Phil Neal - Mr. 417 games in a row

The editor of LFChistory.net, Arnie and columnist Sigfus Gutttormsson met Phil Neal for an exclusive look at his prosperous career. 650 games and a bunch of medals. The only LFC player who played in all five European finals. Right-back Phil Neal is truly one of Liverpool's legends.

Sigfus and Neal

You played 417 games in a row for Liverpool between 23rd of October 1976 to 24th of September 1983. A Liverpool record. How is that possible?

There were two occasions when I could have missed a game. One was when I got a fractured cheekbone. Roger Davis the centre forward at Derby gave me an elbow (on 24th of January 1976). I went in on a Sunday after it occured on Saturday. I had my cheekbone lifted in line with the rest of my face to put my face back in shape. By the way it's never recovered. Come middle of the week I was walking around the training ground watching the players train. We were playing West Ham that Saturday, which was a good footballing team. Bob Paisley came to me on Wednesday and said: 'How you're feeling?' I said: 'I'm ok. I'm over the op and everything else.' I chose to play against the specialist's wishes who said that I shouldn't play for a month. I got away with it.

I got over a broken toe, but I had to play for six weeks with size 8 ½ on one foot and size 7 on the other. Ronnie Moran made me a plaster cast on the little toe I had broken. It was uncomfortable with my normal size shoes. I had to find some way to be still able to kick a ball, tackle and maybe have a little injection to keep the pain away for 90 minutes.

There were little incidents when I could have missed a game but I was doubly determined not to. It was so exciting. I didn't miss a day's training in all those years I was there. I wouldn't ring in for a cold. Every day I had a smile on my face. Obviously to be made skipper at the end of my career was lovely as well.

The club was a stalwart in the history of English football. For the ten years I was there it was the epitomy of consistency. Probably the most disapponting thing at the end of it was Heysel because I was the one who was going to lift the trophy.

From Northampton to Liverpool

Paisley often used to pay to go through the terraces and talk to people about the players like: 'What's that Phil Neal like?'. When Bob Paisley saw me for the last time at Northampton he brought a LFC director with him, mr. Sidney Reaks. For the first twenty minutes I played at right-back but rest of the game I played in goal. Bob said: 'We came all that way to see you for the last time. I wanted to show my director what good right-back you were. The keeper got carried off and you put the green jersey on.'

I had played 260 odd games for Northampton and one of the reasons I got better into the first team than Terry McDermott, who was more experienced than I was at this level, is because I could play left-back which I did for 18 months instead of Alec Lindsay. Don't forget I played in all the positions at Northampton. One season I started as a forward and scored 8 goals in 9 games. I could see all the paper snippets: "Newcastle interested in the goalscoring sensation." Then there was a injury down at the back and I had to move back. I was fuming. It's going to ruin my career, I could have had 16 goals before Christmas.

That debut game against Everton

Bob Paisley was a clever man in every shape and form. He led me to believe I was playing with the reserves on Friday against Everton reserves at Anfield. So my boots were put out with theirs. He got Tom Saunders to come to my digs near Melwood, pick me up 11 o'clock. We went to Anfield and I picked my boots up and I went to Everton through Stanley Park with my boots under my arm. As soon as I got into the dressing room at Goodison Park where Liverpool's first team was due to play Everton, Bob just said: 'Get ready to play, son.' And I thought, 'if you can face this, you can get through everything, 56,000 people shouting and bullying at you.'

I was marking John Connelly on the day so this was one of those days, you thought, come on, this is one of those days you start to come of age. I was 23, not a teenager. Cally was brilliant on the day: 'I'll be around always for a pass even if it's tight. I'll give it back.' It was great really. I remember towards second half I actually had a shot that whistled over and I thought I can handle this. That was that spirit that kept me through that game that really got me into the team lock, stock and barrel. They saw that I could play.

Bob had taken over from this God-like man Bill Shankly. Bob got used to the job and his association with Geoff Twentyman to bring in talented kids paid dividends and another man who was important to Bob Paisley was Tom Saunders. He confided in him with whom he was going to replace Kevin Keegan with in '77. It transformed the club again. He was never afraid. What I liked about Bob that he was never afraid to break up a winning formula. Whatever he achieved he was always looking to strengthen. We knew we were going to get a new face in pre-season. I signed in October. Ray Kennedy had been brought in the summer as Bill Shankly's last signing. Terry Mac came after me. An established player in midfield, runs ahead of the ball. Then there would be another one before the end of the season, usually before March. That was the pattern every year. Whatever you won you knew somebody was going to come in and take your place.

