The World of Lord Russell
I Had No Choice - with Tony Dorigo
Tony Dorigo had lengthy spells in the old First Division for both Aston Villa and Chelsea before signing with Leeds United in 1991 where Tony Dorigo won the title and went on to feature in the Premier League from 1992 to 1997.
Tony Dorigo later had spells in Serie A with Torino before returning to top-flight English football with Derby County.
Tony Dorigo retired in the Football League with Stoke City in 2001. Despite being born and raised in Australia, Tony Dorigo represented the England national team receiving 15 caps. Tony Dorigo was also capped at England U21 and England B team level.
Since retirement, Tony Dorigo has worked in the media and has worked as a pundit and commentator for Eurosport, Bravo, Channel 5, ESPN and Sky Sports, amongst others.
Another great show to look forward to on Thursday 25th July 2024
Tony Dorigo had lengthy spells in the old First Division for both Aston Villa and Chelsea before signing with Leeds United in 1991 where Tony Dorigo won the title and went on to feature in the Premier League from 1992 to 1997.
Tony Dorigo later had spells in Serie A with Torino before returning to top-flight English football with Derby County.
Tony Dorigo retired in the Football League with Stoke City in 2001. Despite being born and raised in Australia, Tony Dorigo represented the England national team receiving 15 caps. Tony Dorigo was also capped at England U21 and England B team level.
Since retirement, Tony Dorigo has worked in the media and has worked as a pundit and commentator for Eurosport, Bravo, Channel 5, ESPN and Sky Sports, amongst others.
Another great show to look forward to on Thursday 25th July 2024
A very warm welcome to the world of Lord Russell podcast talk show and today's show is I had no choice, which captures the life of a true fuckling legend. From his days in the 1980s through to the two thousands and a long and distinguished career, he was a defender applying his trade from 1983 to 2001. He had lengthy spells in the old first division for both Aston Villa Chelsea before signing with Leeds United in 1991 where he won the First Division title and went on to feature in the Premier League. From 1992 to 1997 he had spells in Serie A in Italy with Torino before returning to top flight english football with Derby county. Despite being born and raised in Australia, he represented the english national team, winning 15 caps. He also captured or was capped at the english under 21 and England B level team levels as well. He retired in the Football League of Stoke City in 2001. Since retirement, he has worked in media and has worked as a pundit and commentator for Eurosport, Bravo, Channel five, ESPN and Sky Sports. Yes, folks, it gives me great, immense pleasure to welcome on the show Tony de Rigo. Welcome to the show, Tony.
Tony Dorigo:Lovely. Thank you very much for the invite.
Lord Russell:Absolutely. And sorry about the long intro there, but it had to be done because you're such a great character and a great career. So that's why.
Tony Dorigo:Tony.
Lord Russell:No, you're welcome. I always start from the beginning. So, Tony, you were born in Melbourne, Australia, to an italian father and australian mother. The family, though, soon moved to Adelaide in South Australia, where you were raised. So tell us more about your early life and adventures in Australia.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah, I think for me, my father had a bit of influence, obviously, being italian, he loved football. So I would play from one, two years of age with him in the back garden and then he would play. So I would go with him and play and train and kick the ball. Then, of course, once you get to school, that was it. I was into football in a big way and just slowly progressed from there. And I think I was clearly ahead of my time age wise. I was only very small, I was a late developer, but my abilities was that I could play over my age. But it was just a case of enjoying what I was doing, getting better and kind of pushing myself at each year that I was playing. And then eventually the biggest team in Adelaide was Adelaide City. And I went to find for them, I think I was 1415. And then all of a sudden I was training with the first team as well at 15. And then you start to think, you think, well, okay, I'm doing rather well. What is it to be my next step? You know, what could I achieve? Where do I need to go to achieve that? And that's what all these thoughts were kind of whizzing around in my. In my head because I would go to bed at night and then suddenly you dream about all these incredible things. And for me, even Adelaide at that time, it was about scoring at Wembley. I used to watch the FA cup final, you know, all the time. Imagine if I could score at Wembley or could I win the title or could I play in a World cup? All these sorts of things. So I was like, no other boy, any other boy. I was dreaming, but I thought, I'm getting closer and closer, so what can I then do? And what was interesting, Adelaide City, Justin fashion, who actually turned up. Wow, the Norwich City player. Yeah. So he turned up and he guest starred for Adelaide City for just four or five games. And so I trained with Justin and of course, the other, other players at 15 years of age. And that's when all of a sudden I'm thinking, wow, let's find all this information out. What's it like over there? Could it be possible? What is possible? And that's when, yeah, I decided that's where I wanted to be.
Lord Russell:Fantastic. I mean, what a great bit of experience that was. When you played also youth football for teams in the area of Adelaide, as well as age group football for South Australia. And in your mid teens, you quite rightly said you were training with the Adelaide's first. Adelaide City's first team. I mean, that is one experience. Of course, we've just in fashion you as well, Tony, training with the first team at a young age. Wow.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah, it is. And what it does, it pushes you along and gets you to understand the technical side of the game. Definitely. I think what's. What my advantage was is that I wasn't big, I wasn't really physical, so I had to work out either mentally or tactically or technically, the way to beat players. And that's really what you want. You don't want to rely on your speed because once you actually grow up with everyone else, everyone's an adult. Yes. Then that kind of advantage is gone. So that's what happened. So that's why I think it was really good because my birthday is the 31 December in Australia. The years run from the 1 January to the 30 December, so I was only the youngest in my year. So anything that put me behind the eight ball, I think kind of helped me in the long run, but I then got. I played in the state. You're right for South Australia in the national championships. And at 15 I got picked in the under 18 Socceroos squad as well. But I never got to play with them because I decided to head over to England.
Lord Russell:Yeah, you're quite right. Your intelligence came through here as well with this decision making process. You were actually quite resourceful at the time, I think, having read and observed the history of yourself, Tony. And obviously you knew you were a good player. So you wrote to, I think, 14 top flight clubs in England and asked for a trial. Aston Villa, though, were the first club to respond and offered you a four day trial, which proved successful. So tell us about this trial, Tony, and of course, leaving Adelaide, your home for the industrial midlands of England, and Aston Villa football Club, what an experience.
