Gary Stevens played for Spurs between 1983 and 1990. He was part of our UEFA Cup winning side and also part of our 1987 FA Cup Final side. An England international between 1983 and 1986 he went to the World Cup 86 as part of Bobby Robson's team. An injury sustained in 1988 against Wimbledon led to a battle to regain full fitness and eventually his retirement from professional football in 1992. Gary was been kind enough to agree to an interview with us, and Id like to personally thank him for his time and honesty in answering a request I sent him.
Gary can be found on twitter under @GaryStevensUK
AH: You played in the 1983 cup final for Brighton then transferred to Spurs in that summer, was it tough to leave them after all you'd made your debut there at 17?
GS: I had gone to visit my parents in Suffolk at what had been my home with them and my sister from the age of 6, when we left West Drayton in Middlesex, until I departed for Brighton as a 16 year old to sign apprentice forms. The phone rang and Mum said it was Jimmy Melia, the then Brighton manager, wanting to speak to me. No mobile phones in those days ..... and he told me the club had agreed to sell me to Spurs and did I want to go ? Initially I was really annoyed with the club going so far with a deal before they told me. I told Jimmy that the club should be keeping their best players with a view to returning to the top flight immediately having just been relegated after four season and the only time the club had been in the top division in its history. I still had 2 seasons left on my contract, they were not paying me much and I was prepared to continue to give everything I had for the club that had given me a chance. I was young, 21, and believed Brighton could bounce straight back. Jimmy said the deal was done and it was a case of me meeting with Spurs. I was just buying a lovely house in the Hove Park area, having sold my property, and suddenly my focus for the new season was likely to be very different. I knew it was a fantastic opportunity for me to join a huge club and develop as a player, there was only one thing to do if Brighton didn't want me and Spurs did ..... I soon calmed down.
AH: What did Keith Burkinshaw say to persuade you to join Spurs?
GS: When I got to WHL, having driven down from Bury St. Edmunds, I met with Peter Shreeves because Keith Burkinshaw was away on holiday. We chatted for a couple of hours about football, how Spurs saw me as a player, how they could develop me, what I believed I could achieve, the players currently at the club etc We had lunch in the West Stand where office staff would eat, not the Chanticleer Restaurant because it was open to the public and Spurs wanted to conclude matters and make the announcement when everything was signed. We went back to the office so I could speak on the phone with Keith Burkinshaw, which I did briefly. He said he knew Peter would have covered all the football matters and he hoped I would join. After the phone call there was a knock on the door and Bill Nicholson walked in. He said he wanted to take me out to the training ground and show me around .... what an honour. He showed me the back dodges out to the A10 and we chatted football, I was introduced to Don the groundsman at the Cheshunt Training facility and we drove back. Bill told me to go home and talk it through with my family ..... and then sign !!! He said he had watched a lot of my games and felt Spurs would develop me into a full international. Peter suggested we spoke the next day on the phone and as I said my goodbyes and thanks to him and Bill, Peter said "Do you want to know how much we are going to pay you?" At no stage had we even mentioned the length or value of a contract for me.
AH: What do you remember of your debut for Spurs?
GS: My debut didn't go well. The opening game of the 1983/84 season (a) v Ipswich who had featured heavily in my career already. I was a schoolboy at Ipswich from 11 to 16 years old and shown the door by Bobby Robson because there were so many good players ahead of me. I made my debut for Brighton (h) v Ipswich in 1979/80 season and scored my first senior goal later that season (a) v Ipswich. Maybe I was expecting everything to go well again and it didn't. We lost, I made mistakes, no points from your first league fixture is a blow, it was a really poor start for me personally.
http://AHAHAH: You played in midfield as well as defence which was your preferred position?
GS: I believe my best position was as a central defender. In a pair I would be the one who covered, read the situation, intercepted, played out from the back alongside a more aggressive, dominant central defender. I played occasionally as a sweeper behind a back four and sometimes a front sweeper .... in front of a back four. One of a back 3 really suited me however it was a rare formation in my playing days. I always enjoyed playing in midfield, I was a good athlete and the amount of ground that needed to be covered gave me a feeling of freedom out on the pitch.
AH: You played in the 1984 UEFA cup final and scored your penalty, how nervous was you and did anyone offer you any words of encouragement before hand?
GS: Before the second leg of any round of the UEFA Cup possible penalty takers were decided. The first occasion Robbo, Archie and Mark Falco volunteered and it went a bit quiet. Keith Burkinshaw said he felt I struck a good dead ball so I said I would take one. Of course it didn’t go to penalties, and neither did the next round, or the next so come the final I’m volunteering because it never goes to penalties does it !!!
My only thoughts in my mind walking up to take my penalty was to stick exactly to the routine I had practised in training and my penalty was the only one that I could determine the outcome of so SCORE.
AH: Who was your favourite player at this time?
GS: There were so many great players at Spurs during my time at the club it’s not possible to select a favourite or best. Three who were wonderful players and impressive human beings were not even in the starting 11 for the second leg of the UEFA Cup Final; Steve Perryman, Ossie Ardiles and Glenn Hoddle. Steve was brilliant as a captain and made so many small comments to me that had huge meaning and influence. Ossie had, in my opinion, the quickest decision making brain on the football field of any player I’ve known. Glenn, at pitch level as a player with everything going so fast around you had the view of the game as if he were sat in the West Upper stand, he could see the space, the best past, players movement and would consistently deliver the perfect pass ..... truly gifted. Ray Clemence became a great friend I would do anything for him and his family, Danny Thomas signed at the same time as me and we stayed in the Ponsbourne Hotel initially for 3 or 4 months before buying our respective homes .... 75 yards around the corner in Broxbourne, we shared lots of time together. I can truly say there was not one player or member of staff I didn’t get on with, I’m not sure if they all liked me but that would have been their problem and not mine !!!
