 Hello, and welcome to the latest instalment of the official AFC Bournemouth podcast, coming straight from the heart of the club, bringing you extended interviews with special guests from all corners of the Cherries and beyond. My name is Chris Temple. I commentate on the Cherries for BBC Radio Solent and AFCB TV, and I'm once again joined on the podcast by Cherries' club journalist, previously the long-serving Daily Echo reporter, Neil Perret. Neil, how have you been keeping? Been keeping very well, Chris, listening to your excellent commentaries. I thought the first three and a half minutes of the Bristol City game were the best you've ever done. You've got my email then with that script. Thank you very much. Now today's guest, Neil, has got 1.3 million followers on Instagram, which is close to the number of names in your contacts book. Well, you should know, Chris, because you're always into me for those numbers. That is very true, very true. Now as with some of our previous episodes, COVID protocols dictate that we're recording this episode remotely from each other. Now previously on this show, if you've listened, we've chatted to some of the current club staff and players. Well, for this one, we're delighted to be joined by a man whose family have an inextricable link to AFC Bournemouth. Our guest had an illustrious career at the top level for Liverpool, Tottenham, England, another team called Southampton down the road. These days, of course, is one of the most respected pun bits on TV, along with all sorts of other media projects, including a recent book, which we'll be talking about me, family, and the making of a footballer. Today, we're bringing it back for him to where it all started in that process at AFC Bournemouth. Jamie Redknapp, welcome to the Cherries podcast. How are you doing, guys? Thanks for having me on. It's an absolute pleasure, Jamie, to have you with us today. I know the supporters will be really interested to hear your tales from, I guess, yes, the year in life at the Cherries before we go into that early career in more detail. If I say to you, AFC Bournemouth, what does that conjure up in terms of the part that's played in your life? It's really interesting to say that, Chris, because that's all I've just been in the car driving them to get back to do this with you guys. And it's my club, it's my team. To some, they might find that difficult because I spent 11 years at Liverpool and to have, I don't even know, I think I played 13 games for Bournemouth, something like that, and Neil might know better. Not a few substitute appearances, but I spent my informative years. I spent my childhood around that football club. I've seen some somely highs, lows, not the club that we associate now, not the Premier League club, obviously, of last year and this year in a championship and the wages that the club give the players. Now, this was a club that was, it had everything to me. It meant so much, so many amazing memories and moments. And yeah, it will always be my team. You know, even when I was at Liverpool, I was captain of Liverpool. The first thing I did was obviously look at the two things. Look out for how Dad's team was who's at West Ham or how Bournemouth did. And it's, yeah, it brings back so many great memories. It always makes me smile. Of course, a lot of people listen to this will have seen you play back in the day. But a lot of I reckon of younger cherries fans will probably be pleasantly surprised to hear that. Maybe they don't really realise your association with the club. Let's go right back then, Jamie. We'll go through it all, I guess chronologically, but let's go right back to your earliest memory of football in any form. I'm talking about, you know, following your dad to matches even earlier in that kicking us tin can around the playground. What is your first memory of football in what form? Well, certainly Bournemouth, because Dad, when he moved down to Bournemouth in 1973, that was the year that I was born. And it didn't quite work out from in a playing capacity. He played, obviously, a few games and then we're not moving to America. But I think what happened and even now with Dad, he fell in love with the area, he fell in love with the South Coast. It meant so much to I think mum and dad felt so calm down there. So wherever they seem to go, they'd always gravitate back to Bournemouth. So as Mark and I, my brother, we would always follow my dad around wherever it was, obviously. And then Bournemouth would always be our base. That would always be our home. And then when he got like the coach's job with Dave Webb, David, David Webb ended up leaving. But it would always be that and I had an amazing relation. I think, you know, people probably know that already. And we had the one, the common theme was football. So whenever he went training, it was like, do you want to come with me? And I was, of course, I want to come back, you know, and there were times in my detriment of my education, but certainly going to go into Bournemouth, going to the stadium, you know, it's obviously a different stadium to now than what it used to have. It's obviously moved a lot where it used to be and how much better it's become. It's still obviously a small, small town club to a certain extent. But I just remember every single nook and cranny of that stadium, you know, being around in the apprentices as a seven, eight year old, being in the first team dressing and walking in and seeing all the big main players and the success of when Bournemouth went up to the division. Yeah, would it be? Yeah, division one at the time, the championship. So when they had that team with the likes of John Williams, who I know you work with closely and Martin Lewis and Tony Pulis. And but everyone treated me so well. Obviously, I was the gaffer some. So there were plenty of times, Christian, I'd walk in that dressing when it all go quiet. That wasn't always easy, because I was slagging my dad off. But great, great, great memories. I can't think of, you know, and I learned to be a footballer there. When I think back to what made me a footballer, circumstances helped because I was always in and around it. You know, my dad would let me join in as a 10, 11 year old with the first team. Now, how many kids have that luxury or that opportunity? So I knew I had to be good. I had to work hard. But I was obviously fascinated and so in love with the game. But Bournemouth bought that love to me, really, to a certain extent. Now, as you mentioned, of course, that your dad was your manager at Bournemouth and things like that. But how do you sum up your relationship with your dad? I know, everyone, you know, you spoke a lot about it in the past, but I read in the book and heard you talk before about you saying all you ever wanted to do in football was to impress your dad. Yeah, it's weird. That was it. You know, even at Anfield, when I was I ended up very lucky, I became Liverpool captain. Half time, if dad wasn't managing and then never game for West Ham or whatever it was at the time, I would look up at the director's box, because that's normally where I've managed to get him a ticket to sit in. And I just look at him and all I wanted was him to go like a thumbs up or come on, you've got to run more, you know, where these little signs that he'd give me. And I would go in there and it sounds not that I didn't have this. I had so much respect for my managers, like Roy Evans and Julio, or whatever. But I just wanted to please him. He knew and still my dad knows so much about the game. So I thought if he tells me I'm doing all right, I was obviously, you know, delighted and we'd speak about football. We'd speak about how Bournemouth were doing, West Ham were doing it still. Even now, you know, I just Liverpool lost last night. The first thing we do is start talking about what do you think's wrong with Liverpool? And that's just it's always been our love and our passion. And we're very lucky. Football has been so good to us. We really are. And I never take it for granted. You know, even now, in every job that I do, it's because of, you know, the football and the background I've had. And Bournemouth obviously played a big part in that. Jamie, is it right that you think that you're more like your mum than your dad, though? Oh, definitely Neil. Yes. My brother and my dad, Mark and dad are very much alike. That's why they sometimes, you know, they sometimes have those little arguments and having spoke to, to, I remember the late great Bobby Moore. I remember me, you know, Bobby played a big part in my childhood. But I remember I got in and around the England squads and Bobby was there and obviously he was such a hero to all of us. And I remember talking to Bobby about my dad and he said, you know what, when dad was a player, if you had said to me, one player that wouldn't have made a manager out of all the people he played would have been my dad. You see, he was always in trouble. He was gambling or, you know, on the horses, maybe