Sol Bamba | "Sven Dropped Me For The World Cup - Then Signed me!" | Leicester's The Place: Episode 8

hello and welcome once again to Lester's the place um you may have spotted already that I've got a new cohort here in this podcast this time around my usual partner in crime Jerry tager has gone off to Turkey to sort his teeth out so um a very unable replacement we wanted to get someone who would bring a bit of spark and personality to proceedings couldn't find them we ended up with Mr Dan Bates here to assist thankfully we have got some brightness on the show a very bright and popular figure in Leicester City's history so Bamber ladies and gentlemen great to have you on board so thank you for having me I'm pleased to be here good I'm pleased you're here not so pleased with them but we'll get on with it yeah really scraping the bow getting me great great to have you along so I know we've obviously done stuff with you on Zoom before haven't we on our our Match Day shows but nice to to meet you in person and to have you here and you've obviously had a little bit of a look around at training ground here it's uh it's it's some place isn't it oh this is stunning honestly I couldn't believe it when I stepped in wonderful condition to work the first time so first time yeah yeah lovely honestly is it's absolutely stunning little different to Beav a drive yeah yeah yeah I mean uh I good great memory there it was a good place to train but this is wonderful I mean you know when you when you when you're a player and you step in and come in every day to work on those environment you can only only be happy and give your best to perform you can take him on a tour later down maybe I've got to shoot off after a while so I'm sure you're a busy man I'm sure you got plenty going on so yourself but yeah as you say it's unbelievable setting here isn't it but uh times Chang don't they yeah times changed from uh certainly from my day even your day isn't it from humble beginnings and then in a different world but uh anyway enough about the training ground here we we to talk about you and in particular your time here at Leicester city yeah um but we've got plenty else to talk about as well you better a varied time haven't you one way or another interesting career I look forward to chatting about it with you but um yes I say like your time at Leicester I looked at we got a sheet here and we were given statistics Etc and surprised that the amount of games that you well that you didn't play really in a way because like you name is is what's the What's the phrase Bas he helped me out here you know it it even I don't know where he's going with you know Leicester city supporters have got a lot of affection for you cult hero yeah yeah yeah that's fair enough that's a bit much no yeah no I don't think so but but in a relatively short space of time really which is unusual yeah he unusual but um coming to the club how did you come to the club in the first place anyway uh it's ven V gu on brought me here um he was my national team a national team manager and I remember actually in the World Cup yeah you'd already played yeah and the that help right and uh we done the World Cup 2010 together and um before the World Cup we were doing pre like mini preseason and we played a couple friendly games and and I was playing because I played um African Cup of nation 2008 so I was starting my International career and Zen came in play me all the friendly games and I the mini preseason it was great and we got to the World Cup 2010 and he dropped me a day before the first game yeah we were playing Portugal V dropped you yeah yeah yeah and uh we played the World Cup uh I came on for the last game only and when we left he said to me he made a mistake he should have dropped me and he's going to sign for a club he knew he was signing for Leicester and he said he's going to sign for a club and he's going to bring me and and I was like oh it's just been it's just been nice he just dropped me on the Wild Cup he just tried to be nice yeah that's a good way of making amend exactly yeah and the minute he sign he called me and he said I told you I'm going to sign you because your attitude was good you didn't drop your head you train well and you always have a smile on your face so and he brought me here and that was the best decision I ever made you say listen s you didn't have to drop me at the World Cup to find that out exactly yeah I you just asked me yeah I never went that far it's strange strange how it works yeah absolutely that that was the World Cup was it quarterfinals was it it no that was the group stages St yeah so before we even start the competition I thought I'm going to play and I remember drug bar came to my room and he said like you know I'm the captain I'm going to go speak to him because we we build a team like for the last two years and you can't just change the team you know the day before and I was like no listen I'm I'm disappointed but you know it's the manager decision you know there's nothing we can do and I'm glad I didn't because I think if I went to if I went to see him maybe that would have changed like he wouldn't probably brought me to Leicester so you know a bit disappointed of the World Cup but very very happy he brought me to this this football club and obviously you arrived at Leicester on under San and I mean you made a pretty instant impact didn't you in in that that first game yeah I mean it was a bit of lock as well wasn't it you know uh fortunate to score my first touch and obviously that give me the confidence to to play the game and do well but I think you know the the way the whole club took me on the fans I think was uh I never I never had that before in any any other football club so you know this club is special for me and my family so many people might say that don't they about yeah they do to be fair I mean even again in my era and before before really you know talk about being a sort of a family club which is the case up to a point but also they just uh I don't know you you just feel part of a a group at least it's not clinical yeah you know you do get affiliation with the club pretty quickly yeah it's exactly that I think like like you said there's the whole club I think the supporter obviously is a massive part of it but the club the way they look after you whatever you need um you know the fans as well help you out in a good and bad moment I mean as we can we're going to talk about having everywhere in Europe and different Club clubs but I never have anything like it honestly really yeah he a very very special Club yeah CU I suppose support some sometimes think they say about every club and all that yeah you know you think why can leester be so different what is different about it but it's hard to put your finger on it really but it just uh certainly from the community from the supporters you feel that affection don't you or you know if if you put the work in or whatever or impressive performances they take you to your heart exactly man I think it's exactly that like you said if you if you work out and you give 100 % they will always be behind you you know and I I always said like the whole club because even my family fa you know this football club looked after them the most and that's very important for any players if you know your family settled and looked after you're going to perform you know so yeah it does you know other clubs there a shortfall really from them isn't it yeah you know it doesn't say much good about them it's a bit clinical maybe Ultra professional in the day it's an industry but yeah know I think I think it's true with Lester like you say and you're one of quite a few who regret their time wasn't longer didn't you yeah but that was my own thought M if I'm honest you know um V signed me in um obviously he didn't last long for whatever reason and N person came in and I got on well with him you know we're still talking great man um but in my head you know I wasn't white I can force then if you like so I was like