Latest / GH Connects Lounge / Joe Riley Ep6: Making My Man United Debut, Zlatan & Life Beyond Football

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Joe Riley Ep6: Making My Man United Debut, Zlatan & Life Beyond Football · GH Connects Lounge

0:04
Joe Riley, born in Blackpool, a career that stemmed from Man United and taking you to non-league.
0:11
Before we discuss any of that, I want to go right back to the start.
0:16
You're only 29 now, but what was Joe Riley like as a child?
0:20
That's a good question.
0:21
I don't think anyone's ever asked me that.
0:25
A kid who, like everyone, dreams to play for Manchester United.
0:30
Football was all I ever knew.
0:31
I started playing football at my local side, Lytham Juniors, when I was four or five years old.
0:38
Obviously fell in love with the game like every young child does now.
0:44
But yeah, I had a fantastic upbringing, parents fantastic, very supportive, always through everything.
0:49
Even now my mum still comes to my games playing non-league.
0:52
Yeah.
0:53
But yeah, very determined as a young kid to always want to be the best in everything I did, essentially.
0:58
I'm football top president and just cracked on, really.
1:02
What is your earliest memory of football?
1:05
Playing Sunday League, I remember the days you used to go to them tournaments away and have big gazebo set up.
1:10
The parents would be doing the barbecues and you'd be playing in them tournaments.
1:13
My team used to win every game.
1:14
We actually used to play, I'm sure you will have heard of Fletcher Moss, the team where every Man United player played for.
1:21
Marcus, Demetri Mitchell, all of these guys used to play.
1:24
We actually played and we beat them in this big final thing.
1:26
I had a bit of bragging rights for a while when I was at United.
1:29
They were the best memories ever, even growing up now.
1:32
if someone said, what are your fondest memories?
1:33
It's like playing in them, you know, when there's no pressure on, they're the best memories ever.
1:38
I mean, those were the days.
1:39
The moment you mentioned the gazebos and the barbecues, I was like, God, I remember those.
1:42
Yeah, they were the best ever.
1:44
But then, obviously, it turns to a point when you're, well, for me, it was five, five years old.
1:48
You've got scouts going to them tournaments and saying, you know, this kid might turn into something.
1:52
For me, now, how was the hell do you choose a five-year-old from a group of lads kicking a ball around?
1:57
I mean, it worked out, obviously, but...
2:00
Obviously, that's when it kind of took more of a, well, you've got Man United scouts coming to watch and the pressure starts to, I mean, at that age, you don't really feel the pressure, do you?
2:07
But you realise you've got a few scouts coming to watch here and there.
2:10
So still exciting times, of course.
2:12
Yeah, of course.
2:13
You mentioned Man United being a dream growing up.
2:16
Who inspired you growing up?
2:20
Do you know what?
2:21
It's tough.
2:22
I have never really been a fan of watching football, to be honest.
2:25
Even as a youngster, I never really watched it.
2:28
I always believed in myself so much that I could go on to be the best player in the world, or just be the best.
2:35
it was just something I was always good at.
2:37
I wouldn't really put it down to saying one individual inspired me to be a player.
2:41
I just enjoyed playing football like most kids did.
2:43
I didn't really pay much attention to individual players or even a team, to be quite honest.
2:49
I remember the turning point that really made me think, wow, was my dad and me went to our...
2:55
I remember we went to the cliff when I was eight years old and we sat outside the big red gates, if you know that.
3:01
There's big red gates at the front of the cliff and my dad said...
3:04
Joe, this is it.
3:05
You're eight years old and this is it.
3:07
Now, this is your time.
3:09
Now I look back, I've heard Gooseville even saying that, but I'm eight years old thinking, I'm an eight-year-old kid.
3:15
That's when it starts to ramp up.
3:17
So no inspiration from an individual, just the whole idea of being a professional football player is what inspires any kid nowadays, I think.
3:24
Yeah, of course.
3:24
I mean, eight years old, it sounds crazy saying a knife, but there's...
3:29
Do you feel that there's a lot of pressure at that age, at eight?
3:32
100%.
3:33
I joined, me and Scott McTominay, we joined in a development centre when we were five years old in Preston, which at that point is probably a bit more fun.
3:41
But once you turn eight, even nine, nine and eight years old, it's the point of which am I going to get a contract?
3:46
And I'll never forget being eight years old at the Cliff training, all of us, all the lads there, and parents getting called in one by one to say whether the kid's going to be accepted, you know, taken on or not.
3:56
And I remember being eight years old and looking up at my mum going like,
3:59
am I in or am I not?
4:00
I'm like, so the pressure starts from early on.
4:02
So like, if I have a kid now, whether I let him go or her go down that route, I don't know.
4:09
We'll have to see.
4:09
So, you know, I've got no regrets whatsoever, of course, but there was definitely a lot of pressure from such a young, young, young age.
4:16
Yeah, definitely.
4:17
Yeah, because by eight years old, you're officially in the Man United Academy.
4:21
Yeah.
4:22
You just mentioned then you remember your mum and asking your mum whether you're in or not.
4:26
Do you actually remember the moment you got told you're in?
4:29
Do you know what?
4:31
It got even worse for me.
4:32
So I looked at my mum and she kind of didn't really do anything and everyone else was like, yes, I've got a contract.
4:37
I was in the grey area.
4:38
So they had this thing at that age where they were a bit unsure about you.
4:42
How can you tell an eight-year-old kid that they're unsure?
4:44
Thinking like the pressure, then moving forward.
4:46
So I was in the grey area.
4:47
There was a few lads in there as well.
4:49
So I didn't find out for a bit longer until they were sure.
4:51
So it was just a horrible period of thinking, oh my God, I'm going to be released at eight years old.
4:55
Who even thinks like that?
4:56
But you just had to adapt to that age to be able to know that you're in this environment.
4:59
Thankfully, I got in, but I think it was probably overshadowed by the grey area, which I never forgot.
5:04
I get traumatised for the rest of my life.
5:05
But obviously from there, I never look back.
5:08
Did you have to wait and come back to hear that?
5:11
Or did they call you?
5:12
No, so...
5:13
They spoke to parents individually whilst the lads trained.
5:15
And then obviously after training, you'd get back in the car with your parents and your parents would break it to you one way or another.
5:20
So yeah, it was a bit of an odd situation, really.
5:22
Yeah, I bet.
5:23
Did you understand that eight years old, how big that was?
5:27
Yeah, for sure.
5:28
Which again, it's just in my eyes now, it's not right.
5:30
You can't do that to an eight year old.
5:31
But at the time, it's what was going on.
5:33
And we're all invested into it.
5:35
So yeah, of course.
5:36
Well, you got in.
5:38
You got past that great area.
5:41
What do you remember about your first day at United?
5:46
That's a good question.
5:46
I remember the first day...
5:48
So that's kind of development centres and then you sign for the under-9s.
5:51
That's the start of your Man United journey, really.
5:55
You go and you get your free boots.
5:56
We used to get given all-black Nike Tiempo's with the boots that the club provided to remember...
6:02
Once you kind of got, you all used to queue up and get your boots given to you and then you kit.
6:05
And that was a point in which you're like, right, it's now time to shine.
6:08
So it's either, it's either, it's a bit sink or swim.
6:12
You know, I met a few, a lot of lads who would be big personalities, but when they became into that environment, they kind of would go into the shell a little bit.
6:18
And that's, if you want to make it to be a professional football player, you cannot do that.
6:21
So, you know, I soaked it up.
6:23
I enjoyed it.
6:24
I had good and bad spells.
6:25
But I remember that first bit where you got all your kit and that was the point of being like, right, now it's time to work.
6:29
But at nine years old still.
6:31
But yeah, now is the time to work.
6:32
Yeah, so young.
6:33
And you've spoken about something recently and I find this really interesting.
6:37
You said the football was still fun.
6:40
but it became serious very quickly.
6:42
Every couple of years, you're essentially fighting for another contract.
6:46
How much pressure is it on a kid to even be thinking about contracts like that?
6:51
Yeah, it's crazy to think, but my family always described it as like the X Factor.
6:56
That's what we said.
6:57
Again, they've not said that for years, but it's something that's stuck in my mind.
7:00
And it is, you're friends with all these players, but really you're against each other.
7:04
Because we know we're not going to have 18 lads who go through to the first team squad.
7:08
So essentially you are all against each other to be that one that makes it.
7:11
So even from a young age, you're fighting against each other.
7:14
You're best pals with them all, but in the back of your mind you're thinking...
7:17
if one of us are going here, it's me, it's not you.
7:20
So there is that sense of pressure and that sense of, you know, we're all against each other here at the end of the day.
7:24
So, yeah, but that was, again, instilled from early on.
7:28
Yeah.
7:28
Were you ever scared of being released?
7:30
So you're feeling that pressure.
7:31
Did it actually scare you thinking, I'm going to go here?
7:34
100%.
7:35
The grey area thing as a kid was terrifying.
7:37
But then also...
7:38
I was at United from five years old till I was 21 or whatever it was like.
7:42
It's all I ever knew.
7:44
So it took a while for me to kind of adapt and realise that there is a life away from Manchester United.
7:49
So I know lots of lads now that have gone on to have fantastic careers, but they were released earlier than I was.
7:55
And they still go on to have fantastic careers.
7:57
So once you realise Manchester United is not the be all and end all, you can quite easily go on and have a fantastic career in football or away from football, whatever that is.
8:04
Yeah, well, you came through with some serious talent as well.
8:07
So you came through with Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Dean Henderson.
8:11
They're just a few.
8:12
And obviously you came through with them.
8:15
Who was the best player at the age of 13 or 14?
8:18
And again, it sounds crazy to even ask this question.
8:20
Me.
8:21
no you know what at 14 I was pretty good but no look Scott and Marcus throughout the whole thing were always the two really we had other players so I will name Jock a few we had Devontae Redmond I don't know if you remember that name he don't play anymore fantastic Dimitri Mitchell still playing you know there was Josh Harrop James Wills there was loads of lads that were fantastic but you're at Man United you're going to have the best players in the country or the world involved so Scott and Marcus were always the two now Marcus he never really had a blip like he just kind of kept going
8:50
Scott did, as everyone knows, he didn't grow for God knows how long.
8:53
I lived with Scott for six years, so I saw firsthand that this guy just did not grow.
8:57
I was way taller than him for a while, it was fantastic.
9:01
But even when he didn't grow and he didn't play that much because of that, he was still obviously the same player, he was still a good player, just couldn't adapt to the physicality of things, but obviously progressed and progressed.
9:11
look where he is now.
9:12
But them two were always the kind of two that went on.
9:15
And I'm not just saying that because of where they are.
9:16
They just were.
9:19
But obviously, again, I put myself in that.
9:21
Jordan Thompson was a fantastic player.
9:23
He is now at Preston North End.
9:25
So you're surrounded by fantastic talent.
9:27
Of course you are.
9:28
Was there ever a player that you thought, well, that you look back now and think, how did he not?
9:34
Callum Grubin.
9:35
Callum Grubin, what a player he was.
9:38
There's tons.
9:39
Devonnie Redmond, fantastic.
9:40
He was literally outrageous.
9:42
I loved watching him.
9:43
Fantastic player.
9:44
And what a guy as well.
9:45
But one thing, you know, in football, anyone who's made it will tell you the amount of luck involved in football is crazy.
9:51
Marcus Rashford only made his debut in the Michelin game where I also played because...
9:56
Will Keane did his hamstring the game before and Martial got injured in the warm-up.
10:00
If Will Keane didn't get injured, Marcus wouldn't have been on the bench.
10:03
And if Martial didn't get injured in the warm-up, Marcus wouldn't have started.
10:06
That's just how football goes.
10:07
It's timing and there's luck and obviously he took his chance.
10:09
So there's not just luck involved.
10:11
Yeah, yeah, of course.
10:12
Could you always tell that Marcus Rostrid was going to... Yeah.
10:16
You could.
10:17
Always.
10:17
That was a quick answer.
10:18
He was always going to make it.
10:19
Always.
10:20
Inevitable.
10:21
Yeah, and seeing how good he's become as well, do you think he was always going to make it at that level?
10:28
Yeah.
10:29
Love the confidence in this.
10:30
No doubt in my mind.
10:32
He's the same player he was.
10:33
He's confident.
10:35
Obviously, he's had his ups and downs with things going on and whatnot.
10:38
But he's a fantastic player.
10:40
No one can take that away from him.
10:41
And he's the exact same as he was when he was young.
10:43
And on his day, it doesn't matter who he's against, no one's going to stop him.
10:46
So, yeah, I have no doubt, really.
10:48
And what about Scott McTominay?
10:50
Was he the same?
10:51
Like you said, you lived with him for six years.
10:52
You've known him since you were a child.
10:54
Yeah, Scott...