loses. Well, he won't thank me for saying this, but he'd always be doing something that he shouldn't have been doing. And he just had that naughty gene, that naughty streak. But he had obviously a lot of quality. He was a fantastic player when he was a young player, by all accounts, but just didn't seem like managerial type. So I was I was always different. I didn't like being in trouble. I was a bit, I would say I'm a goody-goody, but I like to, you know, I like to please, I like to work hard in training. And I think that was always something with perhaps level that dad he could have been more. He could have done more. He had all the talent. He missed England's schoolboy trials or he missed England under 18 trials. Whereas for me, that would never have happened because I just didn't want to be that kid. You know, I think maybe dad installed that in me. You know, he'd always say to me, don't make sure you're on time. Don't be like me. Make sure, you know, you've got a talent. Make sure you work harder than anybody else. And I think my mum's got that attitude. My mum's a really hard trainer in anything she does, like, say if she does a kick fit, she's and we both have got quite addictive personalities, because I certainly have. When I went to football, I would never leave the training ground until I'm happy that I've done something. And I think that's that little bit of, you know, what is that? When you've got, you know, you've got, you've just got what's the same? When you can't think of the term for it. But anyway, I just love, I just want to train all the time. Compulsive disorder, I think that's the one. Yeah, I'm very good. Yeah. Just tell us a little bit about growing up with Mark. What was it like? I think was it kicking a ball around in St Catherine's Hill? Did you live? Yeah, we lived in, so first of all, we lived down in Christchurch near Muddyford. I don't remember a great deal about that time, Neil, but I remember more when we moved into Old Barn Road, which was in Christchurch and just playing football in the garden. Mark was incredible. I'm very lucky to, I don't think I could have been quite the same with, with, if it had been the other way round, because Mark's three years older than me, and I have to say this in the right way without people thinking, you know, you know, you're a bit fun to yourself. But an early age, people could tell that I could play. So there was always a chat. There was always people saying, oh, these kids are good players. Harry Redknapp's son, he can play. And Mark was a good player in his own right. So it must have been quite hard for him because I'm not sure that I could have been quite as kind and helpful in that respect. Mark became an apprentice at Bournemouth, but he picked up a terrible injury. So I remember the game. It was, I wasn't playing in the game. I think they played someone like Swansea and a kid did an awful tackle on my brother and broke his ankle. And he had it sort of fused and it never quite got, it never quite come back. And I think Mark would be the first to say he didn't have my, you know, my desire or, you know, to be a footballer like I did because it meant everything to me. Mark was quite happy to go out of his mates or he'd have a bit more fun like in life than what I did. But I was so dedicated. I just wanted to be a footballer. But I was so lucky because I think Mark would go out in the garden. Mark and we do one on one for hours against each other. He kicked lumps out of me, but that was certainly what helped make me a player, Neil. You spoke about schooling earlier. You went to Twineham School in Christchurch. And I think you once said that you had the attention span of a nap when it came to academic studies. Yeah, terrible, mate. I'm not proud of it. And I'm glad my kids are out of here, so because I'm always sad to them, make sure you get your education. It's the most important thing. I went to a lovely school. It was a really good school. And it wasn't really, you know, it sounds great now. You made a footballer, you know, you made the right decision. But I was so lucky. I had two teachers at my school, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Broadwell, which were my two sports teachers. And it actually wasn't until I got a lot older and even, perhaps you just certainly said when I retired from football. And I think back to, yes, my dad was a huge help, but also had two sports teachers that were brilliant. And the amount of sport that they would do with me, Mr. Jackson would spend hours because you know what dad's like. You've met him enough times. He's loose. He'd be late. I'd be waiting at school for hours for him sometimes. And Mr. Jackson would be there and he'd say, look, come and try to get him a badminton. And I love badminton. So we would spend a couple of hours having like the most, because if he was the same, he'd play for Christchurch. So don't even remember Simon Jackson. Remember him, Neil? I mean, I watched him loads when the Wessex League for Limmington. I still bump into him now because his boy plays locally. I think he's at Dorchester now. That's right. And a lovely guy. So we would spend hours playing badminton. And because I was quite tall, a little bit, I hadn't quite grown into myself in terms of, you know, I was a bit gangly. That helped my, in terms of my feet, my foot movement so much. So we would have, we would just play and it would become so competitive. So I look back at those little things and that's why my dad really encouraged me. I think any young kids that are watching this, don't just stick to playing football. My dad would take me, we'd go and play golf. We'd go and play tennis on holiday. We'd play badminton. So he encouraged me to do as many sports as you can because sometimes if you just do one sport, it can become too much repetition is not always good. And also maybe you can get a little bit, not bored of it is the wrong word, but you need a little bit of a change. You need to trigger the brain in different ways. So I was very fortunate. I had great school teachers and a lot of teachers that I think you should just turn the blind eye because I was an absolute nuisance in class. Not bad, not troublemaker, but I just want to be out in the fresh air. I didn't want to be, you know, sitting in the classroom. And probably Jamie, when you talk about it so well in the book and there's so many great stories about your transition, I guess, from school and it being a little bit of a, you know, in the way a little bit from your burgeoning football career. And obviously then things start to get serious for you. You turned down spurs, didn't you, to stay down with Bournemouth? Tell us about that period. Yeah, it was quite an interesting one, really, Chris. I had a lot of good mates at Bournemouth. There was a Dave Morris, Dean Giddens and one of my best mates. You know, then when I went to school, I didn't really, when I look back at my school years, there was a couple of friends, Alan Bunga and Andy Fagan, were probably my two mates at school. And even now, I look back and think, I didn't embrace school like I perhaps should have, it just didn't appeal to me. And so when I, when I'm football was getting, starting to get serious, 13, 14, I remember John Munker, senior, who's John Munker played for West Ham. His dad turned up at my house. I've been, I've been down to Everton. They wanted to sign me. I've been to Tottenham, to Arsenal, to West Ham. But Tottenham just felt the right club at that time. And they turned up at my house at 14. I never forget, I just turned 14 and 25th of June. And John turns up and says, look, they booked down the schoolboy forms for me to sign. So I signed the schoolboy forms. It ends up being a contract until I was 21, which was quite, you know, unprecedented then. There was a few players as a young lad called Sean Murray at Tottenham that they really liked. He did okay, he did perhaps have the career that his talent should have had. I think he had a couple of injuries, but they really wanted me, you know, and they showed a lot of faith. And I felt, yes, it was the right club. But I, for some reason, I didn't feel it was, it was right. And then when I got to, when I, just as I was starting to leave school, they, I'll end up spending so much time at Bournemouth. I was training with the first team all the time. I had my best mates there. I had my dad that was, I had my dad as the manager. And it just felt the perfect environment for me to get better as a player. And I looked at that team at Bournemouth and I thought, you know what, I'm not far. When I trained with the first team, I must've been so confident because I thought I could get in this team really soon. You know, which is unusual way to be as a, you know, just turning six, I'm a June birthday. And I said to my dad, I want to go to Bournemouth. And he was like, well, you can't, you signed for Tottenham. So he's like, well, we're gonna have to tell Terry Venables. And you can imagine dad and I were concocting