Anderton: I regret snubbing Utd
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SITTING PRETTY ... Darren Anderton is happy to quit after more than 550 club games
FOOTBALL jokers reckon more than a few surgeons and physios owe their long careers to Darren Anderton. But so, too, does a certain David Beckham. For without the man they unfairly used to call Sicknote, Becks’ bid for world domination may have stalled before he even left Old Trafford.
The Cherries’ former Tottenham star, 36, has announced he will hang up his boots after the South Coast strugglers’ home League Two date with Chester tomorrow. He revealed: “I don’t have many regrets. But, with hindsight, when Manchester United came along in 1995 maybe I should have gone.
“I had a clause in my contract at Tottenham saying I could leave if another club offered so much, which United did. “I spoke with Alex Ferguson and he wanted me to go there. But the following day I went to see Spurs chairman Alan Sugar and he wouldn’t let me leave his house until I had signed a new deal.
“He’d already lost Jurgen Klinsmann, Nicky Barmby and Gica Popescu that year and probably thought it would kill him if another player left. “When I went to meet him, he had Spurs manager Gerry Francis there along with my trusted adviser Leon Angel. He even had his chef present to cook me a nice meal.
“Sugar looked after me, to be fair, and I signed the deal. But perhaps I should have gone. After that I picked up injuries and United went on to win the title. “Had I left, I would have had a Premier League medal to my name. “But my decision to stay at Spurs opened the door for Becks and the rest, as they say, is history.
“It’s where it all started for Becks — and I hope he remembers that! I like to think I was responsible for giving his career a helping hand.”
Despite that reputation for spending more time in the treatment room than on the pitch, Anderton has clocked up more than 550 club games for Portsmouth, Tottenham, Birmingham, Wolves and Bournemouth.
He also won 30 England caps. But now the last remaining member of the starting XI beaten on penalties by Germany in the Euro 96 semi-final is quitting.
He admitted: “It’s becoming a bit of a slog and, instead of waiting until I’m really not enjoying it, I thought I’d call it a day now. I’m finding it hard work at present, both mentally and physically.
“Bournemouth manager Jimmy Quinn understands, I think. I’ve been considering it for a few weeks. “It’s not so much the playing, it’s more the everyday thing of getting yourself up to go into training. I’ve been doing it for around 20 years and I’ve just had enough.
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i remember him.
which meant he was good.
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he was too injury prone.. while passing is good, no real pace..
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one of the many promising players of spurs.
but....
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he scored a famous classic goal for England..they dubbed "The Anderton"
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sicknote!
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Had he gone to United, maybe his career would have been different... Look at Giggs, he was probably more injury prone during his earlier years but proper care by the United's medical team helped him. They tried all ways to get to the root of his problem and finally discovering the way he sits while he drive his car was one of the main cause of his frequent injury...
Anderton was a more bigger and physically looked stronger than Giggs type of player... Anyway, in the process... we got Beck so no complain lah... Only too bad for him, otherwise his cabinet would have a few more medals to display...