Tony Dorigo:I didn't know anything about that. So all I'm thinking is, right, I need to get over to England somehow. And you're right, I wrote all those letters, but only one replied and that was Aston Villa. And even to this day, I joke with them for 37 pence stamp, which is a reply to give me a go. It ended up making about half a million quid out of me. So, yeah, it was a chance, it was an opportunity. It was a trial for four days. And they said, we will put you up, we will feed you, you'll train with the youth team who are 16 and 17 years of age. But I was only 15. And let's see how you go. You've got four days. You can't come on a Friday because we prepare for a match on a Saturday and you're going to get in the way so that you can come Monday to Thursday. And that was it. And you know what? That's all I needed. I thought, oh, my God. But I got a letter. Yes, I was beside myself because the claret and blue Aston Villa logo was on the outside of the envelope and it was just like, incredible. And thing is, you have to realize that I'm from, from Adelaide, Australia. You know, a bit of a backwater. Well, back then, a lot of backwater. And suddenly this, this big club, Asta Villa is invited me over. So huge club. I was beyond excited. And my, and my father and I decided then to come over together in October of 1981. So that's when the, kind of, the journey started.
Lord Russell:Yeah, incredible. I mean, you made your league debut for Aston Villa against Ipswich Town in 1984 as an 18 year old a few years and went on to win the club's player of the year award during your four years at Aston Villa. So how was your debut, Tony? What year did you win the player of the year? You must have been a huge fan's favorite, let's be honest. Aston Villa.
Tony Dorigo:Well, I think for a defender I think it's probably slightly easier in that what fans want is they want their players to be committed to give absolutely everything for the show they're playing for. And for me it was like a dream come true and I would fight to the death just to try and get points for Aston Villa. And, yeah, had my debut against Ipswich away and my full debut was against Chelsea at home and then to play at Villa park, to be in front of 30, 40,000 people to play all those great grounds around the country, I was just beside myself. It was incredible. And yeah, I think not that year, but the year after. I think then I was player of the year as well. So things went extremely well. But I was always mentally trying to think, okay, but what's the next step? Yeah, what could I do to improve? What can I now do to try and get better and to try and win things and achieve things? And it was always a case of, yeah, okay, I've done that and I'm delighted, but what's the next step? And, you know, Aston Villa taught me fantastically well and the youth team manager there at the time was Brian Mitchell. Oh, really?
Lord Russell:What a great player he was in his day.
Tony Dorigo:Great player. A great manager. Went on to manage Aston Villa and Leicester as well. But, you know, he set me on my way, gave me the ground rules, gave me the understanding of what to do it, how to do it. And I'll be eternally grateful to him certainly, for setting me on my way.
Lord Russell:Absolutely right, Brian. That's all fabulous play. And of course playing in front of a full crowd at the Villa park. Huge gates they used to get back in the day. The atmosphere must have been absolutely fantastic. It really must have been, it was.
Tony Dorigo:And also the year that I then joined, they won the European Cup, Orlando, now Champions League. So they were the best team in Europe. And there I am as an apprentice, learning from the best. So it really couldn't have gone any better. Actually, it was quite funny. The season after the first game of the season, I never forget, Aston Villa played Sunderland at home and me and another apprentice apprentice called Dave Norton, a fantastic friend and player. We had the European cup in our hands and we're taking it around the pitch. It was incredible. So I got this European cup, I'm going to the Villa fans and they were like going crazy. What I didn't quite expect is I went in front of the Sunderland fans. And we got Pelton with coins and everything. I made about three pounds 75.
Lord Russell:It was not too bad.
Tony Dorigo:Fortunately, the European cup was a bit dented, but not so. But just to be part of all that was fantastic. Yeah.
Lord Russell:That great experience, because that Aston Villa side was brilliant that year when they won the European Cup. I think I remember that was it. Gary Shaw up front, but I seem to forget his. His number, his opposite way. His number has played alongside Peter.
Tony Dorigo:With Peter. With. And Gary short. Yeah. Toby Morley, Dennis Mortimer, Des Bremner, Ken McNaught, Alan Evans. Yeah, there was a great place. Colin Gibson, Gary Williams, Kitty Swain. There was a lot of really good players. And again, for me, it was all a learning curve and they were a good bunch of guys, really professional, but always willing to help out of. And it just set me on my way. They were there. Great guys. They were fantastic.
Lord Russell:And Peter Webb. I'm talking to Peter Weave at the moment about coming on the show, actually. So talking about October, but strangely, he's based in Australia. You know, he is from where you are now, of course, and where you come from. And he's agreed to come on the show, which is good. Just got to get the date and the time. The time's going to be.
Tony Dorigo:I was about to say it's more to do with the time. It's more to do with the time. And what was interesting, I was an ambassador for Leeds United and I went back to Australia with the club. So Leeds went down under to play various games. And guess what? In Brisbane they played Aston Villa. And there I am being ambassador for Leeds United, and I can move against Peter Wythe. So me and Peter, with talking to the tv and what have you and the guests at the ground, it was just great to catch up with him. Yeah, you're right. We've done a swap. I met him in England and he's now living down London, but it was great to see him again.
Lord Russell:Oh, fantastic. Great experiences. Certainly you've lived a good life here. You really have, Tony. And then, of course, in 1987, you signed for Chelsea from Aston Villa for 475,000. And, yes, you were right. Nearly five, nearly half a million, and won the club's player of the year award in your first season, although Chelsea were relegated that season to the old second division. So a bit of a strange season, I can imagine emotionally, Tony, but you were and incy Warren Chelsea, weren't you? Instantly.
Tony Dorigo:It was a real strange season. And it was strange how I ended up there because it was the year that Aston Villa were really struggling and we couldn't score goals, so we needed desperately a striker. And Aston Villa wanted to get David Speedy from Chelsea. Oh, good. Yeah, good player. Really good player. And, you know, to try and save them in a division one. But good old Ken Bates at Chelsea decided that, you know what, Doug Ellis, you can have David Speedy, but we want Tony Derrigo. And so Doug Ellis, the owner of Aston Villa, you know, rang me and said, right, I'm going to pick you up. We're going to Chelsea. We're doing a swap deal with David Speedy. And I'm thinking, oh, my God, you know, what have I done wrong? What's going on? All of a sudden, things are going great. Things are going well. Yeah, we really are struggling at the league, but hopefully we'll survive. But this is like a, you know, it's a business deal. And in the end, that's what got me. I thought, wow, I want to be at Aston Villa for the rest of my life. It doesn't work that way. You know, as soon as it's advantageous for the club or whatever, they need money or whether they need a player, you're going to be out the door, you know. So it was. It was a hard one to take. But I'll never forget, I went down with Doug Ellis and we went to the post house hotel at Heathrow and we were told that the meeting rooms were up on the second floor. So we get the elevator up and we walk out the elevator and we go into the corridor and about 50 yards along, we can see Chelsea, we can see David Speedy, we can see Ken Bates and the club secretary. And then we looked at each other. It was like a standoff. And then it was like a prisoner. It was like a prisoner swap. Speedy starts to walk towards our lot. I then started walking towards them. We met in the middle. I said, good luck. He said, no, you need more good luck than I do. And we carried on and then talked to our prospective new clubs. Neither of us actually agreed to join at that time. But then, later on in the season, unfortunately, Aston Villa did get relegated. Chelsea came in with an offer that Villa accepted and it was up to me whether to play in the second division or stay in the top flight. So I went to Chelsea and stayed in the top flight. But you are quite right, I clearly had to get relegated because it was in the stars. That year I got relegated. And in the final game of that season, I was told ten minutes after you were relegated in the changing rooms, that I'd made the England squad, uh, for euro 86. Oh no, 88 €88.88 in Germany that made the. Made the England squad. Uh, it. I was just. My. Honestly, my brain was scrambled, mixed. It was just so disappointing of getting relegated in a playoff. The only year ever it was playoff. But, uh. Yeah, and then I made the England squad.
