Alex Iwobi: Wenger's Aura, Lampard's Trust & the Hard Truth About Being Yourself in Elite Football (E397)

Summary

The High Performance Podcast Episode 397: Alex Iwobi - Wenger's Aura, Lampard's Trust & the Hard Truth About Being Yourself in Elite Football

Overview This episode features a candid conversation between hosts Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes and professional footballer Alex Iwobi. The discussion explores the reality of being yourself as an elite athlete, the pressures and freedoms within top-tier football, the influence of managers from Arsène Wenger to Frank Lampard, navigating criticism and public perception, and the importance of broader life interests beyond football. Iwobi provides honest, uplifting, and occasionally humorous reflections on his personal journey through Arsenal, Everton, and into his creative pursuits—including music and charity.

---

Key Topics & Insights

1. The Value of Self-Expression in Football

• Encouragement From Family & Role Models

  • Iwobi credits his Nigerian upbringing and his uncle, Jay-Jay Okocha, for fostering freedom and creativity, both at home and in sport ([01:59]).
  • "With my uncle there, he allowed him to go and express himself... he always played with a smile on his face." – Alex Iwobi ([02:18])

• Challenges of Expressing Yourself as a Professional

  • Iwobi discusses how football often demands conformity, but he’s been lucky: “I haven't had any, like, anyone around me... that's restricted, they've always encouraged me to go and be myself.” ([01:39])
  • On sharing his music and personality online: “Now you can see it... I've always been the same. It's just that recently I've been showcasing the music.” ([03:34])

• Balancing Creativity with Professional Demands

  • The persistent cliché to "focus on football" made Iwobi hesitate to be public about his passions. He explains the double standard—if performance suffers, outside interests are blamed ([04:34]).
  • “I'm showing you I'm also 100% focused on football.” ([04:34])

2. Navigating Outside Interests, Criticism, & Social Media

• Footballers as Humans

  • Iwobi pushes back against the notion that non-football interests are distractions: “It's weird because, like, we are humans. I think everyone forgets that we're humans as well… everyone's not just football, football, football, otherwise you could go mad.” ([08:03])

• Dealing with Social Media Abuse after AFCON

  • Iwobi recounts stepping away from social media post-AFCON to regain peace of mind and how teammates rallied around him ([09:07]):
    • “I don't like listening to the outside noise… I never go and look or type my name and see what people saying about me.” ([09:07])
    • “I just wanted to be by myself after the AFCON final... Victor (Osimhen)... knocked on my door... ‘I don't like what the media are saying about you.’” ([09:56])

• Controlling the Narrative

  • Trust in friends & family to filter feedback: “If anything's ever too negative, the first person to tell me is my dad. He's always looking on Twitter.” ([11:42])
  • “We always like to control our own narrative... if you're going to hear something, it's going to come from me.” ([11:55])

3. Resilience and Personal Growth Through Adversity

• Early Rejection at Arsenal

  • Iwobi’s journey is marked by near-dismissals and being undervalued. He describes being almost let go at age 14 for lacking physicality, and again at 16 when other England youth players received offers and he didn’t:
    • “Whenever I get told I'm not good enough, I always like to prove that I am good enough to stick around.” ([15:41])

• Belief Amid Doubt

  • He relied on the encouragement of friends, family, and his inner self: "If these lot see it, I need to prove to the other people... I can play football." ([16:35])

4. Manager Influences: Wenger’s Aura & Lampard’s Trust

• Arsène Wenger’s Unique Impact

  • Wenger’s silent authority and faith in young players stood out:
    • “When he walks in, everyone's just silent… he's had his mad presence, mad aura. And when he talks, he does a lot of knowledge, like he understands the game.” ([18:38])
  • On personal advice: “He always say to me, stay composed, you've got a lot more time than you think.” ([19:32])

• Transition to Emery & The Impact of Fan/Media Critique

  • Iwobi recalls the toxicity during Wenger’s final years, the awareness players had of negative coverage (e.g., Arsenal Fan TV), and natural cliques forming in dressing rooms ([23:24], [24:02]):

• Everton: Adapting & Rediscovering Confidence

  • The adjustment to Everton brought its own struggles, from cultural shifts to playing style ([25:53]).
  • “Even though I went a foreign country, it felt like a foreign country because of the Scouse language...” ([25:53])
  • Lampard’s support was pivotal: “Frank Lampard... resurrected my career... he just said, be you. And that's literally what worked for me.” ([37:52], [40:01])

• The Power of Managerial Trust

  • Iwobi explains how Lampard’s psychological safety allowed him to play freely and take risks: “When a manager is trusting me... I'm not scared to try things… you almost feel unstoppable.” ([42:09])

5. Football Transfers, Isolation, and Adapting to Change

• The Business of Football

  • Iwobi describes his rapid, emotionally challenging transfer from Arsenal to Everton: “Before I even get a chance to say yes or no, Arsenal basically saying, we don't mind you going…” ([30:03])
  • On leaving Arsenal: “I was like, oh, at least let me make the decision for myself.” ([36:00])
  • On the industry’s ruthlessness: “...football is also a business.” ([37:05])

• Loneliness & the Importance of Environment

  • Moving alone, living in hotels, and integrating into a new city/team can be “so lonely… It's just you and your thoughts.” ([32:05])
  • Iwobi points to friends, family, and rediscovering a home in London as critical for happiness and performance ([46:54]).

6. The Parallel Pursuit: Music & Giving Back

• Creative Outlets: Music

  • Music is a joyful outlet, not an ambition for stardom: “It's just something I enjoy doing... I've never once thought, I want to be the next Drake or Lil Wayne.” ([47:54])
  • Parallels between music and football: “There’s always banter. If you have a bad touch in training, we're letting you know… If you have a bad lyric in the studio, they'll let you know.” ([50:02])

• Charity & Identity Beyond Football

  • Iwobi’s charitable acts—especially local projects—bring deeper fulfillment: “That one mattered to me... it was two streets from my primary school... if I can do anything to benefit and help someone's Christmas, I'm willing to do so.” ([48:55])
  • “I'm not just a footballer, I am human. I like to enjoy the things that other people do as well.” ([53:04])

---

Notable Quotes

• On Creativity vs. Conformity:
  • "With football, you must be yourself… if you are, that’s when you play your best." – Alex Iwobi ([08:46])
• On Social Media:
  • “I just wanted to live in the real world... what I do really matters to my friends and my people.” ([09:07])
• On Wenger:
  • “When he walks in, everyone's just silent… he’s had his mad presence, mad aura.” ([18:38])
• On Lampard’s Trust:
  • “Frank Lampard… resurrected my career… when we're talking about, like, being me, Frank just said, be you.” ([37:52])
• On Managing Setbacks:
  • “Whenever I get told I'm not good enough, I always like to prove that I am good enough to stick around.” ([15:41])
• On Advice for Young Players:
  • “If you want to achieve, go for it. Believe in yourself. As long as you believe you're good enough, then that's okay.” ([57:50])
• On High Performance:
  • “Play the way you train, train the way you play, and you're going to get the best out of yourself.” ([58:07])
• On Identity:
  • “If someone that doesn't know me asks what I do, I always say, I'm human.” ([53:41])

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment/Theme | Speakers/Summary | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|-----------| | Expressing Yourself in Football | Iwobi on family/creativity | 01:39–04:27 | | Going Public with Creative Pursuits | Overcoming the “focus” cliché | 04:34–05:33 | | Handling Criticism & Social Media | AFCON backlash, resilience | 09:03–10:56 | | Arsenal Academy Setbacks | Early rejection story | 14:32–16:24 | | Wenger’s Influence | Aura, advice on composure | 18:38–20:19 | | Transition to Emery & Fan Criticism | Arsenal Fan TV, social pressures | 23:00–24:38 | | Adapting to Everton: Culture Shock | Feeling “foreign” in Liverpool | 25:53–27:14 | | The Emotional Side of Transfers | Arsenal to Everton move | 30:03–33:13 | | Trust, Freedom & Performance | Lampard’s resurrection effect | 37:52–43:32 | | Music, Charity & Purpose Beyond Football | Iwobi’s creative/charity life | 47:32–49:47 | | Parallels of Music & Football | Banter, creativity, team spirit | 50:02–51:53 | | Advice and High Performance Philosophy | Quickfire Q&A | 54:18–58:34 |

---

Final Thoughts

This candid episode pulls back the curtain on elite football life, showing the profound impact of support, self-belief, and creative freedom. Iwobi's journey demonstrates that high performance comes not just from athletic ability, but from authenticity, positivity, trusted relationships, and owning your narrative—on and off the pitch.

