Patrick Vieira: The Moments That Made Them

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rest Is Football – “Patrick Vieira: The Moments That Made Them”

Date: March 11, 2026
Hosts: Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards
Focus: Celebrating and analyzing Patrick Vieira’s legacy through career-defining moments, with personal anecdotes, tactical analysis, and playful banter.

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Episode Overview

This episode spotlights the career of Patrick Vieira, one of the Premier League’s all-time great midfielders. Gary, Alan, and Micah reminisce about his impact at Arsenal, his fierce rivalry with Roy Keane, experiences from the dressing room, and his unique blend of elegance and intensity. Through five key moments, they explore how Vieira transformed English football and recall both on-pitch heroics and behind-the-scenes stories.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Patrick Vieira: The Arsenal and City Icon (01:24–02:39)

• Micah Richards: Describes Vieira as the full package: “Football intelligence, power, aggressive. Could finish as well... He just had everything, absolutely everything.” (01:32)
• Alan Shearer: Praises his physical presence: “Stand in the tunnel, standing up alongside him, think, wow, look at the size of him. He could run, he could get up and down.” (01:50)
• Off the Pitch: Micah and Alan agree Vieira is “elegant” and “lovely guy” off-field, yet “horrible” in training—two-footed tackles even on teammates. (02:14–02:39)

2. How Wenger and the French Revolution Changed English Football (02:47–06:45)

• French Contingent's Impact: Vieira symbolized Arsène Wenger’s French influx at Arsenal, transforming the club’s diet, lifestyle, and professionalism.
  • Gary Lineker: Jokes about pre-Wenger era meals: “Steak and chips before a game.” (03:38–04:09)
  • Micah Richards: Ribs the older generation for such habits: “This is why I can't take your era seriously.” (04:00)
• Fitness Evolution: Contrast between past and present athlete physiques: “In my era, very few... everyone was like just normal people.” (05:45)
• Athleticism: Alan Shearer on Vieira: “Long legs just nonstop as well. For the whole of the game.” (06:28)

3. Defining Rivalry: Vieira vs. Roy Keane (08:36–14:13)

• Legendary Midfield Battles: Vieira’s battles with Roy Keane encapsulated the Arsenal vs. Man United rivalry.
  • Gary Lineker: “Technically, Vieira.” (09:09)
  • Alan Shearer: “I don't think there's much in it at all [between them].” (09:14)
  • Micah Richards: “I wouldn't want to tackle either of them, would you?” (09:19)
• Tactical Intelligence: Discussion on who’s more analytical, Vieira or Keane.
  • Lineker: “Vieira... was really interesting tactically, whereas I've never seen Roy do a real analytical piece.” (10:26)
• Goal Scoring Comparison: Both had similar Premier League goal ratios.
  • Lineker: “Their goal scoring records... quite similar. Both played over 300 games.” (11:36)
  • Personal Anecdotes: Lineker recalls playing against young Keane: “You could see that this young kid was going to be something special.” (11:47–12:01)
• Roy Keane’s Aura: “He's got an aura... he's not that tall, but everyone's just in awe.” (12:41–12:51)

4. Patrick Vieira’s Defining Goals and “Invincible” Legacy (14:13–17:04)

• Key Goals:
  • Title-Clinching Derby Goal: Vieira’s knack for pivotal goals, e.g., the North London Derby clincher. “Look at his long legs getting in there in the box, gliding in.” (13:58)
  • 1998 Newcastle Stunner: Recollection of Vieira’s superb strike as pivotal to Arsenal’s double-winning season. (16:16–17:04)
  • Alan Shearer (who played in the match): “What a goal. Strike.” (16:39)
• Invincible Season: Shearer and Lineker express awe at Arsenal’s unbeaten season, doubting the feat will be repeated:
  • Gary Lineker: “Do you think that’ll ever be done again? No, I don’t think so…” (15:14–15:22)

5. French Influence on the Premier League (18:46–20:44)

• Why the French Were So Impactful:
  • Lineker: “Do you think they’ve been the most influential country to... our game?” (18:46)
  • Richards: Attributes it to Ligue 1’s physicality and athleticism. (19:22–19:36)
  • Lineker: “Their league... it’s a league where the best players will still leave it.” (19:46)
  • Coaching Influence: Wenger and Guardiola named most transformative; Mourinho respected but less stylistically influential. (20:12–20:43)

