Robbie Savage Interview

Robbie Savage Interview

Q. What qualities do you need to have a successful career in football?

Every player who joins a professional club we can assume has talent, otherwise they would not have been spotted. But this is just the beginning. Talent is only one part of a footballer’s armoury. In my view every decent young player needs the three Ds, discipline, dedication and desire. They need discipline because there are so many distractions, very good wages, expensive cars and celebrity status, and there are numerous examples of players who have drifted out of the game within a couple of seasons without fulfilling themselves. Dedication is vital because this is a chance which might never come along again. The young lads need to stay fit, be willing to learn and be prepared to work extremely hard because there is always competition inside and outside the club. Desire is just as important because unless a player really wants to succeed they will not get the best out of themselves.

 

Q. When you started at Manchester United as a 15 year old it was all very different to now?

It certainly was. Twenty or so years ago all of us apprentices including players who went on to become household names were expected to carry out menial tasks like cleaning the boots of the senior players like Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister. It kept us grounded, not thinking we were better than we were or that we had already cracked it. I learned as result to look up to Bruce and the other big names in the United first team and I still look up to them today. They were the sort of winning pros I wanted to be. The young professionals of today in my opinion have to realise that only they have got up to 400 or 500 matches can they say they have achieved anything. Respect is an important quality because it has to be earned. I respected the major players at Old Trafford and I like to think young players look up to me now in the same way.

 

Q. Once you reach a certain level, how can you be sure to get the right people advising you?

It’s not easy but I would caution parents and players to be very careful about whom they choose to represent them. It’s a crucial decision. The best advice I can give is to ask around among other professionals and people within the game who should know what they are talking about. There are a lot of people out there, agents and the such like, who do not have the best interests of the players at heart. In my view, there are lots of bad agents and financial advisers ready to exploit a player and give nothing much back. It’s all too easy to sign up with the wrong agent and get the wrong advice, which benefits them and not the player. I’m talking here about investments, pension plans and financial decisions outside the game. A lot of money and opportunities can be lost.

 

Q. You have played well over 600 matches in club football and played regularly for Wales, is it still a great career?

Yes, I have loved every minute of it and got the maximum out of it. The reasons I have managed to keep going at a good level for 20 years is because I have been totally committed to it. I go back to the three Ds, discipline, dedication and desire. I consider them to be vitally important and I hope any aspiring player reading this will follow the same work ethic and respond to the 3 Ds.