you know I don't think I I should stay his no here and I and I just went but that was the biggest mistake I made definely you do you do look back with regret at oh yeah yeah and you know even my family my mom my brother and sister always said you know um my daughter used to said the the club with the fox you know because she used to look at the mascot and um you know they always said you shouldn't leave this club and I'm if I have to be honest I've got to regret you said that after 2016 and a half when leer won the Premier League no oh yeah regret no I told you know why funny enough people said that oh you said that because you they won the league and you went there I said no it's nothing to do with it you know I think is I'm glad it was before that in fact I'm glad I left because if I was there we they probably wouldn't win the league you know no one saw that coming oh that was unbelievable yeah absolutely unbelievable and well deserve as well to be fair and uh you know because of that this club going to be in a history to be forever yeah so in your time at Leicester um looking back I at Team some of the players that you played with or who did you really click with connect with your teammates um I would say uh Bruno I didn't play with him long but um he's in Switzerland now when he's a manager there yeah long ago um and at the time as well he was uh he was speaking French my English was all right but it wasn't great so he was helping me out I was going to say your English is that top not oh I've been here lot I once said top not but a few years in Scotland before yeah exactly yeah yeah yeah yeah I was there four years so I learned there you didn't speak very good English before you came oh not at all when I move I mve in to Scotland in 2006 and I couldn't speak any words tough School in go Scotland tell me about it yeah very cold I didn't understand the word or was they was saying um but I was there for job and Jo enjoy my time there yeah we we'll come back to that in in a bit how you go from PSG to yeah but to be fair we had a very good group and very good dress with him everyone was very good with each other uh Richie willins I was very close with him as well because he used to take the M out of me yeah I can imagine yeah yeah lovely lad um but we were all all very very close to be honest yeah I think that was sort of one of the features of Nigel's management style you know look into the personality the character of the individuals and ultimately the group yeah and that's massive man as you know I think you know me going to the coaching Journey now I think if you if you're a top player or a good player and you don't have a good character you know I take a good character over to player 100% one bad EG can people the dress from him in trouble so you don't want that and N P's a master of that very very good to yeah it's big for him first yeah yeah so what about say your time at Leicester plenty of good you know high spots or whatever any particular stand out oh it have to be the man city game yeah have to be because for a debut to score a goal as well and um that was in the cup yeah that was in the cup yeah yeah and funny enough when I go to Leicester I start scor goals you know a lot of goals I remember against Preston I think I scored two yeah you know I couldn't believe it you know um before that I didn't score many I think in fact I scor maybe one or two m um but I have to be the man city game because I couldn't couldn't ask for a better debut but my whole time at leester was very good because you know it was um my first time to play in English football championship is tough I used to love it I was young I could play every two days you know it was Tuesday Saturday Tuesday Saturday I had no problem really really enjoyed it the fan many it you know very very good atmosphere Home and Away um so it's difficult to pick one but I have to pick one you have to be the man city again yeah I mean to SC with your first touch for your new club is some way to endear yourself to the the support yeah that's why I think like I said I can't I couldn't ask for a better debut so you know he was uh he was special and my whole family excuse me was on the ground as well so it was it was very special you talked about obviously never really scoring came to Leicester suddenly SC because those two goals in one game that that came fairly early as well didn't it in that I think in that January as well so it it felt at the time like every time Lester had a call you you were the danger and it's like oh well s bambas there there's potentially going to be a goal here and it's weird that he said that you you never had that actually before in in your career yeah I think we can we are probably going to put the blame on the on the one with taking the corners because he wasn't doing it well but he it was very good Takeo and uh you know if you have a good movement you can score goals and I was fortunate to to score a couple and uh you know after after score one you always feel like you you're on the run and you can score more so yeah that that that season in particular I felt like I could I could score a lot of goals yeah it was good you have a good partnership with jackobs yeah like that I always thought you two pretty impressive as Center halves and really I was expecting you probably both of you to go and play higher up together even or that would lovely you know down the line for longer um yeah did you jail well with Jack yeah he's a very good lad um he was very he could read the game very well um pass the ball very well I think exactly like you said M we had a very good understanding and uh you know I think at time you you did he struggle a bit with injury Jack didn't he he did he did yeah he had a few injury and um I think that's that's one of the nalo the GAA at the time had wasn't so sure about him playing reg like too many games because injury he was injury porn but you know our partnership was was very very good win did Sven give you a license to express yourself as a center half which you certainly did yeah that's the right word yeah I think I think you know especially the leester fan always um remind me that and said oh you know I scared them when I had the ball and stuff but I have to be one thing clear now uh Zen always said to me um he wanted me to play those kind of passes and take risk yeah so that's what I was doing uh it wasn't because I wanted to or takes risk it was what the manager asked me to do um for example I work with war or he asked me to head and kick it that's what I was doing yeah um that's partly why I asked exactly but I mean listen I'm I enjoy it playing taking a bit risk at time um by the end of the day I'm here to do what the manager want me to do um so that that was all I wasn't taking a make or anything L you know I just want back you you took it to the tea you like you took his uh requests very seriously yeah no where you were man where you absolutely right m is this is like obviously you need to recognize when you can play those passes or not and that's what Z used to say to me he said listen if you missed it I take it I will say it's me asking you to play like that but at the same time you need to recognize when you can and and and that's very important yeah that's well that's the part of the decision making is part of exactly being a player isn't it but like just quickly then sorry P I know you want to ask something but so on that subject modern day football obious you're going in the coaching yeah looking at it how how do you view it now because you said you can tailor your game you know depending on what the manager want football likes to play risky these days footballers like to play know risky football to the extreme at times yeah what's your view on that I think first and foremost for us as a Defender I'm sure you will agree with me mat is if you're a Defender you need to defend first yeah and I think now they want the center half to be good on the ball and they can't really defend if I can say that so for me I