Lord Russell:Yeah, I remember the playoffs against Middlesbrough, wasn't it? I think Middlesbrough, you were park and all that. Going back in the day, it was tremendous.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah.
Lord Russell:However, life is great, isn't it? However, you helped Chelsea win promotion back to the old First Division in the following season at the first attempt. When I personally have to say to remember that promotion season very well. I went to quite a lot of games at Stamford Bridge actually and some away games too. The good times back at Stamford Bridge. Tony winning the title by a massive 7017 point margin. Manchester City. And what do you recollect about that emphatic season in 88, 89?
Tony Dorigo:You know what that was? It was a wonderful season because the Chelsea fans, my goodness, you know, they're wonderful, they're passionate. I always kind of measure football teams by their away support as well because they're the real hardened ones that travel everywhere. And Chelsea, it was always thousands support we had away was just incredible. And that sentence, you know, we had some really good players, we were a decent team. What we didn't do was, was kind of be consistent enough to challenge and we went down. We kept nearly all the same players. If you think back, it's Kerry Nixon, it's Gordon jury, it's Pat Nevan, it's some really top class players. Steve Clark was right back, I was left back. We were a quality team. Yet unfortunately we got relegated, we brought in. I remember, I think it was Graham Roberts from Chelsea was important. Peter Nicholas, exactly. Just a couple of experienced heads to knock a few of us together and we were, yeah, unbeatable, you know, we won it by an absolute mile. I think we went 34 or 35 games unbeaten. The confidence was there. We were scoring goals for fun and there was some great, great games. And me in particular, I just remember one and a lot of Chelsea fans remind me of it. And of course you're right, you mentioned Manchester City because it was us in Manchester City with a top two by a long way. We went up to their place, main road, and I scored running away from the halfway line around the keeper and won. And we won that game. So that was incredible. Great support and a great game.
Lord Russell:Absolutely. Both Chelsea and Man City who are both pulling away, quite rightly so. And it was actually, in February 1989 and the two sides met main road. It was a.
Tony Dorigo:You're right.
Lord Russell:On a Friday night billed as a title decider. Remember watching it? It was a huge game. Chelsea actually went three nil up at one point and eventually won the match. Free too. With you, Tony, scoring a brilliant individual goal. That's how it's described. Chelsea fans will indeed remember that for a long, long time. So please tell us about your magnificent goal. It was a stunner.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah, it was, because it was the game. It was the game of the season. We played lots of other teams and we beat them comfortably. But Man City were a good team. They were going to their place. It was all about, can we show them who's boss in this league and can we do it? So to then score in such an important game was great. But, yeah, it was actually from their corner kick. And so I always used to defend either on the back post or at the edge of the 18 yard line. And the ball came across from the court, their corner kick, it got headed out and their player kind of took a touch and a touch, but we were sprinting out. We got a bit of a tackle in and it ricocheted and I got the ball about five yards inside our own half. Then I just knocked it and, of course, used my speed to get away from kind of everyone. And then I look up and I'm thinking, oh, I'm on my own. I look left, I look right, there's no one here. I'm running away from everyone. I'm over the halfway line, I'm getting closer, I'm getting closer. And their goalie's coming out. Just me and him, basically.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:And it's always for a fullback as well. We're not normally in that position, so normally you have too much thinking time. But fortunately, I knocked it just the right distance. He came out, I knocked it around him and just slotted it into the net. It was brilliant. It was brilliant. Really good.
Lord Russell:And then Chelsea, of course, being Chelsea, put a sword on the edge of our seats, letting two goals in towards the end, thinking, oh, no, no, no, no. Because I'll tell you what that brought back memories of me, actually, was in the 1986 four members cup final when Chelsea played Manchester City. Yeah, that went 5454. Chelsea went 10 down. Then all of a sudden, the magic of Chelsea put Chelsea five one up, game over. Oh, no. Man City came back and scored three goals in the last ten minutes to make it five four. Chelsea won five four. So this game that you're playing in there, at main road, of course, the old ground of Man City. Yeah, I had visions. Free nil up now, three, two. No, no, this can't happen, surely, but. And it didn't fit.
Tony Dorigo:There were some crazy ones with Chelsea because I remember, I think Derby county away as well.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:Where we played them and I'm sure we were think four nil up or something crazy. They then got it back to four four and we won six four. It was like a tennis match at the end. It was like bizarre. But hey, we're entertaining. So that was good. That was good.
Lord Russell:Absolutely. Of course, that full members cup final. We'll get off this in a minute. In 86 was played a day after they played in a. In a top flight match. So the team playing again the day after they played top flight football. So first was crazy. Following day, cup final at Wembley. I mean, that wouldn't happen today, would it?
Tony Dorigo:That does not happen that. But saying that. Another one of my extremely happy memories at Chelsea was the zenith data systems.
Lord Russell:Come on to that.
Tony Dorigo:And, and again, full members, it got changed and what have you and I, you know, the early rounds, I suppose, weren't that interesting. You think, what's this all about? But you get closer and closer and all of a sudden, my God, semi final, we can, we can get to Wembley and of course we won. We got through to Wembley and. Yeah, and I'm back to thinking my dream of when I was a young lad and all this sort of stuff. And I'm there with Chelsea playing Middlesbrough and in front of 76,000 people and I stick a. I stick a free kick in the top corner. We win one nil. It was like, yeah, a dream was fantastic.
Lord Russell:Well, I wouldn't say it was just a free kick. I mean, you scored the only goal of the match which was in my recognition, a scintillating long range free kick. Let's embrace it with some real words.
Tony Dorigo:And every single year it goes from 20 yards to 21 to 20. It is now a 53 yard free kick in the top corner.
Lord Russell:It'll be a goal kick before suit too long.
Tony Dorigo:Exactly.