You could either stay and fight or as I saw other people just leave. Joey Jones left when Alan Kennedy arrived. Soon as Ray Clemence knew Brucie was in the frame he was off. Steve Nicol was bought in '81. He was after my shirt. I played to 1985-86 and that was the stubborness I had from Northampton hardship days where I wasn't going to let the likes of Stevie Nicol take my shirt. He can have another shirt but he's not having mine. He was good enough player to play somewhere else.

They brought Souness in, the team got better. Lawrenson came in, you're getting better. He used to bring in good people. They were not fly-by-knights which was an expression Bob used to use. They'll be focused. Of all the players there weren't many who didn't make it. Frank McGarvey went back very quickly. Michael Robinson didn't really make an impact. They're fine when you're winning 1-0 or 2-0 but who's going to make you recover from a one goal deficit or losing 2-1 with 10 minutes to go. We prided ourselves in always believing we could always get that equalizer. It didn't work sometimes but we always scored in the last 10 minutes.

Every day was fun. It was a giggle most days. The seriousness came when Bob presented his team-talk. It wasn't very long but it was always about how good we were. Never much about the opposition. They didn't want to frighten us. I relate Bob Paisley's reign to the history of Julius Caesar. He came over from Rome with all his troops. He got all the way up to Scotland. We were the same in reverse going to Europe. We were the army that was never really fearful of going into the Nou Camp to beat Johan Cryuff there on the night. We had some glorious wins. It was a good learning curve.

Bob made us laugh probably more than you realize. He had distrust for people. In Dresden for instance. At half-time somebody was going to pour the tea from an aluminium pot and he said (Neal does an impressive Geordie impersonation of Bob): 'No, you're not drinking that.' What's he going on about? 'It's bloody drugged. Well, you're laughing. This room is bugged as well. Come on, we're going outside.' And he went and took us outside for our team-talk. This is a serious game in the last sixteen of Europe. We're in stitches of laughter when you should be told about the opposition. It relaxed us as well. That's the happy giving-them-nothing-information. I've been with managers at international level that give you too much information. They tip you over the edge. We never did that at Liverpool.

I got a lot to thank Bob for. As well as being Bob's first signing it was a great honour to have accumalated all those those championship medals in such a short period. 

Tough guy Joe Fagan

We were about twelfth in the league in December 1981. One morning we came into training and Joe Fagan said to Bob Paisley: 'Boss, you go down to Melwood. I'm going to have the lads.' Joe Fagan sat us all down at Anfield before we went on the bus to train at Melwood. The boss had gone down in his car. Joe had a go at every single player, to Souness, to Dalglish, to me... He said: 'We've had more meetings in the last month at this club then I've had in seventeen years. Hansen, start heading the ball, Souness, you haven't won a tackle, Dalglish, you should have twice as many goals by now.'

Joe was such as strong man that noone would doubt what he was saying. His finishing words were: 'I've said my piece. We can get on the bus now down to Melwood. I want high tempo in training. At the end of the day we're getting out of this. You're all playing as individuals, start playing as a team. I'm not having another meeting from now till the end of the season.' We went on to win the league. Joe had had enough. He could look at you and cut you in half. You would never mess with Joe. I looked at Smitty, Souness but Joe would take the pair of them. He was such a strength behind Bob.

Penalty expert

I had been given the job at Northampton. I was 23 when I went to Liverpool. I had 260 odd games for Northampton so I wasn't an inexperienced person by any means. I was given the job of penalty taking because Tommy Smith had missed a couple, Kevin Keegan had missed three or four. It had come to a situation where Bob asked: 'Anybody fancy taking a penalty?' I said: 'If nobody wants them I'll have a go. See how it goes.' It was literally like that. I am still in the early stages where I am enamoured by Ian Callaghan, Tommy Smith and all the people. I didn't say a word for the first three weeks. I got the job and kept it for seven years or so. Most of them went in but I missed some important ones. I missed one on my birthday against Brighton in the fifth round of the FA Cup in '83 at the Kop end.