a story, really trying to think of what we could say to Terry Venable. So we end up saying that, you know, Jamie's homesick. He doesn't want to go up there. I mean, the problem was I signed for Liverpool a year later. So I didn't really work that excuse. But no, I loved it, Chris. I loved being around it. You know, the players, they were great. You know, I've mentioned them before, they were great role models. They were tough, you know, people like John Williams, the tough scouser, you know, Martinus and Tony Pulis, Mark O'Connor. They really, they were good pros, good honest pros. I learned more from them than I would have done if I'd have gone to play in Tottenham's youth team. And it was just a bold decision, but certainly one that paid off. And before you turned pro and, you know, started playing with those guys regularly in 1990, you were obviously an apprentice and the jobs were the glamour of cleaning the stands at Dean Court and all that kind of stuff. I think I read in the book, your deal was worth £29.50 a week. Yeah, felt like a billionaire, mate, trust me. It would be great. Chris, if you said to me now, you'd go back to any time in your career, that's what I'd go back to. Not because it would give me the rest of my career, but it was just the most fun. We were just having such a great laugh. I was so lucky that I had, I mean, Scott Mean has well come a little bit late. Scott's a year younger than me, I think, but he was such a good laugh. Dean Gillings, and even now I speak to Dean, you know, we messaged and speak to each other every other day. Dave Morris, Stevie Gray, my brother was there when obviously a couple of years old, three years older than me. But we just laughed every minute. It was non-stop. We used to wind up, John Kirk, who was the physio stroke, groundsman, stroke life coach, anybody you wanted him to be. We would just try our best to wind him up all day, every day. We'd play football, you know, up until one, two o'clock. Then we'd go for lunch in the place in the park, which used to do the nice lunch, he's the apple pie. Then we'd come back and play more football. It was just like, and we're getting paid for this. It's a joke. So we had the best time ever, Chris. I wouldn't swap it for the world. And it was just story after story having to... Well, you know, I used to have to clean luffa, bliss its boots and Sean Brooks was a fantastic player. I looked up to Sean a lot. So, yeah, all the tasks that you had to do, like the paint in the stadium, clear the stands, just all part of it, but we just didn't stop laughing. That's one of the key ingredients, I guess. We've probably had a four-hour podcast to get all your stories out from your time back then as a young pup, I guess, coming through. But you mentioned Jimmy Gabriel, as well, who obviously coached with your dad. And teaching you the dark arts of the game in the back garden, which I guess, at that time of your career and the era of football you were in, the dark arts were quite an important part of the game. Yeah, they were. When we talk about the dark arts, Jimmy was a fantastic midfield player for Everton. I think he played, you know, they had a really good team then in that midfield. And dad had always said to me that, you know, where you play in midfield, you've got to look after yourself. You know, we had Tony Pulis, as I got older, I played with Tony, he was probably one of the toughest players I played with that could really look after himself. And I just remember Jimmy saying, look, you're going to play midfield, you've got to learn how to tackle. You know, and I don't just mean tackle, you know, going in with a 50-50 challenge, you're going to have to, there are going to be times when you're going to play against someone that's going to want to hurt you. And you've got to know when those players, when they're up against them, to just roll your foot over the top of the ball and make sure that not to physically break someone's leg, but just to make sure that you're at your, they know that you can look after yourself. So yeah, we would spend hours just rolling my foot over the ball, just making sure that you've got the studs on their leg. And because I was a midfielder, I think of you, anyone that hasn't seen me, I like to think I could play. I was a culture midfield player. I had a bit of long hair, people probably thought, yeah, we'll give you some. So there were a few times when people would try and kick me and take liberties. But if they knew you could look after themself, they tended to leave you alone. Jamie, 1990 was the first year I was at the Echo and a massive story that year was the passing of Brian Tyler in the car crash in Italy when they're out there watching the World Cup. Now, I understand that you'd never really spoken with this to your dad until you've done the book. Just give us your memories of that time. It was the worst time, Neil, you know, and it was actually quite weird doing the book. I wouldn't say it's very puted, but it was something in your family when we're all so close to it just got put to one side and we never mentioned it. Mark and I went over to see dad when he was obviously in hospital in Italy and he was in such a bad way. He was fractured his skull, broken his leg and he'd been in a coma. We actually thought we'd probably lost him because Brian was, you know, it was, it's just a terrible tragedy because Brian was a lovely guy, dad adored him. They were so close. He was the perfect foil for dad because dad would get animated again. You know, if he didn't get the players that he wanted or he didn't feel the club or pushing the right direction, Brian would be the perfect buffer between the owners and dad. He was a great chief exec and he became dad's best, you know, best mates. They went to the World Cup, should have been a dream, you know, a dream for them because dad at that time was the manager of Bournemouth and we had Jerry Peyton was in the World Cup at the time for Italy, sorry, for Ireland. So yeah, when we found out the news after the Italy game that dad had had a crash and Brian had died and three of the boys in the crash had died. You know, and he's dad's not, he's not my dad, he's my best mate. It was so difficult, you know, to deal with and we didn't know what kind of state we were going to find him in. So once we sort of got to that point that we got over there and we knew that he was going to be okay, we just wanted to get him home safely as much as we could and thankfully he came back. He didn't listen to the doctors orders. He was back at work a long, a long, long time before he should have been, but that's because he's such a passionate football man. And it ended up being a really, you know, it sort of shaped me a little bit in a way because I probably would have maybe gone to Liverpool slightly earlier, but I just thought I had to be around to help mum to be around dad and make sure that everything was all right. And obviously I had an older brother who became to a certain extent for those few months when dad wasn't well, you know, the leader of the house. So I had to do my bit as well. And I obviously close to my mum and dad, I didn't feel it was the right time to go to Liverpool but yeah, it was incredibly tough because of not just that, just, you know, for Brian and for his lovely family to lose, you know, to lose a dad or husband, it was just the worst possible time. And it certainly, I think that old school, you know, with dad, he never really spoke about it. And I think now we're a lot more open. We talk about, you know, people's, you know, health, mental health, but dad obviously has an amazing ability to part things and not, you know, but when we did speak about it, it was a very emotional part of the book. And certainly, you know, even now it makes me choke up and I think about it. You said you made 13 appearances for Bournemouth early. You sort of did yourself a bit of a disservice there. It was actually 21 with Cup games. Oh, was it? Okay. Yeah. It was a bit of a joke, to be honest because you should have played a lot more if I'm honest. You know, I did the ice to go knocking on his bed with any danger, dad. Mum used to get the right hump, I promise, guys. When I'd come back, I'd be a little bit earlier than dad from training. You know, you're playing tomorrow. No, no, dad's not putting it. What's he doing? Why is he not playing you? So anyway, when you were 16 again, you made your debut in a 4-1 win away at Hull City, if you remember that. Now, a lot's been made recently about Roy Keane being one of your toughest opponents, but there's been no mention of Billy Whitehurst. Now, Big Willow always mentions that Billy Whitehurst was the toughest opponent he ever faced. Now, I think you made his acquaintance that day. Just tell us about that. I did, Neil, and you know what it'd be. There's not, I can't, to any young kids that are listening to this or young guys, you wouldn't understand what Billy Whitehurst, he was almost like superhuman. He was six foot