Recently I spoke to ex professional footballer Alan Lee about his career and moving into coaching. Part one of our chat covers his time at Aston Villa as a youth player, as well as his time at Burnley, Rotherham, Cardiff and Ipswich amongst other clubs across his career. Here's what was discussed.
DK: What was it like to play at the top of the game?
AL: I was a decent Championship striker. Its a team come true, it's a lifestyle, there's lovely elements to it - everything's centered around you as a player. You also get to travel, make the best friends as the players you meet are so much fun.
There's also a lot of tough bits, you're moving around - it's hard to settle, you make friends at a new club then you leave. You're away from home and there's a pressure! Everything as a footballer, your life revolves around winning on a Saturday. The pressure can be hard to deal with.
DK: You came through the Academy at Villa, what was it like being involved in that set up?
AL: It was an exciting time, because they were one of the best clubs at the country at the time, they were challenging at the top of the table, they did well in cups - they even had a European run!
I remember going as part of the squad that went to Athletico Madrid in the 1990s and really good club, huge club, and a fantastic academy, a proper academy that produces so many players and its a really good place!
I was very lucky to have a really good youth team coach that knew what he was doing and got me to work hard and realise the most important lessons to be responsible for yourself and how you play.
DK: What was it like being at Burnley?
AL: It was another sleeping giant, they have such a great history and I wasn't fully aware of all of that before I went really, I think it was a really good experience. I didn't do that well there and I got injured, I just started doing well and I got a bad injury and the team did really well and got promoted, but there were so many experienced pros there who just knew how to get the job done. So I learned a lot about them, I'd sit and talk to them every so often, so fond memories. In my second season I went on loan to Rotherham and it just clicked for me there, it made sense for me to leave, but I left with fond memories.
DK: Following onto Rotherham, you were involved in their promotion winning team, what was it like to be involved in the team's promotion?
AL: What was great was that nobody fancied us to get promoted, everyone thougt we would get relegated that year so it was a wonderful experience, great teammates too. League One is a really tough league to win and you can make the mistake that just because you've got the best players you might not have the best team. You would play a heck of a lot of games, if you go up, you've earned it believe me! We had a wonderful set of characters who worked very hard and got on with each other very well and some real talent mixed in, we were second favourites to get relegated and we ended up coming second.
I scored the goal on the second last day of the season that got us promoted, a wonderful moment!
DK: What was it like to be the one that scored the promotion clinching goal?
AL: I think people that haven't played the game don't realise that by March/April, you are shattered! You've had a long season, you've been at the top, there's games thick and fast, you're not going to see a lot of quality football - you're in a dog fight! It's all about mentality and just getting over the line any way you can, that was kind of where we were at.
Second last game of the season, everyone was carrying knocks, anxious, under pressure and we heard through that Reading were 2-0 down over at Colchester United. We'd gone 1-0 down and got it back to 1-1, there was about 2 or 3 minutes left and you're just desperate, trying to get the ball in the opposition's half, trying to get the ball in the opposition's goal.
I received the ball, passed it off to someone and received it again, then I did a really quick turn and shoot - it snuck in the corner of the goal and then you just go bananas, it's a wonderful, wonderful feeling!
DK: How did you find your time with Rotherham in the Championship?
AL: At first it took a while to adjust, you're stepping up a level, you're playing some big clubs now, you're going to some really big stadiums and we struggled for the first ten games and then we had a really good run! It took me a while to score but I got going and we got belief, better and fitter.
There's way better players in the Championship, whereas in League One you'll come across plenty of teams where there's weak players, there's not many weak players in the Championship - every game is tough but in my second season we did really, really well! If we had maybe more resources we could've pushed for a playoff place!
DK: After that you then joined Cardiff for 3 years, what was it like at the Welsh club?
AL: Again, I started with a really bad injury so I never really got going. I loved living down there, again I made some really good friends, it's a huge club, people are wonderful - still in touch with plenty of people down there. Cardiff fans never saw the best of me, I was always seen to be carrying something, I had a knee problem for which I had 2 operations which I came back too early from to be honest. I was then put with a hernia, I didn't really believe in myself there and I was quite fortunate to get the move to Ipswich and Joe Worrall.
DK: How did the move to Ipswich come about?