10:58
I am not surprised where he's at, not just because of talent, though, more so his mentality.
11:02
It's the same with Dean Henderson.
11:03
Them two are different.
11:05
Dean Henderson's another kettle of fish, honestly, but Scott, exactly the same.
11:10
Like, if you'd have said to me, do I think Scott's going to go on and play for Napoli and do exactly what he's done and be one of the best midfielders in the world?
11:17
Would I have said that?
11:18
I'll be honest.
11:18
Scott, probably not.
11:20
Sorry, mate.
11:22
Not in a bad way.
11:22
I don't know if he would have either.
11:24
Maybe because of the blips of being younger, of being smaller and whatnot, it took him a while to get to that level, essentially.
11:32
Now, when I see him there, he's just got this aura.
11:34
He's like a different person.
11:36
I spoke to him not long ago, and he's just...
11:38
He's just got this...
11:40
He's sky high on confidence.
11:41
He's a monster of a man now.
11:43
He's a leader on the pitch, which he's always been up.
11:46
Because he was maybe smaller and not playing as much, as I said, it took him a little bit longer to get to where he's got to.
11:51
But now, there's no surprise.
11:52
I think he can go on and do even more amazing things, which no doubt he will.
11:56
It's the same with Dean Anderson.
11:57
Honestly, he's crazy.
11:59
All goalkeepers are crazy, but Dean's just a different level of crazy.
12:02
But them three players which you mentioned, easy to mention because they've gone on and done fantastic things within football, but there's no surprise that any three of them have gone on to do what they've done really in terms of mentality or talent, a mixture of both, which is what they all have.
12:15
They're all going to go on and do amazing things.
12:17
Yeah, of course.
12:18
You were coached by Paul McGuinness in the youth team.
12:21
And then you moved up and played under Warren Joyce.
12:24
You've spoken a lot about Warren in the media and you said he was someone that changed things for you.
12:30
What do you think Warren Joyce could see in you?
12:34
Warren Joyce would push people to their absolute limit.
12:37
It was like being in the SAS.
12:39
No joke.
12:39
It was so intense.
12:42
And if he could see that you are prepared to give everything and not back down, which I was one of them people.
12:47
Like I said, Scott, another one of them people.
12:50
Dean Anderson, another one of them.
12:52
he would back you to the death because you would see that you're not going to quit.
12:55
He hated quitters, hated it.
12:58
And that kind of mentality has been instilled in me now for the rest of my life.
13:01
We used to do gym where it'd be like a 10 minute plank.
13:04
And if you go down, everyone else does it longer.
13:06
Or if you go down, you sit on a chair and you don't do it.
13:09
And you watch everybody else suffer because you didn't do it.
13:12
So like he provided this mentality that was like, you never quit.
13:16
And I just think that's, you know, he was fantastic for stuff like that.
13:20
And that's something that everyone who's ever been with him speaks highly of him because they brought that out of them.
13:25
And that's something that you'll always take throughout the rest of your life.
13:28
I mean, it probably says a lot about the drive of these players now, if that's the case.
13:33
Yeah.
13:33
I think Scott would, Scott more than most because of the physicality side of things and where he was at.
13:41
everyone who's met Warren Joyce knows and is grateful for what he does.
13:45
I could call Joycey tomorrow and have a good catch-up with him.
13:48
I've done it over the last few years.
13:49
I'd give him a call and just see how he's getting on.
13:51
And he could say, and he's just not changed.
13:53
He'd be like, why don't you come out to here and do some training with me?
13:55
That's just what he's like.
13:56
So I think everyone who's ever worked with him is massively grateful, but not just to him.
14:01
As you mentioned, Paul McGuinness.
14:02
Paul McGuinness is the technical side of it.
14:04
He brings that side of the game out that...
14:06
He's a genius.
14:07
He shows you how to do a safe turn away and get your body in the way and do that kind of the technical side of it, which works fantastically.
14:14
And then you move to Joyce, who provides the physicality side of things.
14:17
So together, collectively, it was a fantastic duo that got you ready for men's football, whether that's Premier League or you go and play the lower leagues.
14:24
You're ready because you've had two fantastic coaches that have got you ready for that.
14:29
So it worked hand in hand.
14:30
Yeah, I mean, there's no surprise seeing the talent that's come out of the team, knowing you said that.
14:38
You've spoken a lot about your academy journey.
14:41
And you said that you felt like you were scraping your way through a lot of the time.
14:47
Did you ever feel like you were one of the most talented players in the team?
14:52
I am very much a player that plays well or does well in life when I feel good.
14:58
Most people are the same.
14:59
But a lot of people are ones that go, prove them wrong, and they come out that way.
15:04
I'll be honest, that's not me.
15:05
I'm not that guy that goes, someone thinks you're crap, so you're going to go and show them that you're not crap.
15:09
That's not me.
15:10
I want someone who backs me, and I will run for a brick wall for you because I feel good and I know that you believe in me.
15:17
He, at the time when I was 14, did that.
15:19
And I played midfield at the time and I was loving it.
15:21
I felt like the best player on the pitch every single game.
15:25
The next time was in the reserves the season before or the season of I made my debut.
15:29
I was playing left back.
15:32
Honestly, I felt fantastic.
15:35
I was bombing up and down the left wing every single game.
15:38
I felt like no one could stop me.
15:40
And then thankfully on the back of that, I got my debut.
15:42
So obviously I was believed in at the time by the club and they could see the levels I was getting at.
15:46
So there was a couple of times, but the majority of it, it was a case of there is players that are better than me.
15:53
Hard to say, but they were.
15:54
They were taking the limelight or whatever.
15:56
So it was a case of you're always fighting to get to the next step.
15:59
That's just what Man United...
16:00
I think Man United is always like that.
16:03
Unless you are a Marcus Rashford or someone who is the top dog, of course.
16:06
Then the rest of us are fighting to get to where we want to get to.
16:09
Yeah, of course.
16:10
How much of making it a Man United academy do you think is mentality?
16:15
Most of it.
16:17
unless you are a Marcus Rashford.
16:20
His talent overshadowed.
16:21
Talent, everyone knows the saying, hard work beats talent if talent doesn't work hard.
16:24
Marcus Rashford worked hard, but his talent was also just fantastic.
16:28
So like, he didn't necessarily have to over...
16:30
I mean, he overcomes battles, of course he does, but like, he was always the top, the best player.
16:35
So he was always going to be there, whereas me wasn't probably the best.
16:38
So I had to fight to get to...
16:40
continues where I get to.
16:41
And the only way I did that was through mentality, coached by people that were enjoying Paul McGuinness.
16:45
So I think mentality is massive for any football player, especially nowadays with social media and all these kinds of things.
16:50
Mentality and mindset is absolutely everything.
16:53
Yeah.
16:53
And you said there about you playing some of the best football in, well, he's in the under-21s, right?
17:00
Where you were doing that, bombing up and down the left.
17:02
Suddenly, the first team starts noticing you.
17:05
Louis van Gaal picks you to be in the squad.
17:09
Yeah.
17:10
When did you first realise that Louis van Gaal was actually watching you and considering you to be in that squad?
17:17
Not until he spoke to me, to be honest.
17:18
Basically, the week... Don't get me wrong.
17:21
Again, luck involved.
17:22
There was a lot of injuries at the time, which I'm grateful for.
17:25
So thank you to whoever was injured.
17:27
But Donald Love, a teammate of mine...
17:30
was picked to play or be involved in a game and at the time he was right back I was left back or something like that but he was also older and there was a little bit of politics towards age and things like that and they picked on I'd love to go and be in the squad and at the time I remember thinking I said to my mum and dad I said this is it for me like they've picked him I again no offense
17:51
At the time, I thought I was doing better than him.
17:53
I was flying and they picked on him.
17:54
I said to my dad, I said, this is it.
17:56
I'm never going to get a chance now.
17:58
They would have picked me if they wanted to and they didn't.
18:00
So my head was gone.
18:00
A week later, we have Mitchell and Dewey in the Denmark side and the first leg of the Europa League and me and Regan Poole, who's now at Portsmouth, get called in by the manager who just says, someone says it.
18:15
you need to get your passports, lads.
18:16
You're travelling tomorrow with the first team.
18:18
That moment, I can't even explain, mate.
18:21
I got in the car, I ran my mum and said, Mum, have you got my passport?
18:24
She said, yeah, it's at home, because she lived back in Lytham, in Manchester.
18:27
She said, yeah, it's at home.
18:28
I said, okay, I'm going to need it because I'm travelling with the first team tomorrow.
18:31
I will never forget them words.
18:33
How much commitment and sacrifice your family makes is financially, time-wise, everything is crazy.
18:39
So to be able to say that, I remember her going...
18:41
She was just like, it was crazy, honestly.
18:43
Like, that was the best feeling ever.
18:44
So, got my passport and off, we went to Denmark.
18:47
Yeah, when Donald Love got that call over you, were you, you mentioned there, it sounded like you felt as if it was done for you.
18:54
Yeah, I did, 100%.
18:56
What's going through your head there, though?
18:58
Is that more like you're done with Man United?
18:59
You're done with football?
19:01
Done with Man United.
19:01
I need to leave.
19:03
I felt like that twice in my career.
19:04
That was once, and I stuck it out, and thankfully, the week later or two weeks later, I got called up.
19:10
The next time was when I actually did leave, which you might go into in a minute.
19:13
I won't go into that, but that was another time.
19:15
So I was ready.
19:17
I was never going to quit football.
19:18
Never, ever.
19:18
But it was a case of, well, if I'm not going to get pitched, there's no problem being at this club anymore.
19:22
And I was absolutely flying.
19:25
Again, yeah, I was just... No one could stop me.
19:29
I could have been against Gareth Bale playing left-wing, and I felt like I would have been like, go on, try and get past me.
19:33
Like, that's where I was at mentally.
19:35
Like, I was just on top of the world.
19:36
So...
19:37
It was a tough phase, but a week later I got the call, so it worked out fantastic.
19:41
Yeah, what was Louis van Gaal like with the young kids?
19:45
I mean, for me, I'll always be grateful to him, of course.
19:48
Obviously, he had a lot of staff that did most of the coaching and things like that, but he was always fine with me.
19:54
I saw him out for dinner once.
19:55
I was in Hale with some friends, and he was in there, and he came over and was like, Joe, how are you?
20:01
And obviously, my friends were all like,
20:02
Jesus Christ, the manager of Man United.
20:04
So he always went out of his way.
20:06
And for me, he was always fantastic.
20:07
So I've got nothing but good things to say about him, to be fair.
20:10
Did he go to many academy games?
20:12
Not that I can remember.
20:13
I think he'll have had staff members there that will have been there.
20:16
To be honest, he was just like the guy who oversaw it all.
20:19
I don't think he really, he didn't really do too much of the coaching side of things.
20:22
But I remember he did have his right-hand man that would always be there to see things and always was at the academy games and things.
20:29
Yeah, throughout his career, he gave a lot of academy players opportunities.
20:34
Yeah.
20:35
Why do you think he, knowing him as well as you did in the end, why do you think he trusted young players so much?
20:41
Yeah.
20:44
I mean, it's a big thing at Man United.
20:45
They always want to bring youngsters through.
20:47
Maybe he felt like a sense of responsibility to keep that up.
20:50
Also, there was tons of injuries when I made my debut.
20:54
There's no hiding behind that.
20:56
I deserved my chance.
20:57
No one could take that away from me, but there was a lot of injuries.
20:59
So he was probably left with no choice.
21:01
Obviously, we weren't having the best times at the club at the time, I don't think.
21:04
So he probably didn't really want to have to lean on the young lads.
21:06
But I think, you know, we all did what we could.
21:09
Obviously, Marcus went on and scored God knows how many goals for him and stuff.
21:12
So it worked out well.
21:13
So maybe after seeing a couple of young lads, he thinks, you know what, maybe I can lean on the youngsters a bit more because they've done what I've been hoping that they would do.
21:20
And, you know, we did well for the club.
21:23
February 2016.
21:24
I know we've already touched upon this now.
21:26
You're 19 years old.
21:27
You get that call up.
21:29
you're traveling over to Michelin.
21:31
When you actually get there and you're in that dressing room, a European football night, do you feel like you belong there?
21:38
No.
21:40
No.
21:41
I do because of my ability, but you're surrounded by these superstars and you're going from just walking into Lee Sports Village, where the 21s games were at the time, to I turn around in the airport and there's cameras getting flashed in your face nonstop.
21:55
And that's a bit of like, whoa, I actually am here now.
21:58
I'm with the first team.
21:59
And then it's even the little things, you know, you've got three shirts to choose from.
22:03
Do you want a long sleeve shirt?
22:04
Do you want a short sleeve shirt?
22:05
Do you want to change at half time?