will have a proper Defender if you can pass the ball is a is a plus yeah but for me the defender and the goalkeeper have to keep the ball away from the back of the net um I think people are looking for the perfect scenario all the way down the leagues there's not that many of them who can defend and play exactly but I think is it depend of your style of play how you want to play and uh obviously what type of player you going to sign but for me personally I think is is at the end of the day is why you do in both boxes so if you defend well and you score goals you're going to be successful in the bit in between everyone does the same thing really everyone want to pass the ball between the line and everything but I think the way I look at it when I I look I look at your time when you were playing and I look at mine and now you know the new modern football if you like is yeah it's day and night and I think even you find it a bit oh yeah a little bit alien oh yeah yeah even you know I was we were saying early on I was taking risk but now it's even it's even more you know um but I think me going to coaching and management I think you you used have to recognize when exactly like you said my is decision making the difference between top players and an average player if you like is decision making so yeah seems to me like some teams just persevere like regardless of what the opposition are doing to them it's almost like a matter of Pride and exactly yeah hang on you need to find some balance but anyway that's for future discuss a similar question really I guess but it was more how did you see yourself as a player when when you look back at your playing career were you do you think a ball playing Defender were you a head it and kick it defender or did you just as you say Taylor your game to whatever the manager wanted then um I would definitely say that I was um a proper Defender if I can use it like that because I love to defend I enjoy winning every tackle every headers uh if I lose one a training or game i' be upset you know um the fact I can s pass the ball if you like that is because growing up in F and the Academy Awards Force you if you like to to play it that way uh but first and foremost I'm a Defender you know so I'm I'm equally proud to to head the ball and kick it and pass it you know so I think but like we said it's important to to to do what the manager wants you to do if if you can you know so if a manager want me to to pass it even if I'm not very good at it I will try um and if I have to head and kick it that's even better for me so you talk about how Sven gave you license because I suppose a lot of lesser supporters will think it's a shame you weren't at the club longer than you were you talked about your regret yeah so and you talked about your respect and your relationship with with um Nigel Pearson yeah still to this day but was there a change sort of in in attitude or what the manager wanted you to do when Nigel came in yeah I think um without be disrespectful to Nel he he will say down himself he wanted to change do his then wanted to play yeah and when he first came in he said to me listen you're an important player for the club I think at the time I just signed a new contract he said you know the fan like you I'm I've got no problem with you if you train well and you play well you're going to play um I'm going to bring some of my own player yeah um to suit the way I want to play but if you got the right character and attitude you would play so that was our first meeting so I was very happy with this um but obviously the fact he wanted to change one or two things but I have to say it was me I wasn't right at the time the minutes then left for some reason I wanted to go so you know the GAA came in he done well bought very good very few good signing West Morgan I think came at that time that turned out right yeah exactly yeah yeah so you know is um it was like I said it was it was my decision and uh it wasn't a good one really yeah well it's at the time you know it was possibly I don't know Nigel's Nigel's way I wouldn't say wouldn't suit you necessarily but at that time you were looking for something 100% and he's and that's why every player was said they love honesty and he's no better person than Nel to be honest with you you know so he made it clear with me I had a chance to stay and and prove I can play on his team obviously I made another decision but I love the man is is a great man there were Premier League clubs that were that were interested during that time I think Blackburn were were really heavily linked weren't they was that something that and at that time he chose to stay left he signed that that new deal obviously you felt part of the family here and a lot of people talk about it being a a family Club yeah I think at the time um I was just very happy you know with the whole environment and I honestly believe we could have gone to the Premier League with Leicester you know um no disrespectful to Blackburn but you know at the time I was I wasn't sure if you know they would have not on the yo between championship and Premier League so I just wanted to stay the club I had a new deal I enjoyed it so I had no intention to leave at all that's why that state yeah it's a shame obviously to to hear you say that you are full of regret for for for leaving and I and I guess as we've we've already touched upon and and have done with all the EX players really that we talk to the majority of them always say however their time at Leicester ended they wish it hadn't at at that time maybe for M should have been a few years earlier it was but I regret my time ending ending my career that's why but again it sums up the club that the Lester exactly and it's getting better and better I mean we were talking about why you guys go here it's wonderful um the fans around the club the owners the way you look after the club you know I think it for any business or any any successful um you have to have the whole environment coming together um you know I can see you guys off air talking to each other laughing to each other and that's important you know and U Lester go down from top to bottom and when you go there you got a better chance to be successful and obviously a lot of that culture comes from the owners and you you came at a time when that that was all changed really at at Leicester wasn't it when when King Power had had come in had you obviously spoken to players that were there on the previous regimes and then King power came in I just be intrigued to know what what your thoughts on that are yeah I mean we went to it wasn't deep conversation about it but obviously the the people were there before they knew the previous the previous regime so they didn't really know how things going to go um but when the owner came in they made it very clear the vision they had and where they want to go we had a couple meeting with them they were very good and reur us as well so you know he was never never in doubt you know with the owners and obviously with all the success you guys had you know you can clearly see that that see the vision and they managed to do it yeah just to last bit on list I mean you you said you mentioned numerous times you know you regretted going at that time but also that that brought along you know an interesting and VAR career though didn't it wherever you went you know so if some BS and may you know you never know could anyone can say that really things went interestingly on the whole they went well for you didn't they yeah absolutely man and I think you know I don't really like to talk about regret but it is a regret but overhall I think he you move on then yeah exactly and you know I I left Leicester I went to Turkey I had a great time there you know I seeing different culture um you see Jerry over there in his teeth know that was a long time ago you know um so yeah it was very good in Turkey you know the the family enjoyed it as well we live in istan it was great I learned the language the kids was l in