Plain Soccer recently had the opportunity to speak with Tottenham great and former England international Gary Mabbutt, MBE.
Gary Mabbutt is Tottenham's longest serving captain and ranks second all-time in appearances for Spurs. He won the Uefa Cup in 1984, captained his team to FA Cup glory in 1991 and earned 16 caps for England. He is a Tottenham legend and holds the deepest admiration and respect from everyone associated with the English game.
Gary spoke with me about attending the PFA Player of the Year Awards ceremony in London as well as voting procedure for the player awards, changes in the evolution of the game over the past ten years, his marvelous career, his expectations for Spurs and his current role as a 2010 World Cup Ambassador.
I spoke with Gary the morning after the PFA Awards dinner, which he attended. This year's awards has received much controversy because of the the Player of the Year award being given to Ryan Giggs, a player who has only started 12 games so far this season, but Gary is happy for the Welshman. "I am absolutely delighted for Giggsy." Giggs has performed at the top level of the English and world game for eighteen years and this award showcases the respect he garners from his fellow professionals.
Mabbutt remains an ardent Spurs supporter. He is confident in the ability of Harry Redknapp and has high expectations for the club under the tutelage of the former Portsmouth manager. "The best thing with Harry is his communication skills are excellent; his man management skills are very good." The success he has achieved comparative to Juande Ramos is what was expected from Spurs' bosses when hiring the Londoner, and Redknapp will be called on to move the team even higher up the table in 2009/10.
One reason why the Spurs boss has moved the team forward so far is that he has built a strong defensive foundation at the club. The fulfillment of this task is essential for all teams that want to succeed. Spurs' recent signing of the tough tackling Wilson Palacios, which Gary refers to as a "master stroke," indicates Spurs' progress, as does their record, before the last game, of only having conceded 5 goals in 10 domestic games while the club climbed the table.
How high up the table does Gary expect Spurs to finish next season? "I would envisage [Spurs] pushing all the way, like Villa have done to Arsenal this season, for a top 4 place." Spurs fans: get excited.
Today Gary serves as an ambassador to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He is passionate about South Africa and eagerly anticipates what he expects will be a great event. "[The 2010 World Cup] will be the biggest football carnival the world has ever seen." Moreover, Gary recognizes the importance of the World Cup in providing an opportunity for South Africa to move forward. "This is an opportunity for football to help a country move forward."
You can listen to the interview above. Gary is a very eloquent speaker, very knowledgeable about the game and one of the kindest and most communicable gentlemen in football and I definitely recommend listening to him.
Gary Mabbutt writes a weekly Premiership round up that you can read at www.elan.co.za.
I think we should activate the tag 'homerism'.