22:06
Do you want like, just like them kind of things where you're just like, this is proper now, isn't it?
22:10
But like, you're 19 years old.
22:12
I wasn't really expecting to play.
22:13
I wasn't starting to play that game.
22:15
And then when we went to Michelin, so I kind of just got to soak it up and see exactly what it's like with these types of players.
22:21
You know, Michael Carrick of Martial, Memphis, and, you know,
22:26
There's all, you know, all of the superstars.
22:28
I think Swine Style was maybe there.
22:30
I can't remember.
22:31
So you're surrounded by these superstars, but you just get to soak it up and enjoy and see what they're all actually, what they do on a match day compared to what...
22:39
I don't know.
22:40
I do want to match to hate it.
22:42
Three shirts, that's blown my mind.
22:43
I was aware of a long sleeve and a short sleeve for a half-time change.
22:46
Oh, yeah, tons of people.
22:47
They do that now in our leagues, to be honest.
22:49
Not so much in my league, but in League 2, a lot of them have extra shirts and stuff and they swap them at half-time.
22:54
I don't know why they do it, to be honest.
22:56
I don't do it.
22:57
Says how far I got up for a quarter.
23:00
Were you upset that day then not to come on or did it not affect you at all?
23:04
I wanted to come on because I wanted to make my debut for my United.
23:07
And you never know if you're even going to get the chance again.
23:11
I wasn't upset because I still got to be a part of it.
23:13
But of course, I was thinking, I want to make my day.
23:16
But on the flip side, you're a bit like, God, I'm nervous here.
23:19
We got beat as well, I think, in that away game.
23:23
And it was a bit like the winger that was playing against Donald at the time was pretty good.
23:27
He actually scored in the home leg and he was good.
23:29
I think he probably got a move on the back of the games as well, to be fair.
23:32
But I remember thinking...
23:34
do I want to come on here because he was pretty good and he didn't come on and we got beat so whatever in hindsight it worked out fine anyway because I played at home but at the time I was just soaking it up really yeah well it was literally four days later 22nd of February it's the FA Cup of course yeah Shrewsbury tying away you're on the bench again you end up coming on at half time for Cameron Borthwick-Jackson yeah
23:56
Can you remember Van Gaal turning to you and saying you're going on?
23:58
Yes, I can, like it was yesterday.
24:02
I know Cameron obviously grew up with, he's in my age group, and he'd done fantastic that season playing left-back, but I saw him kind of get a bit of a niggle in the game, and he was kind of limping a bit, and I remember just thinking, oh my God, he could be struggling here.
24:15
But there was Paddy McNair on the bench as well.
24:17
He'd played quite a lot of games for the first team at the time.
24:19
So I just thought they'll just rejig, they'll put Paddy somewhere.
24:22
Obviously, FA Cup, Shrewsbury have to win.
24:26
You cannot lose to Shrewsbury in the FA Cup.
24:28
So is he going to take a risk?
24:30
And he just turns to me and said, Joe, get ready, you're going on.
24:34
And I remember Regan Poole kind of put his hand on my leg and went, you're about to make your debut for my United.
24:39
And I remember thinking, oh my God, pure adrenaline, goosebumps, everything.
24:44
My mum and sister were in the crowd and I went out to warm up at halftime, obviously to get ready for the game.
24:50
And my mum said afterwards, she said, we saw you warming up at halftime, but we didn't, we don't, they don't know football.
24:55
So they just, we just thought, you know, you just...
24:57
kicking him out or whatever we didn't know you were coming on until obviously the whistle we saw you at the side of the pitch and me and my sister were both going is that joe coming on obviously that game was my debut so that was fantastic i mean that gave me goosebumps were you nervous
25:14
I had pure adrenaline.
25:17
Like, the goosebumps you feel, and I just felt even saying it, because I don't really talk about it anymore.
25:21
When I do, I get goosebumps.
25:22
But that goosebumps was there, running onto the pitch, hearing the crowd, running past Michael Carrick, you know, daily bling, high-fiving you, saying, come on, like, you've got this.
25:32
And I could have ran for...
25:35
I could have done three games' worth of minutes there and just kept on going.
25:38
So I was just running on pure adrenaline.
25:40
It was fantastic.
25:41
When you're on that touchline and your number's gone up, you're ready to come on, what is going through your head when you're looking around you?
25:47
Glasgow.
25:48
Loved it.
25:49
Was not nervous at all because I was just on pure adrenaline and I was just ready to go.
25:53
What did it mean to your family when you got that?
25:56
A lot.
25:58
My family had sacrificed so much, financially more than anything.
26:02
They nearly sold the house because they were paying to take me to football.
26:06
I moved out when I was 14 to go and digs in Manchester.
26:09
My whole childhood was football.
26:11
They'd sacrificed being with me and I'd sacrificed...
26:15
even just small things like going to parties, there's been so much sacrifice involved.
26:19
That makes it all worth it.
26:20
Of course it does.
26:20
So to speed to them after the game was amazing, obviously.
26:24
And it was just three days later then, United against Michelin, and you are in the starting line-up.
26:30
Yeah.
26:31
What does that feel like to be told you're now in the first team and you're starting?
26:36
I wasn't told.
26:38
I knew I was going to be involved in the next game because I'd just played and there was a game three days later.
26:42
Nothing really had changed in terms of injury.
26:44
So I knew I was going to be involved.
26:45
Yeah.
26:46
Did I think I'd start?
26:47
No, not really.
26:49
Went into the meeting room the day before the game.
26:51
Nobody says anything.
26:52
They just put the team on the board.
26:54
And it says Riley left back.
26:56
And I remember sitting there going, oh, wow.
26:59
Like, I'm about to play.
27:01
Not even play.
27:01
I'm about to start in the Europa League at Old Trafford.
27:04
That, of course, my debut is my most important thing.
27:07
I've actually got it tattooed on me.
27:08
That's the bun that you always remember.
27:11
I almost associate my debut with that game because that's like you're in under the lights of Old Trafford in the Europa League starting.
27:18
That's the one that you'll never be able to forget.
27:22
And that was fantastic, of course.
27:24
Yeah, and when you're in that tunnel as well, it's a different feeling to being on the touchline and coming on as a sub in the FA Cup.
27:31
What is going through your head in the tunnel?
27:35
Please don't play shit.
27:37
Genuinely.
27:38
That's the one regret I've got.
27:39
I remember thinking to myself, this is bad, this, you know.
27:42
I remember thinking, if you play bad here, you're never going to play again.
27:45
Don't know why I thought that.
27:46
And I didn't play bad by any means.
27:48
You know, I came off in the 70th minute and I got a standing ovation and it was fantastic.
27:52
But I don't know why I had that thought.
27:54
That's just one thing you asked me, I remember that thought.
27:57
But apart from that, it was amazing.
27:59
I remember walking down the tunnel, which I played Old Trafford so many times in the reserves and training games, whatever.
28:05
I played there loads, but...
28:07
I remember walking down the tunnel and the tunnel at Old Trafford ever so slightly comes down a bit, ever so slightly.
28:13
And then if you picture across the way, you can see the other stand.
28:17
But as you get closer and closer to the bit where the tunnel finishes, you can see the further down you get, you see more and more of the opposite stand.
28:24
And I remember getting all the way to the other bit at the end of the tunnel and just going,
28:30
wow, that's a full stadium.
28:32
And I could see, even though I played there before, it just felt like the stadium was twice as big, which was an unreal feeling.
28:40
You had the zip warm-up top thing that you had on for the photos.
28:44
And it was just like, wow, this is a European football night.
28:47
This is proper and I'm playing in it.
28:49
So that was obviously an amazing experience.
28:51
Did you keep that?
28:52
no I don't think I did do you know one regret I've got is I didn't do any memorabilia at all I didn't get I didn't collect players' shirts I just thought I was going to be doing this for years like I'm not bothered like I'll be doing this next season I'll be doing it the year after like I don't need to keep any stuff like that's my one regret so I didn't really keep I've got my own shirts but I didn't ask
29:13
I could have got Zlatan Scherr before I left.
29:16
Why don't you do that?
29:18
I was training with these guys on a daily basis, but I didn't really keep much.
29:20
But yeah, anyway.
29:23
Yeah, I mean, I suppose at that point you see it as the norm.
29:26
Exactly.
29:27
And you think you're going to be there forever.
29:29
If someone said to me, you know, what are you going to be doing next year?
29:33
I would always be, I'm going to be earning 50 grand a week.
29:35
That's my job now for the next 10, 15 years.
29:38
Like, there was no other way.
29:39
There was no other way.
29:40
Like, that was it.
29:41
I was in it.
29:42
A lot of lads get stuck in that kind of mindset and
29:45
it doesn't always go that way.
29:46
Not for, you know, not for, not negative mind, not negatively thinking, but like, it just doesn't always go that way.
29:51
Most of the time, it's not going to go that way.
29:54
So I do wish I'd have been a bit more mindful of that, but no regrets.
29:57
You know, I had a fantastic time at United.
29:59
And on that night as well, we already touched on it.
30:03
Another lad made his debut, Marcus Rashford,
30:06
in because Martial was injured, Wilkeen as well, so many injuries that kind of brought him in and gave him that chance.
30:13
He scored twice that night.
30:14
Could you believe what you were watching?
30:16
Bit selfish, really.
30:17
Stole the line off me, didn't he?
30:19
So now everyone just remembers it as, Marcus Rashford's debut.
30:22
Cheers, Marcus.
30:24
Yeah, I did.
30:26
Every time we got the ball in that game, honestly, I remember thinking, he might score again here.
30:30
Like, can I get a chance?
30:32
I want to score.
30:33
But he just, he got his chances, didn't he?
30:36
And he just did what he did in the reserves.
30:38
And like, that's what I mean.
30:40
When Marcus was on his day, he could do that against anyone.
30:42
It doesn't matter if he's in the reserve game or playing in the first team.
30:45
If he does what he does, he could score.
30:46
And he did that two goals.
30:47
And then the next game, there's another two goals at Arsenal.
30:49
So like,
30:50
It was a surprise.
30:51
No.
30:51
Was I jealous?
30:52
110%.
30:52
Yeah, of course.
30:55
Did it feel like the beginning for both of you?
30:58
Yeah.
30:58
I remember we actually took a photo.
30:59
I put on my Instagram after that game saying like, fantastic night at Old Trafford for us both.
31:04
Me and Marcus stood there together.
31:07
And I remember thinking like, this is the start.
31:10
Oh, yeah, it did feel like that, really.
31:12
Yeah, and I just wanted to obviously kick on.
31:15
The problem I had is that game, Marcus Rojo came back from injury, and that's who came on for me on the 70th minute or whatever it was.
31:22
And I'd had a really good game.
31:24
I was happy with my performance.
31:25
The fans said, you know, they were all saying amazing, positive things about me.
31:30
But I knew...
31:32
when Marcus Rojo came on that game, I was probably not going to play again for my United.
31:37
That was the moment.
31:38
And it's sad, really.
31:40
That took, not took away, nothing will ever take away from that game for me.
31:43
But I do remember thinking at that specific moment, that could be it.
31:48
One of his signings as well, wasn't it?
31:50
Exactly, yeah.
31:51
And I think sometimes when a manager signs a player, the loyalty is there to stick with that player.
31:56
And experience.
31:57
He's worth millions of pounds.
31:58
I'm worth 50p from Leatherham St. Anders.
32:01
He's not paid a penny for me.
32:03
So I kind of knew, to be honest.
32:04
I'd done well and I knew that if they needed someone else, then they would bring me.
32:07
But then Fossu Mensah also came through at that time, which...
32:12
I think he knew him from the Dutch team and things like that.
32:15
So I just knew there was a chance it was not going to happen again.
32:18
We've mentioned some big names as well.
32:20
You're now training with the first team after this.
32:23
Who made you feel the most welcome?
32:26
Juan Mata.
32:28
Why?
32:30
I'd say to him now, he's probably the best person I've ever met in football.
32:36
Of that kind of stature, of course I've got closer friends, don't get me wrong, we're not best pals, but anyone who knows him would say nothing but fantastic stuff about him.
32:44
When I left United, I wanted to do something for charity and I contacted him on social media.
32:50
I said, look, Juan, I want to do this.
32:53
Can you send me this?
32:55
Joe, of course, sends it me over.
32:57
He was just, he sent me a video, did everything, like he was just fantastic.