6. Vieira’s Versatility: Footballing Intelligence and Goals (20:44–22:13)

• Vieira’s Tactical Play:
  • Analysis of a classic goal following a clever one-two: “Patrick Vieira keeps on running and here he is, Vieira... Brilliant goal. Brilliant team effort rounded off by the skipper.” — Alan Shearer (20:55–21:06)
  • Lineker: “It’s just an example of the... football that Arsenal played and B, Patrick Vieira could play.” (21:20)
• Comparing the Great Box-to-Box Midfielders:
  • Lineker: “Where’s Vieira in that pecking order? ... Roy Keane, Brian Robson, Steven Gerrard?” (22:13)
  • Richards: “Steven Gerrard’s my number one... I just think he could do everything.” (22:23)
  • Shearer: “Brian Robson was brilliant at that, wasn’t he?” (22:31)
• Lineker’s Classic Robson Story: Lineker shares an anecdote of marking Brian Robson to highlight his competitiveness and goal threat (23:31–24:44).

7. Vieira’s Final Bow and Life After Arsenal (25:04–29:12)

• Last Goals & Injury: Vieira’s last league goal and his final act at Arsenal—spot-kick in the 2005 FA Cup final before joining Juventus.
  • Lineker: “That was the last league goal he scored for the club.” (26:11)
  • Shearer: “Oh, that was his last legal. Was it?” (26:13)
  • Richards: Notes Vieira struggled with knee injuries and never reached same heights in Italy. (26:31)
• City Days & Milan Tales: Micah recounts a glamorous trip with Vieira to Milan:
  • Richards: “He was like a God out there... there was just women everywhere flocking... He was obviously professional.” (27:11–28:11)
  • Humorous Banter: Micah claims he pretended to play for Inter Milan to impress, ending the story with: “Rest is history.” (29:12)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Richards on training with Vieira:
  “He was horrible in training, though.” (02:26)
• Shearer on Vieira’s presence:
  “He was a man mountain. He was an incredible player.” (02:14)
• Lineker on English football’s old diet:
  “Steak and chips before a game.” (03:38)
• Richards on generational change:
  “This is why I can't take your era seriously.” (04:00)
• Lineker on comparing playing eras:
  “That's why it's so difficult to compare players from different eras.” (04:54)
• Lineker on Arsenal-Man United rivalry:
  “That rivalry was something.” (08:30)
• Shearer on Invincibles:
  “That is like some achievement, that, isn't it? Do you think that'll ever be done again?” (15:14)
• Richards on Vieira’s legend in Milan:
  “He was like a God out there because he'd been playing for obviously Inter and then he was at Uwe.” (27:11)
• Lineker to Richards after Milan story:
  “Good name for a podcast. That's it for this episode of the Rest is football.” (29:25)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Vieira’s Traits – 01:07–02:39
• Wenger’s French Revolution/Old School vs. Modern Football – 02:47–06:45
• Vieira vs. Roy Keane Rivalry – 08:36–14:13
• Invincible Season & Classic Goals – 14:13–17:04
• French Influence on English Football – 18:46–20:44
• Tactical Breakdown & Midfield Rankings – 20:44–22:13
• Brian Robson Anecdote – 23:31–24:44
• Vieira’s Final Years/City & Milan Stories – 25:04–29:12

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Tone, Banter & Chemistry

The episode blends reverence for Vieira with the trio’s trademark wit and camaraderie. There are affectionate jibes about generational differences, detailed recollections of old-school football culture, and personal tales from both the pitch and nightlife—making the discussion both insightful and entertaining for football fans of any era.

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For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode delivers a rich portrait of Patrick Vieira’s place in football history and what made him so influential, while never taking itself too seriously.

Transcript

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[Gary Lineker]

Hello and welcome to the Rest is Football with Alan Shearer, Michael Richards and me, Gary Lineker. In our latest episode of Premier League greats, the moments that made them we're going to talk about. Could I describe him as one of your heroes?

[Michael Richards]

Yeah, you can do.

[Gary Lineker]

Probably.

[Michael Richards]

That's fine.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah, probably both as an Arsenal player and someone that you played alongside at Manchester City, the great Patrick Vieira.

[Michael Richards]

Now we're cooking. What a player he was. I mean, football intelligence, power, aggressive. Could finish as well. Could finish little dinks, I remember them. And these long shots. He just had everything, absolutely everything.