the language as well U after that I moved to Italy similar thing different football different culture I learned the language as well the kids the same thing yeah yeah well done and I came back here so you can tell us about that little bit yeah in a bit more detail was going to rewind a little bit without going too chronologically but to your upbringing and where it all started for you in in Paris yeah yeah yeah big bu sang fan obviously born in Paris um just playing in my local Club following my big brothers and um how many brothers you got I've got three have you yeah yeah two older and one younger oh big Lads like you oh he's a huge yeah bigger than me by the way yeah yeah yeah but he always looked after me don't mess with the bambo with them I'm all right yeah it was good good up bringing um man want to us you all do a spot so we don't stay at home and walking around the street so we all pick a spot and um ended up being okay it was a good decision yeah yeah you could have could have been a doctor or your mom wanted you to be a doctor I could have never be a doctor let me tell you this but she wanted me to be one you know she always said that um I've got good heart and I need to help people so that's why she wanted me to do uh but it was no chance could never be a doctor no way hey you never know you never know give it a go but things worked out all right didn't they yeah yeah definitely yeah so you went PSD so as a young boy were you um did you stay at the Academy when you training there that was exactly a m we I I had a chance to go to Monaco and that was my choice actually yeah oh my exactly I might have had a little look there that's what we done me and my dad went to Monaco for the weekend so we visit the academy they looked after us in the best hotel and all that we came back my dad said we definitely going to monacle yeah yeah yeah and um my mom was like no because from Monday to Friday I was in academy and on the Friday you come back home for the weekend and you start again on Monday but if I was in monacle out wouldn't have the chance to go back home so my mom said like listen if you want to play football you you yeah she will miss me too much so she said you have to go to Paris Monaco is too far my dad wasn't happy um but that's that's how I ended up signing for Paris s jine but the the whole week I was at Academy I had one day off on the Saturday come back to see the family and on a Sunday morning you go back in you play the game on Sunday afternoon and you start again at the Academy so I've done that from 11: to 15 right and at 15 you go to um so they give you a day off before the game yeah that's a bit back to front yeah it's back to front but when we young we you know yeah you're young with about going out or anything like that so it was purely just to go and see the family yeah and on the Sunday morning we we we we go and meet and play the game and go back again who who was the big names at PSG at that stage well we used Jola before that oh that was we before I was I was watching I'm forgetting how old I am I was actually going to the park the prince to watch them play and um that's what give me the the reason why I wanted to play football I remember what in ginola and um George we was my idol oh yeah yeah um love played against him did you yeah Chelsea oh yeah of course marked him out the game mate did you oh I love them Matt honestly absolutely love them um and that's why when I start playing I wanted to be a striker like him but I wasn't good enough you know and that's that's how I F in love with with with football was Ron Ronaldinho was he there around that time yeah when I when I start professional last 16 he was there ronal yeah portino was there too he looked after me by the way because he was a center half and I was young training with the first team and um he used to take me for lunch and dinner and show me the video and how I should play and how I should defend and all this he was very very good we're still in touch now yeah he's a very good guy you could see even then he was probably going to go on and become a manager management yeah because he was he came he came from Spain he was about 30 34 35 so he finished his career play with us I think for two years um so you could see he would go into management yeah he was very good very very good any of your brothers play yeah my one of my older brothers played um same thing he was meant to go to the academy L and unfortunately he had a very very bad knee injury um and back then the the surgery wasn't as good as now so he never really recovered from it yeah yeah so unfortunately he didn't play but did they take a big interest in your career then yeah he was he the one is's follow me the most coming to every game he actually came to every clubs I played for to watch games and all that fair play to him because that must in the back of his mind exactly yeah yeah love him today he's he's he's very very good um you know and unfortunately he didn't managed to to do like me and I know he Lov the game but um he followed me and uh give me good advice and yeah well done to him yeah yeah very good but so when we touched on it earlier PSG that you coming up you're developing you're learning the ropes and you're having a look around and which club am I going to join in Europe or me and ronaldino have a a career together and you ended up with d firmly he must be the only player that's ever gone from PSG to D firm by the way but to be fair come around that's an easy decision because mistaken identity no not at all not at all because uh not um from 16 to 21 when I left you done something illegal in Paris not all no everyone's like you man look that way but I promise I didn't um I I was I just wanted to play first team football man that was that that's all it was because from 16 to 21 at Paris I think I played two games you know and the rest was with the reserve so um they offered me a new contract but I said to them I want to play uh they couldn't guarantee me that they offered you a contract yeah yeah because I was at the end of my contract um and they offered me a new one and I said I sign you I was 21 right yeah yeah just tell in 21 and I wanted to go yeah because a lot of people would stick at I'm a PS that's exactly am and that's why I always say to the youngsters now because you know the the youngst to play for big Club the Man City United and that you know and if if you R the first team and you train but you play I don't think he good you should go Lear League one even less they in the 20 exactly stay there for years yeah absolutely and I think that's a mistake and I didn't want to do that I wanted to play first team football and uh the fact I refused to sign the new deer for parties when the B Club French Club was calling they were like but how come is you guys not signing him and uh let's put it this way he didn't give me good reference yeah so it was very difficult to stay in the funds so that's how andon Robins got them right yeah and it was first in football there not other options well or you went the first one I need to ask my agent then because at the time you know that that's that's that's what he brought me and um I always wanted to play uh come aboard and and come in England and he said that could be a good pathway so you play it turned out that it was actually yeah yeah I think I spent too long there because I done Four Season at the end um but it was it was a good was a good way to to come down to the UK yeah surprising that you were there that long yeah even um even like couple of the players or the media was saying this but I think at the time I was um the best Cil when end up last I was taking too many risk yeah I mean I'm I'm not comparing myself to you but like similarities in my career I was like that believe it or not like I don't know whether you ever saw me play or whatever but some people saw me play they think oh I'm just ahead it and kick it Center off but when I was younger I used to think I was m i could play exactly and that was my