Lord Russell:But it was a scintillating goal. I was watching the match and I do remember you scoring that goal. It was absolutely incredible. And of course, Middleford were second division side then. So at nil nil, you started to think, oh, wordy, what's going on here? Typical Chelsea at Wembley, I guess. But anyway, it came down to a one nil win, so great stuff. And what else do you remember about that final apart from the peach that you scored.
Tony Dorigo:Tony, I think, you know, taking it all in, playing in such a historic place, you know, I'm sure all of us footballers think, well, you know, you want to play at Wembley, you want to experience the kind of, these sorts of things. And I was very fortunate. I played with England and met Wembley a number of times as well. But, you know, in a cup final with Chelsea and, okay, it wasn't the FA cup final, the League cup final, but, you know, you tell that to 76,000 fans that were in there that day. You know, they were desperate to win, as the players were, and it just was a wonderful experience. I mean, it's hard because you dream of all these things, you work and strive towards them and you know what? You might never get there. You might never get anywhere near there, but you've all got those tricks. But to actually then achieve something like that was. Yeah, it was really, really special.
Lord Russell:Quite right. Good words too, because there's been a lot of great players, haven't there, over the years who have been the best in the world and not won anything, really. Yeah, or very little at least. But, you know, you were there. Early doors, fantastic with. It was a Zenith data systems cup, but I still call it the four members. Good bit of sponsorship for you. Anyone sponsoring zenith right now, which I shouldn't really be doing, but anyway, that's life. You left Chelsea in somewhat acrimonious circumstances in the summer of 1991, having made and then withdrew a transfer request whilst having fallen out with manager Bobby Campbell after being dropped from the side due to decline in a new contract. I mean, it all happens at football clubs, doesn't it? You were sold to Leeds United for 1.3 million. So Chelsea making a bit of profit, having made 146 appearances for Chelsea, scoring twelve goals. So not a bad record. A good record, in fact, Tony. But also, what about the Bobby Campbell contract fallout?
Tony Dorigo:Yeah, I think for me it was a case of at Chelsea at that time, so we got relegated, we got promoted again. But I got to say, I looked at the club at that time and thought, is everyone rowing in the same direction? Because for me it's really important, the culture of a club and to try to win things, it's hard enough and some really good clubs and teams and players around, you know, we. You've got to be trying to do your best. And I got to say I felt kind of handicapped at Chelsea. I was really frustrated because we did have some really good players yet. We could. Like you just saying there, we could go and I win or go four nil up and then go six, four down or. There was too many things off the pitch that really affected us on the pitch. And I was kind of not inexperienced, but I was, because I was at Aston Villa, I knew how that club was run. I looked at Chelsea and I'm thinking, we should be doing so much better than we were. But there were a few reasons why we weren't, and we were never going to. Then I think Glasgow Rangers came in for me when Graham Sunas was manager, and I know Chelsea turned it down and I said, well, no, I think there's a lot of England players up there, you know, they were winning the titles and things that the standard was a bit higher. No, I'd like to go there. And so I explained why to Ken Bates. So I went in a wrote transfer request. I then had a meeting with Ken Bates and he basically told me where to go and told me out the door where to go. You've got two years left. You're going nowhere. I would say Ken Bates would never be a great politician.
Lord Russell:No, he wouldn't.
Tony Dorigo:And I then said to Ken, well, I won't be signing a new contract ever again here, but I will always give my best. I'll always play as best I can for those final two years. Whereas nowadays I think it's kind of different. I would have. They would have got me out the door and what have you, but I couldn't not play, I couldn't do. And I was just. I would always give my best because I signed a four year contract and I'm going to absolutely fulfill it. But they kept offering me new contracts and I just kept refusing them. I thought, well, no, because I don't think we're going to win anything. I just don't at that time, clearly. Fast forward five, six, seven years after that. Chelsea, very different beasts. Abramovich comes in, different era, different culture, different ideas, and they do start to win things. But, you know, in my career there and then, I'm 23, 24, I'm about to hit my peak. I want to win something. I want to go somewhere I can actually win, you know, something so very frustrating, I wouldn't sign a new contract. So Bobby. And fair play to him. Nope, I have no access at all.
Lord Russell:He's a nice guy, wasn't he?
Tony Dorigo:Yeah. No. He said, well, you know, if you're not going to sign, we're not going to play you for the last few games. I said, no, I understand that. You know, I absolutely understand that. That's absolutely fine. I'm. But I was never going to sign a new contract. So I waited till my contract run down. I had options of a few clubs. But Leeds were the first one in to say, no, we really want you to sign. So I went up to talk to Howard Wilkinson. They finished fourth that particular year. And, yeah, I signed for Leeds United from Chelsea.
Lord Russell:You did indeed. I mean, Ken Bates actually did have the habit, I've heard this from other sources at Chelsea. Of really destroying the playing staff's commitment with contract discussions. Whereby the player just simply was walking onto the pitch and didn't want to play. I mean, that was the culture that was being driven, wasn't it?
Tony Dorigo:Unfortunately, I can't disagree with that. And that's what was hugely frustrating. Because we had some really good people there. John Hollins was my first manager. Lovely guy, lovely coach, lovely manager. Some really good players. I'm looking. We had scottish international, Welsh England international. You know, really, really top class players thinking, okay, you know, we should be mid table going and looking for Europe. Yet we didn't yet. There was chaos at times. And the chaos wasn't within the team. It was always from outside. And I just thought, this is not the right way for a football club to be run. And all I can do is I can commit. I can do everything I can to play. But I can then choose after my four years of what I'd like to do. And I chose to leave.
Lord Russell:Yeah, quite rightly, sir. So it all worked out for you, of course, as well, leaving. You transferred to Leeds United because you won the first division championship with Leeds United in your first season at the club. As well as winning again the supporters player of the year award in the same year. I mean, that is some reward for all your hard work in football, Tony, isn't it?
Tony Dorigo:It was. Well, again, just another dream, you know, another. Another thing that you're trying to achieve. And Al Rubenson up there, you know, had some really good players and a really good mindset. Really good culture about the place. Standards were extremely high. And we had a lovely blend of experience in Gordon Strachan and Gary McAllister. Then, you know, myself, Mel Sterling. Really good young players. Speedy. I mean, you know, incredible. And of course, David Batty as well in midfield. Wallace got brought in. You just look around. I thought the balance was lovely. They finished fourth the previous season. I liked what I'm hearing and seeing. Let's go there and see what we can do. And it is not easy to win titles. It is very, very difficult. The best players, the best managers are all around yet I managed to do it my first year. Things went extremely well. We won it by four points, which is great. And, yeah, the crowning glory as well. I was player of the year. It could have been one of ten 1112 players. But I'm delighted with the honour that was me.
