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Gary Pallister v F365: The Interview

All-round good guy and Man United legend Gary Pallister answered your questions - revealing his love for Maltesers, his torment at leaving United, his still-p***ed free-kick and lots more...

He's promoting his book 'Pally' - published by Know the Score books - and it's available from all good bookstores and some bad ones as well. Put it on your Christmas list.

I remember reading once that you said the biggest learning experience of your career was going on loan to Darlington. David Wheater had a similar experience at Darlo a couple of years ago. Do you think the lower leagues can still act as a good school for producing hard-case centre halves? (Dominic Piper)

It toughens you up physically as it is more direct and you have to withstand a physical battering in the lower leagues. If you're not quite fit enough or ready to play for the first team then it's much better to do this than play in the reserves. You can't beat the learning experience of playing in a big match atmosphere where the games mean so much more than reserve games. It really helps add to your own game and it's vital for young players to go out and do this.

What's your most favourite chocolate snack of all time? (John Goy)

Maltesers - they're so morish and they have always been my favourite. My mam sends me a box every year 'cause she knows they're my favourite. So for the last 38 years they've been in my Christmas box!

Given that you and Steve Bruce formed the best central defensive partnership in English football at the time, were you surprised that you weren't played together regularly for England? (Mike Christie and just about every other reader)

It was very difficult because there were so many good central defenders around. Des Walker was there, so were Mark Wright and Tony Adams. I think we've always had good central defenders in England, but I am surprised that Steve didn't get a cap - I think Terry Venables was going to pick him at one point but unfortunately he got injured. It was a shame we didn't get to play together for England as well.

You managed to score a free-kick in the final game of the season in 1993 after Villa's loss against Oldham handed United the title. It's well known that most of the players were drinking at Steve Bruce's house the night before to celebrate. Were you still p***ed? (James Clinch)

Yes. The funny thing was that on the night that Villa played Oldham the manager agreed to it but told us to take it easy, so we all went round to Brucie's house about 6 - and we ended up celebrating until about 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. I don't think that really qualifies as taking it easy! I'm sure Fergie can remember the next night before we played Blackburn at Old Trafford when we all came in and he was standing there to congratulate us - he just shook his head at everyone who walked through the door. As for the match we were all asleep to start with, but after about 20 minutes the buzz and the atmosphere woke us up and we won 3-1. It was great for me to score the free-kick as it gets shown quite a bit and it brought the curtain down on the season.

The money Boro made from selling you to Manchester United significantly helped save the club. Go on, be honest, which was the stronger emotion - sadness at leaving your home town, delighted to be bringing in much needed finance to your hometown club or sheer delight at going to play for one of the biggest clubs in the land? I know the easy answer would be all three, but go on, pick one! (Lee Ricketts)

If I had to pick one it would be the delight at joining United, who as you say were, and still are, one of the biggest clubs in the land. Obviously there were both personal and professional reasons why I decided to join United - but you'll have to read about those in my book.

Just how good was Eric? (Robert Powell)

Eric was the final piece of the jigsaw. He was the guy that pulled the strings in what was already a very good side which I thought should have won the league the previous year when Eric was still at Leeds. For such a big guy he had a wonderful, deft touch with a football and he had sublime vision. He also had the power and physical ability too - you wouldn't have wanted to pick a fight with Eric. He definitely brought a greater imagination to the team.

Who is the best player you've come up against on a one-to-one/man-to-man basis? (Pete Holt, MUFC)

Romario. In the game where we lost 4-0 to Barcelona - it honestly could have been 10. It was the only time I've ever come off at the end of a game and thought, I couldn't get near him. Whatever he did, I just couldn't deal with and that was very tough to take. We gave him too much time and he exploited that. I would hate to see that match on video again.

As someone who's played with all the candidates; Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Steve Bruce; who would you say has the best chance to replace Sir Alex when he retires? (James Clinch)

I'd put Mark Hughes up there at this moment in time. He's had international experience as well as establishing Blackburn in the top flight. He comes across as very astute and he speaks very well. He's got a huge amount of respect because of what he's achieved in the game and by all accounts he's got very good people behind him, so at this point I'd say he's ahead of the others. Going to City might have made it a little bit difficult for him, but we used to call him the double legend - because he was a legend when he left and he was a legend when he came back. He's remembered fondly by so many people that I don't think it'll have an impact on him if he got the job.

Are you Dolly or Daisy? (Ray Walker)

I have no idea. I don't think Fergie even knows that one. He came out with it in a press interview, and I think it was a throwaway line that got picked up on, and obviously it stuck. It became infamous in mine and Steve's lives because as centre-halves it wasn't something that you'd want to be called before a big game. You'd want attackers to fear you but when they knew they were up against Dolly and Daisy I can't imagine they had too many sleepless nights.

What are you up to nowadays? Are you coaching or at least still involved in football? (Martin Grainger)

On Saturday afternoons I work on Final Score and Score interactive on BBC. I'm also on MUTV doing the European games and I do little bits for Setanta. That keeps me involved in everything that's going on and that's enough for me.

How do you think the rock solid partnership of Nemanja Vidic & Rio Ferdinand compares to the once great partnership between yourself and Steve Bruce? (James Norris)

It's a very similar kind of partnership. I think Vidic is the sort of stronger, no frills, up-and-at-'em centre half that Steve was. Steve's passing was something that was very underrated and Nemanja's maybe not as good as Steve in that respect. But it's very hard to compare the two partnerships - I'll leave that for other people to do.

Garth Crooks says that you've won their pundit league at the BBC for a few years and that you take your predictions seriously. As a pundit do you ever get tempted to follow Brucie into management or does seeing the grief he's endured put you off? (James Clinch)

I thought about coaching when I first quit playing, but in the end I thought I would be just as happy staying involved through the media. I always thought that coaching or management would be far too time-consuming.

Hi Pally, how you doing? Long time no see! My question is why didn't you come to Al Quds with me and my mates for a Kobeda Kebab after the England vs France game in Euro 2004? We'd all got suitably plastered in the Sports Bar on Deansgate in Manchester and it would've rounded off an almost great day! (Brendan Lewis)

I'm an athlete - I don't do kebabs!

How come you always looked bollocksed after five minutes of every game but always made it through the full 90? (Smudger)

The manager used to stay that to me too. Stamina was never one of my greatest strengths. I didn't have that luxury that Beckham or Giggs had and it was always a struggle for me in terms of fitness - but it was also just the way I looked. If I looked bollocksed it was because I was! I had a chat with the manager once and I said, "Look, if the ball's knocked in behind me I'd still back myself to get there."

Who would win in a fight between Steve Bruce and Nemanja Vidic? (Ciaran Boner)

I don't know Nemanja that well - I just know that being a Geordie lad, Steve wouldn't be easy to put on his backside, that's for sure.

Ever feel like you left Man United a year too early considering what United won in '99? (Will Colville)

Yes, I think about that every day (laughs). It was a decision that was made at the time. The club had accepted a bid or I could have stayed and seen out the last year of my contact, but I'd seen players upset at leaving. Jaap Stam had come to the club and the manager had said I wouldn't be guaranteed a first-team place. But in hindsight you never are, are you? On the other hand I might have made a mistake that could have lost United the treble. I try to remember the fact I was there through such great times, with a great bunch of lads and bringing back the Premiership in '93 was probably the biggest buzz I've ever had in the game.

Why do you spend so much time in the Black Bull? (J Marsh)

It's been my local for a number of years. Even during my United years I used to come back and drink there. I'm quite a sociable guy and I like a drink - and there's not many better places to spend an evening.