[Alan Shearer]

He had such a presence, you know, Stand in the tunnel, standing up alongside him, think, wow, look at the size of him. He could run, he could get up and down. He was brilliant on the ball. That partnership he had with Petit, oh, he was underrated.

[Michael Richards]

Petit as well.

[Alan Shearer]

Yeah, they were brilliant as a pair, weren't they? But Vieira was, he was a man mountain. He was an incredible player.

[Michael Richards]

He's elegant off the field though as well, isn't he?

[Alan Shearer]

Lovely guy. Yeah.

[Michael Richards]

He's got that swagger.

[Gary Lineker]

When you meet him, you don't see that hard guy, do you? That competitiveness.

[Michael Richards]

He was horrible in training, though.

[Gary Lineker]

In training, in training, horrible.

[Michael Richards]

He just. His tackles, two footed and everything.

[Alan Shearer]

Exactly in the game.

[Gary Lineker]

Exactly the same really, with his teammates.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah, he was horrible in training.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah.

[Michael Richards]

I used to say to him, like you as my hero. Now I've met you, I don't like you. I say to him all the time.

[Gary Lineker]

He was part of that obviously French contingent that arrived under Arsene Wenger and helped to transform our game a little bit in some ways. When he first came there was, I think it was like 10 Englishmen in the team. Massively changed by Van guided to him. The thing at Leicester, we had a guy called Jock Wallace, a Scottish manager and he brought loads of Scots down. Didn't quite have the same effect as the French had at Arsenal.

[Michael Richards]

What did you have for pre match back then? That's random because I was thinking about. Because obviously Wenger bought all this.

[Gary Lineker]

The way of living, pretty much what you wanted. In fact, when I first broke through into the first team, we actually had this thing called a pre match meal. It was like, wow. And I had a steak.

[Alan Shearer]

Me too.

[Gary Lineker]

You had a steak before you went to have a steak? I mean, far cry steak. You can have steak. Yeah, I've never had a. I didn't really have too many steaks before that. So why not?

[Michael Richards]

Do you not feel heavy?

[Gary Lineker]

Steak and chips? I didn't feel any different. I mean, I mean, yeah, but obviously lat. Well, not much later than that it became, you know, you'd have a bit of pasta or something. But that's what me.

[Michael Richards]

This is why I can't take your era seriously. Steak and chips before a game.

[Alan Shearer]

He doesn't mention. He doesn't mention chips, did he?

[Michael Richards]

I'm sorry, sorry.

[Gary Lineker]

Chips as well. Yeah, it's taking chips.

[Michael Richards]

Steak and chips.

[Alan Shearer]

I had steak but I didn't have the chips.

[Michael Richards]

I don't know. Imagine you would have been professional.

[Gary Lineker]

No, this is my point.

[Michael Richards]

You would have had more goals, obviously.

[Gary Lineker]

But imagine putting a player now when they've been body coddled and treated properly and all this put into our era of steak and chips and out you go, some with a fat like bloated belly. No wonder. And off you go in a dodgy penis. We were also told not to work on our upper bodies because it make you immobile. Nonsense. So therefore we had no benefit of all the scientific knowledge that they now have in the game. Imagine how good I would have been.

[Michael Richards]

You'd have been bloody good, huh?

[Gary Lineker]

In the game.

[Michael Richards]

How many goals for England? 40.

[Gary Lineker]

48.

[Michael Richards]

I got 48.

[Gary Lineker]

But you know, I'd be. I'd be miles out of cane and all. Hundreds. But no, there's serious differences and that's why it's. It's so difficult to compare players from different eras.

[Michael Richards]

And so how many goals would you score in this era under Wenger? If you had Wenger as a manager, he brings you in, he strips you. How much did you weigh back then, would you say? Let's go in kg.

[Alan Shearer]

In kg, his body was about 11 stone, but his lugs were about 3.

[Gary Lineker]

Sorry, Cass.

[Michael Richards]

Anyway, yes. So what Was your weight? 70 I would say about 75 kg. 80. So he could have got you down to a lean 75. You'd have been stronger, faster.

[Gary Lineker]

I would have been up because I'd had no muscle mass up top because we were told not to work on our upper body training when I was young. It's ridiculous. That's why you, you know, now all the players are ripped on me. You, you see a shirt off. In my era, very few. You get the odd one that was. But everyone was like just normal people. Yeah. It's so weird.