Notable Quickfire Takeaways:

• Non-negotiables: Confidence & belief, right people around you, hard work ([54:28])
• Best advice: “Express yourself always.” – Jay-Jay Okocha ([56:12])
• On identity: “I’m human first.” ([53:41])
• High performance defined: “Play the way you train, train the way you play.” ([58:07])

A memorable, honest window into the complexities—and the joys—of life at football’s highest level.

Transcript

[Alex Iwobi]

Okay, I have to tell you, I was just looking on ebay, where I go for all kinds of things I love.

[Interviewer 1]

And there it was, that hologram trading card. One of the rarest.

[Alex Iwobi]

The last one I needed for my set. Shiny like the designer handbag of my dreams. One of a kind. Ebay had it. And now everyone's asking, ooh, where'd you

[Interviewer 1]

get your windshield wipers? Ebay has all the parts that fit my car.

[Alex Iwobi]

No more annoying, just beautiful. Millions of finds, each with a story. EBay, things people love. Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the next gen ERP powered by AI that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to dos. It's a new workday. If you work in university maintenance, Grainger considers you an MVP because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip off. And Grainger is your trusted partner, offering the products you need all in one place, from H VAC and plumbing supplies

[Interviewer 1]

to lighting and more.

[Interviewer 2]

And all delivered with plenty of time

[Alex Iwobi]

left on the clock.

[Interviewer 1]

So your team always gets the win.

[Alex Iwobi]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER visit grainger.com or just stop

[Interviewer 1]

by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Alex, welcome to the show. Thank you very much for joining us.

[Alex Iwobi]

Oh, thank you for having me. Thank you.

[Interviewer 1]

We want to talk about creativity in football, first of all, and this idea that so often a sport which requires creativity can also be a world that suppresses your creativity. Does that ring a bell with you?

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, it does, but I'm just lucky. I haven't had any, like, anyone around me, coaches or family members that's restricted, that they've always encouraged me to go and be myself. So I've never felt that sort of pressure that I can't be myself.

[Interviewer 1]

So what was your upbringing like where freedom of expression was encouraged?

[Alex Iwobi]

Well, traditionally I came from a Nigerian background, so in my household, as me, my sister, my mum and dad, and we're literally just being ourselves, dancing around the house, playing football in the house. Sometimes my mom used to get a bit annoyed because I'm slide tackling balloons and kicking cans in the house. But, yeah, so obviously everyone knows I'm blessed to have an uncle in JJ Kocha. So I used to go watch his games and especially when he was at Bolton in a team where Sam Allardyce is the manager. What do you respect to Sam Allardyce? He's not one that attracts or plays attractive football. But with my uncle there, he Allowed him to go and express himself. He always played with a smile on his face. So literally, just growing up, watching him and the family, I had, like, it just said, go be you, like, and I didn't have any doubts about being myself.

[Interviewer 2]

And what does that actually mean, though, Alex, when they say, go and be you? Because you can hear that used a lot. But what does it mean for you?

[Alex Iwobi]

Well, me, I'm a bubbly character. My friends can tell you some of my peoples are here. I'm a bubbly, loud character and I've been showing that recently on my social media platforms, so people can see the real me. But, yeah, I just like to vibes with my friends on the pitch and they like to see me. I'll probably have a bit of banter with my boys on the pitch and that's literally me in a nutshell. I just like to be a happy, happy guy.

[Interviewer 1]

So I think something might have changed for you in. In the last little while, because suddenly you are expressing yourself, you are talking about your music. I really want to have a conversation with you about that. You've got a YouTube channel, you're uploading content. Was there a period where you didn't feel able to be yourself? And do you now feel like you've reached a point where you can, I

[Alex Iwobi]

wouldn't say not be myself, but just like, showcase who I am in a sense where, like, I've always been the same person, but I didn't really put it out there. Like the YouTube channels on the Instagrams or the TikToks. But, like, if you can ask my friends, I'll literally be dancing around if we go Nando's or just be being clowns if we're in a car park, like, we're literally dancing. So silly o'. Clock. But now you can see it. Like, even when I play football, maybe on football, but I'm a bit more. Less expressive in a sense. Now playing midfield, I literally try to get the one play forward. Whereas when I was younger, I used to do a child, do all the tricks and nutmegs, but not anymore. But yeah, I've always been the same. It's just that recently I've been showcasing the music. I've been doing music since I was in secondary school, but now, like, I'm showing it to everyone that I've enjoyed. I enjoy putting out music and I like doing it. I like going to studio with my friends. So it's literally just showing what I do on a social media platform.

[Interviewer 1]

So how has that changed then? Why Are you suddenly feeling like you can talk about it?

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah. That cliche saying that you should focus on football. When I was young, they would say, don't be distracted. And if you. Like, if I was. If I wasn't. If I was living, I was living. No, I'm still living the same. But if I was showing what I was doing back then and if I had one band performance, they'll blame it on the distraction that are. He's in the studio, should be going to bed. Maybe five minutes earlier, he's. He's not focused on his football, but now I've got to a stage, I feel like it's come of age where it's like, I'm still going to be me. I want to show what I'm doing, but I'm showing you I'm also 100% focused on football.

[Interviewer 2]

We interviewed Rio Ferdinand on this and he spoke about the challenges that David Gill and Alex Ferguson sort of issued to him when he opened a restaurant. They didn't feel he should be doing anything outside of that guise of just focusing on football. Have you ever had a coach or somebody within the. In. In a club that has challenged you about the music or some of the creative output?

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, well, all of the. All of them. I've said, everyone knows I like to play football outside of football with my friends. I like to go goals and play. Five aside, every manager said, alex, what are you doing? I can't lie, but I never touchwood, I never get injured, so. And I just enjoy playing football with my friends. I have a laugh. So that one, they always say, what are you doing? I can't help if I go play football with my friends. Even though the intensity is very low with the music, I can only go off. My current manager, Marco Silva, he don't mind my music. There's been times he's in the gym and he's bopping his head as well. You don't mind, but like the Snapchats, he did say, as long as it's not like. Because there's been a few times he's been answering the interview like, oh, from Alex's Snapchat, his ankle is a bit flared up. Is he going to play the next game? So the next day he called me, said, alex, why are you posting your ankle on Snapchat? And I'm about to be like, oh, I knew I was going to play. I just icing it, it wasn't anything major, but, yeah, Marco Silva doesn't mind what I do on my social media as long as it's positive. And even my Nigerian manager likes to get involved. He wants to be recorded. Is that right? I don't know if you've seen. He's been dancing on my YouTube. He likes it. So I've never had an issue, what I put out. All the managers encouraged me to do it, as long as I'm performing on the pitch.

[Interviewer 1]

And what does finding this freedom do for you?

[Alex Iwobi]

It just. I can just be me 24 7. I don't have to, like, hide who I am. So I can go. I can be bubbly at home and I can still be the same bubbly person at training. I'm not the loudest, but I'm up there. There's like, people like Calvin Bassey. I don't know if everyone knows Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwuezi. So us three literally just round the training ground making noise and the manager minds because they know, like, we're still focused, we're still going to give 100% on the pitch, but for us to play well, we just have to be ourselves. So everyone encourages us to be loud.

[Interviewer 1]

So what is the truth, then, about footballers having interests outside of football? Because, as you know, I spent 10 years hosting for BT Sport, Premier League, Champions League, and I often was sitting there hearing ex footballers say, oh, this player's distracted by something that's going on outside the game. You know, whether it's like a fashion brand and, you know, we've seen footballers really badly criticized. I mean, you know, a couple former Everton players like, you know, Tom Davies, Dominic Calvert, Lewin, you know, when they went. Just literally went to a fashion show, it made every newspaper, it made every social media post. What's the truth when people say if you have something going on outside of football, it distracts you from football? What is the truth?

[Alex Iwobi]

It's weird because, like, we are humans. I think everyone forgets that we're humans as well. Like, we have a life outside of football. So there'll be a lot of people. I'm sure. Everyone's not just football, football, football, otherwise you could go mad.

