John Wark - The greatest goalscoring midfielder?

LFChistory talks to Scottish Great John Wark. *When we interviewed John Wark, Jan Mølby was present there as well and of course he had a few things to say along the way.

You burst on the scene as a defender back in ‘75

I burst on the scene as a defender, then went to midfield and then finished on the scene as a defender. I finished my career as a defender in 1996.

You had three spells at Ipswich?

I had three spells, probably around 600 games. I was at Ipswich for 17 years and 3½ - 4 years at Liverpool, so it’s been a good career.

Wark's career:

* only league games at Boro - could have possibly made 11 more appearances if always selected.

Did you enjoy your stay at Liverpool?

It was a massive club and a big move for me leaving Ipswich. I left Ipswich which was a good team winning the UEFA Cup, to improve. I went to Liverpool and won the Championship. I went to probably the best team in Europe at the time, so I was very fortunate. You’ve got to do the business, if you don’t you could be left out. It was big pressure. There were 9 internationals on the bench or in the reserves. You’ve got to do it every week. At Ipswich there was a small squad of 14 so I was guaranteed to play every week.

You were the highest scorer in your first full season.

Yes, in my first full season, from midfield which was very pleasing. Basically, my third season I was in plaster, twice in one season. When you get injured at Liverpool, it’s hard to get back into the team, because there are so many internationals. I was out for a long time. There was no place for me so that was the reason why I left. I got back from my injury, but the team was so successful.

It’s incredible you only played in midfield and scored so many goals. Did you ever play up front at Liverpool?

Always midfield. Even at Ipswich when I scored 36 goals in one season in ‘81.

Did you have any choice of staying at Liverpool?

I could have stayed in the reserves and play the odd game, but I love playing football and I don’t like sitting on the bench. That was the reason I left. Actually I went back to Ipswich, because my wife is from Ipswich and she was a bit homesick as well. I dropped a division, don't forget that.

You never played in your native Scotland…

I went from Glasgow in Scotland and came to Ipswich straight from school at sixteen. A lot of players wanted to play in England. It was a big move from Scotland to Ipswich, but I wasn’t scared.

You were chosen the double footballer of the year in 81’ and a big star. Then you had a memorable role in “Escape to Victory” in 1981.

It was a very good movie and is still playing now. I spent five weeks making the movie in Budapest in Hungary and mixing with the likes of Stallone, Bobby Moore, Ossie Ardiles, Pele, famous players.

Mølby: and Søren Lindsted [Danish player]

The Allies in Escape to Victory

We discovered there's a homepage for Escape to Victory on the Net: http://www.escapetovictory.spodrum.co.uk/news.php and there we found the line-up for the Allies. First is each actor's character's name.  

ALLIES (Visitors)
1. Robert Hatch (USA) (SYLVESTER STALLONE)
2. Michael Fileu (Bel) (PAUL VAN HIMST)
3. Cptn John COLBY (UK) (MICHAEL CAINE)
4. Pieter Van Beck (Hol) (CO PRINS)
5. Doug Clure (UK) - (RUSSELL OSMAN)
6. Terry Brady (UK) (BOBBY MOORE)
7. Arthur Hayes (Sco) (JOHN WARK)
8. Carlos Rey (Arg) (OSSIE ARDILES)
9. Sid Harmor (UK) (MIKE SUMERBEE)
10. Luis Fernandez (Bra) (PELE)
11. Erik Borge (Denmark) (SOREN LINDSTED)
Subs
Paul Wolchek (Pol) (KAZIMARIEZ DEYNA) On for Wark 
Gunnar Hilsson (Nor) (HALLVAR THORESEN) on for Prins 

Wark and John Barnes clashing in Wark's debut for Liverpool vs Watford

I read in Mølby’s autobiography that you broke Mølby’s leg in training in the 1987-88 preseason. Clearly no accident….

Wark: Guilty! Because I wasn’t in the team…

Mølby: We haven’t spoken since. This is the first time..

Since Mølby was always disturbing our interview with Wark, nosy bugger :-) with his comments I asked him his opinion on Wark.

John is probably along with Bryan Robson the greatest goalscoring midfielder there has ever been. My strength was to read the game, but I still didn’t have that ability he had of knowing exactly when to arrive in the penalty area. John was an exceptional player. His biggest problem at Liverpool was he wasn’t enough of a Liverpool player. His game was doing the job in the opposition’s penalty box and maybe he didn’t take enough part in the rest of the game.

Furthermore Mølby points out: There are only three midfeld players who have scored twenty goals for Liverpool in one season in the last 20+ years… [We checked this on LFChistory.net and he proved to be right. Incidentally Mølby is one, the third one being McDermott.]

The facts:
1980-81 Terry McDermott 22 goals
1981-82 Terry McDermott 20 goals
1984-85 John Wark 27 goals
1985-86 Jan Mølby 21 goals

That done and dusted, back to our interview with Wark….

Your manager at Ipswich, Bobby Robson described you as a “Johnnie on the Spot”, being in the right place at the right time.

I had an eye for goal, yeah. I could see danger and score goals. That’s why I moved from centre half to midfield.

You left Ipswich again because of some contract dispute. It was at bit surprising you went back for your third spell at Ipswich after only one year at Middlesbrough?

Football has never been about money for me. I left because they wanted me to move to Middlesbrough. After that I was training with Ipswich and it just carried on from there. I played 4-5 years after that so it was amazing really.

What are you doing these days?

I do the hospitality on match days at Ipswich. I still play every Sunday..

Are you any good or you just live on reputation?

Yes, I’m still good. I still keep myself fit. I played until I was 39.

We contacted Ian Rush about his opinion on Wark's performance on the screen and at Liverpool. You have most likely seen Escape to Victory! What do you think of John Wark’s performance?

He was great. It’s the best I have seen him anyway, better than when he was playing for Liverpool. I liked Escape to Victory! and he can always say he appeared in a fantastic film.

You were injured in the 1984-85 season and John Wark was top-scorer your first season. He scored 27 and you 26.

Johnny Wark was a fantastic goalscorer. If I hadn’t been injured I would have been top scorer, but Warky can always say he has been top scorer for Liverpool. Wark got 27 from midfield which was a fantastic achievement.

Back to Wark. A former team-mate of yours described you as “A total mad-cap with an unnerving habit of roaring with laughter without prior warning"… Is that true?

A Mad cap?

Mølby: Night cap…

I enjoy myself on the field and off the field. I love playing football and I still do it. I am probably doing more now than I ever done. I am training three times a week and playing football.

What about memorable players from your Liverpool days?

There were so many. The best player I probably played with is Kenny Dalglish. I played with him for Scotland as well. As a midfield player he was great to play with.

You also scored loads of goals against Liverpool?

I think that was the reason Liverpool bought me because I managed to score a few goals against them. Graeme Souness was leaving and they needed someone. I didn’t replace Graeme Souness. I was a different sort of player.

What are your feelings towards Liverpool today?

I still have a lot of time for them. What they did in the Champions league was incredible. I was in Hong Kong playing in a tournament when they won it. It was 3 in the morning. We were ready for bed. I work at Ipswich every game so it’s difficult to go and watch them.

At this point a Man Utd fan spotted us talking to Wark and asked me if this was Bruce Grobbelaar. I told Wark what he’d just said…

I know… people have said that before…

Mølby: People don’t know who you are. I took him around Copenhagen once and nobody even noticed him.

At this point we gave Wark a print out of his career from LFChistory.net. Mølby had the last word.

Mølby: Here’s a profile so you know who you are…

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