problem they kept the right for 90% of the game and then one mistake play goal exactly M yeah his fault again exactly that's exactly slowly learned more and more the more reliable I became that's right yeah the higher up I ended up playing exactly yeah and that was exactly what they was saying to about me in Scotland because a few time I think rengers been asking um but play against them do well for 94 minutes and lose my man of corner yeah and said that's concentration he can't come to us you know he was exactly what you said M why our fancy little turn and exactly thought and stuff yeah unfortunately yeah I always I always say like you saying you're picking up your play and a little laps of concentration and said oh they were lucky right and then then higher up oh they kept getting luckier yeah must exactly yeah exactly yeah yeah can see how that would work because I I've played lower leagues for numerous years and then yourself at D firmly with your ability I'm surprised you were there for that long yeah but I mean no regret on that hand but excuse me I think it was a learning curve and it was important for me because exactly like you said The more I was going up the I was learning along the way and I knew I needed to cut a few mistake I was making if I wanted to go to the top you can do all that in training can't you yeah yeah yeah yeah exactly that I enjoy our training let me tell you yeah have a bit of fun so it's done firmly onto Hibernian yeah yeah that was good progression in my opinion because we played uh it's a bigger club without being disp effectful to them fernland he was we played Europe as well um you know so in my opinion it was a good a good progression um at a year and a half I think there because I came in January yeah um very good as well enjoy it I was playing Midfield though there uh so I could take a bit more risk I enjoy that oh you playing Midfield by yeah I was playing Midfield there yeah yeah yeah and um you know I had a great time there it was it was a it was a good learning curve and I came down here got to the Scottish Cup Final as well didn't you yeah yeah we lost in the final uh against Celtic that was good play hton park I think um yeah the very very good time in in Scotland and I think if I didn't do that I wouldn't be able to perform here yeah I think it was important good pathway like yeah exactly yeah very important how how did Le the move come about you know well I you're already playing for Ivory Coast then I was already the Ling van but I think I had a chance to come uh in England before that um at MSB um but uman didn't agree the fee uh so I missed that out um and obviously was then ling up coming here yeah yeah that was the obvious link I say worked out well one way or another but so then we spoken about Leicester obviously and then off to Turkey yeah off to Turkey another off another tangent yeah elsewhere but I bet that was interesting out there wasn't it because they are Lively oh man this is crazy and I remember I used to um argue with the people at the club because you could not go out it's absolutely crazy oh I remember once being in the park with my daughters and in five minutes you had a crowd of people coming in it always nice um but it's it's it's not life worse in that case than it is in England similar obviously you get recognize people but it's in there it's just exactly and that's why I always said um England is the best country to play football because they respect you the leagues are good um the fan let you be you know Turkey you can't you can't not move and you know I used to argu and said you know I'm not a rockar I'm just a player I just want to enjoy with my family and all it was impossible anywhere you go as well um and that was the downfall but um the league was good good good competition um we played uh played Champions League um Europa League and the culture as well was good I enjoyed that um the whose's manager out there um I had the national team uh manager from Turkey uh Sen gunes right he literally just left um Bist now he just got a c a couple weeks ago yeah um he was good the only problem is he he wasn't he didn't speak any English and I remember once I had an argument with him and uh the translator was there and I said to the translator tell him I'm upset and he could have well he was scared because he's a big lad you know yeah and I said tell him and I can tell he's not telling him and when I left that meeting I said no I need to learn Turkish because I need to tell the manager when I'm not happy um even swear him and all that you know um so that's why I learned the language he learned it yeah fluent uh when I was there yeah I spent two years yeah I used to go to school because in Turkey we train at night because it's too hot so in the morning you free so I used to go um 10:00 to 2:00 I used to go to school did you yeah yeah yeah that long yeah yeah how long did it take you to pick it up uh probably a year yeah understand didn't want you to talk because I don't want to to make mistake even if I still make mistake in English but um after a year yeah I started doing press confirms and everything yeah was good well say English is the fact that you knew what Top Notch means means yeah English is pretty good I've been here long now that's why yeah yeah that's why it's exceptional but to that Turkish and Italian as well Italian as well yeah but Italian is easy if you like because it's very very similar to French very similar yeah so that that that took me yeah I look at Italian think I could pick it I speak Petty you go right very tiny bit but you look at that yeah you can see the similar very similar Turkish is yeah but the Turkish people always said and it's true when I learned that because is is in F you can a word you can read the word and you say it completely differently yeah but in Turkey is what you see and is what you read so it's easy to learn right okay yeah definitely I'll take your word for that I'm not planning on it myself did did the leads move come about with chelino because of the palmo connection Italy yeah because um I finished the World Cup 2014 in Brazil excuse me and uh we'll have to talk about that in a minute yeah and I went to Italy after that and um I didn't play much didn't play at all in fact I remember I turn up I sign I turn up in uh in the training ground and the manager said like who are you and I was like oh I'm I'm in trouble here yeah and I remember before I signed because I always speak to manager before I sign to see how you want to play and all this and I said that to the president at the time and he said to me like smack club and you know in Italy we run the club so you don't need to speak to the manager he probably won't be here in two weeks right you know I was like oh I'm not sure and I turn off at a training ground and he didn't know who I was you know so I ended up no R differently honestly it's crazy so I play one game I remember I way to uh Napoli and um and I never played after that and obviously zarini the Italian president was very close friend with Chino and he said oh you have to go on loan because you know I don't want your value to go down and I signed a four years contract I think so he said go on loan play and you come back and maybe the manager will change and you know we see where we at so that's that's how ended up in leads enjoy it uh a bit crazy time though wasn't it yeah it was difficult time at the time yeah and um uh it was weird I turn up at the training ground and it was like a left Palo because he was 15 Italian players you know um and they didn't get onw with the the English Lads and uh it was 15 honestly yes it was 15 players it was that extreme yeah it was a lot and um a lot of them were training with the 23s so they weren't happy but they were shamed um first in dress room who's manager that was when I turn up it was Neil won okay yeah he was at Academy and he he end taking the first team and he finished the season um and The Following Season we had um I I rler yeah yeah yeah he was