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah.

[Alex Iwobi]

So, like, there's a lot of people on my team that love golf. Golf's not. You know, some people say you could get hurt if you swing a certain way, but everyone has things they love doing. So, like Tom Davis and Dom. I remember when I first joined Everton and to me, their style's a bit crazy. So when they used to come with that mad outfits, I'm like, whoa. And people like, oh, you need to focus on football. Like, Just wear a night tracksuit and come into training. But they're just being themselves. And I always encourage it because being you is. That's who you should be. You shouldn't be listening to the outside noise. Focus on what works for you.

[Interviewer 2]

So can I ask you then, about that post Afcon final where you copped an awful lot of abuse and he came off in Instagram, what was it about that that sort of gave you the encouragement to back away from being you publicly?

[Interviewer 1]

We'll be right back after a quick word from our partners.

[Alex Iwobi]

Because after the afcon, I didn't really see a lot until, like, I came off because I just wanted to live in the real world. Like, I just wanted to be myself with no one questioning, no one bothering me. And literally what I do really matters to, like, my friends and my people. So I don't really want to hear the outside, no saying, oh, you shouldn't be doing that, shouldn't be doing this. But then you have brand deals and then you have to. People want to see who you are. So I did have to come back. But, yeah, I just. I don't like listening to the outside noise. Even now, if I post, I'll let my friends view the comments or someone view, like, what's. What people are saying. I never go and look or type my name and see what people saying about me.

[Interviewer 1]

So on that. On that moment after the AFCON match, did you make the mistake of going on and seeing the criticism and then delete the account or what happened there?

[Alex Iwobi]

Nah. So I was just very disappointed. I just wanted to be by myself after the AFCON final. And I came off it, I think, like, literally instantly. So the next day, Victor se, the main striker, he's knocked on my door. Like, I thought I was late for something. The way he knocked on my door was in trouble. He banged on my door and said, lol, Alex, I need to talk to you. And I thought, is something serious? Like, am I in trouble? He said, alex, I don't like what the media are saying about you. And I'm like, what are they saying? I can't see. I'm off. And he goes, yeah, they're saying that the media has affected you. Like, you've done so much for Nigeria. And I'm like, bro, I just literally woke up. That why I'm good? He goes, no, I just want to make sure you're good. And that's when I first found out that people are talking about me. But then I just said to Victor, like, I don't care Like, I'm good. He goes, oh, I just wanted to make sure. Then it was just circling around and we were traveling back to Nigeria, and it became a big deal that I had to come back on Instagram just to make sure to tell everybody that I'm mentally in a good place. I just wanted to come off of that peace of mind.

[Interviewer 1]

And did it affect you when he told you that's what people were saying?

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah.

[Alex Iwobi]

And no, because I don't want people thinking I'm in a bad place. Like, and those. There's people going through a lot worse in this world than I. Like, if you're going through something I always say, like, tell people, like, speak to someone. So I didn't want people thinking, like, I'm in need of desperate help, because I was actually okay. So when he told me that, I was like, oh, I feel like I need to put a message out there. So I remember me and my team put together, like, our own mini podcast, mini interview, just to tell people what's going through my mind and I can say it to everyone. I was always okay.

[Interviewer 2]

So that sounds like you've thought about your inner circle and making sure that. That they're on board with how you receive the information. What kind of conversations have you had with those that are close to you, then to make sure they're giving you the right information rather than all the noise that you describe.

[Alex Iwobi]

I mean, if anything's ever too negative, the first person to tell me is my dad. He's always looking on Twitter. He's an ex now. He's always on there.

[Interviewer 1]

And then he tells you what people are saying.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, no, that's just my dad. Like, he's always on there. My peoples are here now. He sends them everything about me. He's a very proud guy, I have to say. But, yeah, so, like, he would probably tell me my team was. If anything's ever that bad, they'll say, oh, maybe we need to do this. But this is why my team. Good, because we always like to control our own narrative in the sense where, like, I like to put out, if you're going to hear something, it's going to come from me, not from just hearing rumors.

[Interviewer 2]

So what about, though, in terms of relation to your performance, how do they give you feedback? Have you had the conversation about, like, how they deliver it, when they deliver it, what areas that you're willing to listen to them on?

[Alex Iwobi]

Well, they obviously, my dad. My friends always give their opinions, but it's more on a mental stage. It's like, oh, you did good. Like, keep going. But if I really want that help with football, I speak to my coach, I'm a manager on that. My teammates saying, like, everything's really positive. There's never really negative. Even if there's, like, something to improve on. It's not like I was shouting. No one's yelling at me, just come in a calm manner. But, yeah, no one ever delivers messages to me, like, in a mad way, everyone's like, really positive. So. And it's been like that from even when I was at ever and I was going through, like, difficulties on the pitch. They always say, don't worry, you get back, you get back. Like, it was never like anything negative. They always pushed me to go. And.

[Interviewer 2]

And can you give an example, though, of, like, a bit of feedback from your inner circle that has made a real positive difference to you?

[Alex Iwobi]

For example, at Everton, when there was times I wasn't playing and I was on attack on more like a winger trying to get goals. My team, my dad said my team proposed to my dad, oh, Alex should maybe do extra finishing and maybe it'll help him get his goals. And I was a bit stubborn at first, saying, I don't want to pay no one to go and do finishing. I could just go do it myself. But then I listened to my team. We went to somewhere in Manchester and we just worked on my finishing like, once a week. And yeah, it helped me. It helped me build confidence to get on the pitch and literally just shoot from anywhere as much as I can. So just little things like that, my team will help.

[Interviewer 1]

I think one of the real secrets to being an elite sportsman or being in the public eye like you, is the ability to deal with rejection, with criticism, with people having a conversation about you that you're not part of. And actually, if we look back through your story, like, rejection is a. Is a pretty common theme. And I wonder whether actually you can now reflect on what happened early in your career and find some gratitude for the fact that your resilience was built at an early age. And for people in the room that don't know, I think it would be nice to sort of tell them the story of what happened to you when, you know, we're just 14 years old at Arsenal.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, I'm born in May, so I'm one of the late ones in my year. So when I was 14, I wasn't that fully physically developed like everyone else in my year. So I've always been lucky. I was technically good, but I wasn't that far strong. I was quite small. So we said. They always said to me, oh, like, you're not good and you're not strong enough to play with your own age group. Like, keep working on your technical ability. Hopefully you develop over the time. So at 14, I almost got let go. So that was difficult in a sense, where you have that, you have schoolwork, there's a lot you're trying to balance and I'm thinking, oh, then you're going into school. I was. I was not favored in school because I was quite slow as well when I was 14. But they would say, and I went to a rugby school, which did not help because I'm skinny and I'm slow, I'm not winning anything at rugby. But then they were like, oh, you think he's the Arsenal kid? He thinks he's good. But when I was 15, 16, it turned around because I started growing and I played for England. And that's when it started to change, when Arsenal started rating me a bit more, saying, oh, like, he's developing. Living at 16 was even tough because everyone that played for England, my age group, got offered a professional contract, but I was the only one that didn't. So there was like, so many names of like six of us or six of them that got offered a professional contract.

[Interviewer 1]

How do you find that out?

[Alex Iwobi]

So you find out, obviously, everyone. I don't know if everyone knows about Hayland. Hayland's where the Arsenal Academy is. And at the time it was, I believe, Liam Brady. He was telling us. They actually said to me, you're gonna get a scholarship, but if you want to go to another club, feel free to look. I thought, what does that mean? Do you want me or not? Sort of thing. So then I actually looked at Crystal palace, looked at Celtic. I went to the Crystal palace training ground and had a look. But then, like you said, I've been through a lot of rejection with rejection. Whenever I get told I'm not good enough, I always like to prove that I am good enough to stick around. So I said, me and my dad said, we're not going nowhere. We're going to prove that I'm good enough to play for Arsenal.

[Interviewer 2]

But you said earlier that about the social media, that you like to control the narrative. What story were you telling yourself, though? Because you're hearing the messages that they're not sure about you.