[Michael Richards]

Dad bod.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah. And you know, they were so wrong about it back then. So wrong about the, you know, week before matches that the, you know, the, the kind of training that we did was all just flawed. So I mean it's funny, isn't now you're looking at Patrick Viera and you're looking at even that. Now you go, you'd say in those days it's just messed how the game just can continues to evolve. But he did change things.

[Alan Shearer]

He was like a proper athlete as well or Vieira as I could get. I mean, yeah, long legs just non stop as well. For the whole of the game. Yeah. Big long legs getting in the way.

[Gary Lineker]

And imagine the energy we could have had.

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[Gary Lineker]

Let's do our first moment. It's really about the rivalry of Arsenal and Manchester United. And that fabulous goal there comes out to Patrick Vieira.

[Michael Richards]

That's another really special goal. It's another Frenchman. Look at his shoulders though.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah.

[Alan Shearer]

Keeper should have saved that though.

[Michael Richards]

It was a great strike. That was.

[Gary Lineker]

Is that Schmeichel?

[Alan Shearer]

Schmichel. Peter Schmeichel. Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

There's a slight deflection.

[Alan Shearer]

Not many times you could see slight deflection, though.

[Michael Richards]

No.

[Gary Lineker]

Yes, I think.

[Michael Richards]

No, there wasn't.

[Gary Lineker]

Oh, come on.

[Michael Richards]

Have a look into the top.

[Gary Lineker]

I think it's whoever it is in right at the back, right running.

[Alan Shearer]

Oh, maybe not sure.

[Gary Lineker]

Maybe not.

[Michael Richards]

Not sure.

[Gary Lineker]

Maybe it was as sweet as it looked. Beautiful. Beautiful sight. And it's. That rivalry was something.

[Michael Richards]

It was better. Keno or Vieira?

[Gary Lineker]

Keenan Vieira.

[Michael Richards]

You played against both of them, didn't you?

[Alan Shearer]

Yeah, I did play against both of them.

[Gary Lineker]

Have you ever seen.

[Alan Shearer]

I don't know.

[Gary Lineker]

Have you ever seen the Keenan Vieira documentary?

[Michael Richards]

Yes.

[Gary Lineker]

Made by you. Tony Pastor, was it? Yeah, in the early days. Very, very early days.

[Michael Richards]

Is that when you nicked him to come here?

[Gary Lineker]

No, he nicked me.

[Michael Richards]

Oh, he nicked you, did he?

[Gary Lineker]

Well, no, we just made. You know, we got together.

[Alan Shearer]

Who was better?

[Michael Richards]

Who was better? Okay, let's go.

[Gary Lineker]

Technically, Vieira.

[Michael Richards]

Vieira.

[Gary Lineker]

I don't know. There's not much in it.

[Alan Shearer]

I don't think there's much in it at all.

[Gary Lineker]

Between the ball in all ways, I think.

[Michael Richards]

Tackler.

[Gary Lineker]

I wouldn't want to tackle either of them, would you? Well, you'd be all right, wouldn't you?

[Michael Richards]

Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

Would you fancy yourself in a tackle? Against which one?

[Michael Richards]

No, no, no, none of them.

[Gary Lineker]

No, no. Just how you came head to head.

[Alan Shearer]

Against particularly, it was those long legs that were gangly legs that used to get you all the time on tackling. I don't know. They were both. They were both nasty at times, weren't they?

[Michael Richards]

Football intelligence. Is it just same or not? You said the era.

[Gary Lineker]

Only in terms of. I've heard him talk about the game a lot, and I've heard Roy talk about the game a lot, but when Roy talks a lot about the game, I never hear anything tactical. I don't see him talking analytically. I've. Obviously, Vieira went. They both went into management, and neither of them particularly successful. And I wonder. And I've never. I mean. But I did interview Patrick in New York when he was in charge of New York City, and he was really interesting tactically, whereas I've never seen Roy do a real analytical piece.

[Michael Richards]

He does. Behind the scene.

[Gary Lineker]

He does. So you might well do it. It's the same with Patrick, and I've never heard him do it either, but when I spoke to him. But I've never really worked one game in with Roy once, and it was great, but. So why doesn't he do it on Sky. I mean he plays Roy Keane and he does it and he is. He's his absolute box office and he's much listened to and his opinions are strong, but I've never seen him dissected.