33:03
three years go by we've not spoken never forget this i've gone to um van gogh museum um in manchester with my missus and it was just after covid i get a tap on the shoulder this little guy hat on mask on taps on the shoulder goes hello my friend how are you and i'm going sorry mate don't know who you are
33:26
bit weird don't know you are pulls his mask down it's one and he says joe it's juan how are you and it'd been three four years we'd not spoken and i said juan oh my god how are you it's so good to see you i said beth this is juan juan this is beth he gave my missus a big hug and a kiss and was like lovely to me yeah he said joe how's your how's your injury i'd just done my ac all the time he said how's your how's your knee did it and i said how do you even know he said of course i've seen like
33:52
that sums him up so he's been following you the whole time what a guy i could message him now and he'd respond like he's fantastic that's one name you've got they were all fantastic wayne rooney's the captain of the club he's obviously going to make you feel welcome welcome paul pogbert the first person to put his arm around players and say welcome they're all like that though there's honestly not a bad person in that squad so they were all fantastic
34:16
Wayne Rooney, you mentioned the captain of the club.
34:18
What was he actually like with the academy lads then?
34:21
Was he always speaking to them?
34:23
Yeah, 100%.
34:24
He's a captain.
34:25
Again, he's someone else who I messaged when I left Bradford and he came back to me and he's someone that finds the time to...
34:31
He's just a normal human.
34:32
You see him on a lot of things now online and things.
34:34
He's just a normal guy, but he was the captain of the club.
34:37
And yes, he spoke to lads, but you could see the standards in which he would drive and he would drive that.
34:42
And you could see in training how serious it was for him.
34:46
yeah, it was intense.
34:48
Of course it was.
34:48
And then you surround him with people like Zlatan as well.
34:51
Another level of character.
34:53
I actually have a good story with Zlatan.
34:58
No, I don't know if this is out anywhere, but...
35:01
Exclusive.
35:01
Yeah.
35:02
I had a good little spell with Zlatan towards the end of my period.
35:05
I was training with the first team under Mourinho at the time.
35:10
Fouled him.
35:11
I'm not really a big tackle at me.
35:12
I'll be honest.
35:13
I'm more, give me the ball, let me look good on the ball.
35:16
and I fouled him right not ideal he let that one slide I don't even again again I don't tackle so I don't know why this happened we've both gone down Zlatan's 6 foot 5 monster of a man has grabbed me by the neck pulls me up with him and says you are pissing me off now
35:38
And I'm a young kid going, oh my God.
35:41
And all the first thing, like Chris Small is going like, it's the last time, like leave it.
35:45
Like, don't, just leave it.
35:47
So I'm like, I said that.
35:48
Didn't mean to do that.
35:49
Sorry.
35:50
Carry on training.
35:52
He's gone down the side of the pitch, gone to cross it.
35:55
I've slid to try and block the cross and I've caught him again.
35:58
He just walked in.
35:59
He just walked off.
36:00
He said, I'm not training anymore.
36:02
He just left?
36:03
He just left.
36:03
And I said, I said to, in my head I'm thinking, I'm never training again now.
36:09
Like, that's it.
36:10
Van Gaal had left.
36:11
Mourinho was coming.
36:12
Yes, I was training with the first team.
36:13
I'd never played for Mourinho.
36:14
I've never played for Mourinho.
36:15
Does he care about me?
36:16
Probably not.
36:17
Does he care about Zlatan?
36:18
Obviously.
36:19
If Zlatan goes to him and says, that kid is not training with us ever again, could it happen?
36:24
Probably, yeah.
36:24
So I was thinking, that could be me, you know.
36:26
I might be gone here.
36:28
I'm in the dressing room after, in the reserve dressing room, getting off on the door.
36:32
Zlatan is looking for me.
36:35
I'm thinking, he's going to die.
36:37
He's going to fill me in.
36:37
I'm screwed.
36:39
And he pulls me out and he says, never lose that.
36:42
Whether it's me, whether it's Wazza, whether it's Karas, don't ever lose that.
36:47
And from then on, he was a legend with me, like respected me so much more.
36:52
I went on loan to Sheffield United.
36:54
He came and found me and was like, Joe, I just want to wish you all the best on your loan.
36:58
Billy Sharp at Sheffield United at the time said to me, Joe, I need to get a Zlatan shirt.
37:02
I went to Zlatan, got me a shirt, signed it.
37:05
I was like a completely different man.
37:07
I remember one day I was at, I've gone off track of it here, but I was having lunch at Carrington on my own.
37:11
I went in on my day off having food.
37:13
I'm going to FaceTime to my boy having lunch.
37:16
And Zlatan comes in and sits this, like on the table and he's like chatting.
37:20
And I said, do you mind if I turn the camera around?
37:21
My boy's a big you fan.
37:23
And he's like, yeah, yeah, of course.
37:24
So like I'm chatting to my mate, I just turn the camera around and my mate goes,
37:27
And Zlatan goes, hello, my friend.
37:29
Like, how are you?
37:30
And he's like, yeah, yeah, really good, thanks.
37:32
So, like, these people are superstars.
37:35
They carry that aura.
37:36
Zlatan, obviously, we all know that.
37:38
But, like, they also respect people.
37:40
And if you stand up to them, like, I didn't actually mean to do.
37:43
But, you know, I showed a bit about me, a bit of character.
37:45
They also respect that.
37:46
So, yeah, I've got amazing stories.
37:48
That was thought.
37:49
That just made me think...
37:50
I'll keep firing him out.
37:51
Yeah, that just made me... We'll just take the... That's incredible.
37:55
Yeah, it was a crazy...
37:57
Unlikely a friendship that I didn't know formed there.
37:59
Yeah, I mean, I've tried to recharge him since.
38:01
He's not gone back to me.
38:02
So if you do see this latter, just come back to me with your fam.
38:04
Yeah.
38:05
Come back to me as well.
38:07
No, I've got, honestly, there's some crazy stories.
38:09
Like even things that you don't remember.
38:12
Then when you sit down and have these moments, you remember that.
38:14
I remember being on the way to Liverpool away in the Europa League.
38:18
I think it was Europa League.
38:19
And I was on the bench.
38:20
And I'm sat with Schweinsteiger.
38:22
I've got a video on my phone of Schweinsteiger.
38:24
They said he was dancing and I filmed him and he's like laughing about it.
38:27
I'm just like, that's World Cup winner, Bassey and Schweinsteiger.
38:30
These things that you take for granted when you're in there, but when you look back, you think, I've been surrounded by the best football players of our generation.
38:37
And I've just been with them.
38:38
Little Joe Riley from Witham sat with Schweinsteiger on the coach.
38:41
Yeah.
38:42
So I've got amazing memories, of course I have.
38:44
Yeah, that's incredible.
38:45
And Troy and Staggart was a legend.
38:47
Of course.
38:47
And what a guy as well.
38:49
Honestly, they were all fantastic.
38:51
There wasn't a bad person amongst them, really.
38:53
Yeah, definitely.
38:55
We'll go back.
38:56
We'll go back to... Like I said, please keep on coming.
39:00
We'll go back to Sheffield.
39:01
You mentioned Sheffield then with Zlatan as well.
39:03
You go to Sheffield on loan in 2017.
39:05
Yeah.
39:06
They're chasing promotion.
39:07
It's under Chris Wilder.
39:09
How important did that loan feel for you at that point?
39:12
Massive.
39:13
But I think I chose the wrong loan.
39:16
I had two managers call them at the time, Chris Wilder and Heckenbottom, who was the manager at Barnsley, who were in the championship.
39:23
Sheffield United in League One, massive club, going for promotion.
39:28
I was a full-back, right?
39:31
Sheffield United played wing-backs, Barnsley played full-back.
39:36
I chose to go Sheffield United because I thought promotion, massive club, you go there, you might get signed in the championship by Sheffield United.
39:43
Everything looks fantastic.
39:46
Don't like wing-back one bit.
39:47
Hate wing-back.
39:49
I kind of knew that.
39:50
Because I'm not a player that is going to get it as a winger and go 1v1 and step over and take it.
39:54
I'm a player that gives it to the winger, overlaps you, gets it down.
39:57
I link up with players.
39:59
That's how I play.
40:00
And I'll make them bombard in runs.
40:01
But because I've given it and gone, I'm not going to take you on.
40:04
And wing-back is more, you're isolated 1v1.
40:06
And I don't like that.
40:08
So it didn't really work.
40:09
And then done my shoulder.
40:12
Got dislocated my shoulder after two months.
40:14
Very lonely place.
40:17
Yeah, it just didn't really turn out too well, to be honest.
40:19
I mean, everything happens for a reason.
40:21
I don't regret going.
40:21
Again, I got to be surrounded by amazing people, learn from new people like Billy Sharp, Chris Wilder, fantastic manager, I've got nothing but respect for him.
40:28
But I think even he would probably say, I was just another young lad coming in on loan.
40:32
Whereas I think if I'd have gone to Barnsley, I'd have probably kicked on maybe, and who knows what might have happened.
40:38
So in hindsight, maybe not the right decision, but...
40:41
you know still lessons to have learned from it do you think your shoulder injury had anything to do with the the positioning or no i wasn't playing really before that and then in training i did i started to play i played a couple of games to be fair and did all right um but then did my shoulder in training and it was like well my season's over now so it was a bit of a silly movie not silly you can never know that's would i still say i got a promotion about yeah probably but yeah i did get promoted but yeah i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did get a promotion and i did
41:04
I was amongst it, so I'd take it and say I got promoted.
41:08
But again, nothing negative to think of it.
41:11
It was still positive and good lessons to have learned.
41:13
Well, factually, you did get a promotion, so it has counted.
41:19
You made two league appearances, obviously dislocated your shoulder.
41:22
Your season is over at that point.
41:24
How difficult was it to take for you when you recognised that you're done here?
41:29
Difficult, mainly because if you choose to leave Man United to go on loan, you're also choosing to lose the opportunity to play for Man United.
41:38
I go to Sheffield United in the hope that that's the right decision, didn't turn out to be, got injured.
41:43
Do my shoulder and then...
41:45
I'm pretty sure in the time that I do my shoulder, I think it's a time where...
41:51
Jose Mourinho gave people chances at Crystal Palace, maybe.
41:55
So there was four or five lads who played in that game.
41:58
Josh Harrod being one of them scored.
42:00
I think it was this time.
42:01
But again, even if it wasn't, this is the problem you have if you go on low and you miss your chance.
42:05
Missed the chance.
42:06
Probably would have played.
42:08
And now I'm just sat with a dislocated shoulder, played two times in League One.
42:11
Who cares about League One at that point?
42:14
And you miss another chance to get another appearance at Man United.
42:16
So, there's pros and cons to loans, I suppose.
42:20
Do you think that meant more to you, getting an appearance at Man United, than actually going to another club and just playing football?
42:26
Yeah.
42:28
Playing for Man United is the dream.
42:31
And only good things come of that.
42:34
It sounds crazy, but the small things, brand deals, you're getting sponsorships, you're getting more traction from bigger clubs.
42:40
You play one game for Man United, you might get a move to a championship club.
42:43
That's genuinely how it goes because your profile raises.
42:46
You're playing the reserves or going low to League 1, you're going to get a League 1 move.
42:50
That is just genuinely how it goes in football.
42:52
I made my debut, played twice for Man United.
42:55
I've got Barnsley in the championship and League 1 promotion winners want him to take me.
42:59
If I don't do that...
43:00
I've got League 2 or National League clubs coming in.
43:02
That is just how it works.
43:03
So, yeah, 100%.
43:04
Well, you did go back to United.
43:06
And like you said, Jose Mourinho took over at that point.
43:09
Did you feel like you had to start again with a new manager?
43:13
To an extent, yeah.
43:14
I mean...
43:16
For the first while, he calls every young lad kid.
43:19
Didn't really know everyone's name.
43:20
So every time a new player comes over from the academy, he'd just call you kid.
43:23
Obviously, he learned my name by the end of it.
43:25
I was basically with the first team every day training, to be honest, for that season.
43:29
But was he going to play me?
43:31
Probably not.
43:33
I don't want to jump the gun, but there was another spell, which I said earlier when you said, did you feel like you wanted to leave Man United?
43:39
This was it.
43:41
There was a Yeovil in the FA Cup game, and me and Angel Gomez were training with the first team.
43:47
I've walked over, had a chat with the manager, Mourinho.
43:49
He says, hi, Joe, how are you?
43:50
Yeah, really good, Gaf.
43:51
How are you?
43:52
Two, three-minute chat.
43:54
He then speaks to Angel in Portuguese for 15 minutes, walking side-by-side with me.
43:59
And I just think to myself, if one of us is going on this trip to Yoval tomorrow, it's going to be you.
44:06
And he did.
44:07
And I said to him, I ran my agent, I said, look, if I don't go this game, I need to leave.
44:12
Because if I don't play at Geoval, I'm never going to play.
44:16
Takes Angel.
44:17
Angel goes on, makes his debut, youngest ever Man United player, whatever it is.
44:21
And that was the moment I said to my agent, it's time to leave.
44:25
And you're 21 at that point.
44:26
21, yeah.
44:27
It's crazy to think how strong-minded you were at 21 as well, to know I'm gone here.