Lord Russell:It's fabulous when it comes together like that. As you say, you can have a team of players that are brilliant, you can have a good coach. Doesn't mean you're going to win these titles, because it is a marathon too, isn't it, Tony? A huge, huge long run to the start, to the end of the season, plus all the other matches in between with cup matches, european football, if you've got it, it's a long season, a marathon.
Tony Dorigo:It is. It's understanding how to win games, how to win when you're not playing well. It's understanding, you know, the right tactics, using them at the right time. Need a bit of luck, of course, with injuries and decisions that go with you, but then they go for you, they go against you, you know, and then when the pressure's on, how to deal with that. And I think one instance was when we played away at Manchester City. Leeds played Man City away. I don't think it was five, six games to go, something like that. And we lost four one. Wow. And everyone is thinking, oh, that's it. Wheels have come off. The wheels have come off. Absolutely no chance. But we didn't think like that. And it was to do with the manager in that. Okay, you know, we've lost that game. What could we learn from it? Let's get. Let's get back, let's learn those lessons and just go and win the next game. Then, of course, we went unbeaten to the end. We won nearly all of them. And of course we, you know, we won it by four points. So, yeah, it was a great experience and learning curve of, yeah, an amazing year with some great guys, great people and great I moments we shared together, which we'll all never forget for the rest of our lives, of course.
Lord Russell:And, you know, I know now, I met you at Ellen Road in June. You know, you're still attached to the club. You do a lot of, you know, radio work and reporting on the football matches they play, in particular when they're in the Premier League. You did quite a lot there. So you're still attached to the club, aren't you, Tony? It's a love for the club's there, isn't it? Ellen Road is a place you like to be at.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah, it is. I mean, I was there for six years. That's the longest period, you know, I spent at a club. And when Andrea Radrozzani bought the club, he asked me to come back and do a bit more with the club if I could be more an ambassador. So I was delighted to do that. So I moved back to Leeds and. Yeah, so I've done all of the commentating for home and away and every single game that Leeds play, I do that. I'm ambassador for the club in lots of different ways as well, with sponsors and on match days. And I do all sorts of stuff. So it's lovely. I'm still attached, obviously. I love the club and I'm watching and seeing how they get on and going on that roller coaster with all the other fans as well as football fans do, though, with their club. That's just the way that it is. But it's nice to still be part of it and seeing and being part of the club.
Lord Russell:Yeah, brilliant. And you stayed with Leeds United until 1997 when you joined italian side Torino Matarino. You helped the club reach the promotion playoffs as well as being awarded the club's player of the year. All this despite missing a penalty in the playoff final. So three playoff player of the year awards at consecutive club's tourney. You seem to excel everywhere you played. Brilliant, isn't it?
Tony Dorigo:It went rather well. It's actually four. So it's Raston Villa. It was Chelsea in. And it was Torino.
Lord Russell:It is four, when I get that wrong. Like mass bowling.
Tony Dorigo:And Torino was amazing because I was then 32, 33 years of age, I wanted an experience. I always thought italian football might suit me as well. And being a fullback, though, it used to be the midfielders and the attackers that would get those big moves. So I never quite managed to get a move to an italian club. But Graham Souness, who was trying to sign me for Glasgow Rangers all these years ago, ended up at Torino and he just. He rang me out the blue. I was about to sign for Middlesbrough, actually, crazily enough, because Brian Robson was there, he was trying to sign me. But Graham Sinners at Torino was a bit more quick off the mark and said, come on, come over, experience. You're 32, you've done all of that. Why don't you play some italian football and see how it goes? So I thought, you know what? Why not? Let's give it a go, let's get out there and experience something new. And. And that was the thing. It was. It was new. It was a different way of playing. It was a different mentality. It was very technical. I absolutely loved it. I absolutely loved it. But which is very interesting. After six, five or six games, when I was out there, things were going great. I was in the middle of Torino, in a piazza, and I was waiting and having an aperitivo. I was having a bit of prosecco before I was about to go to the restaurant, and it was like 30 degrees. The sun was just coming down. I did a call from a silly, fun reporter back in England to say, gordon Schracken, he's manager at Southampton. They want to bring you back from your italian hell.
Lord Russell:What?
Tony Dorigo:So I've gone italian hell. You've just interrupted my prosecco and my risotto and my Vitello Milanese. And I tell you what, leave me alone.****** off, and I'll put my phone down. Absolutely. I had a great. A great year out there. It was brilliant.
Lord Russell:Brilliant. But before we jump back into Torino, there's a bit more to talk about there. Let's talk about your international career with England, because this is quite exciting. For some people, the idea of putting on an England shirt and representing the free Lions at a major tournament is the stuff of dreams. But for you, as the former Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and England defender, you had no choice is to talk here. That's the title of the show. Of course, it was a necessity. So please let us know the reasons for making glamour England a necessity. Basically, Tony.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah, it was certainly going back to being australian. My father's Italian. I had no English in me whatsoever. And so clearly my dream when I was growing up was to play for Australia, play for the Socceroos.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:I remember my first World cup that I watched was 1974, I think it was, in Germany. Australia were there. And, you know, they hardly ever got to a World cup. So I'm up, middle of the night watching all these games, and it was the soccer rooms they wanted to play for. Well, of course, that's what. When you're. When you're born, you want to play for your country, obviously.
Lord Russell:Yes. Natural 15.
Tony Dorigo:I left and I went to say to Aston Villa. When I got into the first team at Aston Villa, I was then 18. I was playing kind of regularly, and that's when the Australian Soccer Federation got in touch with me and said, we'd love you to play for us. I'm thinking, wonderful. Incredible. They want me to play for Australia. Excellent. So where do you want me and how do you want me? What are the dates? What's going on? So, well, we're playing in the World cup qualifiers, and we need you for a five week period because we've got these five or six games in this five week period. Now, what you have to remember is, at the moment we have, the international calendars are all aligned, so South America, North America, Europe and Asia, everywhere, it's all blanked out, certain weekends, and all the players fly to their home country, play their games, they come back to their club and on they go. Not a problem. Unfortunately, when I came across, that wasn't the case, there was no international calendar and so I would have to have five weeks out of the season to go and play. So you can imagine now, you know, your Christmas time or something, you're going to lose one of your players for five weeks. It wouldn't happen. And so I went in to see the then manager of Aston Villa, all proud to go to Tony Barton, to say, boss, Australia rang me and they want me to play in their World cup qualifiers. And he goes, right, so when are they? So I told him the dates of this five weeks. He said, let me get this right. You want to take five weeks out of the season that you've just got in the team, you're ten games into your career, you want to play in the World cup qualifiers? He goes, tell me the teams you play against. So I've got, well, Fiji, American Samoa. He goes, American Samoa? Who the hell are they? I said, I don't really know who they are, but that's what I said. And you're telling me you want to go and play for them and not play against Manchester United? Not play against Arsenal, not play against Tottenham? He says, you ain't doing it. Just get out the door. You're not doing it. And that was it.