[Michael Richards]

I think it's a format because sky is so. It was like a Monday Night Football. He did one Monday Night Football. Really interesting. But don't forget, you don't really get. You get time but you're talking.

[Gary Lineker]

Barry Neville will do it. Jamie Carraghan does in particular.

[Michael Richards]

I think he just enjoys the strong opinion, you know, I think that's just no what gets him going, you know, because he was so such a great player and when he sees people not doing the basics correctly, it frustrates him.

[Alan Shearer]

I wonder what they're like comparable with goals in terms of the. Both of them were scoring.

[Michael Richards]

Roy got more than you think actually because I always take the mick out in saying he didn't score that many goals. I'm sure he got some like 80 odd goals.

[Gary Lineker]

Their goal scoring records actually in the Premier League are very similar ratio wise. Both played over 300 games obviously, so they are quite similar. I played against Roy.

[Michael Richards]

Did you? Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

He was at Forest and a couple of times, two or three times and you could see that this young kid was going to be something special.

[Alan Shearer]

That would have been what, 91.

[Gary Lineker]

91 FA cup final, right.

[Michael Richards]

Oh, wow.

[Gary Lineker]

We played in that. Which we won.

[Michael Richards]

What did you see in him? Right.

[Gary Lineker]

But could you could just looked a bit Brian Robson? A little bit. I think Brian was better going forward. It's while scoring more goals, probably more all round. Brian for me was in terms of the box to box players. While we're on that subject, he will be my number one. And then had Keane and Vieira. Would those be up there as well? I would say you could see his competitiveness. He's, you know, he covered the ground. He was leadership. It's hard to say, you know, you're playing a game against someone actually is just coming through. So he's very young but you could, you know, there's a lot of talk about him.

[Michael Richards]

He's just got some. He's got aura. He's got an aura when going somewhere with him. He's just. He's not that tall but everyone's just like in awe.

[Gary Lineker]

It's because the way he talks, the way he's reacted on the football pitch, all the hardness. He's the hard man, you see and he plays up to it, but he's

[Michael Richards]

the nicest guy ever. He's the nicest man ever.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah. The on screen Roy Keane is slightly different, I think, to the off screen. I mean, he plays it brilliantly and he's great television, I think.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah. He's box office as well.

[Gary Lineker]

I always used to look at other pundits from other things and we. And then people say, out of all of them, which one would you take? And I always used to say Roy King, because he's box office, because he's something different. He's got that, you know.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah, totally agree.

[Alan Shearer]

Some rivalry, wasn't it, over the years with those two.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah. But I used to like the way Roy used to just pull his team together. You remember in the tunnel and he's just like, you're picking on Nev. Yeah. And he just stood up to him. I was like, that was. It was iconic that Arsenal won a

[Gary Lineker]

title or two with. With Patrick Vieira invincible. He scored, obviously. And the title clinching derby Patrick. Did I. It finished 2, 2 this game.

[Michael Richards]

But look at his long legs getting

[Gary Lineker]

in there in the box, gliding in. Oh, he needed long legs to reach that one.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah. I don't think he's appreciated for. For this side as well. He's got important goals.

[Gary Lineker]

There you go. You got off a chance with those lot.

[Michael Richards]

Look at that.

[Alan Shearer]

Just a bit.

[Michael Richards]

Perez, Burkham, Henry. Oh, Vieira. What a squad that was.

[Gary Lineker]

It was. It's one of the best teams around that time.

[Alan Shearer]

We played 90, 98 FA cup final against Arsenal team and they won the double.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah. Who was you up against? Something about who sent him back might

[Alan Shearer]

have been Martin Keown.

[Michael Richards]

I think he's underrated player and I'm going a little bit off topic, but Keown, you know, was good. He was a good player. He was strong, wasn't he?

[Alan Shearer]

And aggressive competitor.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah, he was underrated.

[Gary Lineker]

The one thing, I mean, they've still not won one. One thing that's missing, obviously, League titles, FA Cups, as you mentioned. No Champions League. I mean, that's probably an area that Roy has the edge on, obviously. Although Roy didn't play in the final.

[Michael Richards]

He didn't play in the final. Yeah. Suspended, wasn't he? I thought he won a Champions League there.