AL: Ipswich needed a target man and they signed Sam Parkin, poor Sam a lovely chap but he did his ankle. They didn't have loads to spend but I think Joe Worrall was impressed with me the year before when I played against Ipswich whilst I was at Rotherham. They could see in the stats, I think there was a myth that I wasn't fast and Joe said "in the stats we've found that you're the fastest forward to have played at Portman Road the season before."
So he knew that I was fast, as I would run the channel, because if you're as big as me you're not going to be as agile but I certainly had a good top speed. I just walked in the door and settled like snow, I loved every second of it! The training ground, the pitches, Portman Road I just loved playing there!
Lovely place to play and I scored early goals, which is really important as if you score early goals then the fans get behind you, your teammates believe in you, and Joe Worrall was a gentleman and knew what he was doing.
The club was really well run, really well run.
DK: What was your time like at Ipswich?
AL: I loved it, I met my wife there, made so many friends, I immediately just feel in love with Suffolk. No matter what happened after football I knew I wanted to live there.
DK: What was the highlight during your time at Ipswich?
AL: In my third season we missed out on the playoffs by a point, but I remember on the last game of the season scoring a goal against Hull but ultimately we fell short, I think that season that was our chance and we missed out by a point. You could talk about the goal that relegated Leeds, that was quite a big moment, there were so many. Ultimately though we didn't achieve what we wanted to do.
DK: In your first year at Ipswich you were the top scorer at the club, what was that feeling like?
AL: It's a nice feeling, you're judged by amateurs by your goals but by professionals you're judged by being a target man, it's always nice to be top scorer at a club in a season is an achievement I guess.
DK: How did the move to Palace come about?
AL: I turned down a couple of moves from Ipswich and ultimately they weren't offering me a new contract - to be honest I was a bit disappointed and times had changed, you know, Marcus Evans was in charge now and they were loaning players and everything just felt a bit different and gone away from what brought us the success.
Neil Warnock was trying to sign me and he has one of the best records in the game.
DK: What was it like to play under managers like Neil Warnock?
AL: Neil Warnock is just a really good guy, in football getting promoted and man management is so important - that's why people like Mick McCarthy and Neil Warnock are very good! They know the game, they don't go in for any nonsense, they respect the players and they can get the best out of people by just being straight, honest and skillful with how you deal with people. That's the role of a manager, Neil Warnock once gave me the biggest bollocking ever, you wanted to play for him! That's people skills.
DK: What was Jim Magilton like to play under at Ipswich?
AL: I still think Jim will end up a manager, I think he's got loads of good attributes, he understands the game, he knows what's real, he knows lots about football but he'll go nuts on a Saturday! It just meant so much to him that the only drawback to him would be that if you lost he'd take it personally, when it wasn't really like that. Everything was really professional, I'd love to see him back in management again.
DK: During your time at Palace, you went on loan to Norwich, how did that come about?
AL: Brian Gunn was the manager there, so I wanted to go back and see if I could help him out and get back to living at home so I was quite happy to go there.
DK: What was it like to play for Ipswich's rivals, a year after leaving the club?
AL: It didn't really bother me at all, you're a professional, that's your job! They're paying my wages, fans are paying to get through the door.
I think sometimes a rivalry can get a bit pantomimish, they're two really good clubs and they're both stronger for the rivalry! It didn't really bother me, no Ipswich fan has come up to me and said "I was really upset with that [joining Norwich]."
DK: After leaving Palace, you then joined Huddersfield, what was your time like at the Terriers?
AL: I was probably coming towards the end of my career at that stage, but it was a wonderful experience! As a club we set up what we ultimately set out to do, which was achieving promotion in a very special day at Wembley. It was hard work ultimately we achieved it.
DK: What was it like having lost a play off final to then win it the next year?
AL: It just put a lot of pressure on (us). The chairman had spent a lot of money putting the team together and the lads were really good, really great set of lads. But we knew our job was getting promoted, nothing more, nothing less. There was a lot of pressure, we were all well paid, really well paid by the chairman and we felt we'd let the club down the year before (losing the final), but we had a remarkable team. We went 40 odd games unbeaten over the course of two seasons, which is a football league record. It was great.
DK: What was it like playing at grounds like Old Trafford and Wembley?
AL: It's nice but to be honest, usually if you're playing there you are playing in a big game. Your mind's on the game. So you take in a lot more of the ground when you go there as a fan, but your focus is elsewhere. As a player, for me, I used to love playing the bigger the stadium the bigger the atmosphere, I felt the more likely I was to have a good game.