44:36
reacting.
44:38
I think I'd been in the reserves for three years.
44:40
I think it'd been, I was captain of the reserves and it's like, there's only so much you can do.
44:46
And that's kind of just where my mentality was.
44:48
I needed to get out and play men's football, whether it was going to league one or whatnot.
44:51
I just needed to go out and start playing.
44:54
Knowing how much of a Man United fan you are and what, what dream it was for you to play for United, how difficult was it to actually leave?
45:02
Yeah.
45:02
Do you know what?
45:03
I'm not even a big United fan.
45:06
No?
45:08
Man United was just all I ever knew.
45:11
Now, if you say to me, who do I want to win?
45:13
It's Man United.
45:14
Of course it is.
45:15
But do I watch them play weekly?
45:17
Absolutely not.
45:18
Do I watch football?
45:19
No, not really.
45:21
I have been so intense with football my whole life that unfortunately it did become a job.
45:28
So that decision to leave Man United was hard, not because I support the club, but because I was known everywhere as being, that's Joe Riley, that he plays for Man United.
45:39
That was my identity.
45:41
So until I could...
45:43
get past that myself and understand that there's more to me than just being my United player or even just a football player, that's when it became, okay, I can move on with my life.
45:54
Apart from that, it took me a while to be accepting of the fact that I'm not a Man United player anymore.
45:59
That's what I found difficult, but not because of who I support, because that's always been everything about me.
46:05
Were you...
46:05
So, that sounds like your view now.
46:09
At that time, were you a Man United fan then, knowing what your dream was growing up?
46:16
Not so much a fan.
46:17
Just...
46:19
I know this is the biggest club in the world and I'm here, so I need to stay here.
46:25
And it was pride more than anything.
46:28
Like, it's not, I support Man United.
46:30
I do because I'm a part of it.
46:32
So I want the club I'm at to do well.
46:34
And if I play, then more so than if I don't play.
46:36
But like, it was more pride.
46:38
I'm a Man United player.
46:39
Like, you're a young, probably a bit, not arrogant in a bad way, but just like, this is me.
46:44
I'm a Man United player.
46:45
Like...
46:47
It's the pride you need to put aside to then be able to go, okay, I'm not a Man United player.
46:51
And to be fair, I struggled with it for a few years.
46:53
I did.
46:53
I went to Bradford.
46:55
I saw lads that I thought I was better than growing up kick on, which I found difficult.
47:02
To be honest, I struggled with that for quite a while.
47:04
I won't name names, but...
47:06
I strolled with that.
47:07
But again, the minute you then go, okay, there's more to me than this, that's the moment you can then be content and you can enjoy football again and enjoy life again.
47:15
So that was tough.
47:18
Do you think academy players actually get enough preparation for moments like this where they're leaving the big club and they're having to join someone in the lower leagues?
47:27
I think they try.
47:28
I actually do think, people say you don't get enough of that.
47:32
Maybe you don't.
47:32
But I think from my experience, they did try and have people come in.
47:37
How are you going to tell me, who's a Man United player, always going to be a Man United player, that if things don't work out, this is what you need to do?
47:46
I didn't listen.
47:47
I'll be honest, and I don't think a lot of them do.
47:50
I know players that have.
47:52
Oli Rathbone, he's an art rexman in the championship.
47:55
He was one who carried on education.
47:57
He's done...
47:58
Even now, he's in the championship.
47:59
He scored yesterday, I think.
48:01
And he's done business degrees.
48:03
And people like that, I admire.
48:05
I'm like, fair enough.
48:06
You don't need to do that now.
48:07
But you've cracked on.
48:09
I didn't do that.
48:09
I was more, I'm going to make it.
48:12
I believed in myself so much.
48:14
I was going to be the best.
48:15
So...
48:16
I do think there probably could be more.
48:18
Maybe a different way of having people come in and speak to the lads, maybe to get a bit more traction or a bit more interest from young lads.
48:26
But for me, I was too... We were all just so zoned in.
48:30
We were like Marines.
48:32
We were just all tunnel vision to try and make it.
48:36
It was hard to get away from that.
48:38
Do you think it's important that the players do start seeing that?
48:41
Yeah.
48:42
That's one thing I would say is...
48:44
Look at other avenues.
48:45
I don't think...
48:47
It's going to only benefit you.
48:49
Not even just life away and after football.
48:51
I think it benefits you on the pitch.
48:53
For years, in League 1, League 2, you know, earning, I don't know, 100 grand a year, 200 grand a year, good money, fine.
49:00
You're still going to have to work after it, right?
49:02
And every year or two years, you chase to the next contract.
49:05
That stress of football...
49:07
comes out in your performances because you're thinking, I need to get a deal, I need to get a deal, da-da-da-da.
49:11
If you've got other stuff going on, like I now have, you can enjoy football more.
49:14
If you have a bad game, I'm the first to go, bloody hell, I had a stinker today.
49:19
Well, that's fine.
49:19
I go home.
49:20
My missus is still there.
49:21
Gary Neville once said, Sir Lance Ferguson said to him, you play Liverpool today, I think it was, if you play bad, or if you play good, what are you going to do?
49:29
He said, boss, I'm going to have a Chinese.
49:30
If you play bad, what are you going to do?
49:32
I'm going to go home and have a Chinese.
49:34
So that's it.
49:34
You're going to go home.
49:35
You're going to have a Chinese.
49:36
You can still enjoy life.
49:38
But I think having some distraction away from football will only make you play better on the pitch and also set you up for life after football.
49:46
I don't think you're wrong there, to be honest.
49:47
I think there's a lot of people that are obviously footballers.
49:51
I always think of Ted Lasso.
49:53
The guy on there, Danny O'Hasso, and he says, football is life.
49:56
I know.
49:56
Well, it was for me for years.
49:59
I didn't drink alcohol until I was probably 20 years old.
50:02
Like, same with Scott, same with Dean.
50:05
We were all...
50:07
Maybe if you're in the Premier League, by all means, that is it.
50:13
Everything has to be around that.
50:14
But I think if you're in League 1 and League 2, then you should look at other things and get yourself away from just being a football player.
50:20
But yeah, fine, Scott and them people, they need to invest everything into football.
50:25
I'm not taking that away from them by any means.
50:27
Yeah.
50:27
I mean, when you signed for Bradford, did it feel different for you?
50:32
Yeah.
50:33
What was it like to go from Manchester United, biggest club in the world, to a team like Bradford?
50:40
No disrespect to Bradford.
50:41
You can just, I don't get on with Bradford.
50:44
What was it like?
50:46
a shock even to the point of the food you get at the canteen you take for granted at my united you get i had a fantastic relationship with the chefs and stuff it was brilliant they get food for me dinner every night it was cracking but then you go to bradford and no disrespect as you said but like there's you know the levels of food you get are obviously a lot less their training grounds in a school like there was just like it's chalk and cheese of course it is um and
51:12
I think maybe I didn't adapt quick enough to the level of football as well.
51:18
It's probably better than you anticipate.
51:20
It's more physical, that's for sure.
51:21
You don't have the possession that you have when you're at Man United.
51:24
I'm not surrounded by Schneiderlin, who's going to show and get on the angle.
51:26
I'm surrounded by Joe Bloggs, who might be hiding a little bit.
51:31
And then you've got a monster of a defender coming at you to try and get...
51:34
It was just a little bit different.
51:35
It took a bit of adjusting, but yeah, it was a bit of a shock.
51:38
Did you feel like you had anything to prove going there?
51:42
Yeah, I was signed at the time as the number one right back.
51:46
It was the number two shirt.
51:47
I was on a decent wage for the league and for the club.
51:50
So there was a bit like, you know, you need to go in and do well.
51:54
It didn't work out at all.
51:56
At all.
51:57
Really did not enjoy my time there.
52:01
So maybe, yeah, to an extent, there was a point to prove and it didn't really happen.
52:05
I mean, you start getting games early on, but then obviously injuries interrupt your season.
52:10
You're almost out for the entire season.
52:12
How tough was that period mentally?
52:15
Even just hearing you talk about it then, it sounds like it did affect you.
52:19
Yeah, I was signed by one manager who believed in me.
52:23
This is football.
52:24
After six games, you got the sack.
52:26
They brought in David Hopkins, who I really do not like.
52:30
Fine to say that.
52:31
He probably doesn't like me.
52:34
I was diagnosed with, or I have, so I have ulcerative colitis, right?
52:39
It's like Crohn's disease.
52:40
And I had a bad time with it in my first year when he first joined and he was fantastic, to be fair.
52:45
Very supportive.
52:46
When I came back,
52:48
He threw me in very early on after I'd been out for six weeks with this condition.
52:53
I think I had a bit of an injury to my quad after it because I felt like I'd been rushed back.
52:57
But one way or another, it led to him just completely pushing me off to the side.
53:02
There was me, there was Josh Wright, who was the captain of the club at the time.
53:06
Another couple of lads, Amari Patrick, Jordan Gibson, who are now also still playing.
53:10
Just when I say pushed us off, I mean, like, you don't train with the first team.
53:14
You are, like, coming in.
53:15
You're just running every single day.
53:17
I don't – honestly, I'm 29 now.
53:18
I was 22, whatever I was.
53:19
I was naive.
53:20
If you said that to me now, there's no way I'd have done it.
53:23
I'd have said there's not a chance I'm not doing that.
53:25
But I did.
53:26
I was professional.
53:27
I've been to Man United my whole – if you tell me to do so, I'm going to do it, and I'm going to be the best at it.
53:31
Like, so I was coming in every day running like I'm an idiot.
53:34
But I did it.
53:35
Yeah.
53:37
And it was tough.
53:38
It was so tough.
53:40
Honestly, like mentally, I'm just like, he did an interview with the social media guy at the time.
53:46
And for some reason, they asked him about me and Josh Wright, who's the club captain.
53:52
And he said, when Joe and Josh choose to train properly, they might be back involved, which if you know me,
53:58
And Josh.
53:58
Josh was one of the best people in football, like one matter.
54:03
He took me under his wing.
54:04
Fantastic.
54:05
We did everything properly, but he said this.
54:08
So they tweeted what he said and tagged us in the tweet.
54:11
We got absolutely battered by our own fans.
54:15
And Josh, another one, was a club captain who was on a good wage.
54:18
Wage thieves.
54:20
They don't get them out of our effing club, all of this.
54:23
And me and Josh are just like, you've just literally hung without to dry.
54:26
Like, there's the end.
54:29
That was just awful.
54:32
Following, he gets a sack.
54:33
Thank God.
54:33
Good riddance.
54:34
Hope you're not having a good football time anymore if you hear this, but whatever.
54:39
Gary Beaulieu comes in.
54:40
What a man.
54:41
Fantastic.
54:42
Love him to bits.
54:43
Spoke to him literally last week.
54:45
Comes in.
54:45
Have a fantastic pre-season under him.
54:47
I'm thinking, right, this is my second year.
54:49
I'll get the fans back on side.
54:50
I'm going to kick on.
54:51
Do my ACL last week of pre-season.
54:53
Season's done.
54:54
So I had a tough time there.
54:56
Mentally, it was obviously a tough thing.
54:57
But again, they make you who you are.
55:00
So it is what it is.
55:02
Was there a point where you thought football wouldn't work out here?
55:06
I was trying to get a move away.
55:08
My agent had a new agent who got me to Bradford.
55:11
It was very distant.
55:13
Kind of felt like I'd been left in the lurch.
55:15
Football agents are good when things are going well.
55:19
Can be not so good when things aren't going well.
55:21
Obviously, understandably, it's a job for them really as well.
55:23
They can say all the spiel about we all have our best interests at heart, but essentially they're making money on you.
55:28
So like, it got a bit tough to be honest.
55:31
Did I think I'd continue playing?
55:32
Yeah, I had no doubt about that, but the level didn't really know where I was going to go from there, especially after an ACL.
55:38
And then at the end of my ACL...
55:39
COVID hit.
55:40
So then, as soon as I was about to join back in training, we got sent home for lockdown and that was, then I'm thinking, shit, I've not played football for 10 months.
55:47
How am I going to get a club?
55:49
I'd not played the year before because David Hopkins sat me off.
55:51
So I'm thinking, I've basically not played for two years here and you get forgotten about football very quickly, I found.
55:57
Yeah, well, 2020, you did join Carlisle.
56:00
And after such a stop start, few years, how important do you think that move was for you?
56:06
Fantastic.
56:08
One of the most enjoyable parts of my career, Chris Beach took me on, who I've got a fantastic relationship with.
56:14
He signed me at a couple of clubs, played me 90 games in midfield.
56:18
I'd never played midfield before, but he said, you know, he's too technical to be a full back.