good yeah but it was difficult time on leads yeah because selino was doing what selino does at the time you know very very difficult well I said to you off that I've got family members that lead United Sports told them I was doing this for you and and they said that you were literally the only bright spark in that in that time so it's a nice compliment yeah very nice compliment that same as what we saying with Lester I guess that b the cult hero status that you were you were probably loved everywhere you were really by by the supporters yeah sometimes I wonder why I think it's just because you know I give 100% all the time at training and and games and um and I'm honest you know um I remember been asking a question after uh Cino decide to change the team or something like that and I said he wasn't his place he his Club you know he owned the club but I don't think he should he should P the team and the fan was all very happy about this but I was just being myself and to be fair I had a special relationship with him because you know because I came from Italy where we used to talk in Italian and I remember after a game in Ms we lost 40 I think I scor long go and uh he came to my house for two hours and my M was like why is he doing we were close like that so I knew if I said anything he won't he won't he won't take a wrongly anyway because I probably said it in front of him anyway the lead's a big old Club as well is it the supporters are yeah Lively aren't they wow man this is crazy but it's a lovely place my team as a kid I used to support leads yeah bizly even though I came from London W go there yeah it's a great football club um enjoy playing there but when the things are not going well is is is a difficult Place yeah very difficult Place yeah I can imagine it's a pressurized environment isn't it but uh but again yeah the risk of being too nice to you that like you say cult hero same at Cardiff as well isn't it really yeah I think that's that's the big stream uh you think yeah I think I don't know youve seem you know popular understandably so every Club you go which is it's nice nice accolations no he definitely nice m for sure but I think is a um it's it's just because when you I believe when you play and you give 100% the fan respond to that you know and if you if you're humble and respectful you know they they're going to take you on and you know um you speak with the fans as well don't you yeah you know you speak openly yeah when you do an interview yeah I think it's very important because you know they're massive power of any club you know you have to respect them they come and watch us play anywhere in in the country you know so the minimum we can do is when give them about our time to them so you know I always try to do that as much as I can um but I think if if you if you give anything you know the fan will respond definitely yeah well we'll come back on to your time with Cardiff with certain Mr waro or whatever I'm interested to see how you two jelled but um talking about jelling on maybe not in this inance give us well regarding your time um the Ivory Coast yeah a couple times featured in the World Cup perhaps the 2014 you featured more prominently did you yeah that's why it's got to be wonderful time of your career that so give us a little bit of feedback on that but also how was how was your there's talk in my notes at least of a bit of discontent between yourself and coo Tor is that correct or not looking for anything controvers I W said is is is discontent um I think was here of course oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah he enjoyed it here he regret that door over there list I have to be careful what I'm going to say uh no I I love Koo and listen the minute I walk in uh to the to the national team 2007 I think he took me on straight away um so I can never say the bad things about him but I think when we were playing together he liked to play play deep yeah um and the manager wanted us to play higher so we weren't always on the same line okay he always wanted a cover um behind him so he didn't want it to be left one V one so that's the small argument we used to have and U nothing too M yeah no no no it was and it was purely on on on the pitch because outside the pitch were very close and the problem is most of the time the play the the team on us to play high so they used to have a go meet he said to col to push up with me I'm you know just cuz he was getting a little bit older exactly I didn't want to say that get deeper I didn't want said at Arsenal he would play quite a high line exactly yeah I know that feeling yeah oh yeah I know that too um but it's exactly that and I think um you know because K is a massive n because he didn't want the people to see that so he wanted us to play a bit deeper so that's just the small Tech issues that was it you had some team though didn't you yeah yeah but he big ego though and that's why we never won anything you know I done two African Cup final 2008 2012 um lost them both um you know it's it's because I wouldn't say jealousy but it was big big big eag you know like when we had Dr B on the front uh obviously Captain everyone was talking about him and you had y wasn't happy about this you know really oh yeah it was silly though because if you win like it's it's good for everyone yeah but honestly it was it was crazy sometimes a bit yeah honestly very say players like that yeah some atmosphere that African final yeah it was good very good um we we we lost some penalties uh both of them um so difficult to take and during during one of them during the game jar actually missed the penalty as well did he yeah so it was very very yeah yeah it was on him yeah exactly that in fact yeah I wanted to take it and um obviously J by being the captain he said no I'll take it and he messed it so imagine yeah big personalties them yeah huge huge we had obviously the two two brothers we had Kalo we javino um we had zura do you remember the player Tottenham yeah Tottenham exactly yeah like oh it was big eego there definitely yeah yeah yeah you forget I mean that that's personalities is in the extreme those two in in particular must have been yeah must have been frustrating not to not to win something exactly that because that's why you know back in Africa used to call us like typical like the gold generation but we never won anything yeah the minute we all stop they won the the African cupation in 2015 yeah you know so very disappointed because we should have won a couple African Cup Nation maybe do better in in the World Cup I remember we had um Patrick ver came to talk to us in one of our camp and he said to us um you know you guys don't realize but when you play funs or other other other team we worried about you because you've got very very good team yeah but you worried about just winning the African Cup of nation you should look at the bigger picture and do well in the world cup and um that stay with me and I hope that I wish at the time that everyone realized that but we never we never won any great involvement though isn't it when you look back you know yeah yeah looking back now like especially when I speak to the kids and that you know when they they seen old games or they see me talking to to Dr by and all that they went like oh you you did care I said yeah I did right yeah yeah yeah yeah exactly exactly you know they're sort of Legends for one of a better word of the game aren't they yeah oh yeah some of them yeah you used to rub shoulders with them mate yeah you got you did your job in in I think the second afcon you didn't ConEd a goal did you all tournament that's why yeah the whole tournament didn't concede uh went to penalties and we we we lost it but yeah that was another thing as well again because you know um K was proud of it we all proud of it but that's what he was saying during meeting and games like you know exactly you guys don't do it so obviously that create more attention as well so he was it's listen I I enjoyed they I played just just