three, six foot four. I mean, his nose had been broken that many times. It was just, his head was that big. It was colossus. He was just the hardest footballer and everyone knew it. And he always seemed, off the pitch, he seemed quite a nice guy. But on the pitch, he just used to just turn into this animal and he lived up to it. He loved it. He wasn't a wannabe tough guy. This was a genuine tough guy. So we're in, I think, was it 4-1? Did you say that game, Neil? You won 4-1, yeah. Yeah, so I'm on the bench and we're playing great but a really good team at the time. And Dad went, you're going on. I was like, brilliant, brilliant. But as I'm watching again, I'm getting warmed up. I can see that Billy's fuming. His team are not doing what he wants. He's after him. He wants blood. And so I then come onto the pitch. Someone played a ball into me and I could just hear this noise like snarling behind me. So I'm thinking, oh, whoa, whoa. So I just want to get it out to Paul Merrell. I left back. But as I played it out to him, first touch in football, I'm obviously nervous. I'm excited. I didn't quite give it to him with enough pace. Anyway, Paul's played it up the line. But as he's played it, gosh, he's come in, Billy, knocked him up. He nearly hit one of the floodlights. As he's come down, as he's come down on the floor, he's got up, Mozzie. And he doesn't know who's done the tackle. But soon enough, he does because Billy has got him up by the neck. And anyway, a mass brawl ensues. I'm there thinking, oh, my God, this is all I need. My first touch of football in the first touch of league football, I've caused a massive brawl. But anyway, it all got calmed down in the end. But to play against Billy, yeah, he was so formidable. What a character. I'd love to see him play now. But everyone, Alan Hansen, I remember telling that. Alan and I obviously went to Liverpool and Alan says the same thing. It scared stiff of him. Alan Hansen tells a story. Well, this is how crazy he was. Alan tells a story that one day the team sheets come in and he said, I don't usually care about who I was playing against, but because it was Oxford, I think he was playing at Oxford at the time, he said, I'm thinking, oh, there was a rumour that Billy wasn't going to play. So I'd go look at the team sheet, I'll look at it. And he's not on it, Billy Whitehurst. And Alan said, I was so happy. It was like the happiest day of my career. Don't worry about winning any trophies and think I've not got a contend with this guy. Anyway, they walk out into the tunnel before the game. Billy's there. He's got his kit on. They got it wrong. Anyway, they're broken through the referees. Oh, sorry, we didn't put him in the starting lineup. Alan was like, ah, it's all right. But that's what he's like. And so the first minute of the game, he was just smashing into Alan. He's broken his nut. He was so tough. Yeah, Billy Whitehurst, what a legend. Let's keep it topical then, a 50-50 tackle between Billy Whitehurst and Roy Keane. Who comes out better? Oh, yeah, Billy Whitehurst. Would he, anyone alive? I don't think he would have... Roy was tough, Roy was tough when I played. We were talking about when I first started playing in different breed of players. You know, Roy was tough in a generation when it was starting to go out of the game. You know, every team had a tough, big number nine like Billy, but not quite as tough and big as Billy was. And yeah, even now, the name, when you talk about the toughest footballer ever. I googled, I think when I was doing the book, we googled it. The toughest footballer ever. It always comes up Billy Whitehurst. Yeah, it was so funny. What a character. You mentioned about being Luther Blissett's boot boy earlier. Now, is it true that Luther used to deliberately wet his boots, claiming that you hadn't cleaned them properly? Yeah, I'd like to think he did it just to relax me. But yeah, Billy used to wear these Puma... They were lovely Puma kings. This super... It was like a leather, a kangaroo skin, because Luther was obviously the one of the big... You know, played for his country. Everyone loved Luther. So he'd always get the best gear, the best boots, best tracks. So he was always well-dressed. So yeah, he'd always damp, just make him damp. And then I'd have to polish him. And I'm playing in the same games, by the way. So I'm not just some apprentice, like doing his boots. I'm trying to get myself ready for it. And I'd come in, I'd go, yeah, Luther, there's your boots. I put them down, he'd go, well, they're not shining. I'm like, oh, Luther's hard, they're wet. What do you want me to do with them? I'm trying my best. I've got my right arms nearly coming off here. And then I'll be having to do Sean Brooks's boots as well. And yeah, it was so funny. But Luther wasn't that big a player. 20 pound, I think he gave me at Christmas. So I wasn't happy with what it did. I mean, the only thing he did was give me a big right arm. He'd get them out at times. I was having to polish his boots. Just, you spoke earlier, you touched on Dave Morris, a guy I've watched many times. And I think he played with your brother at Bashley as well. And he had some input in the book, I believe. Just tell us a little bit more about your relationship with him because it was massive, wasn't it? Yeah, Dave was tough. When Dave came down from, so he was from just outside Portsmouth. And he'd come from a, I don't want to be disrespectful to him. He'd come from a tough background. And we sort of, well, he came into our life alongside Dean Giddins and just became one of my best mates. It took a little while to break him down because as I say, he's a tough boy, Dave. He could have a fight. He looked after himself. We loved the tackle. We both played in the same position. And we both complimented each other pretty well. And I've just, I'm a big fan of Dave as a person, human being. And he looked after me. He looked after me, not just in, you know, playing on a certain, you know, against when we played in the Southeast Counties League, but he used to look after me in Madison's, you know, as much as that, because I'd get in a bit of trouble in the nightclub, you know. He'd be the first person to be getting like, he'd go, he's all right, he's with me. And everyone would go, I'm sorry, Dave Morris, you know. And so he was just one of those sort of people you wanted in your corner and a thoroughly good lad. A good player as well, Dave. He just, you know, technically, that was something that he struggled with, but in terms of tackling and playing up against him every day in training, we used to do a lot of one-on-ones together. And Dad would always, or Terry Shanahan was a youth coach, he'd always put me up against Dave. And it was as tough a battle as I had against anyone, because he would kick lumps out of me, even though I wasn't managing some. Just before we move on to sort of Liverpool and beyond, Jamie, I feel like we can't skip on too far without mentioning Big Willow, my commentary partner, because knowing what he's like and knowing young players coming into a dressing room full of people like John Williams and Tony Pulas and the others, I reckon there must be a couple of stories in there about initiations or similar that Willow might have been wrapped up in, you got anything for us? Yeah, Willow is just like one of those great characters. I mean, Willow, I mean, he led my brother astray, probably more than he did me, Chris, you know, but Mark was a lot easier to lead astray. But he was such a, I mean, I was probably, So Willow would have played his last game when, Neil? I know we played, did we play a couple of games together? I think he played 1990, that was his last season, that was when we got relegated. Yeah, so that's right, so obviously, because Willow and Sean teal together. But Willow was just one of the best characters, and I think I gravitated towards him as well, because he was a scout, so he had great humour. I used to, the best story, I would always hear, it would be more of a Sunday morning thing, or a Sunday afternoon, even, when the phone would go, and Willow and Mark and Sean had got up to trouble, they'd been out on the night out, and Dad, I could hear Dad on the phone, what's happened, Dad, bloody Willow? He's been causing trouble, you know, or something had happened, and they'd come in on a Monday morning, they've still got a little bit of alcohol on their breath, because that's how it was in those days, you know what I mean? And Dad's got a bloody Willow, you know, and he'd be a bit overweight on the scales, and Dad had tried to be getting him down to his playing weight, but I'll tell you what, when you ask my Dad, all the signage he made, John Williams is one of the best he's ever made, you know, he's a leader, good footballer as well, and a really good laugh, good human being, I've got a lot of time for Willow. Yeah, a lot of fans, of course, who listen to him regularly on the radio these days, probably don't have any idea about what