56:22
maybe at Man United but in League 2 you're not playing fullback you're playing in midfield played 90 games loved it absolutely loved it we should have won the league to be honest don't know why I just absolutely bottled it but it was just amazing for me to realize I can enjoy football again I've got a manager that believes in me the fans loved me I loved them my family loved coming it was just a very very enjoyable time did it make you fall back in love with football at this point
56:47
Yes, I'd say I definitely was worried of losing that love after Bradford.
56:54
But Carlisle, again, going back to the point, when I feel loved and respected and believed in, I played well and I was playing well.
57:02
The fans loved me, so it's hard not to.
57:04
I was surrounded by top lads that even to this day, I'm really good friends with.
57:09
So, yeah, 100%.
57:11
You started playing in midfield for Carlisle.
57:14
What do you think was your best position at this point?
57:20
I think in the lower leagues, midfield, if I was going to play for Man United again, fullback, because the lower leagues, a lot of it can be long ball, and I'm not the tallest.
57:30
I'm 5'9", whatever, 5'10".
57:33
But you're coming up against big lumps centre-forwards who they just see me and go, yeah, it's technical, let's lump the ball on his head every two minutes and I'm not going to win the headers.
57:41
So...
57:42
centre midfield in a team that we tried to play and then I was better but as I said if I was at United still put me at full back not that I'd be very good anymore but at the time I was better there I actually read online that you've played every single position other than goalkeeper is that true?
57:56
Yeah that is true I had this reputation of being a utility player which sounds good to a manager it's a manager's dream but for a player you can never get settled in a position so it was actually a pain in the arse but yeah that's true I've played everywhere
58:09
Do you think it's more of a blessing or a curse?
58:13
Curse.
58:14
But no, blessing.
58:16
It gets you the move.
58:17
It gets you a manager to trust you and they know you're always going to play.
58:21
You're always going to play in a position.
58:22
But you want to be the best player in that position, not play centre mid, then left wing, then right back, then striker.
58:29
Nobody wants to do that.
58:31
Yeah, when did you play striker?
58:34
What club was that?
58:34
I played at United, actually, in a reserve game against Blackburn.
58:38
I don't know if I scored or not, but I was pretty good there.
58:42
Yeah, I can't remember.
58:45
Do you know what?
58:45
I was trying to think back, even when I was doing this.
58:47
I was trying to think, when did he play striker?
58:49
Yeah, I've played everywhere, yeah.
58:51
That's unreal.
58:52
After two seasons at Carlisle, you joined Warsaw.
58:56
At this stage of your career, did you feel like your relationship had changed with football?
59:03
It was, I'm getting a bit older, it's a job now.
59:06
Like, you need to earn the money to be able to live and do what you want to do.
59:13
Before that, I was living at home.
59:15
I was at United, Bradford earning, or not at home, but like clubs are paying for my accommodation.
59:19
I'm earning good money, like almost like loads of spending money, if you like.
59:24
Whereas now I'm 20, whatever I was, 25, 24, 26, I don't know.
59:28
You start to then think, right, I'm out of home now.
59:31
I've got my own place.
59:32
I'm paying for my own place.
59:34
I've got misses.
59:36
Things are starting to get a bit more serious.
59:38
And I was delighted to get the move to Warsaw.
59:42
At the time, it was probably known as a bigger club.
59:46
Aspirations to get promoted to League One.
59:49
It was under Michael Flynn, who made a lot of interest in me and things.
59:52
And I thought, you know what, let's do it.
59:54
I just, again, I had an injury halt that really killed me, to be honest.
1:00:00
It just happens, doesn't it?
1:00:02
Basically, I had an injury in my foot that took six months to find.
1:00:08
And it took three months after surgery to get it fined and back to playing.
1:00:13
So I was injured for nine months in my first season without having even played a league game.
1:00:18
So again, you've probably got fans thinking, we're paying this guy, I was on a good wage, paying him to come in.
1:00:23
He's not played a single game, he's been injured for nine months.
1:00:25
The club had spent thousands on trying to find this issue in my foot.
1:00:29
couldn't find it.
1:00:30
They spent, they got to the point where they were basically like, if you, if we can't find it, this next attempt, I don't know what you're going to do.
1:00:38
So that was the point in which I thought my football career could be finished.
1:00:42
What do you mean they couldn't find it?
1:00:43
So I had a bone fragment in my foot that snapped off and was sticking in a nerve, and it was tiny.
1:00:50
And I had so many scans.
1:00:51
I'd been to London.
1:00:51
I'd seen the best professor in the country in London for this, for feet, essentially.
1:00:58
No one could find it.
1:00:58
I'd had injections, ultrasound-guided injections in my foot.
1:01:02
Nothing was coming up.
1:01:04
The club had spent fortunes, and it was like, how do you rectify a problem if you can't find the problem?
1:01:09
I went for one last injection.
1:01:11
The club said to me, this is the last chance.
1:01:12
This is the last time we're going to pay for injection because the gaffer doesn't think it's worth it.
1:01:17
So I was like, right, okay.
1:01:19
Last attempt, this guy in Birmingham who I'd never seen before with his ultrasound-guided injection says, I'm sure there's a bone fragment there.
1:01:26
And I said, please save the screen, like, do what you need to do, make a note of this and send it to this professor in London.
1:01:34
So he did.
1:01:35
And then I go and see the professor and he says, we can now see this black dot on every single scan.
1:01:40
But you wouldn't even blink at it because you can't, like, there's loads of little things like that, so you wouldn't even think of it.
1:01:44
But we're going to trust and go off this image that he sent us and we're going to go in and see if it is there and see if we can take it out.
1:01:51
It was the only hope I had.
1:01:52
And they went in and they did it.
1:01:53
And they did this big tendon transfer, blah, blah, blah, whatever.
1:01:57
And it fixed it.
1:01:59
But six months it took.
1:02:01
And then after the surgery, it took three months until I could go and train.
1:02:03
So even for that whole nine months, even after surgery, I'm thinking, I don't know if this has fixed it or not because it takes a while to get to that point.
1:02:12
It did, but it took nine months.
1:02:14
That's unbelievable.
1:02:14
That was hard.
1:02:15
Yeah, I bet.
1:02:17
You've mentioned a few times about the fans and what the fans are saying.
1:02:21
Did the fans' opinion ever affect you?
1:02:24
Only at Bradford, really.
1:02:25
I felt, not so much the fans, it was more imposter syndrome, more so, because I'm thinking the lads every day going, what's going on for you?
1:02:33
And I'm like, I don't know.
1:02:34
That was tough.
1:02:35
Bradford, obviously, I was young, so the fans did impact me.
1:02:38
I found that tough.
1:02:39
After Bradford and I got used to it and I was kind of me and Josh right against the world, if you like, took me under his wing.
1:02:45
I just thought they can all do one now.
1:02:48
Why am I even caring about what fans are thinking right now?
1:02:51
They don't have a clue what's going on even behind the scenes.
1:02:54
So I realised I need to delete social media.
1:02:57
I need to just sack all of that off and it didn't affect me after that, to be fair.
1:03:00
Yeah, because, yeah, well, social media can be a bad place, but it can also be a great place.
1:03:05
Yeah, I got into this trap, and I think a lot of lads do.
1:03:09
You'd read good things and think, I don't care what you're saying about me if it's good.
1:03:13
I know I've had a good game.
1:03:15
When you have a good game, you don't need anyone to tell you you've had a good game because you can just feel it.
1:03:18
The feeling is just like, I'm the man.
1:03:21
You have a bad game, for some reason, I'd go and look at the bad news and read it and be like, I don't know why I did that.
1:03:27
A lot of lads do it as well.
1:03:29
I don't know why I did that, but yeah, after that Bradford scenario, I was just like, get rid of that.
1:03:34
Even looking back now, taking yourself back to those moments, could you understand why you did it then?
1:03:43
No, I was just young and experienced maybe at the time.
1:03:46
And I'd been at clubs like United where I never had bad press.
1:03:50
The fans liked me there.
1:03:51
So it was almost like, why are they saying these bad things about me?
1:03:54
And obviously Bradford hung me out to dry.
1:03:56
And all I was getting was bad press.
1:03:57
So I was just like, it was horrible that.
1:04:00
Yeah.
1:04:00
Do you think you've mentioned that football became more of a job by this point?
1:04:07
Do you think you enjoyed football far more as a child?
1:04:10
Definitely.
1:04:12
Yeah, 100%.
1:04:13
At what age did you start thinking, well, I know we've kind of touched upon it there, but at what age did you actually think, do you know what, this is just a job?
1:04:32
Probably Bradford.
1:04:34
Because that's still young.
1:04:37
Yeah, but young, and I've been hit with all these negatives from such a young age, so you kind of have to think, maybe not so much, maybe...
1:04:46
Yeah, the end of Bradford, because I'm COVID going into thinking, where am I going to have a contract here?
1:04:51
I'm going to have no income coming at the end of this month.
1:04:53
So yeah, probably that's the first reality of thinking, I'm not going to get paid at the end of this month, and then call out game.
1:04:58
But that's the point of it being like, okay, at the end of this two years, now I've got to think I've got to do this again in two years' time.
1:05:04
And that's just what it becomes, yeah.
1:05:07
I mean, it says a lot there.
1:05:08
Obviously, you're talking about pay rather than game time.
1:05:11
So true.
1:05:12
Which really speaks volumes.
1:05:14
Your career then takes you into non-league afterwards or AFC Fylde.
1:05:19
Correct.
1:05:19
Saying that correctly.
1:05:20
Yeah.
1:05:21
Then Tamworth.
1:05:22
Yeah.
1:05:23
And now Warrington Rylands.
1:05:25
Yeah.
1:05:26
What's the biggest misconception professional footballers have about the non-league?
1:05:32
It's better than you think.
1:05:34
It's the same with League 1 and League 2.
1:05:36
If you're in the Premier League, you think League 2 is crap.
1:05:39
I did, until you go there and you realise it's full of lads that were in the Premier League, exactly the same situation as me.
1:05:44
They're either on loan or they've had an injury or whatever.
1:05:47
It's the same in non-league.
1:05:49
They've all done the same thing.
1:05:50
Or, like me now, you've got other stuff going on.
1:05:53
You're still capable of playing higher, but you've got another business going on that you'd rather prioritise than playing football in League 2.
1:05:59
So the standard is definitely better than what you probably think it is.
1:06:04
Do you think it's made you appreciate the game differently going there?
1:06:08
I enjoy my football more now than I have since I was at Carlisle.
1:06:13
Carlisle and Warrington and United, obviously, are the points of which I've enjoyed my football the most.
1:06:19
I've enjoyed it most now because the pressure's off.
1:06:22
I've got so much more going on with my life that if I have a bad game, it's just not the end of the world.
1:06:27
I want to do well.
1:06:28
I really want to get promoted with Warrington.
1:06:30
That's the aspiration to the club, and I want to be a part of that.
1:06:34
But if I have a bad game personally or I do something bad, I don't have pressure on myself to go like, oh my God, if I don't get a new contract at the end of the year, I'm going to be financially screwed.
1:06:44
That's not where I'm at anymore.
1:06:45
So I get to be able to enjoy it like I did almost as a youngster where I can just enjoy playing football.
1:06:50
It's actually more a case of I use that as a way of getting away from the stress of being at work.
1:06:54
So I can just go and take my mind off it and play football with my pals.
1:06:58
More like a hobby.
1:07:00
More like a hobby, yeah.
1:07:01
Yeah, no, I love that.
1:07:02
I love the fact that that's happened for you especially.
1:07:05
There's something that you wrote recently that really stood out to me.
1:07:09
You said, football didn't go the way I once hoped, but it did go the way it was meant to.
1:07:14
When did you become at peace with that?
1:07:19
probably last year at Tamworth.
1:07:23
Very recently, though.
1:07:25
Yeah, because before that, I was...
1:07:30
I was doing my protection work that I do now at a lower level, kind of on the side, right?
1:07:38
And my main income was football.
1:07:41
And if I lost that income, it would have been like a bit of a stress.
1:07:46
The stress of income...
1:07:47
I am very, very financially driven, okay?
1:07:50
I want to set my family up.
1:07:52
I want to help people.
1:07:54
I want to...
1:07:54
I just...
1:07:56
I am in a position where I want to...
1:07:59
do things well for myself, but also help people in their situations.
1:08:03
I've always been kind of like that.
1:08:04
At times, also if someone had an issue with something financially, I've got a client now who is a good friend of mine, but at the time he wasn't a client, he was just a teammate.
1:08:12
And he came to me and said, look, I've got this going on.
1:08:14
What would you do with it?
1:08:15
And I've always been kind of that person that can advise when I can.
1:08:18
And so I enjoy that aspect of it.
1:08:22
But it was always a case of,
1:08:25
when I was at Fylde, for example, the time before Tamworth, my main income was football.
1:08:29
And again, if you lose that, then you're in a bad position.