AH: What was your favourite ground?
GS: WHL was a real favourite of course, especially on European nights. Villa Park was always a standout venue for me, I’m not sure exactly why. The stadiums back in the late 70’s and early 80’s were all so different with very average facilities, today's venues are a different level. Just look at the stadium Spurs will play in next season, compare the old and new Wembley Stadium’s. AH: How did you hear you'd made the World Cup squad for the 1986 World Cup
GS: I believed I was in the squad as I walked off the Wembley pitch having come on as a second half sub for England v Scotland in the Rouse Cup in 1986. I came on for Peter Reid in midfield, filled in for Terry Butcher at centre half while he had some treatment and finished at left back when Kenny Sansom went off. Bobby Robson caught up we me as we were heading towards the changing rooms and said “you’re useful you are”. It was a final decision between me and Dave Watson the former Norwich & Everton Central defender and my versatility gave me the edge. I was in the back garden cutting the grass when my fiancée came out and said she had read on Teletext that I was in the World Cup Squad for Mexico ‘86. Times have changed .... Teletext !!!!!
AH: What was it like sitting in the changing room with Terry Butcher, Shilton, Linekar and others, did anyone offer words of encouragement?
GS: I sat in the changing room for club and country with some truly great players over the years. We were all in it together, had all come through the process and generally appreciated what we were all experiencing and maybe struggling to deal with. One of my early England call ups started with reporting on a Sunday afternoon to the Post House Hotel at High Wycombe, no 5 star hotels for us back then, and Bobby Robson took us all for dinner near Bisham Abbey (where we trained in those days). It was a country pub / restaurant and I was out of my comfort zone until Trevor Francis, who I had the perception of being aloof along with his superstar status, came over to me in the bar area and said “hello Gaz, I’m delighted you’re in the squad. You deserve to be here and I’m looking forward to training with you and getting to know you".
AH: The World Cup was held in Mexico that year after the earthquake that had happened, how much did that affect the players? Did you see much of the aftermath?
GS: We were oblivious to the earthquake tragedy in Mexico City to a large extent. Not totally the same as today but as an international team we were kept away from the the public and public places to a large extent. That said Mark Hateley and I were big mates from our U21 European Cup winning days in ‘84 and like myself we wanted to break up the long days so organised a trip together to see the pyramids, once we got to Mexico City and were given a day off by Bobby Robson, and on another occasion hired a driver to take us down town Mexico City to see some of the devastation. It was the first time I’d seen anything like it, there was suddenly a huge pile of rubble where a building had once stood and either side of it the buildings appeared untouched. There were obviously other areas of much larger scale destruction. No we didn’t ask permission to do our tourist trips and we didn’t exactly share the fact with anyone either.
AH: You didn't score many goals in your career but what was your favourite?
GS: What do you mean .... I was a big game goal scorer !!! FA Cup Final for Brighton, UEFA Cup Final for Spurs, first live Sunday game on ITV for Spurs v Forest, the winner for Spurs in a NLD !!!! I even scored for England in a World Cup qualifier (a) v Turkey .... unfortunately it was disallowed. May favourite .... I love them all !!!
AH: What was the biggest regret of your career?
GS: My biggest regret has to be not playing longer. I was super fit, a good athlete, could play the game however due to injury I played my last game as a 28 year old and got my last pay packet as a contracted professional on 31st January 1992 when I was still only 29 years of age. That is over 25 years ago .... I’m a long time dead as a pro player.
AH: What was the highlight of your career?
GS: As a kid the dream was to play top flight football, score in an FA Cup Final, win trophies, play in World Cup finals .... I achieved most of it. The highlight, which was certainly the pinnacle when I was setting out on my career, was playing for England. As I write this I am one of only 1,224 people who have played international football for England.
AH: Who was the biggest influence managerial wise on your career?
GS: Across 13 season as a contracted professional footballer I was under 10 different managers (13 if you include the Dougie Livermore / Ray Clemence / Ossie Ardiles caretaker combination for a short time at Spurs) plus 2 with England U21 and Bobby Robson at full international level) was at Ipswich Town FC from 11 to 16 years of age and Bobby Robson was the Manager of ITFC st the time, he ran the club top to bottom and new all of us trailists and Associate Schoolboy players as we were known back then. I would say that everyone of them impacted on my career with Bobby Robson, Alan Mullery, Keith Burkinshaw, Peter Shreves and Terry Venables slightly more than any of the others.
GS: Over the last few seasons I’ve been Head or Assistant Head Coach at Premier League sides in Azerbaijan, Ireland and Thailand, utilising my qualification as a UEFA Pro Licence coach. I’m not currently with a club and have remained predominantly in Asia where I do some punditry work for Astro SuperSports in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia covering the English Premier League as one of their studio guests.
Gary thank you so much for your time in doing this over the past few weeks, with the time difference we've kept missing each other at times. If you are ever in London wed love to do a live interview with you. From all at Tottenham Hotspur Banter and our followers we wish you well and thank you again for your time. Its been an absolute pleasure to do.
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