The Rest Is Football – "Inside The Mind Of Pep, Keeping Up With CR7 & International Glory"

Release Date: November 5, 2025
Hosts: Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards
Guest: Aymeric Laporte (Interview at Athletic Club, Bilbao)

Episode Overview

This episode departs from the usual studio banter, delivering an in-depth, warm, and revealing interview with Aymeric Laporte—star centre-back, recent European champion with Spain, ex-Manchester City lynchpin, and now returned hero at Athletic Club, Bilbao. The conversation touches on Laporte’s journey from boyhood in the Basque Country, his development under world-class coaches, glory and heartbreak at Manchester City, the inside experience of playing for Pep Guardiola, his switch of national teams, a stint in Saudi Arabia alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, and what continues to drive him as a competitor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Roots and Basque Heritage

[02:57]

• Laporte describes Bilbao as “like home” after arriving aged 15, learning the language, and feeling part of the culture.
• Athletic’s player philosophy: only those who grew up in the Basque Country or with Basque heritage may play—Laporte fit through his upbringing and family connections.
• “All my friends, my teammates was playing for Spain also. So I decided to play there…I enjoyed a lot. I have the confidence of the manager, the one before, the one now. And I'm really happy to enjoy this moment with my family…” (Aymeric Laporte, [22:49])

2. Rise Through Athletic’s Ranks and Working with Marcelo Bielsa

[06:00]

• Laporte’s rapid ascent: he moved up three age groups to the first team within a season, catching the eye of then-coach Marcelo Bielsa.
• Bielsa only realized Laporte’s talent after a standout youth game against Arsenal: “After that I never come back down.” (Laporte, [08:07])
• He reflects on Bielsa's demanding man-to-man training style and how physically tough it was, but also how much he learned.

3. Manchester City, Adaptation & Pep Guardiola’s Philosophy

[08:58]

• Arrival at City was a whirlwind—he debuted within 24 hours, new boots bought hastily after a 10-day layoff for the transfer.
• On Guardiola: “The way to understand football, you know, the tactical situation in a game, that is the most important thing I learned from him. And he's different. Football that you can see anywhere, I mean, you enjoy playing this football…” (Laporte, [10:16])
• His memories of the most special Premier League wins—recalls scoring versus Brighton in the 2018–19 title decider and the relentless pressure of City’s title races with Liverpool.

4. Champions League Glory & City Legends

[15:36]

• Laporte feels City could have won more Champions Leagues but laments “stupid mistake, or lucky or no lucky situation…” ([15:53]).
• He pays tribute to Aguero, Kompany, and Silva: “They were all of them legends…an honor for me. To play alongside them, to learn from them.” ([17:19])
• Friendly exchanges and strong continued relationships with ex-teammates, especially Aguero.

5. Resilience Through Injury & Mental Strength

[19:05]

• Laporte opens up about his knee injury (pre-2020 Euros), the emotional toll, and the challenge of regaining a starting place: “In 1920…I got injured and that was very, very difficult to accept… The most important thing is your head, to accept it and understand that it will be a process…”
• He credits a “very strong” mentality, prefers self-reflection, and values the support of family and those around him ([20:45]).

6. National Team: Switch from France to Spain

[21:34]

• Never selected for senior France duty despite youth captaincies and Ligue 1/Premier League form.
• Switch to Spain motivated by a desire for top international tournaments and a sense of belonging: “I feel also big part of me feel also Spanish…” ([22:49])
• Winning Euro 2024 was his proudest achievement: “This achievement is I think number one because I felt very important for the team and I played, I played well, I felt very good.” ([24:26])

7. Advice for Young Stars and Team Culture

[26:35]

• On mentoring Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams: stresses humility and self-reflection for prodigies facing sudden stardom.
• “You can be on the top level and you can go down very fast. You have to be humble, you have to be calm…” ([27:00])

8. Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Football’s Next Frontiers

[31:06]