a player he was, lots of course will have watched him. Let's move it on then, Jamie, again, there's so great stuff in the book about your emotions when you're moving from Bournemouth, and is it true you basically bawled your eyes out when you moved to Liverpool? Well, not so much when I moved there, because I'd obviously, you know, it was a dream move for me. It was more, once Kenny left, I struggled a little bit, because you know, I'd signed not just because it was a great club, but also because of the respect levels I had for Kenny. So when Kenny, you know, Kate, when Liverpool come in for you, and then there's a manager that obviously thought a lot of me, we had a lot of respect for my dad, and he made a real play to get me there, and there was never anyone else. Every other club sort of was interested at a time, but it was only Liverpool for me, I just went up, but I wanted to make sure that it was the right time. So when I signed, I'm not sure exactly how long, but then Kenny left, because he obviously had so much going on in his life, he'd been through incredible trauma with the Hillsborough disaster, and he just probably felt he needed a break from football, and I fully respected that, you know, and even the way that he handled it, when he left, he called me up that day to say that you're going to be fine here, they think the world of you at Liverpool, and he said, come and see me tomorrow, we'll have some dinner and play golf. I mean, that's just one of the nice things anyone's ever done, and this is a guide that's going through so much, you know, you can't, it's the equivalent of anybody now would be, you know, Pep Guardiola retiring tomorrow, that's what it was, you know, or even probably even bigger, because Kenny was Liverpool. So it was a really tough time. I had to, you know, from a selfish point of view, I was devastated because I'm thinking, well, what happens now? You know, I'm five hours away from home, there's a new manager come in, does he like me? Is he going to give me a chance? Whereas Kenny had put me on the bench in the first weekend against Wimbledon. So I always felt that, you know, I had an ally in Kenny, so I had to really probably more than ever dig in and work harder, and it took me a sort of six, nine months to adapt, and there were times when I was choked, mate. I can't like this, and it was a tough love. You know, I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, because it was still the best job, and I'm playing for Liverpool Football Club. But when you're missing home, and when you miss your family, you've got a lovely family down at Bournemouth, and you're not playing as well as what you can, and you're starting to have a few doubts, I don't care how tough you are, that's quite hard to take. So I had to really dig in, and I had to sort of almost, you know, get back to that point of being, you know, remembering what I could do, and work hard, get back out in the training field. Because at Liverpool, those days, Chris, used to, the old-fashioned way, there was the boot room days, you'd get on the bus from Anfield, and then you'd go to the training ground, and then you'd get back on the bus, back to Anfield, and get changed. Everyone would just go home. But I wasn't built like that. At Bournemouth, we had a dad that would always say, go do a little bit more, go practice your shooting or your passing, and we had a lot of those guys, like Dave and Dean, we'd always do that after training. So I couldn't understand why. A lot of these really good players would just go home and go to the Snooker club, or anything. I thought, we're not footballers yet. We haven't made it. We're nowhere near as good as John Barnes or Steve McMahon or Ronnie Wheeler. We need to get on the training field. So I just sort of took it upon myself, and I'd say, I don't, I'd get changed, and I'd almost wait for you, because I was a bit embarrassed. I'd wait for everyone to go home, and I'd go and get a bag of balls, and I'd go back, I'd get my car, and I'd just drive back to Melbourne, and just go practice on my own. And there's no doubt that's what helped make me a footballer. But, you know, I had to take a little bit of stick, and I'd be like, look at you, you know, your bum liquor, or, you know, you're trying to impress. I'm not trying to impress anyone. I'm just trying to impress myself. So there were a lot, there's a lot of, you know, there's a lot of factors that go, you know, went with it, that made it quite difficult for me, because, you know, a lot of guys, Dave Watson, that came the other way from, from Bournemouth, to Bournemouth, they're a lot, all his mates in the reserve team. So they were probably a little bit put out that this young kid with long hair from Bournemouth has come and taken his place. So I had to, I had to, to a certain extent, you know, fight a lot of, you know, people's, you know, their, their perceptions of me as well and proved that I could, you know, do it in my own way. You mentioned Kenny, obviously, and, you know, life changes and football changes when you're away from your dad for the first time and a new environment. Beyond Kenny, maybe, and beyond your dad, who were your biggest influences once you'd flown the nest from Bournemouth and you're up at Liverpool and your game had moved on as well as your life? Roy Evans was great. I really, I really was fond of Roy. He was such a nice man, very caring. It would be, it really, I don't want to give you a boring answer here, Chris, but dad was always, is and always has been the person that I looked to. And, you know, if I was having a bad game or a bad time, I couldn't, you know, I just said, dad, you know, I couldn't come and watch, you know, what I'm doing, why I'm not playing well, what's going, you know, what's going on. And he always used to give me this, you know, it wasn't, you know, because you, you know, there's some time you've got to do it yourself. But it always saves me. It's one piece of advice that I'd give any kid or any would say, what's the best piece of advice you've ever given me? You've ever been given. And I said to my little boy, I've got a 12 year old, Bo's at Chelsea, and he's a good little player, you know. And I always say to him, you know, we can all play bad. We can all have bad games, we'll give the ball away. We can all misplace passes. But how hard can you work? When things are going bad, do you hide? Do you, or do you go and make a tackle? Do you go and make an impact on the game? Do you go and make an imprint on a football match? And sometimes that comes from just working hard, running after people, going to press someone. Because the easiest thing to do when you're struggling, and it's been like Liverpool right now, is maybe not to press, not to hide a little bit and not maybe put yourself in that position way to make a mistake. And that was something that you always said to me, go and make a tackle. You know, up in that part of the world, they love seeing you at a 30-yard pass or a 30-yard goal. You know, it's a pink one from outside the box, but they prefer you to make a challenge, go and roar it into a 50-50. They say, that's what's going to get them on your side. That's what's going to make you play well. And that was something that I always tried to do, make sure you, you know, I wasn't really built, you know, I wasn't a tackleer in nature, but that was something that you always said, go and get stuck into a tackle, and the fans will love you for it. Now, of course, you had amazing success at Liverpool, and I very much don't want to gloss over that, I'll make it all belittle it. But obviously, you know, the end of your career, or the back end of your career, I was reading in the book that you said, that when you sort of developed this knee injury condition, at what was it, 27, I think you could, you could only train on a Thursday and a Friday, maybe. And I noticed the phrase, it became a job at 27. Just talk us through what you meant with that. Yeah, it's tough, Chris. You know, that was the hardest part, because of the way I am, and the way, and how much I love football, and you know, the obviously closed circle of family realised that. When you then, because in the media, you get, obviously you get labelled, you know, injury pro or whatever. But, you know, I very rarely, I mean, I tore my hamstring playing for England, apart from that. You know, I don't even know, so many knee operations, like 12, 13 knee ups, broke my ankle twice playing for England. So they weren't tiny injuries. I didn't used to miss games through, oh, I've got a little bit of a knock here today, or, you know, I wished I had been a little bit more like that. I wished I had said to, and I interviewed Jack Wilshire down there, and Jack and I had a conversation about it, and it really resonated with me. Because like me, when he was a kid, he just wanted to play. So when I wasn't right, rather than say to Roy Evans, or whoever it may be, look Gaffer, I'm not right, I'll be, I'll play. I just, I'll be all