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Welcome back for Part Two of this fabulous Big Interview with Benni McCarthy: fascinating story teller, wonderful footballer, Champions League winner.When we left Benni at the end of Part One, he was telling the story of how he got his hands on the cup with the big ears in 2004, with his Porto side progressing from a group which contained Marseille, Partizan Belgrade and Real Madrid. Who’s next? Manchester United in the last 16.Benni had always dreamed of playing for United and he left his mark against them in 2004, scoring twice in a stunning first leg victory. He describes both of those goals in glorious detail, as well as explaining why it was him - and not Deco - who took the injury time free-kick which put the tie to bed at Old Trafford.From there, Benni retraces his steps to the final, where Porto cruised to victory against Monaco. In fact, he will reveal that the competition was fiercer on the bench, where Benni was among the substitutes all fighting to get on and play a part in the...

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ONE year ago, we put out a special Big Interview ahead of the Champions League final. You may remember Paul Clement breaking down in fascinating detail the final he was part of as assistant to then Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti in 2014. If you haven’t heard it, it’s still available and I think you’d enjoy it.Anyway, we thought we would make this a Big Interview tradition. So here, ahead of the 2017 final, we have another story of Champions League glory, from a winner in 2004.Jose Mourinho’s Champions League win with Porto established him as the most coveted manager in football. It was a colossal victory, achieved against mighty odds and with a team Mourinho built on a scale that could hardly have been further from the giants they would face on the way.That team’s top goalscorer, and our guide through this story, is a case in point. Benedict McCarthy will start by explaining how Mourinho rustled him away from Celta Vigo using training ground espionage. After that, things get really juicy.Benni’s...

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It is time once again for another Big Interview clip show and this latest one is a little bit special - it’s all about cup finals.The magic of the FA Cup is brought to you by Alan Pardew and Gary McAllister, while Gaizka Mendieta talks about the Spanish equivalent.Gary also provides his memories of playing in the UEFA Cup - some of which are a little racy - alongside Kevin Bridges and Terry Butcher.Finally, the Champions League brought despair and regret for Darren Fletcher and Joe Jordan and they share those feelings in this podcast. We also hear from two men for whom that competition brought pride and glory - Graeme Souness and Paul Clement.Enjoy!

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In Part Two of this Big Interview, Walter Smith takes us to Ibrox, where he served first as assistant to Graeme Souness and, of course, later became a celebrated Rangers manager in his own right.That move to Glasgow, to the club he supported as a boy, introduced Walter to a facet of coaching he had not experienced at United - with Rangers able to source and buy great footballers.Walter is responsible for bringing some undeniably brilliant players to Ibrox and he tells the story of how he convinced Brian Laudrup to move to Scotland and become a Rangers legend.Another famous acquisition was Gazza. Walter had no trouble in selling the club to Paul Gascoigne - as he will explain - but the former Rangers manager recalls with some affection the various challenges which came with managing a unique character like Paul.Enjoy!

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Furious Italians. Corrupt officials. The legendary Jim McLean. A sea plane. All of these feature in Part One of this Big Interview with Walter Smith, which we recorded on the stunning grounds of Cameron House on the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond.It was going to take something special to outdo that scenery. But Walter managed just that, recalling his time spent working under McLean at Dundee United and how the iconic manager inspired loyalty in his players - as well as fear.Their United side reached the semi-finals of the European Cup but that campaign ended in Rome, on a night made infamous by a crooked referee and the threats Roma’s players made to McLean. Walter explains how he helped the United manager escape unscathed.And Walter also talks about winning the European Youth Championship with Scotland in 1982, during an era when it seemed as though the country would always produce exciting, natural footballers, and how only Andy Roxburgh could see that talent pool was going to dry up.Enjoy!

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For our latest clip show, we head to the city I call home. I did write a book about the football team, but I swear that when the topic of FC Barcelona has arisen on The Big Interview, it has been at the urging of my guests and not myself.So we look back at what some of our guests had to say about this modern Barcelona team - one that has, at various points in its evolution, been called the Greatest Team in the World. Good title for a book, that.You’re going to hear from Jody Morris and how he was meant to be marking Pep Guardiola but ended up with some kid called Xavi in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2000. Damien Duff then discusses what it was like to play against Frank Rijkaard’s Barca in the same competition five years later.And Darren Fletcher also explains what it’s like to not play against them, but to watch and wish that you were – in a Champions League final.David Moyes and Gordon Strachan will argue that it is Andres Iniesta - and not Lionel Messi - who is the jewel in the...

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Here's Part Two of The Big Interview with Jonny Evans. What happens when a student of football like Jonny, meets a school master of a coach like Louis Van Gaal? The manager who ended our guest's long career at United also accelerated his development as a modern centre half. You're going to hear about it.Jonny also tells us what it's like to spend 90 minutes in the company of the world's elite forwards.How can you try to get the upper hand against Didier Drogba? In what area of the game is Thomas Muller the best in the world?Jonny also describes the moment a not-so-sympathetic Zlatan Ibrahimovic encouraged him to get up, after the big Swede left the defender on his backside.Jonny may yet add new names to that illustrious list of rivals, since he harbours an ambition to one day play in La Liga. Spanish football would be lucky to have him.Enjoy!

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In the latest episode of The Big Interview, we bring you a seasoned Premier League footballer; a champion; a man brought up in Belfast but who came of age after moving to Manchester, winning trophies at home and abroad.He made his international debut before he had even kicked a ball competitively in England - in a victory over Spain no less - and most recently represented Northern Ireland in the European Championships.This is The Big Interview with Jonny Evans, and I was speaking to him towards the end of what has been a fantastic season for West Brom, the latest chapter in his success story as a celebrated defender in the Premier League.In Part One, Jonny describes the events that have led him here - from growing up in Northern Ireland pretending to be Paolo Maldini to trying to make a name for himself as a young player at Manchester United.He also talks about winning the Championship at Sunderland under Roy Keane and how the Irishman showed that he was still a winner when his team were back in...

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The latest Big Interview clip show is about the gaffer, whoever he may be. Pretty much every single footballer we spoke to during the first season of these podcasts had at least one incredible story about a manager they had played under.In this podcast you’ll meet motivators, bullies, innovators and comedians. Sometimes, that’s just one guy we’re talking about.We’re going to start and finish with two people who played under Jose Mourinho – although it is fair to say that Damien Duff and Kevin Bridges don’t have too much else in common on the footballing front.In between those two, Chris Waddle tells us what he now sees as the method behind the bullying of Arthur Cox at Newcastle United. Gary McAllister then tells us how Howard Wilkinson transformed Leeds United from a Second Division team into a side capable of winning the English Championship.Joe Jordan shows us the revolutionary preparations undertaken by Don Revie; Peter Beardsley rooms with his Fulham manager Kevin Keegan, in a flat above the...

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Prior to this chat with Craig Gordon, I played him a video of Victor Valdes and Jose Pinto talking about the concept of playing out from the back at Barcelona, and how their role in the team changed from being a conventional goalkeeper to playing as another outfield player.That helped set the tone for a fascinating discussion about Craig’s remarkable campaign at Celtic this season, during which he has proven he can play out from the back just as the Spanish pair did at the Camp Nou.We also talk about the devastating injury which kept the Scotland player out of the game for two years. The story of Craig’s comeback is as uplifting as any you are likely to hear.He reveals his admiration for Gigi Buffon too, before Craig discusses his role as part of the Riccarton Three and the public stance he took against a despotic owner at Hearts.Power to the keeper.Enjoy!

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