[Alex Iwobi]

What was it that convinced you? Yeah, I always believed I was good enough. The same friends that are here today, most of them are back from back then as well, and they always used to Tell me. And it's like, you're sick. You're good, man. You can do whatever. You do things with the woman no one else does. I'm like, yeah, then my dad will say the same thing. Then my uncle would say the same thing. So I'm like, if these lots see it, I need to prove to the other people I don't see it that I can play football. So, yeah, I just literally believe myself that one day I'll turn around and actually I'll change their opinion.

[Interviewer 2]

So did you have a conversation with Liam Brady to ask him, what do I need to improve, or what is it that I need to do to convince you?

[Alex Iwobi]

He always said just, we need you to physically develop.

[Interviewer 2]

Right?

[Alex Iwobi]

That's what he always used to say to me. Because I wasn't the quickest until, like, 18. I was one of the slowest, but I could always run for days, but I was just very slow. So he just said, maybe over time. And he actually believed, saying, over time, I'm sure it will come, but just right now, we're not sure about you.

[Interviewer 1]

And at what point did your career at Arsenal start to involve Arsene Wenger? When did you first start getting regular interactions with him?

[Alex Iwobi]

When I was 18. But the good thing about Arsenal, when you're a scholar, there's a lot of players go on international break. There's so many players that always go play for their country, so they're always losing a lot of players. So they need players to fill, like, fill training, training sessions. So they'll call people from the under 18s. So there'll be a lot of times I'll go and train with the 18s. And this is another reason why I can play numerous positions, because I'll be playing right back. I'll play left back, I play center mid. I'll play striker in training. I remember one time I played right back and Arteta was getting on to me, saying, alex, no, he didn't even know my name, said, hey, you need to do better. And I thought, yo, oh, this is tough at 16 here, and I need to do better. And I'm not. I'm playing right back. So that's when Arsene Wenger, I think, started to realize who I am. And then the more you train well, the more you get called over and literally picked off when picked up when I was 18.

[Interviewer 2]

And is there a story or an anecdote about Wenger that gives you a hint of how special he was?

[Alex Iwobi]

The older I'm getting, the more I'm realizing, like, he's not a man that says many words. I used to think, like, why is he so quiet? Why is he so chill? But when he speaks, when he walks in, everyone's just silent. There's only two people I've seen do that. It's him and Carlo Ancelotti, where they can just walk in and everyone just like this. No one says anything. And obviously, because he was my first manager, I was thinking, why is no one talking? Why is no one saying? Because I had Steve Bold before that, like Steve Gatton. They walk in and everyone's still talking. But with him, yeah, he's had his mad presence, mad aura. And then even, like when he speaks to me, I'm like, I don't even know what to say. So his presence, he's aura. And when he talks, he does a lot of knowledge, like he understands the game and especially youngsters. He's always talking to youngsters to try and improve your game.

[Interviewer 1]

So when you were a youngster and you were just coming through, what would he be saying to you? Even if it wasn't a lot, what was he saying?

[Alex Iwobi]

For me, as a. Because I was playing in midfield, a lot of the time you're just saying, like, composure, that. Stay calm and composed, relax when you're on the ball, take your time. Of course, training sessions, like, maximum three touches in the pitch, so. But he always say to me, stay composed, you've got a lot more time than you think. Because there'll be times. When I first started training first team, the intensity is high. So I'm feeling like I need to get my pass off quick before someone comes and bullies me and barges me. That Francis Cochrane cleaned me one time in training, I thought, I don't want to feel that pain again. So I'm trying to rush the pass. But he said, no, take your time, breathe. Then when you're watching the likes of Urs or you're like watching Santi Carzola and Jack Wilshire, they're playing like there's no pressure. So then the more I'm training and the more he's telling me that, I'm realizing, oh, like, once you have a good touch, you actually have more time than you think.

[Interviewer 1]

And when you first started playing with the first team and you saw those amazing talents, the Wilshires and the Ozils and the Santi Casualas and many others, how present was Imposter syndrome? Was there a voice in your head asking you if you were good enough to be there? Or did you always have the belief

[Alex Iwobi]

that you were No, I always had the belief. I always had the belief because I would never look like I'm out of place. And always after a training session, like, even though I got cleaned up by Cocklin, he'll tell me, you're training well. Like, you say you're doing well. Motorcycle all the time used to be in my ear saying, alex, like, you're doing really good. You're doing really good. And even there was one time called Shoney and he's someone. Another person that doesn't speak said to me, you're doing well. So I was like, okay, I must be doing something right. And because the manager's always talking to me, he gives you that confidence that you're doing well anyway. And, yeah, I really enjoyed it because, like, the more I see youngsters come up now, sometimes the managers don't always talk to the young players, like, what to work on and what to improve on.

[Interviewer 2]

And was there a specific moment when you felt, I'm comfortable here, that I can do this?

[Alex Iwobi]

I think preseason tour in Singapore, when I got called up and I was like, wow, like, I'm. I'm really going away with the first team, with the men's team, and, like, I'm representing them. And then I played in the Emirates cup against Lyon, and I played when I scored and I thought, wow. Because in the moment, you just think, Arsenal's, like, it's top. The intensity is high. I don't know if I'm going to cope when I'm playing other teams, but because I was grateful to be playing in such a. In a team that was one of the best in the world, best players in the world. When you play against other teams, other players, it's not as hard. So I thought, if I can cope here playing for Arsenal and play the way I played against Lyon or Singapore tour, I can play literally anywhere.

[Interviewer 1]

And what year was you. Was that tournament when you felt like, yeah, okay, I belong here.

[Alex Iwobi]

I can't really. I was 18 last, when I was 18 in Singapore, thinking, wow, I'm literally handling myself here.

[Interviewer 1]

And how long after that was it when Arsene Wenger left and was replaced?

[Alex Iwobi]

I must have been 21. I was 21.

[Interviewer 1]

You were 21. Maybe three years later, I'm interested in that period, transition, because there was a period where at Arsenal, you know, drummer, the planes flying overhead, Wenger out, the chance, the banners, that kind of that toxic atmosphere, and you're one of the young players trying to perform in that. And then suddenly this, like, legendary manager leaves and Unai Marie comes In what are your memories of that period and trying to protect yourself in that environment.

[Alex Iwobi]

From what I remember, obviously there was a lot of pressure on us and we could hear, even though people say, like, focus. Like, you don't let distractions get into you or get into the team, everyone could hear it because, like, we're being compared to, like, the Invincibles and we're not doing well. Then I think some ex players are saying, yeah, it's not the same Arsenal. Then there's. At the time when there was Arsenal fan tv, it was literally growing up.

[Interviewer 1]

And would the players see the Arsenal fan tv?

[Alex Iwobi]

I know most of them will say no, but players did see it because there'll be times. I'm not going to say exactly what was said. There'll be times where, like, one person will get trolled by another player, calling them the names that will be said by, like, troops. And I'm like. Because I'm one of the young ones. So I know I can hear it. I see on my Twitter, yeah, I'm like, ra. You watch it. Like, you're actually hearing what they call each other, but they're always denied now. We don't watch it, we don't watch. I'm like, how do you know that nickname then? But yeah, everyone, Everyone could see what's going on. Like, social media back then.

[Interviewer 2]

And did it start to create cliques and divisions, like, in the dressing room?

[Alex Iwobi]

I think from the first time I started playing up, there was. There is a bit of like a division, but it's not like they are one team. But you naturally tend to go to, like, French players would speak with the French players. Spanish players will stay with the Spanish players. The English players will stay with the English players. It's always the case. Even like now at Fulham, even though we're very good, very. That one team, the Brazilians stay with each other, Spanish stay with each other. The UK boys that me, Emil, Calvin, Cess, we all stay with each other, but we still, like, have good banter with everyone. But everywhere I go is always like that.

[Interviewer 1]

I think the interesting thing about that, that period with Arsenal fan TV and all that criticism, is that people often don't see footballers as human beings, right? They just think they're immune to it. And I'd love to hear from a current footballer about what it actually does, the impact that it does have, or what it does do to your confidence or your form or your ability to play well. When all that stuff is going on, when you're sort of in that toxic environment,

[Alex Iwobi]

it's tough for me to understand what actual players were going through because I was one of the young. I was one of the young ones then. So like I think the most I probably speak was probably with Danny Welbeck at the time and he just says like he doesn't care about social media, even that now you don't really do anything with social media. Like he's always been like that. But Theo the same, he just locked him in football. I never really spoke to him about social media but I don't think it affected them that much because they'll still come into training, give 100%. Maybe internally they were going through things but I would never know because I was never close enough then to ask them like, what's really going through your mind? I was just a youngster just minding my own business.