Lord Russell:What Tony Barton also said, I know he refused permission for you to travel, but Tony Barton actually felt that plan for Australia. You just tried to say this, I think, there as well, Tony, but playing for Australia would be a waste of time for you as the opponents were generally weaker opposition from Roshyana. It looks like Tony Barton was looking after your best interests, Tony, doesn't it?
Tony Dorigo:Yeah, well, you know, what I understand from his point of view, absolutely. And one of the games, and I think what's really interesting is that I think the American Samoa game, I think in the end, Australia won that 23 nil or something like that. Yeah. And one of us players scored, I think, 1011 or twelve goals in the one game, which is the most of anyway, so you're right, the opposition was. Was very basic, and I get why, but that wasn't the point. It's about representing your country.
Lord Russell:It is.
Tony Dorigo:And for me, that was very, very difficult. So I wanted to. But I understood why and no problems at all. So play Preston Villa, off we go. And then a couple of years later, England approached me.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:And said, okay, tony, you've been here now four years. Do you know, after one more year of residence in the UK, you can apply for citizenship? And then when you get citizenship, you get a british passport and you can choose which country you'd like to play for. And us, as the England FA, we'd like you to play for us. So would that be something you'd like to do? And so in my head, I thought, well, I can't play for Australia because it doesn't work. You know, it doesn't work for. So my club, my professional career, and England, of course, were way, way above the level of Australia. And I thought, oh, my God, this is just incredible. Yeah, absolutely. I'd be absolutely honoured. And that's how it turned out.
Lord Russell:Absolutely. Because when the FAA did approach you, you did state, and I will quote actually your words, which is quite brilliant, England came along and asked me to play for them. If I hung around for another year and got my british citizenship. Well, perfect. My father was italian and my mother was australian, so I have no english parentage at all. So you got your british citizenship and played for England. It's simple, isn't it, William?
Tony Dorigo:It's. Well, it's straightforward, that's it. But what I would say now is I spent 15 years of my life in Australia and now I've spent 43 years of my life in England. So I. I love the damp and the weather and the cold winter so much. I've stayed here forever. So I can't believe it wasn't if I. Well, no, yeah, but it wasn't if I buggered off back to Australia. But, no, I was absolutely honored to put on. That white shirt was really special. So I started in the England under 21s. Dave Sexton was the manager and then he made me captain, which I thought I just felt really, really good. Gazzler was in my team. Gazzler was. Yeah, Dez Walker, Nigel Clough, that sort of era. They had a really good team. And then we jumped up to the full squad kind of altogether. And, yeah, I had some great experiences.
Lord Russell:Yeah. Of course, these days, the players in the Premier League fly all over the world, as I think we kind of said a bit earlier, to play for their countries. They're different times back then, weren't they, Tony? But it's what they are today. So not quite so simple to play for your country. It is now.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah, no, you're right, you're right. And I think now, obviously the Premier League has got that huge and popular. We attract all the best players from around the world.
Lord Russell:Exactly.
Tony Dorigo:And fortunately, you know, FIFA have aligned the calendars now, so it is pretty simple for everyone to jet off in that free weekend and play for their country. And, you know, I'll be really honest, if it was times now when it was back then, you know, I'll be. I'll be jetting back to Australia to play for Australia. It's as simple as that. But, you know, I. Honest, it is, it is what it is. But I was delighted to represent England and, yeah, I soon learnt the words of the anthem and, yeah, what I will say is that every single player and the managers and coaches were so welcoming, you know, made me so welcome and feel at home. And it was a great experience.
Lord Russell:Yeah. You made seven appearances for what I see, for the England B team and eleven for the England under 21s before going on to earn 15 England caps for the real national side. With your debut in 1989 against Yugoslavia, I mean, not a bad record, Tony, is it? And how was your debut for the senior England team against Yugoslavia? The former Yugoslavia, of course.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah. And they had a really good side. They were some really good players there, you know, it was at Wembley. Yeah, it's like a yemenite. A dream, really. It was just incredible. I think I played against Brazil a couple of times as well. I played in the World cup against Italy and that was probably clearly from an experience point of view. Playing in a World cup was just amazing. Playing in a World cup in 1990 for England and the run that we had getting to the semi final was to be in there and part of all that was amazing. And to finally start the game in the third 4th place playoff against Italy was incredible. But I think my abiding memory, the two abiding memories of that particular experience was, firstly, at the end of the game. So at the end of the game, so I played the whole game. Unfortunately, we lost two one. But I crossed the ball for David Platt to score our England goal and I played against their captain, Giuseppe Bergami. So all game we kind of were up against each other and afterwards, down in the tunnel, everyone was swapping shirts with, you know, various players and some of their England players were trying to swap with Giuseppe better than me, but he was going, no. You know, no, no. And then he's waving and I'm one of the last ones to come down. I'm thinking, I look behind, thinking he's waving at someone else and there was no one behind me. So I'm going, is he waving at me? You know, I've only played the one game. I don't understand. He's the italian captain, for goodness sake, and, you know, probably wouldn't even know who I am. But anyway, so he's waving at me. So I'm thinking, okay, shall I wave back? I'm going, yeah, okay. So I walked towards him and he says, shall we swap shirts? No, I've gone, oh, my God. I mean, that's classy.
Lord Russell:That is classy.
Tony Dorigo:He could have swapped with Gaza or Lineker, all them, you know. But no, he wanted to swap with me because he played against me. I think, well, that's incredible. So I give him my shirt, then he says, shall we swap shorts? Oh, I thought, okay, no problems at all. So we take off our shorts. I give him my shorts, I've got his shorts. Fine. Then he takes off his boots. He said, what about socks? Shall we swap socks? Wow, okay, great. So he gives me his socks, I give him my socks. I said, giuseppe, we really need to stop here now because otherwise going to get a bit embarrassing, whatever you're wearing underneath those shorts. No, you keep it and I'll keep mine the way we go. So that, for me, is like a huge, I think, classy memory of an incredible experience. But then it was after the game where my mum and dad were there. And just picture this. My father, of course, is italian. He's in Italy watching a World cup. His son is playing for England, but he is obviously italian.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:And I went out to him and he said to me, it was crazy. He said, that was like the perfect game. I said, what do you mean, perfect game, dad? He says, well, you played really well. You set up their goal and Italy won. It's ideal. I go, dad, no, that's wrong. Wrong. It's just a great, great memory. That was. Yeah.