[Gary Lineker]

They lost in the quarterfinals that game against Chelsea, didn't they? With Patrick in the Champions League.

[Alan Shearer]

You know, that invincible team as well. Lord, you think when you go through that, that is like some achievement, that, isn't it? Do you think that'll ever be done again?

[Gary Lineker]

No, I don't think so. And I think it's. It was. I mean, no, Surely not.

[Michael Richards]

No.

[Gary Lineker]

I mean particularly now, I think. Because I mean it was incredible then and it was a remarkable achievement. But I think nowadays with. I think the clubs have got more money and been able to buy better players in the bottom half or the middle half of teams. Whereas I think if you go past in 20 years ago, if you go past the teams in the top six or seven spots, I think there's quite a drop off.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah, Agree.

[Gary Lineker]

I'm not taking anything away from their teams. I'm just saying one of the reasons why I think it very unlikely to happen. I mean, imagine going into a game

[Michael Richards]

knowing you're not going to lose.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah. God. Blow. Another one of these great goals against Newcastle. What we got into your life maybe.

[Michael Richards]

Have you played in this one?

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah. This was 1998. Anelka Vieira, four forward for Arsenal.

[Michael Richards]

My word. Patrick Vieira with an absolutely marvelous goal. A third here.

[Gary Lineker]

That should make absolutely sure of the three points.

[Alan Shearer]

I'd have been playing this one, I think. Yeah. What a goal. Strike.

[Gary Lineker]

Wow. You were playing, were you?

[Alan Shearer]

I think I was playing.

[Gary Lineker]

Remember, you can't that goal.

[Alan Shearer]

Stuart Piercey. Yeah. What a strike that is

[Michael Richards]

asking for the ball there.

[Alan Shearer]

Unbelievable.

[Gary Lineker]

They went on to win the league. That was the first league win, wasn't it, that season? Wow.

[Alan Shearer]

Wow. Brilliant. Great strike. You could do that though.

[Michael Richards]

Where was you again on there?

[Alan Shearer]

Probably 20 yards behind again. Watching it fly in the top corner.

[Michael Richards]

Blaming someone else probably.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah.

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[Gary Lineker]

Do you think. I mean, obviously that he brought in quite a few Frenchmen. Do you think they've been the most influential country to. In our game? If you think of the amount of players, the number of players that have come into the Premier League and I can't. I mean, after that. Probably Spain.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

The players that Germany have come. Not too many have done brilliantly.

[Alan Shearer]

Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

But I think the French somehow. Why do you think that is? Maybe because Wenger was one of the first foreign managers.

[Michael Richards]

That's a good question, though. Maybe because the French league is a physical league in terms of output. Up and down. Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

You know, it's a mix between the Spanish league, which is very technical.

[Michael Richards]

Yes.

[Gary Lineker]

And the English league, which is very physical.

[Michael Richards]

Loads of athletes in the French league. Loads. If you watch the games, the quality is not that great at time, you don't see that many combinations, but you see loads of athletes.

[Gary Lineker]

And also probably their league. It's a very strong league, but it's not. It's a league where the best players will still leave it.

[Michael Richards]

Yes.

[Gary Lineker]

Mostly. Apart from. Unless they stick at psg.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah. Because those people want to go to

[Gary Lineker]

Barcelona, Real Madrid, big clubs in Spain or the bit. And it used to be the big clubs in Italy, but that's probably not quite so much the case now. There's lots of French players playing in Italy, so. Yeah. It's an interesting one, isn't it? I think they've. They've probably had the biggest influence on. On our game, definitely. In terms of coaching as well. That and the Spanish with Pep. Pep and Arsene. I think those two have probably influenced the game more than.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

Than any other managers that have come from abroad.

[Michael Richards]

Mourinho.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah. I'm not sure he's influenced the style of our football, though. I think Mourinho played very much to the English way of. In a way slightly more tactical, more defensive.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

But let's move on to the fourth moment. This is a lovely little one. Two, really.

[Alan Shearer]

Patrick Vieiro keeps on running and here he is, Vieira.

[Michael Richards]

Brilliant goal.

[Alan Shearer]

Brilliant team effort rounded off by the skipper.

[Michael Richards]

Arsenal are level.

[Gary Lineker]

A lovely little give and go. Describe that as third man run.