under 10 years it was brilant but at the same time he was tough because you go there you know it's going to be argument you know it's going to be you know uh difficult time and uh you D to perform to win games and and we didn't but looking back now when you speak to them because they retire they regret because they're like we had a great team and we should have done more like oh yeah yeah yeah it was an uneasy atmosphere was it yeah it wasn't great honestly and at the time we couldn't talk about it um in the media because you know in back in Africa it would have it wouldn't have been gone down so well but now when we speak between ourself we like you know we were shame isn't it they that we out going on about it too much but but egos affect the situation especially you know the African countries who are desperate to try and pro themselves on the world stage exactly that and that's why I don't understand because you know um they all dreamed about this you know like half of the team I was born in FS but half of the team is is born in a course um they seen what the national team mean for the countries and we qualify for fre World Cup in the bounds um you know done very very well and you want to go to the next stage you and make the the country proud but for some reason because of Eagle he couldn't yeah probably frustrated you even more when you see that I think it was Ghana wasn't it in the 2014 World Cup that they they had that fantastic run and you probably look and think we're better than them exactly that yeah yeah we actually um were watching their games and that's what we were saying like you know if we all pull in the same direction we we we got better player than them but you know we sat down in front of the game and everything but the minute you go on on a training pitch and something goes wrong explodes again and his his ego coming again so it was uh it was frustrating definitely yeah bizarre I mean those not picking out individuals but those characters you speak about they were able to get by and domestically you know in a room full of probably more egos oh yeah yeah exactly that the Chelsea the man cities whatever but uh yeah shame a shame there you go good time yeah very good time good times though good memories aren't they yeah very good good achievements yeah so Cardiff then youve spent a long time you still live there yeah as well yeah still down there um at the minute and yeah great time down there um nice down there C never it's nice properly I was surprised as well when I when I first got down to properly visit the city and all that is is it's beautiful no I have been nice it's quite Lively isn't it it is Lively yeah things are coming back to me go on tell us more tell us more well he's not allowed back that's his problem oh yeah no it's a it's a good City because a big good mix between like um the the party night if you want to go out and is is a student City and he very green you got the sea and so he's he he I think he's about everything so he's a very good City because obviously he had that spell well earlier this year didn't you as as assistant manager that that's something that that that you want to pursue yeah definitely I think um I had uh Sab lauch as a manager uh with cost um and we were talking about it back then um he said you should look into to cach in and all this like you know I thought he was just chying like that but the minute I stopped he said to me he wanted me to come and be an assistant with him um and funny enough he ended up a Cardiff so you know that's where I started and uh it was it was very very good start obviously were beond trouble we were fighting to stay in the league managed to do that unfortunately didn't get a job so we we left but it's definitely something I'm looking into so your time at cardi as well just reverting back to playing playing days but how was your relationship with Neil warno because to I wouldn't say alternative characters but you wouldn't necessarily put you both together yeah even in just a football sense but uh it seemed like a match made in heaven yeah and way or another funny enough I first met uh the gaffa when I was playing for Leicester and uh he came to me and he said to me you getting away with murder if you were playing with me You' be playing in the Premier League already and uh you be a better player and I look at him and I said like why is this who's this guy anyway I had no idea um so we left it there and um when I came back with leads s i play against him he said the same thing to me and he said we need to be in touch and everything and so we we swwa numbers then and that's how that's how our relationship start and uh when I left leads um he called me and he said he's going to get a club I have to wait for him had a few things and I remember actually I went to Derby where n peon was yeah and he wanted to sign me and uh the the day before he wanted to sign it yeah yeah I went yeah I went there to train for a week and they wanted to sign me but he got a sack um just the day after just the day before sorry um so unfortunately I didn't sign for him at Derby and uh wo called me and he said oh we're going to notam for us I had an interview he went well and he called me two days after no we're going to Aon Villa um and the next day again he called me said no no forget Villa we're going downard for w Villa in the Premier League no in the championship by the time champ okay yeah yeah yeah so he had a couple interview and uh every time he told he will get a job and he asked me to wait he said it's going to be a couple of weeks it took I think it took two months because I left late in August um and we signed um I sign for Cardiff in October so I ended up waiting a long time but that's not easy yeah exactly even I had the pressure from the misses because the kids we didn't know where they going to go to school um you know she wanted me to to to get a job um so he wasn't easy but at the end he worked out I did I hear you call him do you still call him gaffa do you yeah always yeah yeah he will kill me if I don't call him ga yeah he's been around a long time yeah yeah he seemed a campaigned a season campaigner is that the right word is it um when I was playing when he was at Sheffield United yeah he'd been around the block then exactly yeah yeah and then never mind your era he's some character I always he's always one of those managers and you'll probably endorsed this back this up playing against him you really didn't like oh yeah yeah play with him you love him I heard a lot of lot of players in that absolutely man you spot on I think with him his man man management is is just brilant and everyone will tell you the one who played or the one who doesn't play he look actually better um to the player who don't play yeah cuz always said in Wy so you have to keep them happy the one who playing they already happy anyway yeah but I think what is great is he you look at the players and it's it's not just looking at the player he looking at personal level so you make an effort to know your wife the kids your mom everyone and I think that's the secret and it's very good at and when you do that to players you know they're going to go to Three B wall for you you know so it's very very good at that he's a walking meme as well isn't he everywhere you look yeah yeah unbelievable career is he oh yeah he's still still looking to get back in it as well oh yeah he would well there you go you could be his assistant wherever he goes next I'm not sure you know listen I love the man to bet but I think um playing under him would be better than you know being his assistant because I seeing j and black is been absolutely hammered by him I can imagine oh I I don't want to be near that way he's comfortable with those people yeah it was just baram exactly yeah and that get running around doing all sorts of things yeah you you had a proper team spirit though which is probably what he instills at ciff and and probably were a little bit unfortunate in that Premier League season to to