[Interviewer 2]

But if we fast forward further on in your career when you were at Everton where there was lots of turmoil surrounding the club and the team, what was your experience of the outside noise then?

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, that's when I started learning about things and especially me a London are used to playing, used to having a lot more possession of the ball to go into Everton where if all juice back to Everton back then their main focus was slide tackling, people smashing, people running hard. And it's never been in my nature. So they used to be, oh, this Londoner's so soft, needs to focus on getting the ball back. He does one fancy flick and I'm just thinking, oh, like I'm trying to adapt here. And obviously for me, even though I went a foreign country, it felt like a foreign country because of the Scouse language is a bit mad for me. So I couldn't understand what they were saying. At first I couldn't understand what they were saying. But the one thing about Scousers, they're so friendly. They're so friendly, they're so welcoming. But in terms of like in the team, even though there was a lot of toxic like things going around us because we weren't obviously weren't performing the best off to the standards we know we could have when we had the great players that we did that everyone was still like, we were still close to still do things together. We go out for Mills and everyone was close but of course we were disappointed in ourselves. We always come into training. Everyone's always working hard in training. That's one thing with ever and everyone's smashing each other in training. That's standard. So everyone's working hard. So I'll never say anyone was like mentally down, but we just knew that we could do better.

[Interviewer 1]

It's interesting though, what you say about feeling almost like you were playing abroad when you just moved to a new city. And I think we often don't really give players credit for actually what a difference it makes to suddenly transfer to a new club. People expect you just to pick up and play exactly as you were. What are the challenges of changing football clubs?

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 1]

So we'll be right back after a quick word from our partners. I don't know about you, but I really love keeping my money where I can actually see it. Unfortunately, traditional big wireless companies seem to like hanging onto my money for me. For years, I was overpaying for wireless simply because it's what I used to do. I didn't really question the high monthly bill, the extra fees, or those free perks that somehow end up costing me. Eventually I realized it didn't make sense, so I switched to Mint Mobile. Mint exists so that you can save money on your phone bill. Plans start for just 15 bucks a month. You get high speed data and unlimited talk and text on the nation's largest 5G network. Honestly, the wireless service is just as good as the traditional big carriers. You can keep your own phone and your number, activate with ESIM in minutes and start saving right away. So if you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop [e-mail] HPP that's mintmobile.com HPP upfront payment of $45 for three months. Five gigabyte plan required equivalent to $15 a month. New customer offer for first three months only. Then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. You know, I felt I was ready for the advent of AI, but even I have been amazed by how quickly it's become part of the everyday for us here at High Performance. Whether it's finding data and information that Damian and myself need at our fingert whilst we're interviewing a guest so that we can put specific questions to them. Or maybe it's the social media clips created, edited and released by AI that millions of you enjoy every month. From High Performance all the way down to me creating spreadsheets so that I can share my thoughts about how we're doing on the show with the rest of the team. And if you're thinking about using AI for deeper challenges, not just quick fixes, Claude is the AI for minds that don't stop at good enough. It's the collaborator that I find actually understands your entire workflow and and thinks with you. Whether you're debugging code at midnight or strategizing your next business move. Claude extends your thinking to tackle the problems that matter. You know, we've reached the point now where we're constantly asking questions of AI for new shows that we should be creating for you from high performance based solely on data. Are you ready to tackle bigger problems? Get started with Claude today at Claude AI Performance. That's Claude AI Performance. Oh, and check out Claude Pro, which includes access to all of the features mentioned in today's episode. Claud AI performance.

[Alex Iwobi]

Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the next gen ERP powered by AI that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to dos. It's a new workday. I can. Once again, I can only talk about my experience. Yeah, I was away at afcon, had a good afcon. I've come back. I've been told by Una Emery, you get two weeks extra. I'll go. Enjoy your holidays. I'm in Dubai with my family, having a good time. They signed Nicholas Pepe. Great player as well, by the way. Not to say anything about these great player. And I thought, if you really want me, why are you signing up a winger? Like, what's going on here? But I didn't think anything of it. My agent told me, he said, ever not interested? I said, oh, that's nice to hear. Like, no, that's nice to hear. I'm in Dubai, in the ocean. Minimal signal. My agent's calling me. I'm like, I can't hear what you said. Can't hear you. He goes, marco, Silver wants to talk to you. I'm like, all right, Marcus Silver tells me, oh, Alex, we want you to. We think you suit our playing style. And I'm thinking, oh, man. Like, I appreciate. That's nice to hear. Then before, next thing you know, Arsenal have sent off, like, my medical documents. So before I even get a chance to say yes or no, Arsenal basically saying, we don't mind you going, wow. I was like, oh, all right, fair enough. This could be it. So I spoke to my parents, literally my parents and my sister on the boat. And I thought, maybe it's time for me to step out my comfort zone, become a man, go somewhere different. Anyways, fast forward. Landed in London. I've literally had to shoot up up north in. I don't know if anyone knows about the Titanic. In. In Liverpool is a dark hotel, big room. You're by yourself. Just you and you and your thoughts and it's so lonely in the hotel.

[Interviewer 1]

I stayed in the hotel and you're right.

[Alex Iwobi]

Tiny windows, tiny windows. So dark. But then I'm like, oh, what have I done here? Like, I'm by myself here. Anyways, Cool.

[Interviewer 1]

How long were you there for?

[Alex Iwobi]

Overall, I would say two, three months. But there was international breaks. I wasn't there all the time.

[Interviewer 1]

And is it hard when you're suddenly in a hotel?

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, it is. Because, like, I've always been an Arsenal kid. Arsenal's always what I knew. So to go stay in a hotel, I literally just moved out by myself as well. So now I've moved our apartment to go in a hotel that's dark all the time. Even though I was with, like, Moise Keane, English weren't the greatest at the time, so we didn't even really hang out. But he's my boy and he's my close friend. But then, like, I'm trying to understand what Scousers are saying. I couldn't understand when they said, you want something to eat? I'm not used to not eating my mom's cooking. Like, if I wanted to go to the shop, I could do that. In London. I wasn't really. I was half scared to do it in. In Liverpool, just to go to the shop. But one thing about Evan, like, that everyone made it easy. Well, I was not going to go into training. They'll give me food to take home. That was the easy bit. But I was just like, I'm away from my friends, I'm away from my family. Oh, nice.

[Interviewer 1]

Don't worry. No one even noticed.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Interviewer 2]

But can I jump in there, though, Alex? Because you've sort of skipped over the bit of. You're in Dubai. You get the call that Arsenal are willing to let you go. You have a brief conversation with Marco Silva. What kind of questions are you asking him? Because it sounds like you're almost a pawn in this. The club have decided that that's the place you're going to go to because they'll pay the fee. But what are you asking him? Whether it's the right fit for you.

[Alex Iwobi]

I didn't even have to ask him. He just kept on saying to me, you fit into our team. We're going to play. It's what everyone does when you're trying to. Like, you're trying to build things and put positive things in someone's head. So, like, you're going to play. Going to play number 10, you're going to do this. You create. So Many chances for Arsenal, you can do that forever and the players are gonna like you. You can show this person. So you're just putting things in my head. I don't have time to ask, like, what's this? Like, it's built like, everything's just perfect. That's what he made it seem like.

[Interviewer 2]

But do you ask him questions about, how do you develop a player, how do you give feedback, how. How are you going to improve me? Do you get a chance to do that?

[Alex Iwobi]

No, I didn't get the chance because it was on deadline day as well. So I didn't. There was not enough time for me to ask those questions. Like, it was literally.

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah.

[Alex Iwobi]

He said, what do you think? Are you willing to do this? I'm like, give me five minutes, let me speak with my family. And then they said, yeah. Then I called my agent, said, yeah, we're down to do it. So I didn't get time to ask, like, how's your managing? How's your player management? Like, what's the liaison like, what's the training ground like? Do you have this facilities? I didn't get time to ask that.

[Interviewer 2]

But if you had your time again and you had more time, what are the kind of questions, based on the experience you've had, that you would encourage somebody to be asking if they were in a similar situation?