1:08:31
I go to Tamworth.
1:08:32
I then lean more on my occupation now, which is, you know, doing insurance for families.
1:08:38
And that became my main kind of income and my main priority.
1:08:41
So again, it takes the pressure away from football.
1:08:44
So I think it was at that point where I'd gone, okay, I can accept the fact that football is now not the be all and end all.
1:08:50
And there's more to me than just being Joe Riley.
1:08:52
He's a football player.
1:08:53
Hmm.
1:08:53
So that's the point at which I became more content with life and I can see life for what it is and do things like, if I want to miss a training session to go to France with my missus for a few days, I can do that now.
1:09:05
You can't do that.
1:09:05
Even in League Two, you can't do that.
1:09:08
So it gets you to be able to see and enjoy life for what it actually is.
1:09:11
Yeah.
1:09:12
Do you ever allow yourself to think back to those times where you were playing for these clubs and think, if I didn't get injuries, what could have been?
1:09:21
I'm honestly grateful for my injuries.
1:09:24
because...
1:09:26
I think if I'd have gone to Barnsley instead of Bradford, that's the only decision that I made in hindsight that would have been wrong, that maybe I could have kicked on and had a championship or even better career, right?
1:09:37
But apart from that, I think I would have floated around League 1 and League 2 for the whole of my career, which a lot of lads do.
1:09:44
And you earn, okay, yeah, in relative terms, good money, right, fine.
1:09:48
But you're going to have to work away from after football.
1:09:50
That's inevitable.
1:09:51
If you're earning 200 grand a year, 100 grand a year, you're going to have to work when you get to 33 or whatever it may be.
1:09:57
thankfully, due to my injury at Walsall, I had to look other avenues.
1:10:00
I've now been doing my insurance work for four and a half years, five years, and I'm in a way better position than if I would have been in around League One and League Two.
1:10:09
Financially, and experiences of life as well, not just money, but I've now got to...
1:10:16
I'm going to Verbiade in December over Christmas.
1:10:20
I can't do that if I've got fixtures and training in League 1 and League 2.
1:10:24
So I'm earning good money and I'm in a position where my family are in a good place.
1:10:28
I'm helping people with insurance every day, but I get to save life for what it is as well.
1:10:32
So there's pros and cons to both.
1:10:35
Well, talk to me about Joe Riley away from football.
1:10:37
You're obviously, we've mentioned it a few times, you're now building a career outside of that or you have been for a long time in financial services, specifically helping footballers protect themselves financially.
1:10:50
How did that actually start?
1:10:51
Was it that period?
1:10:53
Also, yeah.
1:10:54
I'm thinking I'm going to have to retire.
1:10:55
What am I going to do?
1:10:56
And there was a lad at the time in my club who was doing insurance.
1:11:01
And he mentioned, why don't you just do this?
1:11:02
And I thought, you know what, I'll look into it.
1:11:04
And I did.
1:11:04
I just went for it.
1:11:06
I joined one company and never looked back.
1:11:11
As I said, I've now been doing it for four and a half years.
1:11:13
I help players every single day.
1:11:15
I've been doing it for four and a half years.
1:11:17
I've helped hundreds of boys now and women with protection.
1:11:21
I don't just help football players.
1:11:22
I help everyone.
1:11:23
Everyone in life, in my opinion, I would say this, but should have protection, okay?
1:11:28
Whether it's protecting your family or protecting you against illnesses, things like that, right?
1:11:32
Or injuries, whatever it may be.
1:11:33
So I've been doing that for four and a half years now.
1:11:36
I enjoy it.
1:11:36
I'm very, very passionate about it.
1:11:38
Yeah.
1:11:39
There's probably not a conversation that goes by where I don't mention it.
1:11:44
But yeah, that's what I'm in now.
1:11:46
As I said, I've been doing it for five years and it will be a long-term career of mine, 100%.
1:11:52
Do you think your own experience in football made you realise how important it was?
1:11:58
Potentially, yeah.
1:12:00
I also just see the importance, you know, of we all know someone who's been diagnosed with a type of condition, not to put like a negative spin on it, but that's the reality of life.
1:12:09
And we've all seen firsthand people that that's happened to.
1:12:13
So I just know the importance of it and I can see...
1:12:16
you know, how beneficial it can be for someone to have an insurance policy there.
1:12:19
And it's not about, you know, paying a fortune every month.
1:12:22
That's not what I'm here to do.
1:12:24
Just there to provide you with peace of mind that if something does happen, that you and your family are protected.
1:12:28
So, again, it's something I'm passionate about.
1:12:30
It's something I've been doing for a while.
1:12:31
And it's something I very much believe in.
1:12:34
I have a policy myself, of course.
1:12:37
You know, I'm helping people with something that I'm very passionate and believe in myself.
1:12:42
And take yourself back to 19-year-old Joe Riley playing at Man United.
1:12:47
Do these things ever cross your mind?
1:12:49
No.
1:12:49
I said this to my mum literally about a week ago.
1:12:52
If you just said to me five years ago, look where I am now, you would never have believed it.
1:12:58
I've got the best support system around.
1:13:00
My fiancée is...
1:13:02
She's the most perfect person for me ever because I am, honestly, I don't switch off.
1:13:08
I will work till 11 o'clock at night.
1:13:10
I am like obsessed and I am like, can't switch off.
1:13:13
She is chilling.
1:13:15
She lives the high life.
1:13:16
She's just chilling all the time.
1:13:17
She's fantastic for me.
1:13:20
She just brings me back down to earth.
1:13:21
I've got parents who've always been supportive.
1:13:23
So,
1:13:24
Yeah, I've got a good support system around me, but it's something that I'm going to keep cracking on with now for the next, God, Paul, hopefully a long, long time.
1:13:33
Do you think football needs more education around this?
1:13:37
Yeah, I'm trying to help players every day.
1:13:40
I think insurance is something everyone should have, but it does have a bad, like any insurance, it has probably not the best reputation.
1:13:48
Providers don't pay out, this and that.
1:13:51
it's not all true.
1:13:52
Obviously, I'm working with providers every single day.
1:13:54
So I essentially know the best places to put sports people or yourself, anyone, I know the best places to put you where you're going to be well protected and things like that.
1:14:03
So is there more education around it?
1:14:06
Yes.
1:14:06
Clubs, get me in.
1:14:07
I'll come to a talk.
1:14:09
Yes, there is more education around it.
1:14:11
But...
1:14:12
When you're young, you just don't really think of these things.
1:14:14
But when you're young is the best time to put these policies in place because the prices are cheaper.
1:14:19
No health issues are going to be there.
1:14:21
So there's no going to be any exclusions on any covers or any policy.
1:14:23
So yeah, maybe there's things around that at a young age where I could get in and speak to people and players for sure.
1:14:29
And is that something you will be doing?
1:14:31
Yeah, I've already been into a few clubs.
1:14:34
I've recently partnered up with a provider, with an accountancy firm that I'm helping, helping all of their clients, and they've got a lot of them.
1:14:42
So it's been fantastic being able to help so many players lately.
1:14:44
I've been extremely busy, and a lot of players have seen the benefit in having cover in place.
1:14:49
So it's been a fantastic period.
1:14:52
But of course, I always want to help more and more, the more people that have it, the more people that are protected.
1:14:55
So it's obviously always good.
1:14:57
And as I said, the more people I can help, the better.
1:15:00
Yeah.
1:15:00
I mean, you're effectively a coach, which leads me on to, I don't know if that's an insult or a compliment, just calling you a coach.
1:15:07
I'll let you finish.
1:15:08
Far more than that.
1:15:09
But no, where I was leading was you worked with some very different coaches throughout your career.
1:15:14
Paul McGuinness, Warren Joyce, Louis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Chris Wilder, and of course, a few more that we've named.
1:15:22
Out of all of those and any others, who do you think was the biggest influence in your career that may have even led you to things like this?
1:15:30
World of Us.
1:15:32
I always speak about him and I feel bad on everyone else because Chris Beach has done so much for my career.
1:15:37
He's signed me twice.
1:15:40
He's always done a lot.
1:15:41
The manager for me now at Warrington, fine, it's non-league, but he's fantastic.
1:15:45
He fully supports anything I need.
1:15:47
But Warren Joyce shaped me genuinely into the person I am today.
1:15:51
I stand by that.
1:15:54
Like the work ethic and the mentality, I take that into everything I do now.
1:16:00
I am very much, if you don't ask, you don't get.
1:16:03
If there's a room and I need to get into it, I will get into it.
1:16:06
If I need to speak to someone and my missus, for example, will want to speak to someone about something and she'll be like, and I'll say, go and do it.
1:16:12
What is the worst that can happen?
1:16:14
Somebody says no or I'm not interested.
1:16:16
I can deal with that all day long.
1:16:18
I've dealt with that my whole career.
1:16:19
Managers don't like it, they don't play it.
1:16:21
I can deal with that.
1:16:22
I just want to have a conversation.
1:16:23
So he has instilled that kind of mentality and that mindset into me.
1:16:27
So 100% Warren Joyce.
1:16:29
Okay, now I'm going to ask you a tough question.
1:16:32
Even after that answer, if you could pick one coach that you've had in your career to manage you in one game tomorrow, who is it going to be?
1:16:43
Not Warren Joyce.
1:16:45
He worked you too hard and I'm not about that anymore.
1:16:51
My manager now.
1:16:54
Okay.
1:16:55
Yeah.
1:16:56
That's a strong answer, that.
1:16:57
Yeah.
1:16:57
After some of the names I've mentioned, they're big names.
1:17:00
That says a lot.
1:17:01
Well, look, if I could have Mourinho stand at the sideline, that's pretty cool, of course.
1:17:06
But I'm so done with that.
1:17:08
I want to enjoy football.
1:17:10
My manager now gives me the freedom to go out, get on the ball, drop in the back four, make a run, score a goal.
1:17:18
I can do what I want.
1:17:20
to an extent, with respect.
1:17:21
He doesn't do the right thing for the team, but he lets me enjoy football.
1:17:25
And that's where I am at in my career.
1:17:27
I don't want the stress of, I don't want to get a bollocking at half-time.
1:17:31
I don't want it.
1:17:31
Don't get me wrong, my gaffer will bollock me if I need it.
1:17:34
But like...
1:17:35
That's where I'm at.
1:17:36
So him.
1:17:37
Yeah.
1:17:37
I mean, it shows a lot.
1:17:39
Yeah.
1:17:39
Just shout him out.
1:17:40
Sorry, say it again.
1:17:41
Neil Reynolds.
1:17:43
It shows a lot of respect from you and also the respect he has for you, which is amazing.
1:17:48
I'm going to test your memory now and take you back to the game at Shrewsbury in the FA Cup.
1:17:55
You made your senior debut.
1:17:56
I've already told you earlier on, you came on for Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.
1:18:00
Can you remember the start in 11 that day?
1:18:04
Cameron Borthick-Jackson.
1:18:09
We'll start off in goal.
1:18:12
Sergio Romero.
1:18:15
Borthick-Jackson.
1:18:16
Left back.
1:18:18
Daly Blind?
1:18:20
Correct.
1:18:22
Chris Mullen?
1:18:23
Correct.
1:18:24
Varela?
1:18:26
Is that right?
1:18:26
Yeah.
1:18:28
Schneidlin?
1:18:29
Mm-hmm.
1:18:32
Wolves.
1:18:34
Oh, I don't know.
1:18:36
Juan Mata played.
1:18:38
Did he start?
1:18:39
He did start.
1:18:40
Okay.
1:18:43
Jesse Lingard.
1:18:44
Yep.
1:18:46
Are we going to go for a clean sweep on this?
1:18:48
Three more players.
1:18:49
Three more.
1:18:50
Yep.
1:18:51
Memphis.
1:18:52
Yep.
1:18:54
You're now missing the striker.
1:18:56
Martial.
1:18:56
Yes.
1:18:58
And you are missing the centre midfielder.
1:19:01
I'm stuck between two.
1:19:04
And it's either...
1:19:07
So don't take this first one.
1:19:09
It's either Michael Carrick or... Schweinsteiger.
1:19:17
I'm going to intervene and tell you they're both incorrect.
1:19:20
Oh, God.
1:19:25
Give me a clue.
1:19:26
Is he a proper well-known guy?
1:19:28
Yeah.
1:19:29
Is he a...
1:19:33
Bloody hell.
1:19:35
He was good friends with Armata.
1:19:37
Ah, of course.
1:19:38
It's Herrera.
1:19:39
And Herrera.
1:19:40
Another one who, if you said to me, was another top person, it's Ander Herrera.
1:19:44
I'll give you a bonus for the players that came on.
1:19:47
Herrera.
1:19:48
Yeah.
1:19:49
Me.
1:19:50
How many came on?