right, I'll play. And in the end, you don't, you don't do yourself any good. You don't play one, you don't play as well as what you can, and two, you're only doing your body damage. So I really did pay a big price for that. And when I was, you know, I remember 18 years of age, I, I was playing, as soon as this is last game, we're playing an FA Cup game against Bristol City. I've had a little bit of a problem with my knee in the mid-week game against Leeds. And someone threw the ball to me, and I just side-footed it back to them. And I felt something in my knee, and I thought, that's not right. I got into the dressing room at half-time in sitting in this position where I am now. As I've gone to get up, my knee locked. So to anyone, you know, that, to understand knees, my municipus had torn, and it just locked, so I couldn't, I couldn't, I couldn't obviously play. We're losing the game. Graham, soon as he's the manager, imagine telling Graham, I can't play. That's an awful conversation, because normally, you know, he wants to rip your head off. And that look that he gives people on sky was the one that I got, trust me. But I then, but the problem was, Chris, 10 days later, I had all my municipus in my knee taken out, and 10 days later, I trained again. And I played with him, I think, three weeks. Now, if that happened now, I would have probably played in six months, and I would have been a knee that would have been preserved, looked after. And I've paid a price for that ever since, even now, walking, walking my dogs, playing football in the garden with the kids. So I was very, very unlucky, as good as football was as it's been to me. You know, when you've had that, when you've done the degenerative injuries, and I think Willow had bad knees, who he'll understand it as well. It really is, you're actually just on a losing battle, you're just playing against time, and in the end, time will always catch up with you. Jamie, you retired in 2005, after a short spell at Southampton. Was it always your intention to get into the media? It wasn't really. Dad had always felt that I'd be a manager, Neil. And I was probably, I probably thought I would as well. You know, I loved the game. The tactical side of the game is interesting. I've always, I love to, even now, when I talk to footballers or young players, and think, you know, and I've always thought that would be something that I would have been quite good at. But it just worked out the circumstance. On 31, I wanted some time away from the game, in terms of just to do something different. And then got invited to do a little bit of work for the BBC, a bit of work for Sky. And I really thoroughly enjoyed it. I started to get into it more and more, and then league of their own, and bits and pieces come along. People think that, you know, you're doing a good job. And then I start to see the way that the game was changed from the manager, when dad was managing. I don't know what the average was, but I'm guessing four or five years you'd have probably got. Whereas now it's 12 months, year, two years, and you're out. And I just thought, you know what, I've got such a great job. I live for football. I love watching it. I don't get bored of doing what I'm doing. So it just felt like the right thing to do, Neil. And I'm very thankful for this, because as much as I've enjoyed doing the football, I've enjoyed doing the punditry and the league of their own stuff. I work with great comedians, and I'm almost as proud of making a footballer as I am making, you know, getting into it. Because not only people say, well, I've had two jobs. I've had two jobs, and I'm very, very proud of that. Is it still as enjoyable now as it was when you first started out with all the social media spotlight on everybody in the public eye? There's definitely more pressure. 100 per cent, Neil, is a good question, because, you know, even more so now, everything you do, it's so scrutinised, because people are at home, people are watching, people are judging. Some people like you, some people don't. I'm genuinely, I'm not on Twitter, because I'm probably too sensitive for Twitter. I'm all right on Instagram, but somebody abused it, you know, you get. It's just not right, you know, and then we all talk about it now, with young players getting racially abused. You know, if you're honest, you know, if you play bad and you get a little bit of stick, but I do find myself sometimes, when you do get abused, and I've had some horrendous things said to me, not, you know, to the level that some people have. When you actually say to them, I'm really, you know, maybe you see their profile pic, and they've got a, and you see that there's a picture of them with their young kid. And I'd say, look, I'm really sorry, that you feel that you have to come, reach out to me and say these things, but, mate, just go and spend some time, you know, you've got a lovely family there. Go and spend some time with your family and do the right thing. Don't come abusing me. You know, I don't see what your point, and the amount of time people will go like, yeah, I'm sorry, I just wanted, I just needed to, you know, to let off some steam, and I'd seen something you said, and, you know, it is, we're, especially right now, people are in a very, very emotional situation, and I think that's why there is so much abuse on social media, and we're all sensitive to it, but I just wish we could do a bit more about it, to stop people just having been able to just reach out and slag people off or abuser for the color of their skin. There has to be better, you know, better restrictions in place. Just going back to your dad. Now, you know, normally when a football manager isn't involved in football, and someone of your dad's age, it would be pipe and slippers, if you like, and, you know, enjoy retirement or whatever, but your dad went completely the other way. He became a TV media star watching, you know, I was watching a repeat of Sandbanks on Monday night. I'd watched it already and I had to rush down to Shea Fred the next day, other popular fish and chip shops are available indoors, so I have to add that, but just tell us about what you thought about seeing your dad do. I mean, everybody knew your dad in football, but now everybody sort of in the country knows him. Yeah, I'm actually, you know, I'm really proud, Neil. I'm so proud of him and my mum, because, you know, they get to a, you know, there's obviously in life when there's a slowdown where dad had been so, and he's such a sharp guy in terms of, you know, remembering or retaining stories. I'm actually in awe of him when I'm with him, or we've got a TV show coming up in a few weeks, actually, we're doing a programme on Sky. The guy called Tom Davis is, you know, a fantastic comedian, and I can't wait to do it just to hear about dad's stories. He's going to be on Sky One, which is going to be fun. And, you know, his ability to just, you know, make people laugh and, you know, and I'm just pleased, because when you see a manager, we always think that you hear stories, or you see it the way that they are, and, you know, whether they're scowling on it, or after a game, or they maybe give her an interview, you know what it's like, because you went a few managers sometimes, and they've lost the game, and you've got to ask that question. And they're angry, and they probably, the emotion comes out. So I think we're seeing the real Harry redneck right now. So it's been, yeah, I'm so proud of what he's done. Just to wrap up the TV, I mean, one thing we did see recently, you two on Saturday Night Takeaway, we saw that your dad can't keep his laughter in too much, if there's something going on in his ear. Oh, mate, obviously that was so funny. We went, but I'm worse than him. He was better than me, I thought. I was giggling before it even started, so that when they set it up, you get this tiny little earpiece, and, you know, you see, they can't see it. So I was always the kid at school that would get cool giggling, because I just couldn't contain my laughter. So when they started, and Ant and Deca and you were here, and then I started giggling, they went, we've got a giggler. And then the young dad, and as I asked my first question, people can't probably tell, I'm already laughing. But even since we've done it, every now and again, I think, oh, no, no, maybe we've had a little bit of a, someone's got any nerves who just feel a little bit. I watch it just to make me laugh, because there's some funny things that when dad talks about the Bosman, so you're a Bosman. So you're a free agent. It's just like, I just complete, and all the tea come out of my nose, it was just so funny. I've got to say, if you're listening to this podcast, so you haven't yet seen Jamie and Harry on Saturday Night Takeaway, type it into YouTube or your internet search provider, because it is well worth watching. We'll come on to the current situation here at Bournemouth. It would be remiss not to ask you about that. We've got a couple