October 14, 2025

GUEST JAY BOTHROYD - PLAYING For ENGLAND, Leaving ARSENAL, NOT Telling his Club About His EPILEPSY, Life in JAPAN & Being in the AGUEROOOO Game

1 hour 54 minutes

In this episode of The Joy of Football, Jay Bothroyd joins Martin Tyler and Neil Barnett to reflect on an extraordinary career that took him from Arsenal’s academy to the England team, and across the world to Italy, Thailand and Japan.

Jay opens up about the anger that ended his Arsenal dream, the call from Dave Jones that saved his career, and his life-changing decision to finally reveal that he kept epilepsy a secret for his entire career.

From winning the FA Youth Cup with Arsenal, to sharing a dressing room with Gadaffi’s Son, facing Paolo Maldini, and swapping shirts with Andrés Iniesta, this is Jay Bothroyd’s incredible football journey, told with honesty, humour and heart.

This episode is an incredible conversation, and NOT to be missed.

[CHAPTERS]

00:00 Discovering The Love For Football

05:01 How Arsène Wenger Changed Arsenal

07:50 Bothroyd’s Secret Lunches At Arsenal

09:04 “Arsène Brought The Joy To Football”

12:40 Winning the FA Youth Cup With Arsenal

19:27 The Shirt That Changed Everything (Getting Sold by Arsenal)

24:14 Signing For Coventry (Gordon Strachan Phone Call)

28:15 Making His Premier League Debut Vs Manchester United

31:56 “I Kept Epilepsy A Secret My Entire Career” – Jay Bothroyd's Epilepsy Journey

43:31 How Cardiff & Dave Jones Saved Jay’s Career + Fall Out At Wolves

52:14 “Going to Cardiff Was The BEST Decision For Me”

54:17 Jay Bothroyd’s England Call-Up

1:00:17 Craig Bellamy: “You Either Love Him Or Hate Him – I Loved Him”

1:01:56 Making An Impression In England Training

1:04:24 “You Definitely Would’ve Played For Me” – Wenger Reunites With Jay

1:08:20 Playing In Serie A For Perugia – Life & Culture In Italy

1:15:27 Playing Against Maldini (“Best Defender Ever”)

1:18:23 Colonel Gaddafi’s Son Was My Teammate

1:21:27 The Standard Of The Thailand League

1:23:38 Moving To Japan & Playing In The J-League

1:31:46 Swapping Shirts With Iniesta

1:32:14 “I Could’ve Played 100 Games For Arsenal” – Reflection On Career

1:35:43 Jay Bothroyd Played In The “Aguerooo” Game

1:41:02 What’s Jay’s Best Moment?

1:43:20 Young Epilepsy Ambassador

1:46:28 Martin Tyler’s Letter From The Gantry (Everton)

Join Neil Barnett (former Chelsea touch-liner announce and football journalist) alongside the voice of the Premier League Martin Tyler in celebrating the greatest addiction in the World!

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Music by Arron Clague - https://www.instagram.com/arronclague?igsh=aHg1bjQ3OHpmaXIz

Intro Sequence by Wellong Sadewo (wells.illustration): https://www.instagram.com/wells.illustration/

For incredible football artwork, check out: https://linktr.ee/marclobodaart