to obviously get the relegation but you you had that togetherness that was obviously from from Neil War yeah he buil that and he he was very important he's similar to njo pearon who was saying earlier he he's big on character and uh he he doesn't want any bad egg in the dresser room um if you don't follow the rules you're going to get yourself out um of of the dress him anyway um that came from him you know very very good uh man management skill and even the season we got promoted nobody see us getting promoted but we had a special bond between ourself and his iMat sure like from top to bottom the club all together out of all the managers you've you played under who who do you think you learned the most from all of them really I will say from the the the Tactical point of view I will say Zen you know he was very very good and aware um I was said man management I go to to both um n peon and and and the Gaff has a very very good at that um you know and I think I think those those three manager I always them up there because they was were very very good with me so interrupted in a certain period was it was was it while you at Cardiff or was had I was going to call call it health scare it was a little bit more than that yeah as most people are aware of yeah um you said you don't mind addressing part of your life and yeah your career Etc how did how did that affect you um for one of a better way of of questioning putting the question but um was that I I forget exactly when that period was it was 2021 I was a ciff year right yeah yeah yeah so he obviously had bit of time but what um I don't know took me through that situation think it's it it made me aware um unfortunately we not even if you sort of know that we're not um Invincible really because you know when you play football or when you play a with do any any sport you think you you're fit you're healthy you know you look after your body and that and um I never expect it you know to to to have cancer I I depend here on the back on my lower back on my left hand side or why and but you know we we we play every every days you know we we never thought anything of it maybe just to show back I saw the fure and everything but the pain didn't go away I was still playing going through it um the the manager at the time asked me to uh get to International break because he needed me to play um so after that um we went to see doctors and done all the scan and everything but um they didn't know where he was so the club doctor that said listen just in case because even him he didn't think he would be just lit that bit yeah yeah it was it was it was weird and um and up going and see a specialist and done a biopsy like once again the club doctor was just saying you know it's just to TI all the boxes like you know probably sure it's not going to be there and he ended up being this you know um so big shock uh straight away I was worried for the family you know because I have I have young kids at the time um you know how I'm going to tell my mom yeah the misses and that so that was tough but um the club very very supportive the fans and even you know the the football Community all around the world I had so many messages I couldn't believe it I was overwhelmed um you know the got people in Le on touch uh it was it was it was great and that helped me through it because people don't realize when when you're struggling with with with um heiness like this just a simple message um when you wake up in the morning and you you don't feel great like that that give you the strength to carry on it did to me anyway yeah um and that was massive so you know I always said like without support of everyone in my family I don't think I imagine yeah yeah I mean you got your own family to motivate you as well but any boo boost is welcome isn't it yeah it was huge massive because you know as as everyone can imagine Kimo is not easy you know very difficult difficult um was it just localized in that area yeah it was that was one of the lucky part of it because it was just there it didn't spray um so they they located very early as well uh so they said it was a small lump of the the size of the tennis ball um big enough yeah yeah um so they managed to get rid of it very quickly but they did said if I left it too long it could to be like a bigger problem yeah yeah yeah and so touchwood all fine since yeah I mean I still have to do a few checking um every month or so uh blood test and everything but so far it's been it's been very good yeah I imagine the relief that you heard when when you were given the all be all clear yeah I mean because the old things was crazy because it was just before Christmas as well so I went to do the biopsy on Christmas Eve and straight away I had the result so I I didn't want it to hide it um to any of my family so I set it straight away we just keep it away from the kids because it was Christmas um and after Christmas I sat everyone down and uh just told them but it was uh it was tough at the time um but like you said the the the the best news I heard it was when they said I've got it all clear yeah yeah great stuff well done to you for getting through it like you did but um not that that isn't a positive because the way you come through it is a massive positive but we'll end on another one in terms of the future and what it brings and I know we touched upon it lightly but what do you see it holding for you well first and foremost like good health yeah you know very very important um and um you know I want to I want to go into management definitely I want to I want to coach first um you know you know that it's not because you played the game for you know whatever years that I mean you know everything so you know um the I've been doing my budges very early when I was still playing um and every time I learn new new stuff because even just something as silly or talk in a fun of the of the room when you're in the dress room and I've got a big mouth I can talk uh it's easy because your teammate and you know just get on with it but when you got 16 or 18 years old um player and you have to address in front of them it's not that easy and you know the badges um learn show me how to to do it with confident and yeah and you know I think you have to make sure you've got the proper knowledge as well don't you the the detail the confidence picked up on it absolutely and I think that's why it's very important to know wor on it that's why I want to you know I've done the B the a I'm on a PO license now um and I want to coach after for whatever years before I become a manager because listen you can go through all this and be a manager and not necessarily be successful but I don't want to I want to go step by step give yourself every chance definitely yeah but the the I've got a sneaky feeling you'll be more than fine I think you get by right I hope so I hope so amalgamation of Neil waro p yeah exactly yeah you got plenty of full back on haven't you definitely yeah you got different aspects of your personality as well you you know that you're a friendly amicable sort of guy but you don't strike me with anyone's fo you you say your peace as well don't you at times and well don't I don't think that's always good I I learned the the measured way exactly yeah I learn how and when to say it excuse me I remember when I was young my dad used to say it's great with you because when it's something you say it but you know you need to to to say the right way and being polite yeah um and uh I tried to do that and I'm better now with Edge you know um but yeah uh it's it's it's something when I've got something on my mind I have to say oh I'm not comfortable with myself so you know I to be yeah you put it across the right way you certainly have to day and it's been absolute pleasure pleasure my pleasure it's always good to see you coming along please and he's taken away from the time more comfortable than it should have been but no absolute Delight wish you all the best in the future thank you very much man good to see you