1:19:50
One more.
1:19:52
Will Keane.
1:19:53
Correct.
1:19:54
Not bad.
1:19:54
That's an unbelievable memory.
1:19:56
Well, we played two games, mate.
1:19:57
Yeah.
1:20:00
now Mitchell now I'm joking yeah go on don't do that bonus point for who scored how many goals he scored three Jesse Jesse I remember Will Keane at the post so I don't think he scored
1:20:25
There was three goals for us.
1:20:27
Mata.
1:20:28
You'll make one.
1:20:30
And... Memphis?
1:20:35
No.
1:20:36
Probably a more tricky one.
1:20:43
Chris Smalling.
1:20:44
Chris Smalling.
1:20:45
Wow, don't know where I put that from.
1:20:48
That's pretty good, that.
1:20:48
Yeah, no, that's...
1:20:50
I'm surprised.
1:20:50
I thought we were going to be here longer doing that one.
1:20:53
Yeah, maybe I do cherish that game a lot.
1:20:57
You played around 128 minutes for Man United and you shared the pitch with five players during all of those minutes.
1:21:05
Can you remember who they were?
1:21:09
Daly Blind.
1:21:11
Daly Blind is one of them.
1:21:13
Memphis.
1:21:14
Memphis is another.
1:21:18
Sergio.
1:21:20
Yep.
1:21:23
Two more.
1:21:33
Varela.
1:21:34
Yes, I didn't expect you to get that.
1:21:36
Yeah, Varela's one.
1:21:37
Four.
1:21:38
You're on four.
1:21:38
You've got one more.
1:21:45
Juan.
1:21:46
It's not Juan.
1:21:47
No.
1:21:48
No.
1:21:48
Uh...
1:21:57
He's obviously in that 11 we just named.
1:21:59
Yeah, I forgot the 11. Who played in midfield in that game?
1:22:07
I completely forgot.
1:22:12
Schneider didn't play in the first game, did he?
1:22:15
Did he?
1:22:15
Have I named him in the FA Cup game?
1:22:17
Oh, yeah, Schneider.
1:22:18
I remember him in the Europa League.
1:22:20
I don't know if I forgot him about him.
1:22:21
Yeah, Schneider.
1:22:22
It's not a bad effort.
1:22:22
And you named him very quickly in the FA Cup one.
1:22:25
It was Herrera you took your time on.
1:22:26
What the hell?
1:22:28
Yeah.
1:22:29
Did Herrera not play in the Europa League game?
1:22:31
Did he come on?
1:22:32
Herrera?
1:22:32
Herrera?
1:22:34
He might have come off.
1:22:35
I'm not sure.
1:22:36
I'm not sure where he came from.
1:22:36
No, he didn't play the full thing, though.
1:22:38
Yeah, all I know is, after doing my research, 128 minutes you played, and those five players, Sergio Romero, Daley Blind, Varela, Morgan Schneidlin, and Memphis Depay, played in all 128 minutes of your two appearances at Man United.
1:22:52
I love to play with Schneidlin as well, you know.
1:22:54
Why?
1:22:54
Because every time I had the ball, he was just there.
1:22:57
Every time.
1:22:58
It was always available.
1:22:59
It was cool.
1:23:00
He made it so easy.
1:23:01
It was well...
1:23:02
Playing for United, easiest game ever.
1:23:04
Honestly, the easiest game.
1:23:05
I remember in the FA Cup game, I did a run on the left.
1:23:11
I loved that game so much, when I felt classed.
1:23:14
I did a little run on the left and I cut in and had a shot.
1:23:16
It was awful, mate, honestly.
1:23:18
But I thought, you know what, this is it, man.
1:23:19
This is my chance.
1:23:21
And I came in and kicked.
1:23:22
He went, fantastic debut.
1:23:24
But that shot was awful.
1:23:25
And I was like, yeah, no.
1:23:27
I saw my name in the headlines.
1:23:28
I'm sorry.
1:23:29
But yeah, no, that was a good experience.
1:23:32
Yeah, Schneidlin doesn't get the respect from Man United fans as he probably could have.
1:23:37
Yeah.
1:23:37
Because he was actually an unbelievable player.
1:23:39
Yeah, he was, yeah.
1:23:40
But it just didn't work.
1:23:42
Yeah, just to play with, when I played with him, he was just always an option.
1:23:46
Never, would never hide away.
1:23:48
Like, similar, he's just a bit like Michael Karak.
1:23:51
Like, just always there.
1:23:54
Like, Karak, when I played in the Europa League, I'm sure he was playing centre-half.
1:23:59
I think it was me...
1:24:03
Daly Blind, Carras in centre-half, I think.
1:24:06
Yeah, they're just...
1:24:09
They always want the ball.
1:24:11
We played a game, a training game, right, at Carrington, reserves versus the first team.
1:24:17
And I was in the reserves line-up and they gave us Michael Carrick.
1:24:25
God, he's unbelievable.
1:24:27
I think we've won.
1:24:28
We won with Drew.
1:24:30
And he was just outrageous.
1:24:33
No one could get near him.
1:24:34
And we would never have done that.
1:24:36
If he wasn't playing, we'd have been battered, obviously.
1:24:38
But he's obviously unbelievable.
1:24:41
Now he's a manager, so it's a bit weird.
1:24:43
But yeah, what a player he is.
1:24:45
Did you speak to him at all?
1:24:46
No.
1:24:46
You know what?
1:24:47
Funny enough, two things actually.
1:24:48
I saw him in Portugal.
1:24:51
I was playing golf in Portugal in the summer.
1:24:53
My mate who drives it a long way hits the ball and has a tee box not too far away.
1:24:58
And it's heading towards this pair playing golf.
1:25:02
And we're both shy, far, far right.
1:25:05
And drive up there.
1:25:06
And it's Karras.
1:25:07
And I said...
1:25:08
Caras, I don't know if you'll remember me.
1:25:10
Hopefully you will.
1:25:11
I played with you.
1:25:12
I was at United, Joe Riley.
1:25:13
And he said, of course, how are you?
1:25:14
I had a lovely catch up with him.
1:25:16
It was really nice.
1:25:16
So we were chatting for like 10 minutes and I just said, look, I said, you're not watching the 40-bit.
1:25:23
It was when the World Cup was going on.
1:25:24
I said, I thought you'd be over there.
1:25:25
He was like...
1:25:26
got enough going on i said yeah fair enough i forget i forget you know the manager so i just had a lovely catch-up i said i wish you all the best and then literally a couple of weeks ago he's obviously got a michael carrick foundation and i was invited i don't know how the link the link was there but i was invited to go and play in the michael carrick foundation like a golf day he wasn't there obviously there was a lot going on with football at the time and still is but
1:25:48
So there's still a bit of link and connect there.
1:25:50
When I did see him, it was nice to catch up.
1:25:51
But that's the beauty of football and Man United.
1:25:54
Everyone remembers and knows each other.
1:25:56
They're all obviously very approachable people, especially Michael Carrick.
1:25:59
So you can go and chat to them anyway.
1:26:01
So yeah, it's good to see him.
1:26:03
Who do you still speak to now?
1:26:04
Scott, within the top talks, obviously I've got loads of friends in football, but from the United group, Scott McTominay, Dean Anderson, the names that you'll know, obviously Oli Rathbone, who's at Wrexham now, them three are the names that are United ones I still speak to, but even Cameron Borthick-Jackson, Devonnie Redmond, Demetri Mitchell, if I see them, they're like family, we grew up together from a young age, but...
1:26:27
I spoke to Scott not long ago.
1:26:28
We had a catch-up for like an hour, which was so, so nice because he's so busy, obviously.
1:26:33
But we literally were just going back and forth, texting for like an hour, and it was just so nice to have a little catch-up.
1:26:39
Dean, I can't get rid of Dean, honestly.
1:26:42
We speak too much, or when we do speak, Dean's just Dean.
1:26:46
So, yeah, they're the lads that I still connect with.
1:26:49
Still the same people that I've always known, but they've obviously gone on to do fantastic things in football, so it's good to see.
1:26:54
Does it surprise you that Dean didn't make it at United?
1:26:58
Yeah, it is.
1:26:59
I think he's easily good enough to be Man United's first-choice keeper.
1:27:03
Dean's mentality is like nothing you've ever seen.
1:27:06
He would be stood next to David De Gea, for example, and you'd say, Dean, do you think you're the best keeper in the world?
1:27:12
And he'd say, I'm the best keeper in the world.
1:27:14
He wouldn't care who hears it, but he backs it up.
1:27:18
He'd go and back it up.
1:27:20
And he had that spell where it looked like he was going to be
1:27:22
And then he had an injury or an illness, I think it was an illness or something, that took him away and then David De Gea came back in.
1:27:29
And now he's obviously the captain of Crystal Palace and he's fantastic, but he's just an animal.
1:27:35
So for me, he could have been Man United to keep 100%.
1:27:39
Yeah, well, he had that unbelievable loan where it looked like he was going to come back, be the first team keeper, and then he ended up not playing.
1:27:45
I think that was a bit harsh.
1:27:48
And yeah, he obviously...
1:27:49
It's tough though, isn't it?
1:27:50
How do you choose him over David De Gea, who's David De Gea?
1:27:52
Yeah.
1:27:52
That's politics in football.
1:27:54
It doesn't always go like how it should go.
1:27:55
It just goes how...
1:27:56
I mean, David De Gea is obviously fantastic, but...
1:27:59
For me, I'm biased.
1:28:01
I want Dean to be the best.
1:28:02
Yeah, of course.
1:28:03
David DeHate was unbelievable for us, but it was right at the end, and I think at that time, it looked like Dean Henderson was coming in, but yeah, it didn't happen.
1:28:10
But going back at the start, I asked you, who inspired you growing up?
1:28:15
If I was to ask you that again now, who inspires you now?
1:28:22
That's a good question.
1:28:29
I don't know.
1:28:29
I don't...
1:28:32
I just want to be as successful and the best I can be.
1:28:39
I don't think there's anyone I really look up to because everyone has such different paths.
1:28:44
My sister, she's got her own company.
1:28:46
She's very, very successful.
1:28:48
She's a pain in the arse, but she is very, very good at what she does.
1:28:52
So I just want to...
1:28:55
create the best possible life for myself, for my partner, for our family, if we have a family.
1:29:02
So I just am so determined and motivated to be that, not because of anybody else, just because of that's what's in me, maybe because of Warren Joyce and Man United.
1:29:13
I've just got that in me to be the best at anything I do.
1:29:17
me and Scott were literally saying that exact thing the other day.
1:29:19
He said, like, you're going to be successful at what you do because that's who we are, me and Scott.
1:29:25
And yes, football's not gone the way Scott's has gone, of course, but I take that into anything that I do.
1:29:30
So it's not a case of I'm inspired by somebody.
1:29:32
I'm inspired because I want to be the best for myself.
1:29:36
That's it.
1:29:38
So it's more what inspires you rather than a who.
1:29:40
Yeah, it is.
1:29:41
I love that.
1:29:42
So you've experienced every side of academy football.
1:29:45
You've been the kid trying to earn a contract.
1:29:48
You've watched teammates get released, played at Man United, and now you've built a career away from it.
1:29:53
So my final question is this.
1:29:55
If you could give one piece of advice to an eight-year-old footballer, with all the knowledge that you now have, what would it be?
1:30:07
enjoy because football is not the be all and end all 110 so i'm going to put a bit of a spin on it right i have a kid who's eight years old right in that situation am i letting him go off and do the
1:30:27
It'd be hard to say no to a kid like I was, who was determined to do that.
1:30:32
Do I think it was the right thing for an eight-year-old?
1:30:34
No, I don't think I'd like it, really.
1:30:36
I think you should...
1:30:39
Give everything.
1:30:40
Enjoy, like, you know, be professional.
1:30:43
Do the right things.
1:30:45
Because if you don't, you're never going to make it.
1:30:47
But I think you should enjoy other aspects of life.
1:30:50
Play tennis.
1:30:51
Play golf.
1:30:52
Do other sports.
1:30:54
Don't commit your whole entire being, like I did, to just being a football player because it quickly becomes your identity.
1:31:03
And it's very difficult to get away from that identity.
1:31:07
So, yeah.
1:31:09
I think my advice would be
1:31:12
give it your all, do everything right, but don't let the pressure of trying to be a professional football player exceed everything else.
1:31:20
Enjoy the other things of life alongside that because it will only make you enjoy football more without the pressure of thinking, I need this next contract.
1:31:28
So I would say look at other avenues, whether it's sports, hobbies or jobs, I would just be open to doing other things and not just relying on everything is on football.
1:31:39
That's what I would say.
1:31:40
Joe Riley, thank you very much.
1:31:43
Thank you.
1:31:44
Thank you very much.
1:31:45
Appreciate that.