Lord Russell:Oh, fantastic one, too. It was so unlucky, weren't we, at the 1990 World cup? We really were. But, you know, moments away, semi final.
Tony Dorigo:I know.
Lord Russell:Penalty misses. Oh, dear. I know.
Tony Dorigo:Let's not go there.
Lord Russell:Well, let's not go there.
Tony Dorigo:But in the latest euros, I have to say, garethgate, the way that he sorted the players out and those five penalties we scored from were just superb. So he's almost done a lot of work on that. We didn't during 1990, we didn't do a load of work like that. We didn't go through, really, the system starting on the halfway line, walking up to the ball and. Or even in training, you know.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:You need these sorts of things to understand or just to be better prepared, you know? How can you be better prepared? Well, that's how you can do it. So Gareth Southgate and his boys, you know, proved it. So fair play to them.
Lord Russell:No, quite right to him. I'm watching that final and I thought, oh, no penalties. Do I walk out? No, I'll stick with it, because I always do. Because we all know the history of England and penalties, and every penalty was taken with absolute precision. I don't think I've seen a better five penalties in my life. They were brilliant.
Tony Dorigo:And also, sometimes I would say, oh, the goalie could have got that one. We should have done better. I don't think the goalie could have done anything about them. That's how good they were. So it was super. It really was, yeah.
Lord Russell:So you can probably say now that England, now as a national side, can win penalty shootouts. Let's hope when the next manager coach comes in, that that continues. Because within these tournaments, without doubt, penalties are an everyday occurrence, aren't they? They happen all the time. So you've got. You can win or lose matches all the time on penalties. So you've got to be good at it.
Tony Dorigo:You really have. Yeah. And I think when you get to these tournaments, it's all about key moments, you know, key moments, whether it's a free kick, whether it's tackling the box or whatever it might be, or that chance. You just have to take that chance and you're right. Or it could be a penalty. So you need to cover every single base. But I think what Miguel Stavka has certainly produced over his eight years, I think he was in charge, was that he's managed to get a culture in the England squad that I think has been the best for all times. Because sometimes you. Well, sometimes you get certain players from certain clubs that have a grievance with players from other clubs. And I. In England, you then have to all play together. They don't always kind of work perfectly well together. But I look at, from the outside, I look at this last eight years or so, and what he has done well is promote a harmony within every single player, a comfort. I think that they all are together in each other's company as well as with the media, as well as. They're a unit, in all senses of the word. So I think that's testament to the manager, because that's all about culture.
Lord Russell:I absolutely, fully agree with you and I don't. You can argue with other people as much as you like till the cows come home. But in my view, Gareth Southgate is without doubt the best England manager we've ever had in the history of english football, in my opinion. I know some. Alf Ramsey won the World cup, but there were different times. You look at what's going on now, and what Gareth Selkirk has done is he's pulled our nation up to the top levels of football and hopefully now we can remain there and win tournaments. Two finals in a row in the euros. He's taken us to a semi final in the World cup quarterfinal. I mean, you don't get better than that, other than winning the tournaments, do you really, Tony?
Tony Dorigo:Yeah, no, you're right. And I think what's fascinating with the England job, and I've seen it from a player's point of view, and you've got a Bobby Robson. You know what an incredible man that guy was. I mean, I loved him. I would run through a brick wall for him, as all his players would. But before the World cup, they were kind of calling to his head. They were. And then we almost won the World cup. Almost just missing out on the final, and suddenly he's an absolute hero. But it's margins. It's tiny margins. And Gareth Southgate is the same, is it not? I mean, all the abuse that he got in the media after three or four games, and then if he beat Spain in the final, he would have been. Oh, he's lauded as the best. Well, he can't be the worst. And then the best within two. You know, it's just the way that it is.
Lord Russell:If we hadn't had that last moment to let in that very, very late spanish winner, it would have gone to extra time, probably penalties. And then we would have thought, we know we could win this because our penalty takers were fantastic.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah. But I look at the final and I think I. The better team won, unfortunately. You know, Spain were better than us. I thought. We didn't keep possession very well. Their closing down was exceptional and we couldn't find a way through that.
Lord Russell:Pressing was good as well, wasn't it?
Tony Dorigo:Pressing was great.
Lord Russell:Yeah.
Tony Dorigo:And it was, you know, frustrating. I think at times we didn't play our best. I thought the first 45 minutes against Netherlands, we were superb. You know, that. That bit was kind of the best that we played.
Lord Russell:I.
Tony Dorigo:He always felt that we could do something, but we couldn't quite get across the line. But how many times have we got across the line? And only once. So it is not easy to win these things.
Lord Russell:No, it's not.
Tony Dorigo:I know it's like success, but unfortunately, if you don't win, it can't always be a disaster either. So. Yeah, you're right. I think he's done great. Two major finals in those time was wonderful.
Lord Russell:I'll let the next manager coach take that and get us to a final and get us to win. Win something. That's the next.
Tony Dorigo:Let's hope so. Let's hope so. No, it is. Yeah, it is, it is. You know, how do we go that next step? There's no doubt that we are producing some. Some world class players.
Lord Russell:Yeah.
Tony Dorigo:Now we just need to produce that world class team, you know. And those moments, those key moments will be vital.
Lord Russell:Exactly. Well said, Tony. I fully agree with everything you said there. Now back to Torino. I said we were going to come back due to financial reasons, Torino were forced to release you and you extended your, your playing career with two years at Derby county. Obviously disappointing about being released by Torino because it sounds great with the pizzas and the food and the wine and the proseccos, but how were you, how were your two years at Derby County?
Tony Dorigo:I really enjoyed them because I came across a club which were really friendly.
Lord Russell:Yeah.
