate you, but at times will get you on the edge of your seat and be the most exciting play you've ever seen.
Quick Takes on Football and Pizza
00:11:21
Speaker
Right, just to finish off, um we play this quick fire game where we give you two or three options and you can just, you know, you can pick one or or you can explain why or not. ah Whatever you want to do, just one word answer. First one, everyone's been asked this in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi. Messi. Best teammate of your career. Oh, sure that's a tough one. Best teammate. um Probably Roy Keane.
00:11:49
Speaker
most but Most difficult opponent in your career? Most difficult opponent would probably be a ah fellow called David Bards. He played for QPR. He was quick, strong. We had some really good tussles against each other. but he would probably one yeah probably Probably a little less known than some. Yeah, I like that. Favourite Italian player ever?
00:12:17
Speaker
My favourite Italian player? ah
00:12:24
Speaker
Baggio? Yeah, I'd probably go Baggio. I was talking between Baggio and Totti, but probably Baggio, yeah. He's my favourite too. um Napoli, Inter or Atalanta? Who's winning the Serie A this season? Napoli. Who? English women or Italian women?
00:12:45
Speaker
Well, I think one Italian woman, she was ginger and freckly. The only ginger, freckly Italian that lived in Genoa, I think. oh so I'm going to go with English. And final question,
00:13:02
Speaker
ah final question probably the most important one we've asked you, um most contentious, pineapple on pizza, food heaven or food hell? No, I do eat it now and again, because the kids have it, but I don't like hot juicy pizza on just pineapple on pizzas. Good answer. All right. Should be cold and fruit, not pizza. Agreed. Agreed. Thank you, D. Legend, mate. Appreciate that.