[Alex Iwobi]

What's the player care? Like, as in, like, the liaisons, the people you can go to when you're struggling for, like, oh, no, for food or if you want to go to, I don't know, supermarkets, you want to go to the nearest train station. Just things like that. Because it's only. Even though I did eventually find out that. But I just feel like. Because in case, like whenever, I just wanted to feel homesick, for example, just want to get on a train and go back to London.

[Interviewer 2]

Sure.

[Alex Iwobi]

But, yeah, I think I would have asked that for sure.

[Interviewer 1]

I get a sense that there was like almost a bit of loneliness in those early days at Everton. You're suddenly, one minute you're on holiday, the next minute, the club you joined as a boy has basically said, we don't want you. You've ended up winning 24 hours, moving to another football club and suddenly you know nothing about the place you're in and you're just there on your own in a hotel.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, it's literally just like that. But in fairness to Everton, like I said, they were very welcoming. Like, very, very welcoming. The players are so nice.

[Interviewer 1]

Magic Football Club.

[Alex Iwobi]

No, even, like one person in particular, Seamus Coleman. Nicest guy ever. Even to this day, whenever I see him, I would message each other, he's the nicest guy ever. He definitely helped my time there.

[Interviewer 1]

And how did you cope with. With the message from Arsenal that we think we're going to let you go?

[Alex Iwobi]

I was like, oh, at least let me make the decision for myself. Like, I didn't have to do a medical. At least like, if I wanted to go, let me say I want to go. They just said, like, there you go. Here's his files. We know he's on holiday. Like, he's good to go. I swear. Are you sure you guys really want me and you, no disrespect to Pepe again. You just signed Pepe. I was like, oh, fair enough. I don't know if I'm really gonna play. Then what's crazy, Even though I was like, I just moved. Arsenal played against Liverpool maybe like three weeks after that. So I'm coming back to my hotel. I've seen the whole team. I've seen Nicholas Pepe as well. I've seen an Una Emery's see me and they pulled me for a chat saying it wasn't his decision, it was the club's decision. They couldn't sell any other player and the most money they could get was from your. From you. So I was like, oh, fair enough. He said, this is football, that I respect you as a football player. Even today when play Aston Villa shakes my hand, he asks, how's my family? He's a nice guy. Yeah. But it's just that's made. That made me realize that football is also a business

[Interviewer 1]

just to pick up. That's a really important point, actually, that as a footballer you can be made to feel so important. You earn great money, you're so well looked after, like you're being lauded and celebrated, millions of followers. But you also pretty much have no control over the direction that your career takes. If your club decides that you're. You're done, you're done. It's a strange situation that isn't.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah. I mean, you can ultimately say no, but then sometimes you get frozen out. I could be asked to just be frozen out, so I just took it as my own self. But, yeah, it does happen a lot in football.

[Interviewer 2]

So you've mentioned Unai Emery there in terms of that conversation. Your period at Everton sort of then coincided with a number of different coaches who were the ones that sort of unlocked something in you and got a potential out of you that maybe you didn't know was there.

[Alex Iwobi]

Well, obviously Marco, at the time there, it was very short, but he always said to me, like, you can be a difference maker. It's a shame it happened when he left. But the two that stand out for me were Duncan Ferguson, because he show, he. He himself showed me what Everton's about. Just the passion, the, like, he's like, he's like a fan. Like, he's like one of us. Like, he's just comes into training, he's just excited. He's given everyone energy and like what. When he was the manager, everyone was fighting for him. Everyone respected him like he was. He's a legend there. So he, he taught me about. Literally that's given 100, because before that, don't get me wrong, I give 100, but I wouldn't go and fly into tackles. But he's the one that made me do that. And then the second ones, everyone, I say all the time, Frank Lampard and he, in a sense, I always say he denies it. I say he resurrected my career because it was at the time when he was signed, there was Rafa Benitez beforehand. I wasn't in favor with him. He just. He's a guy that doesn't like having possession of the ball. He. He's more what you do with the ball. And I like to keep the ball sometimes and play. And I was a winger that maybe didn't run in behind an attack, in behind the way he liked. So more time I was on the bench, I wasn't playing. And then it was at the Afcon where I just got a red card. I've came back and I've been told that I'm going to go on loan to a team in Turkey. And I thought, no, I can't do this. This can't be me. No disrespect to the team in Turkey, by the way. Then Frank Lampert has come in, literally as my Afcon's finishing, and he said he didn't know what to expect me at the time, him and Joe Edwards and Ashley Cole, they didn't know what to expect. To me, they've heard things about me. Obviously they see me in the past, but because I was in favor, everyone, they were like, they didn't know what to expect. But one thing I'm lucky, I'm always good in training. So I remember Frank and Joe Edwards pulled me for a chat, said, why, why don't you play like this? The way you like, the way you train is excellent. Why don't you play like this in matches? I said, the way I was Told Rafa Benita is just set the ball and try running behind. He goes, nah, like, play your game. So when we're talking about, like, being me, Frank Lampard just said, be you. And that's literally what worked for me.

[Interviewer 1]

So when you have a manager that wants you to do something that just doesn't feel natural, is there an opportunity to go, no, no, no, that's not my game. Like, let me express myself on the pitch.

[Alex Iwobi]

I tried that with Carlo Ancelotti. I learned the hard way, Honestly, I learned the story. Oh, it's a moment of madness for me, though. So, like, everyone knows I like to get on the ball. I like to play football. I like to, like, 1 and 2, touch and keep the ball. And he just didn't see me as that player. So then there'll be opportunities for me to play. And I'm playing right wing back, playing right back, playing right midfield. And he's literally saying, when you get the ball, which I do get, give it to James Rodriguez, give it to, like, Alain, give it to other people. I thought I could do something as well. You know, I got something. I got a bit, surely. And then there was one time, social media, I said, oh, I wish I could play my preferred position. I put on my. Almost on my story. And he got asked in a press conference. Then he said, oh, then he comes to me, said, where do you usually play? I said, well, in the academy, I played in Midfield as number 10, number 8. He goes, okay, we're going to try next game. We tried against Burnley, it was like 20 at halftime. And Dwight McNeil, I remember, scored a banger. He said, alex, they were putting you left wing. Played left wing. The second half for 10 minutes got dragged. I think the next four games I didn't play again. So I said, wow, I don't think I'm ever going to talk up on social media or talk up to him again.

[Interviewer 1]

So what went wrong in that game?

[Alex Iwobi]

I personally did feel like I had a bad game. Yeah, maybe I did, but I just didn't see it because I thought I was getting on the ball, I was playing forward. And I don't. From what I remember, I didn't lose the ball. I probably lost to the ball like twice. I remember counting because I was thinking, wow, did I play that bad to get moved and dragged off the pitch? But then he just said I didn't have. Well, I feel that he feels that I didn't have the impact like James Rodriguez has, where he's always going to create something. Maybe I just wasn't doing that.

[Interviewer 2]

But there's something here about trust, isn't there?

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 2]

That somebody actually trusting you. And it sounds like that's what Frank and Joe Edwards gave you, that sense of trust. What does that do for your performance when you feel that a manager just has that level of trust in you?

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, for me, when a manager is trusting me, I like, I'm not scared to try things. Even if I lose the ball, I want to get on the ball again and try and make something. That's the sort of player I like to make things happen, like to create a chance, I like to play the ball forward. So when a manager is telling me just, yeah, go do that, even if you lose the ball, go do it again. Because we know nine times out of 10, you're not going to lose the ball, you're going to create something. So when the manager is telling me just literally go, do you. You almost feel unstoppable. You feel like every time you get the ball, you're going to do something.

[Interviewer 2]

Because that ties in with all the research within elite sport, it's often dubbed as psychological safety. The idea that you can make mistakes and it's not held against you or you can make an error and you don't get singled out for it.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, no, it does help. It does help. Who you're around, you surround yourself with. And I've had different managers, different players around Evan, but that time when I had Frank Lampard and Joe Edwards and I've always had Seamus comment here saying, oh, you're a good player, just to express yourself. Leighton Baines, even like when we played against Everton recently, he said, no, it's nice to see that you're free. Fabian Delph, there was normally the older players that will say it to me, the younger players didn't really say they're not going to tell someone, all of them, to go be yourself. But the older players used to tell me, like, you're so good, trust yourself. And when you're hearing it from people like Frank Lampard, he's a legend. Hearing it from Fabian Del, Seamus Coleman, these are legends to me. Just go be yourself, go play. It's like, wow, if they believe, why don't I believe?

