Liverpool might need disparagingly been known as the Spice Boys within the Nineties, however even they did not permit new gamers arriving on the membership from abroad to try to deceive the officers.
German star Karl-Heinz Riedle discovered that out the onerous method in 1997 when he arrived at Anfield, with Steve McManaman letting him know they did not tolerate diving at Liverpool – or in England , for that matter.
Developing towards Vinnie Jones’ Wimbledon on his Liverpool, Riedle had a baptism of fireside to cope with. The sport ended 1-1, with Riedle enjoying the complete 90 for the Reds. It is what he did throughout the sport that sticks most in his reminiscence, nonetheless, and it did not must do something with Jones…
Liverpool star instructed ‘do not do this in England’
Karl-Heinz Riedle on his Liverpool debut (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
“The gamers got here to me earlier than the sport and mentioned, ‘Hear, we’re enjoying towards Vinnie Jones. He’s fully nuts’,” Riedle completely tells FourFourTwo . “I knew his document and even the video tape he had launched: Soccer’s Onerous Males
“In the long run, it was humorous for one more cause. Jones fouled me right away, however there was one other state of affairs the place I dribbled, had slight contact with a Wimbledon participant, fell on the ground and shouted for a penalty. Seconds later, anyone pulled me up and mentioned, ‘Don’t do this in England.’ It was Steve McManaman . He was like, ‘It is best to by no means cheat to win penalties in England.’ From that day, I by no means did it once more!”
Riedle will get scythed down (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
That have did little to dampen Riedle’s enthusiasm for English soccer, with the German ahead remaining at Liverpool for 2 full seasons earlier than he dropped right down to the second tier with Fulham . Just a few months later, in 2000, he turned the caretaker supervisor at Craven Cottage.
He ended up phoning his former Liverpool supervisor Roy Evans to try to assist him out, whereas additionally reflecting on the expertise of working underneath joint-managers when Gerard Houllier arrived at Anfield in 1998.
“No one may perceive having two guys in the identical place, and everybody questioned how it might work,” Riedle says. “Roy was a very completely different sort of coach to Gerard. You felt it wouldn’t work out. However I had a very good relationship with each Roy and Gerard – they have been improbable individuals.
“Afterward, once I signed for Fulham they usually put me in cost as interim supervisor after a yr, I known as Roy and he helped me out with the teaching periods.”
Riedle and Roy Evans at Fulham (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
By the point Riedle had signed for Fulham he was 34 and approaching the ultimate days of his profession, and did not need to cross up the chance of dwelling in London.
“Yeah, it was on the finish of my profession and once I acquired a suggestion from London, I used to be very eager to go there,” he provides. “I assumed it might be good to go along with my spouse to London, to have one other expertise in England. Then, within the first yr, the membership sacked the supervisor [Paul Bracewell] and requested me if I may assist them out as interim supervisor for the rest of the season, as a result of within the following season they might go along with Jean Tigana.
“I mentioned, ‘No downside – I can do this for a few months.’ However I couldn’t do it alone, in order that’s why I phoned Roy Evans. I instructed him, ‘You need to assist me out – I do not know find out how to coach my buddies, who I’ve been ingesting beer with and now