of supporter questions to finish as well, but I did want to touch on your boys. You mentioned Burr already, who's 12 years of age, and I think he's been trying to call you, actually, while we've been recording this podcast as well. But your other son is Charlie, of course, who's a talented rugby player, having seen pictures recently, he is a size. Now, talk us through your emotions that one of your sons has become a rugby player. Yeah, do you know what, Chris? I love it. I find it actually more enjoyable. Well, there's two things with it. You know, I find it more enjoyable because I don't, when bow plays, I'm probably a bit more critical, because obviously I know that we both play the same position, you know, the same mistakes, and academy football is the highest stakes, you know, I think probably a bit too high at their early age. But when I go and watch Charlie play rugby, I get so much enjoyment out of it. I'm so proud of him. He's a big, he's a centre. He's quick, strong. He's got, he's actually a bit more like my brother's frame, that he's got these really strong legs, and Mark was actually, you know, quick. And yeah, I love it. I can't tell you how much I enjoy going to watch him play rugby. He plays for his school. He goes to a lovely school at some college, and he played for Surrey, and dad came to watch a few games. It's such an enjoyment. I really love it, because I don't, I love rugby, and I've been so, we went to the Rugby World Cup final, Charlie and Iron. So we watched England as much as we can, when I'm not working. But I would be lying if I said, oh, I understand, you know, the audio intricacies and the movements and what he's meant to do. But when I see him going in for a challenge, he's just like, wow, that's that. And these kids, they go in. There's a lot of testosterone at 16. I feel for him, though, Chris, because this year they've missed it. They've nearly missed the whole, well, they've missed the whole year, the whole term of rugby, when he should have been coming into his prime. So hopefully, that next year, he can make up for that last time. Let's ask, then, about the current situation here at AFC Bournemouth, because a lot has changed, and obviously you've got people from your era that used to play and have become managers and coaches and have since left. What do you make of the last few months at AFC Bournemouth, and how do you rate their chances this year of being at a sneak back up to the Premier League? Yeah, it's going to be hard. Obviously, the league is brutal. And I think that, you know, when Eddie left, Eddie done a great job, and he can't deny it. And obviously, a big fan of what he's achieved at the club, and rightly so, he's an idol at the club, and always will be. And then Jason, probably, was a victim of having just been so close. And I think that I understand why they went with Jason, because he's got a good personality. He knows the club inside out. But sometimes, it might just be, you need to hear a different voice. When you've heard the same voice for so long, you just need a change. And obviously, you lose Callum, you lose Josh, you lose two important players. And it made it really difficult. So I understand. And obviously, they go with a new manager, and Jonathan's come in and done a good job. He's going to be tired. I'm looking right now, just thinking, get into the playoffs, a thing that's gross, we can go out through it. Because you've got good players. There's no doubt. I look at the team, certainly in midfield. It's just a case of finding the right formula. And hopefully, you can get back up and need to find that form. If you look at the last 10 years, a playoff football, it's the team that's in the best form leading up to it. So it's right now. You're just jockeying for places. Whether you finish six, you might make a great run to finish six, or you might be stumbling, and you come third. And normally, third doesn't normally come up. So it's going to be interesting. But I just hope that Jonathan can get the club back up. So I love coming down to watch the games here. It's what I'm like. You know, it's, well, it's a dream. I go and see my mum and dad for a bit of lunch, and then go and do a game that's at Dean Court, you know, the Vitality Stadiums. Yeah, that's what I say. Seeing those golf clubs in the background behind you there has reminded me Clive Tyrrell is a neighbour of mine. Jamie. No, because Chonkers. Tell it when you see him. Say, all right, Chonkers? He's a funny boy, isn't he, Clive? Mike, he used to come out to a lot of my games and watch Clive, because Clive is one of, he's one of life's characters. I didn't realise, and his father, Reg Tyrrell, was one of the first scouts ever used in football and was responsible for that all-conquering Ipswich team of the early 80s. Or so Clive tells me anyway. Also tells me that your dad's not a very good loser at golf. Have you got that trait as well? No, I'm better than Dad. I'm better, well, better losing than Dad. Dad and Clive, that Clive is so funny with Dad, because Clive, by all accounts, was a really talented player. He played for Chelsea, but he didn't really play too many games. I think he got pushed out. Yeah, I think he was super talented, but perhaps just didn't have that desire. But he's a great fool for my dad, you know, because Dad would have a, you know, when Dad's head comes off or whatever sometimes, he'll take it out and have a laugh with Clive, but they're their character, when they're together. He used to come up, and when I first went to Liverpool, Dad and Clive would, you know, if Dad had had a load of travelling, watching different games, he'd say, come on, Clive, we'll go and watch Jamie play up, wherever it may be, Leicester, Liverpool or wherever. And they'd turn up together, and it was, yeah, they were such good, such great company, and it was a really nice support system for me. What's your favourite golf course endorser out of interest? The best memories I get is Isla Perbet, is that, because that just reminds me of a kid. Great memories of Eiffel Bridge as well. Do you have been on there, not paying? I shouldn't say that, really, should I? But Dad and I, we used to come round the back of Stour, you know, in the river, River A, Stour on the A for the car. It's the Stour, actually, yeah. Stour, yeah. So we used to come on the back there, we'd walk on and play a couple of holes, and the next thing you see is, oh, they've seen us, and we'd go running off and drop back in the car, yeah, I was only playing for Liverpool at the time. We've got a few fans' questions, Jamie. I know your time is very precious. We've got a few fans' questions. The first one comes in from a guy called Steve Fletcher from Hartlepool, who says... I don't think they do, yeah. He says, can you ask, Jamie, about our 1996 Iron Napper holiday with a young Frank Lampard, and bearded by, this is a family podcast. Fletcher's got the big... I'll try and think it out for you, Chris, if I can find it. Fletcher's got the worst waistcoat on, but like we all know Fletcher, any of all my fans will know. He had no top on, because he loved to show the guns off, didn't he? Absolutely. But Fletcher's a character. I mean, honestly, what a boy. He had a great career. He struggled with his knee for a while, but he was tough. He kept going, and I often say to him, I mean, have you got that stadium named after you? I mean, I've got to be honest, you know? He's a... No, what a ledge. What a ledge. And he, by the way, he only tells me every time I see him, because you know that's my stadium. You know, he's shy. The thing about this, the guy that's asked to quit anyone doesn't. He's a very shy boy, Steve, you know, Fletcher. So, yeah, I'm good lad. I'm so pleased for him. But yeah, I won't go on too much, because I won't tell too many stories about that Iron Appa trip, but trust me, it was a funny one. We had a... Because young Frank came, it was the first time Frank had ever been on a ledge trip. And yeah, we had some good times, as you can imagine, Iron Appa in that square. We thought we were the kings of the world. This sounds like a completely different podcast in itself, the stories from Iron Appa. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Here's another one from David Morgan, who got in touch on Twitter to say, this might be a tough one for you to answer, Jamie. Who's a better manager? Eddie Howe or Harry Rednapp? Very different. Totally different managers. Eddie, very quiet. And I don't know him that well, but he seems just the sort of guy that's very unassuming, will talk to his assistants. I'm going to say my dad, because Eddie hasn't yet to manage big players, like when Dad went to Tottenham, and he managed Garafell, Modric, Diara, got him to Real Madrid, Vale. So, of course, I'm going to say that my dad, and I'm going to just say it out there, and people could just say, well, you would say that to your dad. My dad's got more knowledge on football, and a better manager, a tactician, and any manager I've worked with. And even people could say whatever they want about that, and you can say, yeah, of course you say that about my dad. He's forgot more about football than most managers that coach me know. So, that's not just because he's my dad, it's just a fact, you know? But Eddie is no doubt at all, and I can't wait to see Eddie, and I want to see him, I've got the opportunity to manage at that level as well, because I've got no doubt he could do it. James Whittle Hall here on Twitter has asked, in your role as a pundit, what and how much research do you do on teams and individuals prior to a match? All the time. We're speaking, at the moment, it's probably the most difficult time ever, Neil, because we're going to get, there's so many games, there's so many, there's such a, there's a, you know, as an example, I'm doing Leicester tomorrow. So they've got obviously a lot of injuries, James Justin's injured, Madison, Parvy Barnes. So you're having to learn about the players more than ever. And yeah, I mean, I don't miss a game. Whatever league that it's on. So yeah, we're always, we're very lucky, and I'm sure it's the same with you, Chris. We get a massive stats pack when we turn up at Sky. I'm missing going to the games right now. I'm going to a few, but I'm missing, you know, the atmosphere, and obviously we all are, we're missing crowds, but even when there's no crowd, just to be at the game and you take it in a lot more. But no, we all do. And that's the same for Jamie, Roy, Graham, all the pundits that I work with. There's a passion for the game. There's a love for the game. I've never seen anyone work coming a goal. Who's playing today? What's this go? I can't even bother doing this. We all love the game. Got one here, which could take a little bit of time. It's from Hanson on Twitter. It's your starting 11, your England starting 11 for the first Euros game. Bloody hell, excuse me. This will take a lot of time. Give us a couple of your bankers there, maybe if not the full 11, Jamie. Give us two or three of your bankers. Well, I guess let's go to the important players. I think John Stone's hitting form is the best news that Gareth Southgate knows. I don't like how we look to be pre-Him fine in this form. I was a little bit worried about his defensively. Now, how do you match that up? He looks like he wants to play over back three. You know, you look like going with maybe Harry McGuire. He's gone with Kyle Walker as well. The interesting ones that we do go over back three is the wing back situation. Like Trent's not played well this year, and he's not a wing back. So he comes under pressure from Rhys James. Left wing back situation, I think if we do play that way, I think the fact that Killwell's playing so well in that system for Tuchel really helps Gareth Southgate as well. But now it certainly gets interesting because Jordan Henderson might miss out, it looks like, because of this growing injury. And I think they won't rush him as much as it's important he plays for England. He's coming into an important time of his career. He wants to play for his country. He's obviously proud to, but if he's not right, he's not right. So then it maybe feels like you're going to go with Declan Rice as a banker then. Maybe does he then play with Mason Mount alongside him? That could be a situation where you've got, you know, super talented players. Up front, it's so difficult. Harry Kane obviously starts. Then you've got Marcus Rashford and you've got Fodum. I think Marcus Rashford's got to do more right now. I think he's, it will definitely start, but he might be the one player that comes under pressure if he doesn't score goals and do as well, because people will, there will be a clamour for, you know, for Fodum or for Sancho. Sterling's definitely going to start as well. So there's a lot of, you know, people looking for that position. I want to see Greenleys play, but right now it looks like I'll pick 13 aside. So it's hard for me to pick it, Chris. So I don't know on the other side. So I don't even know how difficult it's going to be for Gareth. You know, Harvey Barnes has been in great form. Harvey Barnes, until he picks up this injury, he's one of the best strikers, you know, his numbers, his goals and his assists were as good as anybody's. So it's incredibly difficult. I just don't want to see Gareth play safe though. I want to see him go over really attacking team. Yeah, definitely some food for thought in there, Jamie. Well, we've spent the best part of an hour grilling you about various things, Jamie. We've both got our copies of your book here. Jamie read that. Me, family and the making of a footballer, which I know Bournemouth fans have listened to this. You know, we've just scratched the surface of some great stuff about Bournemouth in your early years in there, as well as the rest of your career. Jamie, just a final question. How much did you enjoy putting it all down on paper? Yeah, I mean, listen, guys, I was saying, I think I was coming on this because I've been asked and it was no proper, so the fact you have mentioned the book and it would be quite nice because I keep getting stick from the guys that do the book. You need to promote it more, but I'm not very good at that. So no, thank you for doing it yourself. But no, I loved it. It was very therapeutic. It was brought back so many great memories. It's out there forever now because I'm not really one to talk about my personal private life. I think, you know, this was just a nice way for me to bring back a lot of great memories. I like my favourite part of it, actually, because I don't, I sound like I am today. I'm chatting for an hour about myself, but I find it's quite nice when other people do it. You know, when you've got John Barnes saying nice things about me or Frank Lampard talking about what it was like for us two to grow up and in Bishop, I haven't mentioned Bishop. Bishop was one of my heroes. And I did a nice, I've not spoken to Bishop for a long while because Bishop Willow, talk about Bishop Willow, that was Batman and Robin, by the way. So yeah, those two were, yeah, they were proper rascals in that Bournemouth area. But we had, it was really good fun. So no, I was, it made me appreciate how much I love Bournemouth the area. And I'm sure one day I'll probably, I probably will move back down there, but I've sort of cemented myself in Surrey and Liverpool for such a long time. It was good that you confirmed that Madison's was a nightclub earlier, because I'm sure that our younger listeners would have no idea what Madison's was. Yeah, I mean, yeah, that play source of action, trust me. Madison, yeah, I remember trying to get in there, my first time trying to get into the club, Neil, and shouldn't say it, but I've got my fake ID and I'm up there, I've got my best outfit on, and I've got my ID wrong and they didn't let me in. I've been rehearsing it for about a week. Yeah, it's a real moment. And all my mates stayed, Murray's, all the boys still went in. I waited outside for about five hours. Well, Jamie, thanks so much for giving up some of your time to chat to Bournemouth fans. I think you sold it to them when your first line was AFC Bournemouth is my club, so I know they're going to have really enjoyed hearing from you. Thank you so much for joining us. No, good luck, and I'd love to see Bournemouth get back in the Premier League, Chris, Neil, and we can all be talking about next year with that capacity. But even if not, it's still a special football club, you know, and the few years that they've had, and the enjoyment that Eddie's has given the fans, it's just incredible as well. So, look, if it happens, great. If not, let's just see where we go. It'll always be there because the crowd love it so much. Jamie, thank you. Pleasure, guys. Well, Neil, I've got to be honest, right at the start of that, when Jamie came out and said AFC Bournemouth is my club, I know he's connected to the club and his family have a big connection, but I didn't actually realise AFC Bournemouth was quite as ingrained as his club as it actually is. Just shows you how this club can get into your veins, Chris, doesn't it? I know that, you know, there's a lot of people like that, and I was surprised to hear him say it, but so many local connections, you know, schooled down here, born in Barton on sea, schooled at Christchurch. It's always going to leave a mark on you. Absolutely. Well, Neil, thank you as ever for joining us here on the official AFC Bournemouth podcast. Don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating wherever you have listened to this podcast today. You can share us on social media as well. It would be very helpful. Make sure you include the hashtag AFCBpod, and if you're not already following AFC Bournemouth on Instagram and Facebook and Twitter and all the rest, then please sort that out for us as well. A big thanks for choosing to listen from myself, Chris Temple, from Neil Perrin, and our guest, Jamie Redknapp. That's us for now.