[Interviewer 2]

So if you had to put a figure on it, in terms of what, what a difference it made to your performance, what would you say trust did for you?

[Alex Iwobi]

Does a lot for me, like almost like 50% of my games on that, in a sense where, like, if I don't hear those things or don't Feel trusted. Instead of trying to play the ball forward, I probably just set the ball. I won't do nothing. I'll be, I. I'll never be one to hide on the ball. I hide from getting the ball, but I'll probably just set the ball, play the safest pass and try to keep the ball. But then it's like, now the ball went back then. So now when I get on the ball, my first thought always is to go forward, never to do the negative, boring pass. I always like to make something happen.

[Interviewer 1]

So when do you think this was unlocked? Was it Frank Lampard? Was it leaving Everton and joining Fulham under Marco Silva again? Like, when was the moment that the kind of real Alexander Abobe was unlocked? Because I look at your music. We're going to talk about your new EP in a minute. I look at your socials, your YouTube. I don't think it's a coincidence that you look free on the pitch just as you're acting free in your personal life. There's like a. There's like a real freedom to you now.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah. But then again, when I was at Arsenal, I was also very free in a sense. That's when I was heavily, like, on Snapchat. And I'll just. That's when my dad was trending on Snapchat for just. He kept on saying safe. So every time he just comes on camera saying save. So literally I was free at arse and that's when I was breaking and I was doing well. So when I'm being told to, like, tame down and be negative or not play negative football like the others, do the job that I feel I can do. So I just felt like, oh, yeah, I'm losing that trust, losing that belief. But like, I wouldn't say I've never had it because before Arsenal I did, but it was nice. That's why I say Frank resurrected and brought it back in a sense where I can just be me and play how I want to play. And then that was actually the time when I started doing music, but I wasn't putting music out back then when Frank Lampold was the manager.

[Interviewer 1]

And what's Marco Silva done to continue to feed that freedom that Frank gave you?

[Alex Iwobi]

So as soon as I signed, the same thing that he did to get me to ever, the same thing he did for me to come back to Fulham saying, oh, leave you, you're a good. Are the same. But it's just nice because he's a good manager. He's very, very good manager. But like he always said to Me like, you always believe that I can just, I can be a difference maker. That in the prem, I'm always got the stats of creating chances. I'm always like, top five, top six. So he said, just do that for, for us and we'll be okay. And the goals will come like naturally. The, the more you get into those positions. They didn't train and I work on my finishing and he said the goals will come. Of course it's changed a bit now because I play deeper in midfield, but he always told me to do that and he worked with me after training. So, yeah, and now obviously he knew back there I was releasing music just as I was leaving Everton. So he said, yeah, whatever works for you, whatever keeps you happy, just do it. And I was like, okay, fair enough.

[Interviewer 2]

I'm really intrigued by that line that you've used a couple of times in relation to Frank, where you spoke about. It was a resurrection. What have you done to protect yourself now? Because managers come, managers go. So this. So this idea of being able to immunize yourself against that. What changes have you made since then?

[Alex Iwobi]

What's helped me a lot is actually moving back to London as much as, like, being up north was very nice, but moving back to London, I'm very like. I see my friends on a regular basis. I see my peoples on a regular basis. My mum and dad, especially my dad, he will be around the house once a week just to see how I am. He says. He says it's to collect things from the house, but it's literally just to see how I am. He's coming to my house tomorrow. He says he wants to collect documents. He's lying. And then he'll try and say he wants to see the dogs. He's lying. He wants to see me. I know he's like, but just seeing that my people see my friends being happy away from the pitch has definitely helped me on the pitch.

[Interviewer 1]

Let's talk about your new ep, More to Life. I mean, I think the fact is called More to Life sums up what this is about. There is more to life than just being a footballer. So do you look at music and think, one day this is a career, this is the future for me? Like, do you have ambitions to conquer the world of music in the same way you've conquered the world of football?

[Alex Iwobi]

Even with football, the music I've never looked at, I'm trying to conquer the world. It's just something I enjoy doing. I really enjoy being in the studio with my friends and just literally playing, hearing a beat and we're just talking about our lives. That's literally what we always do. So I've never once thought, I want to be the next Drake or I want to be the next Lil Wayne.

[Interviewer 1]

But you take that, though, right?

[Interviewer 2]

Of course.

[Alex Iwobi]

All day. All day. But, yeah, I just like doing what I enjoy. So even, like, music, football, charity stuff, I like going to, like, homeless shelters and seeing the impact it makes just giving someone, like a turkey that I did last a couple years ago. I like just doing things like that. I never know what's going to happen from it, but I just do it for myself and I enjoy doing those things.

[Interviewer 1]

So what does that do for you? Because I know that that gathered a lot of press, the fact that you, around Christmas, went and just gave out food to people that were in need. But I don't think you did it for the press. You didn't do it for the accolades or the kudos. You did it because it mattered. Why did it matter?

[Alex Iwobi]

That one mattered to me, that one in particular, because it was in Newham. It was two streets away from my primary school, and when I was in primary school or in Newham at the time, there was not a lot of people doing those sort of things. And around Christmas, obviously, the cost of living is increasing. It's a bit hard for people and I want people to have a great. I always have a. Back then, I always had a great Christmas. This Christmas, I was in Morocco in a room by myself. But usually Christmas, obviously you play football, there's not. But, like, that element of Christmas being with your family is amazing. Sometimes people don't have the facilities to have that food to take care. So if I can do anything to benefit and help someone's Christmas, I'm willing to do so. Even, like in summer, when we do that, the football tournaments, bringing communities together, like, it's. It's such a great feeling just seeing the outcome and seeing how people are just happy to be there.

[Interviewer 2]

And this might sound a bit of a daft question, like. Or certainly a leap, you know, when you say that you're in the studio making music and you're with your friends, what are the sort of parallels that you see in that environment that you see in the dressing room?

[Alex Iwobi]

There's definitely banter. There's always banter. So, like, especially with, like, the people I had grown, like Calvin, Cess, Emil, if you have, like, a bad touch in training, we're letting you know in the change room, if you have a bad lyric in the studio, he will let you know. So like that band are just being free. It don't matter. Like, everyone gives 100 now when I'm in studio, we'll just listen to the beat and we just think, oh, what are we going to say? Is a topic we talk about and we just ban on. Whatever comes out, comes out in football, the same thing for their finishing and someone scores a banger, they're rightful. Oh, no, you've done your thing. Or Seth misses the target. Like, cess, bro. Like, come on, man. It's literally that same things, that same feeling, just having that good vibe all the time.

[Interviewer 2]

And what are the killers? So let's flip it on its head.

[Alex Iwobi]

What are the.

[Interviewer 2]

Like, what are the killers that can stop creativity or stop a team performing?

[Alex Iwobi]

I guess. Like it can sometimes in football, like, if you play against a man city, you know you're not going to have the ball and just like, oh, you're going to the game thinking we're going to have not that much possession sort of thing. But we always, when we believe, we always do well against those sort of teams. Like, unfortunately, the first half, I don't know, recently we played them and we thought we kind of gave them too much respect, but the second half, we just thought, we ain't got nothing to lose now and we played really well. And we always ask, why don't we play like that from the beginning? So it's just like that belief and it's the same with music. We feel like maybe if you don't hear a beat that you like, oh, I can't go in, I've got writer's block, I can't think of anything. But you actually just have vibes and banter. You eventually get to believe that you can do it. So I feel like you just have to believe whatever you do. So whether you're playing the man city, whether you have a tough beat, you just literally have to believe and you'll find a way all the time.

