Interview: Peter Reid

Credit to the photographer

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Thank you to the good people at Astro SuperSports for extending the invitation towards padangbolasepak.com to interview a former professional football player, a professional footballer.

Recently, I had the opportunity to have a short interview with ex-England and Everton legend, Peter Reid. Peter Reid represented England at the 1986 World Cup and played in that infamous game against Argentina opposite Diego Maradona. I asked him a couple of questions on motivation and what kept him motivated as a player and a manager.

Q. From your experience as a manager, when did you know when to put an arm around your player (be gentle) and when did you know when to be stern with a player?

P.R: I think that is dead easy. As a player, I was quite vociferous so even then you knew who you could get into or who you had to put your arm around also with different managers. I knew who I could get going and get motivated by geeing them up or by being a friend. I think with experience, you learn, like when I had a year in Thailand where you learn about different cultures and that puts you in good stead.

I think it is just common sense really, because for example you would know with your pals. So I think anybody who does not get that (knowing how to talk to someone) is a bit stupid to be honest.

Q. Right, I understand. So my next question, in your experience as a manager and a player, what do you think is the best steps to create a good atmosphere in the dressing room and even within the whole team?

P.R: I am a great believer in a good dressing room and a good atmosphere. As a player I was quite outgoing, confident and there are different personalities in a team. The teams I played in when I was a young man, Bolton Wanderers, Everton who was successful, always had great dressing rooms. I tell you what, the best example there was this film last year about Manchester City and the whole operation was fantastic, from the marketing to the commercial, the training ground, the managerial structure, everything but you know what came up to me? The dressing room. When they got best everyone was into each other and when they won they were all together, and the kit man who was just an ordinary guy, he was amongst it. I have experience but I thought even the greatest managers like Guardiola has that. If you show me a good dressing room, I will show you a good team. I think it is essential.

Q. So how would you get a good dressing room atmosphere?

P.R: I think hard work is essential but I think with anything if you enjoy your work, if you enjoy going to your training ground and it is a good environment, you get the best out of people because players are people as well, I mean some of them are superstars but they are only people so you have to get the best out of them.

Training is hard work but it can be enjoyable, you can have a laugh and have little competitions. I tell you what players like, they like to know where they stand in terms of discipline. They want to know what they can get away with. In training, people will be late and you fine them but what I used to do as a coach was let the players do it themselves. They sort of police their own dressing room and then they will have a bit of banter and that is important. Dressing rooms are really important. A fractured dressing room will lead you to struggle.

Q. In saying that, is it on the coach to create such an environment or is it on the individuals themselves?

P.R: I think it goes hand in hand because all managers are not the same so the players have to buy into how the manager does it. Certain managers like Pep, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger are all successful managers but they all go about it in different ways of getting that team spirit. To say whose is right, whose is wrong, whose to say.

Q. That is great. All right, one final question; from your experience as a player, what did you find was the best way to motivate yourself? You went through big games with England and Everton, Manchester City so how did you find the motivation?

P.R: I did not have a problem. I had a mentality where I liked playing the big games. I mean we all get nervous, I used to sweat, get excited, and that is natural but I just wanted to win. I wanted to win so much so. I think that came when I was a kid. I mean if I played tennis I wanted to win, if I playing tiddly-winks, I wanted to win so motivation for me was easy.

I was a schoolboy and we used to have a cup for the English schools and when I was 14 I played at Anfield for the semi-final and Goodison Park for the final, I had that drive from when I was a young fella. So when you say motivation, it was something that came naturally to me. I loved the competition. I went to Everton when Liverpool was the best team in Europe and we won a couple of titles and trophies. I did not mind the battle.

Certain players needed geeing up, certain players were laid back in their attitude. Honestly I think everyone needs a kick up the back side once in a while but certain players needed that. I like to think that I was quite vociferous on the pitch when I did it and once you are in a game and once you have that desire there is no wrong in getting into some players.

Q. Brilliant. Thank you, Peter for your time and hope to have a chat with you again.

P.R: Cheers, thank you.