Of the ones I scored two stand to mind. Obviously the one in the European Cup. That was a fantastic kind of night for our club. We were under a lot of pressure from Moenchengladbach. It´s Kevin's swansong night. He's going to Hamburg. We all wanted him to have a good send-off. When he gets brought down and points to the spot I thought 'bloody hell.' I got a long walk from right-back to pick the ball up. Ian Callaghan rarely says a thing but even he said: 'Nealy, put this in.' You got someone like Tommy Smith who said: 'Nealy, if you miss this I going to fucking break your back.' They were all under pressure. I hadn't even walked ten yards. Now I've got to pick the ball up. Wolfgang Knieb incidentally absolutely towered over Ray Clemence. He was big lanky boy so I thought I'll keep it low. My favourite side was the keeper's left. It's ironic how adrenaline can get to you. Thank goodness it went in off the post.

The other one is when Stevie Nicol jumped ahead in the European Cup final in 84. He jumped the gun and Souness said: 'Let him go. He's nervous, it's his first final. Le him go.' Other than me taking the first one as I was ordered to do by Joe. He misses it and they score their first. So I am taking our second. If this one doesn't go in, we are two down. I am conscious of that. It's even more important than the one against Moenchengladbach because we're going to be back in it or be way down the line. Conte and Graziani missed theirs. Isn't it ironic that Graziani in failing to score went into a mental institution? Pearcy misses for England and gets a contract with McDonalds for hundred grand. Graziani misses one and gets into a loony home.

Those were the two specifics that were the high on wanting to please you people. They were at important stages of our history and I didn't miss them.

The capture of Dalglish

Sir John Smith told me the story how they got Kenny Dalglish. He said: 'Me and Peter went to Celtic one day on the off chance. We asked for two tickets and could we get the board together after the game because we might do some business. After the game they sat me in the boardroom and I knew I had them because they sat me at the head of the boardroom table. Peter was on my right. He started the conversation by saying. 'Peter, who is it we're interested in? What's his name? Rennie, Terry, Kenny Doig, oh yeah, Dalglish. How much do you want for him?' They came back after having a little huddle in the corner. They said 800 and I said: 'Is that pence or shillings?'

Management

I had a great try at management. I had a fantastic record. I hate to blow my own trumpet. I managed Bolton for six years. I took them to Wembley three times in the lower league cups. I made a profit 5 out of the 6 years I was there. I built a club that when Bruce Rioch and Colin Todd took over they said you left a good disciplined club which was easy to kick-off from. They started to move up the tables and went into a new stadium which they had promised me. I walked. Then I went to Coventry. We finished 11th in the 1st division. I sold Phil Babb. I was the one responsible for getting 3,6 million for him while Kevin Kegan six months before at Newcastle with Terry McDermott tried to get him for 175,000. Terry Mac was on the phone every day before the deadline in March: 'You'll not get another penny more.' I convinced the chairman to leave him until after the World Cup. Phil Babb had a great World Cup and it was a wonderful boost for Coventry's bank balance.

I went to Cardiff to and lifted them. The only time I left a job was with Manchester City. Steve Coppell invited me there, but he resigned within a month and left me high and dry. I was never going to get any support there. My final job was at Peterborough with Barry Fry which initially went fantastically well. I helped the discipline within the club because Barry is not the discipline type really. I'm not saying you're the Ayatollah but you have to have certain rules. I'm pretty satisfied with my managerial career.

The modern game

The modern game is stretched from 18 yard box to 18 yard box. There's less shots shots at goal and less excitement for the fans. There's restricted play put on some players, particularily full-backs. That's quite a contrast to when we were given the license. I was number 2 yet I ended up in the European Cup final scoring from the six yard box in general play. Why? Because I was given the freedom if there's an attack and you join the attack you stay with it until it ends. We used to practice that in little games. As soon as it breaks down, run back. We were given the license of expression. There's a curtailing of expression in the modern game. I don't mind my clubs winning with that tactic but we have to be productive.

Everyday life now

I'm part of the ex-players committee that raises funds for charity. Doing TV, working at Anfield at every home game in one of the lounges. Corporate stuff. Sky TV as well. Trans world International that is radio broadcast from down in London. I try to fill the days and then play golf when the better weather comes.

Two ligthearted questions in the end.

Do you still oil paint?

Funny, you should say that, yes. I have got the brushes out again. I have two hanging in the house at the moment. They're better than the old ones. I have returned.

Kenny Dalglish said in your testimonial brochure that there was no bigger eater at Anfield than Phil Neal. Are you still a big eater?

Mind you. All I will say is have you seen Kenny's size lately? He's more rounded than I am so I'll just leave it like that.

Interview by Arnie and Sigfus Guttormsson copyright - LFChistory.net