[Interviewer 1]

You know what I've really enjoyed about this conversation is that you're someone that gets your energy and you thrive off the company of others. Like, if I think about all the things you've spoken about when you're at your happiest, it's when you're surrounded by others and actually when you've been at your loneliest and saddest reading between the lines, it's being in the hotel room in Morocco at Christmas and being stuck in a hotel room when you first signed for Everton and you were lonely. Am I right? Like, being on your own is not your thing.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah. I hate being on my own. I mean, sometimes it's nice and healthy, but then I get bored. I'll probably be on FaceTime with someone that I just get. I don't know what to do with myself. Unless, like, oh, no, I'll go to the gym just to waste time, just to keep myself active. When I get time to think by myself, I get bored and start thinking, oh, what am I gonna do? I'll start playing Candy Crush. Literally. So. But, yeah, I like being surrounded by people because I've always been surrounded by people with my family, my household, my friends. It's always been the case. And when I'm by myself, like, oh, this is boring. This is weird.

[Interviewer 2]

And as somebody, like you say, your EP is more to life as somebody approaching 30. So in football, in terms, you're nearer the end than the beginning.

[Alex Iwobi]

What are you starting to.

[Interviewer 2]

Brutal.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah. Wow.

[Interviewer 2]

But what is more to life after football for you?

[Alex Iwobi]

Good. Good question. Well, I'm grateful once again to my dad, my family that I've invested. So whatever I want to do, I can take my sweet time. Take my sweet time. But more to life in a sense where, like, I'm not just a footballer, I am human. I like to enjoy the things that other people do as well. As well as. As well as football. So that's where more to life comes from. I don't know what I'm going to do after football, but music will probably be a part of it as well.

[Interviewer 1]

And is it nice to sit and have a conversation about being human rather than just sit and be interviewed about football?

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, of course. Because, like, I'm not just a footballer. I'd like to tell people, like, it's a little thing me and my friends say all the time. If someone that doesn't know me asks what I do, I always say, I'm human. What does that mean? Like, then I told them what I do. They're like, oh, you play football? I said, well, I also do this. Oh, how do you balance it? So, like, I just say, that's why I say to you, I'm human. That's. So when I hear conversation, when I have conversations, I always say to people, I'm human first.

[Interviewer 1]

I think that's so interesting. So you are a man that plays football, you're not a footballer.

[Alex Iwobi]

I wouldn't say that. People would deny it. They say, you are a footballer. Yeah, I hear it. But I'm human first. Wonderful.

[Interviewer 1]

Right, we've got some quick fire questions to finish with. First of all, what are the three non negotiable behaviors, the three most important behaviors that you think we should look for in life?

[Alex Iwobi]

Confidence. Confidence and belief. That is a given. Otherwise you won't get to anywhere without that. I've gathered that. I feel like it's very important, the people you surround yourself with. Yeah, very, very important. Because I always say about who I'm with, my family, my friends, I wouldn't be where I am today. That's a tough one. The third one, hard work. But everyone says hard work.

[Interviewer 1]

Yes.

[Alex Iwobi]

I mean, you can say hard work. I'll go hard work. For safety. For safety.

[Interviewer 2]

Well, I mean, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I was interested when we were researching about your relationship with Saka at Arsenal and you had some interesting observations about him and humility was something that you said stood out.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah, because when he was breaking in, when he started training the first team, you can always, like, he's always had that talent. He was very good. Like 1v1. He would shoot and he'd be like, oh. So it was always an all moment in training, but it was just very raw. He weren't polished, but, like, he wasn't. Like, there were a lot of egos coming through to train and especially like London boys, like, I'm calling, pass me the ball, man. But he never had that. He was always, like, very humble, very chilled, and even the way he is now, he's the same guy. So I remember back then when you said, no, this guy's going to be a player, it's definitely going to be a talent. Because in training, like, he was very good, but he was also very grounded.

[Interviewer 2]

So what age would he have been,

[Alex Iwobi]

like, what, five years, four years younger than me? So you'd have been like 17 at the time. 17.

[Interviewer 2]

Back to quick fire questions. What's the single best piece of advice you've ever received?

[Alex Iwobi]

And why express yourself always. Don't be afraid to express yourself. Got it from my uncle J.J. kocha. And I used to. You said it to me once and then I just literally watched how he lived his life. And obviously I'm lucky because he's my uncle. So I used to see him off the pitch as well as on the pitch. I remember one time I went to Bolton training ground and Sam Allardyce, serious manager, doesn't really joke around like that. And he's just dancing and he's coming to kick the ball with me and I think Ivan Campbell, Kevin Nolan, say, hey, hey, G.G. gigi. And he's just like on his own, in his own world. And when it's Christmas and we're back home, he's just dancing, he's just a vibe. He was just the definition of express yourself, always play football, smile on your face. So when I'm watching, when I'm watching him, I'm just learning and saying, just be yourself. So that's where I got from.

[Interviewer 1]

Nice. What is your biggest strength?

[Alex Iwobi]

I would like to say that I'm positive. I don't like to think negative. If there's a negative thought and something negative happens, I got it from my dad. Just think of a solution straight away. Don't dwell on the negativity. So I feel like that's my best strength.

[Interviewer 2]

Your greatest weakness.

[Alex Iwobi]

It used to be listening to, like, obviously you have to listen to your coaches. I'm not saying you shouldn't, but you said listen to my coaches a bit too much in a sense where, like, Rafa Beniti has literally restricted the way I wanted to play. So I feel like sometimes I could take it by myself and take the ownership of that song or take a shot sometimes, or pass the ball, play forward and sometimes listen to him, like, play negative. I feel like listening to the wrong advice sometimes. If that's a weakness.

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 1]

What advice would you give to a young Alex just starting out?

[Alex Iwobi]

If you want to achieve, go for it. That believe in yourself. There's always going to be people doubting you and saying you're not good enough. As long as you believe you're good enough, then that's okay.

[Interviewer 2]

And the final question, Alex, is what does high performance mean to you?

[Alex Iwobi]

For me, high performance, I've always said, play the way you train, train the way you play, and you're going to get the best out of yourself. So in training, whatever you're doing, if you want high performance, you have to work hard, you have to train hard. You have to almost, like, do whatever it takes to get there. So in training, I'm doing 100%. And in matches, emulate, I'll start giving 100%.

[Interviewer 1]

I love that. Listen, it's been so interesting to sit with a current player who just lifts the veil a little bit on what actually goes on under the skin of football, but also someone who reveals to us that he's so much more than just a footballer. I think all of us are excited to learn more about your music. I think it's a really exciting thing for the future for you. One final question. What does everyone else think when they turn around at goals and see Alex Awobi? Playing football.

[Alex Iwobi]

I mean he can answer it cuz he's there sometimes but he's not going to answer. I. I try to disguise myself. It's obviously a bit of an issue with his hair. I normally wear like a snood but. And also when it's summer, it's hard, it's too hot. But I normally wear balaclava. But I remember recently after Afcon, I shouldn't have, but I didn't waste no time. Literally. I think it was the day off two days after the third and fourth place. I went to probably five aside goals with my friends straight away and like the kids are like, is that him? Is he back already? Why? And then they said what would be like when you're Afcon like a couple days ago, what are you doing in Dagenham? I'm like, sorry, man, I just want to play football with my friends. They're like, nah, man, that's sick. That's it. Can we play? I'm like, no, you can't play. It's not my session.

[Interviewer 1]

You can watch.

[Alex Iwobi]

You can't play. They watch for five minutes and then they left.

[Interviewer 2]

I love the idea of you turning up in a balaclava.

[Alex Iwobi]

Yeah. All the time. Especially because it's cold. Summer's a bit harder.

[Interviewer 1]

What a really fascinating evening for everybody here. Thank you so much for taking the time. And ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Alex Iwobi.

[Alex Iwobi]

Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the next gen ERP powered by AI that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to do's. It's a new workday.

[Interviewer 1]

When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters.

[Alex Iwobi]

But when it's for a hospital system,

[Interviewer 1]

they matter even more.

[Alex Iwobi]

Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no

[Interviewer 1]

room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products

[Alex Iwobi]

and fast, dependable delivery so you can keep your facility stocked, safe and running smoothly.

[Interviewer 1]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Eating healthy doesn't mean you have to eat out at a pricey restaurant. Healthy choice simply steamers. Grilled chicken and Broccoli Alfredo is an easy, high protein meal with nothing artificial. The steam tray keeps the sauce separate so you get crisp broccoli, creamy Alfredo sauce and tender grilled chicken.

[Alex Iwobi]

That's delicious every time.

[Interviewer 1]

And it's a satisfying meal with 28 grams of protein. You can find it in the frozen aisle. Healthy choice. What having it all tastes like?