[Michael Richards]

They call that one, two. There you go, little dink. Left foot.

[Gary Lineker]

It's just an example of the. The sort of football that A, Arsenal played and B, Patrick Vieira could play.

[Michael Richards]

It was so entertaining back then, though, wasn't it?

[Alan Shearer]

That is such A clever finish as well though.

[Michael Richards]

Oh yeah, a little.

[Alan Shearer]

The build up was brilliant. The finish, the little. Yeah, that's what it was. Yeah, sure.

[Gary Lineker]

Jamie Carragher's doing here, by the way.

[Michael Richards]

Where is Carragher?

[Gary Lineker]

He's there, look, look. Oh, he's got Bennett.

[Michael Richards]

It was in two minds, weren't he?

[Alan Shearer]

Brilliant. Brilliant caller.

[Michael Richards]

I'll be showing him that.

[Gary Lineker]

You can show.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah, I'm gonna show him that.

[Gary Lineker]

I'll send you that clip.

[Michael Richards]

Yes, please clip it up. They keep mentioning. They keep mentioning us on their pod, don't they?

[Gary Lineker]

No, they keep little swipes. If they do. We'll dig out the footage.

[Michael Richards]

Yes, areas.

[Gary Lineker]

Look that.

[Michael Richards]

Oh, where's he going? Nope. Is he nuts? Yeah, send me that clip.

[Gary Lineker]

Vieira was. Was a box to box player. You got people like Roy Keane, you got Brian Robson, Steven Gerrard. Where does. Where's Vieira in that pecking order?

[Michael Richards]

Steven Gerrard's my number one. Yeah, he's my number one.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah.

[Michael Richards]

I just think he could do everything.

[Alan Shearer]

You wouldn't have seen much of Brian Robson though.

[Michael Richards]

No, that's.

[Alan Shearer]

Brian Robson was brilliant at that, wasn't he?

[Michael Richards]

That good.

[Gary Lineker]

I told you, I told you this story before. I'm going to tell it again. Know because there's always a fresh audience that I broke into the England team and I was. And Brian Robson's like. Like a bit of a hero. And anyway, we got fairly friendly and then we played. We played a game at Old Trafford. It was a midweek cup tie, I think. And I was playing for Leicester latter pretty much my last year at Leicester, I think. And before the game, Gordon Milne was up, coach stroke manager. And he said, I want you to come back from. From corners. Which was very unusual. He said, just stand on the edge of the box because Brian Robson's been doing that. We've Adam watched. So I went, you want, you want me to mark Brian Robson? And I was going, what? He went, yeah, yeah, don't worry, he's not going to go. He's not been going in the box. They've had one or two goals where the ball's been cleared. And he said, I just want you to kind of monitor him there. And I went. So two stories. Game kicks off, 10 minutes in, they get a corner. I march back. There was Brian on the edge of the box as. As it was said. So I. So I come back and I go next to him. Robbo starts laughing. He's gone, he's gone, what are you doing? I went, they want me to mark you. So he just went. So first corner comes in, he doesn't stand on the edge of the box, does he?

[Michael Richards]

Fucking plows in. So I'm running back with him and

[Gary Lineker]

he ends it, hits the bar, goes over and I'm in the. On the floor like this. And I'm going. And I looked over the bench like this. And I'm going like this.

[Alan Shearer]

I told you.

[Gary Lineker]

Anyway, so next 15 minutes later, another corner trashes me, smashes me heads. It scores the goal, right? So I go in at halftime and I said, I told you he'd go in the box if I'm not. And he said, gary step from corners.

[Michael Richards]

He didn't score, though, did he?

[Gary Lineker]

He did. And me went in the net. Andy went in the net?

[Alan Shearer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

I mean, Robbo was unbelievably aggressive. I mean, he was no business. No real bigger than me or anything, but he's just got that.

[Michael Richards]

So how old is he compared to you?

[Gary Lineker]

Robbo's a few years older than me. He'd probably be late 60s.

[Alan Shearer]

Great blog as well. With Terry Venables as a coach, he was number two.

[Gary Lineker]

With Terry, he was two.

[Alan Shearer]

He was number two in 96. And lads loved him, loved everything about him, how he was. And just to respect that, he got.

[Gary Lineker]

You could. Without injuries. And I know this is, you know, can never prove this, but without injuries, because we lost him in both 86 and 90 during the tournaments. I think we'd have won one of them, I think. Yeah, I think 90, if it would have fit Brian Robson.