DK: You then rejoined Ipswich as a player-coach, why did you go back to Ipswich as a coach?
AL: It was more by chance to be honest, I was doing my coaching badges and I think Ipswich were short in players so Mick offered me the role as a player-coach, so they'd use me if they needed me and it just fit for both parties. I wouldn't be on the wages, as a player so the club gained some cover. When I was at Ipswich I used to do lots of stuff, so in the summer when the academy manager went off playing golf and nobody would turn up to events I'd go and do the Suffolk Show and other bits and pieces. I'd turn up for stuff for the fans instead of the players having to do it so I did a lot for the club.
DK: What's the set up like at Ipswich?
AL: Under Mick McCarthy, Mick had his unit with first team that worked like clockwork. The players knew their jobs, he was really professional, no nonsense. He was very high in respect and just being real and decent. It worked very well and I think it felt really bad that he was getting a lot of abuse from a small section of fans, so totally wrong. But ultimately the tide had turned with the fans, the feeling was that the club could do better elsewhere and Mick went. It was really sad because inside the club you could see what was really happening, you weren't going to get better than Mick McCarthy. Things were like they were because he didn't have the investment in the team and he was working miracles and if you were experienced and you worked in the club you could see that. So when he went I knew we would be relegated next season (2018-19) because of this new plan and just a real, real shame.
What happened was that it shouldn't of been allowed to get to that but the club was at a management level it was so badly run that no communication in the right things so the connection with the fans had been lost. Mick felt the brunt of that, when in reality it was just the club had been badly run and he was doing his bit so the club got rid off the only person in management that was actually doing their job properly and they paid the price for it.
DK: Going back a bit, you played for Ireland so could you describe what it was like to represent the country?
AL: A very proud, emotional moment, especially for your parents. It's a, wonderful moment when you step out and you get your first jersey. I didn't really have the self belief that stage of my career that I really should be there and was good enough so probably would've been better perhaps if it happened when I was older.
DK: What was the highlight of playing for Ireland?
AL: Probably my debut, I didn't score any goals, I can't say I had any particularly really good games. I just felt out of my depth really, but it's great to have the caps and the jerseys, just how proud your parents are.
DK: What was it like playing international football as a whole?
AL: Really good experience! You got to travel afar, go to loads of countries but it's quite boring. You've got a heck of a lot of downtime just stuck in a hotel, in my case it was eating chocolate. So those boys that do it year in year out it's a sacrifice. You're spending a lot of time away from home, but it's worth it because you're representing your country.
DK: You're now heavily involved in Bury, how did the opportunity come about to join the club?
AL: There were a few different strands to it, I spent a lot of time watching Bury when Jack (Lankester) and Brett (McGavin) were playing for them and I was working at Ipswich and I thought it'd be a much better fit to work with Bury and Culford rather than Bury and Ipswich because it'd just work better. At that stage the Academy was all over the place at Ipswich and there was no point being there. I think at that point Russell (Ward) and Ben (Chenery, manager) phoned me and I also spoke to Jason in the Under-14s and we gradually started working together, starting to bring some Culford players up and decided to go onto the board and now I'm a director. I help out wherever I'm needed to really. I just love the people at Bury, like yourself Drew, Russell (Ward, Chairman), Chris Ward (Director) for example. I've just love being around wonderful people, like Ben Chenery is a wonderful manager and we're so lucky to have him.
We're a well run club, we've made improvements over the years and we want to do more. There's more we want to do, but I think people have been entertained, really enjoyed the season (2019-20, which was voided). It's a shame it's ended the way it has. I think basically people know that, the people working here are good, the lads are good, there's a lot of good local young players who play a nice brand of football. It's a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon. We're growing and we've got loads more youngsters playing, so things are really positive.
DK: Is there much difference between either club?
AL: One is a professional club, but Bury has ambitions. Ipswich need to get into the Premiership in the next five years, if that doesn't happen I don't know where the club is going to end up and they need to do it in the foreseeable future. If you're at Ipswich, everything has to be about winning the next game, winning, winning, winning, going top of the league and nothing else. Bury is slightly different we want to grow. We're more of a community element, if we get promoted it's not the end of the world. Our goal is growth and sustainability which is the way it should be for a local community club.
We just all work together, we all muck in together and help each other.
As a club we want to have as many good local players playing in our first team as possible and we want to provide a pathway for players, as we have done, for players that have missed out in acadmies to get back into the game. We just want the town to be proud of us.