• Laporte on adapting to life and football in Riyadh: “It’s just different… Not better nor worse. It’s different.”
• Football there is challenged by climate and behind Europe in level, but the league is improving.
• Being Ronaldo’s teammate at Al Nassr: “He’s a big worker…he live for that and you can see it…he’s always where he has to be…” ([32:57])

9. Return to Athletic and Bond With Fans

[34:44]

• The transfer nearly collapsed; Laporte was “scared” about missing the World Cup season.
• Felt immense warmth from fans and the club; feels duty to repay their faith: “This is why I wanted to come back…The fans, all the people, even my friends, my old friends…that doesn’t happen in many, many places…I tried to do my best to give them back…” ([35:34])
• Close relationship with manager Ernesto Valverde, who lives in the same building (!).

10. Winning Mentality and What Drives Him Forward

[37:16] & [38:16]

• Highlights the immense pressure and “obligation” to win every match at City, where a draw felt “like end of the world.”
• Admits he’s a “bad loser” and values that drive: “I wanted all my life…to reach a team that just for details, you know, want to win every time. Every time.” ([38:15])
• Looks ahead to World Cup ambition, further trophies with Athletic, and being remembered as an “important piece…good person.” ([39:43])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Guardiola’s tactical demands:

  “The way to understand football, you know, the tactical situation in a game, that is the most important thing I learned from him. And he's different. Football that you can see anywhere…”
  (Aymeric Laporte, [10:16])

• On the Champions League heartbreaks:

  “Small details…sometimes you are lucky, sometimes not. But I think we could win at least…3 usually for stupid mistake, if you want to say. Or lucky or no lucky situation.”
  (Laporte, [15:53])

• On switching from France to Spain:

  “I feel also big part of me feel also Spanish because, you know, with 15 years old, I was already here until 22 years old. It was seven years…”
  (Laporte, [22:49])

• On winning mentality at City:

  “It was obvious for us as City players to win every single game, you know, to draw one game or to lose one game in City, it was like end of the world…in the moment, [pressure] is negative, but after it, I think it's positive…makes you want it every time more, more and more.”
  (Laporte, [37:16], [37:51])

• On Cristiano Ronaldo:

  “He’s a big worker, you know, he like to train himself to maintain his body in the biggest health possible…even fitter than the young guys. So imagine, and the top scorer, he scored many goals. He's always where he has to be…”
  (Laporte, [32:57])

• On his ongoing motivation:

  “I want to make this club bigger every day and to help them to reach…the highest level.”
  (Laporte, [28:26])

• On legacy:

  “I would like to be important piece of…the athletic player that play at the highest level. Big player achieve some more trophies, you know, and good person.”
  (Laporte, [39:51])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Early Years & Basque Heritage: [02:57]–[06:00]
• Youth Ascension at Athletic & Bielsa: [06:20]–[08:34]
• Premier League Debut & Life at City: [08:58]–[14:14]
• On Pep and Tactics: [10:16], [14:10], [14:46]
• Champions League & City Legends: [15:36]–[18:46]
• Injury & Mental Strength: [18:54]–[21:25]
• Switch to Spain National Team: [21:34]–[24:26]
• Euro 2024 & Young Spanish Stars: [24:26]–[28:18]
• Saudi Arabia Experience & Ronaldo: [31:06]–[34:03]
• Return to Athletic, Pressure, Motivation: [34:44]–[39:51]

Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is candid, slightly self-deprecating, and threaded with humility and “big picture” perspective. Laporte is generous with credit to teammates and coaches, direct about setbacks and doubts, but always anchored by an intense drive to win and improve. He laughs warmly about his own struggles (“I’m a bad loser”) and shares open advice for young prodigies. The rapport with the interviewer is relaxed and sometimes playful, matching the sunny day in Bilbao and the homecoming spirit of the episode.

Final Note

Even listeners unfamiliar with Laporte’s journey will finish this episode with a strong sense of the inner workings of a top modern footballer—what it takes to break through, survive setbacks, support new talent, and constantly seek new heights. For City fans, Spain supporters, and all football romantics, this is a compelling, detailed, and inspiring listen.