[Michael Richards]

Do you like a few bevies?

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah, I think it's safe to say. Yeah, I don't think you'd mind just saying that Robbo likes a few. Right, let's. Our fifth and final moment with Patrick Vieira was. Well, his final bow, really. And he went out in some style. Edu and Percy Birat. Oh, and Arsenal have walked it in through Patrick Vieira.

[Alan Shearer]

It's another beautiful goal here at Highbury

[Gary Lineker]

for the home side.

[Alan Shearer]

Another clever finish again, isn't it?

[Gary Lineker]

That's the. That's the finish of a look at the pass. Center forward.

[Michael Richards]

Oh, wow. Classy spin on the ball.

[Gary Lineker]

That was the last league goal he scored for the club.

[Alan Shearer]

Oh, that was his last legal. Was it?

[Michael Richards]

Yeah.

[Gary Lineker]

He did get the winning penalty in that 2005 FA cup final against Manchester United and then went to Juve.

[Alan Shearer]

He never.

[Gary Lineker]

He left at 29. Some people think maybe he left before. Maybe they could have gone on and perhaps won a Champions League or something.

[Michael Richards]

He had problem with his knee.

[Gary Lineker]

Oh, is that what it was. He was never quite the same heights after that. Was he in Italy and then came back to Manchester City.

[Michael Richards]

Oh, it was great.

[Gary Lineker]

Where you played with him.

[Michael Richards]

Oh, we played in there.

[Alan Shearer]

So what the year was that? What was you. Were you at City?

[Michael Richards]

So 2011. Because he won the FA cup that year.

[Alan Shearer]

Right.

[Gary Lineker]

What was it like off the pitch?

[Michael Richards]

Oh, my gosh. Elegant. He just. We had a trip to Milano, didn't we? First time I'd been on a private jet.

[Gary Lineker]

Really?

[Michael Richards]

And I was.

[Gary Lineker]

Whose private jet was.

[Michael Richards]

Well, he sorted all that out. You know what I mean? I won't put my money in my pocket for that.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah.

[Michael Richards]

I never like flying. We went there and honestly, he was like a God out there because he'd been playing for obviously Inter and then he was at Uwe. Then we went to a place called.

[Alan Shearer]

There's a sign. There's a sign.

[Michael Richards]

Yeah. That's basically saying, don't tell the real story. You better stop there.

[Gary Lineker]

Oh, God, I'm looking forward to this story now.

[Michael Richards]

And we went to a place called Yakut. It was like bar, belly dancing.

[Gary Lineker]

Oh, that kind of club.

[Michael Richards]

It wasn't a strip club.

[Gary Lineker]

I think you should make that clear.

[Fuse Energy Advertiser]

No, it wasn't.

[Michael Richards]

It wasn't. Okay. It wasn't at the strip club. And then there was just women everywhere flocking. I've never seen anything like it in my life. And he was obviously professional.

[Gary Lineker]

Yeah.

[Michael Richards]

And he said, hello, sign a few things. But I me knockdowns for fun. Are you keeping that in a circle? Single man at the time. I don't care for fun. We're talking models. We're not talking just glamour models. We're talking.

[Alan Shearer]

So I'm.

[Michael Richards]

I'm here. So say the table's there and there's a big massive stage in the middle of it. And there was just women walking up and down like this. And my mouth is just open. I'm like, they're all coming to the table and Patrick, Patrick, Patrick.

[Gary Lineker]

And they were going, who's the clown with you?

[Michael Richards]

I couldn't care less. I think I said I played for Inter Milan that night.

[Gary Lineker]

I did.

[Michael Richards]

And I got one of the best looking women's numbers ever. And that was it, really. Yeah.

[Alan Shearer]

We won't ask.

[Gary Lineker]

No, I don't want to know.

[Michael Richards]

The rest is history.

[Gary Lineker]

Good name for a podcast. That's it for this episode of the Rest is football. Premier League greats. The moments that made them. Goodbye from me.

[Michael Richards]

Goodbye for me. Goodbye from me.

[Alan Shearer]

Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax and let go

[Michael Richards]

of whatever you're carrying today.

[Carvana and 1800-Contacts Advertiser]

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[Gary Lineker]

And breathe.

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