Tony Dorigo:The strange thing was I came across a club that weren't trying to win the league. And I know that sounds kind of obvious, but for me, I've always wanted to win the league. I don't start a season thinking, oh, I want to finish 16th. Yes, I'm going, no, no, I'm thinking at the start of the season, we can do great things. We might win the league. So when I was at Chelsea, I wanted to win the league. We all did. When I was at Leeds. Well, we wanted to win the league. Well, we did win the league. But you always tried to win the league.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:When I go to Derby, they didn't want to win the league because they couldn't win the league. But they. It was just a mentality change, which was, which was really interesting. The other interesting thing was you had an old archetypal historical manager in Jim Smith, and then you had this up and coming new style coach in Steve McLaren.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:So I had him for two years at Derby county. And Steve, at that time, for me, he was the best coach I've ever had. Wow. He was that good. Yeah. And some of the stuff he was doing, how he was doing it, how he would bring me in to some of the decision making. At times. He brought in data analysis. First thing it ever happened in the UK was at Derby county. That was Steve bringing it in. Then we had a sports psychologist, again, all very new, and we had a league of nations. And the players were from everywhere across the world. And it was like a really strange mix. But I loved it because there's a lot of new experience. And we did fantastic. We finished, I think, 8th, the 8th or 9th or something. Two best seasons. Well, that's the best I've ever finished. You know, it was back when I played down there. Otherwise, after that, it was all kind of downhill. So we had some really good players. Italians, Croatians, Georgians, Jamaicans, Danish, Estonians, you name it. It was crazy. It was crazy. And why I say that is because there was a time when Jim Smith said, right, I will let the lads have a day off, Tony. So I'm going to allow you to go to Chuckman, the Gold cup, because we're not playing until we think Sunday to Monday, whatever it was. So you can go to the Gold cup. Derby county, on the club's cost, will provide you with the coach. We'll give you a champagne breakfast.
Lord Russell:Wow.
Tony Dorigo:Tickets, everything. You all go down there, have a day off together. But I want you to do something together. So go in and tell the boys that that's what you're doing. So I'm thinking, well, I can't tell them, but I better just see if, you know, that is a winner or not. So I go in, I sit them all down and say, right, lads, this is what's happening. If we train hard the day before, we do a bit of running, we're going to get a day off and we're going to jump on a coach, champagne breakfast down, watch the horses and come back on the evening. And who'd like to do it? Only four people put their hands up. Really?
Lord Russell:I can't believe that.
Tony Dorigo:I can't believe that. So I'm thinking, but why? So I talked to the Italians, I said to Stefano, Stefano, why don't you want to go? You know, he goes, I don't like horses. I said, no. I said, you don't understand. Yes, forget the horses. It's just that he goes, no, no, I don't like horses. I don't want to bet. I don't like horses. Anyway, it was unbelievable. So I'm thinking, okay, this isn't going to work. What do I do? So I thought, okay, what about golf? Anyone like to play golf? No? Like five or six people, that was it. So I ended up stumbling upon something that we all agreed to do as a group, and that was to go go cart.
Lord Russell:That's good, though, isn't it? It's good.
Tony Dorigo:It was great fun. The idea was to do something together, so we all went go karting, but it was brilliant. So, yeah, there was lots of things like that that I really did enjoy about playing for Derby. Yeah.
Lord Russell:Oh, interesting. But day out at the races with a champagne breakfast. Yeah, that'd be my tick in the box, that's for sure.
Tony Dorigo:Exactly. I'm going on for that. But no can do.
Lord Russell:I mean, you spent a final season at Stoke City where you were made club captain before retiring in 2001 at the age of 35. I mean, a tremendous football career. Tony wasn't. It has to be said, I was.
Tony Dorigo:Absolutely delighted to get that far. I wanted to just spend one more year at Derby. But those last two years, I'd only played like 25, 30 games a season, so I was getting injured more and more and I couldn't kind of get through a season without breaking down a couple of times with my hamstrings or something or other. So it was pretty frustrating. So I just wanted to try and get to 35. And Darby said, well, you know, we can't pay you what we're paying you anymore. So I thought, okay. And I lived up in Cheshire, so I wanted to just go to some club that's close by and stop City came to me and they just, they really wanted to sign me and they wanted to do everything they could to make me feel welcome and players, a lot of it. That's what it's about, you know, that's what it's about, just to be wanted. And they did, and they were wonderful. It was. It was difficult. It was League one, but the boys down there were great. The manager was Gudjan Torresen. The icelandic John Roger was there, the old Rudji. But I really enjoyed my time. But I couldn't get them promoted. We lost in the playoff again, so that was disappointing. But no, I had a lovely time and, you know, finally retired at 35. I walked out of the changing rooms, put all my boots straight into the bin. As I walked ten yards, I looked back, the apprentices were all fighting. They went into the bin to grab the friggin boots. They ran off and that's it. Never put a pair of boots on since. But happy that I did.
Lord Russell:You did well to get to 35, let's be honest. A lot of players don't, so it's fantastic. And, of course, since retirement, Tony, you've worked in the media and worked as a pundit and commentator for Eurosport, Bravo, Channelfi, the ESPN and Sky Sports, plus worked with radio air, of course, covering Leeds United's Premier League campaign at the time. So, please tell us more about your media work and, of course, any interesting stories that you've been part of, because it often is in media, isn't it?
Tony Dorigo:Well, yeah, the media's grown because you're still kind of involved in football, but not kind of the sharp end. You're just talking about what you love, basically. So I went straight and worked for ITV, had a three year tv contract with ITV, and then I've been freelance kind of ever since, doing lots of different companies. So I've been out to the Middle East. I worked out there for five, six years for BN sports. I now still work for TNT Sports, formerly bt Sport. I do the city art, the italian football for them. Yeah, I do all sorts of stuff. And that's what I like because I can go to a live game live, or I can go to a studio and do some punditry, or I can go to London and commentate on games in Italy. I shouldn't have said that, by the way. Everyone thinks we're actually in Milan or Naples. We're not. We're in London. But, yeah, so all of these different things, whereas I'm still involved, I'm still really interested, but I don't have all the pressure of being a, you know, a manager or a coach or getting sacked or abused or having to move around the country. Yeah. It's just something that I enjoy. I have got my badgers. I could have gone into coaching. I could have done all of that.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:But I think whatever you do, you have to believe in it and you have to really love it and want to do it. And I wasn't convinced. But I do love the media, so, you know, I made the right choice for me.
Lord Russell:Yeah, you're a great media man as well. I mean, listen to you on this show. It says it all, doesn't it, really? And, of course, when we met at Ellen Road in June, you came across as a fantastic media person, Tony. It's your. It's your natural. Your natural media personality, aren't you? You really are.
Tony Dorigo:Well, I just enjoy it. And what's interesting is that when I was young, I was an introvert. And so what that tells me is you can always learn, you can always push yourself further. You can always get out of your comfort zone. Push those boundaries and find, you know, actually what you are good at and enjoy. And so as well as all the punditry, you know, I also do some business keynote speaking as well. And, of course, you attended a dream team experience day. I did, which is fantastic. So all the exos experience that I've had in football, I kind of align them to business because I actually had a business for six or seven years myself. I developed property down in the Algarve. So I know understand the issues around business. I know what I learned in football. I'm basically marrying the two, and it's great. And we do them at iconic venues around the country. And, of course, you came to Ellen Road for one of those days, so. Yeah, so it's all around football, but interesting different ways. Yeah, it's all good.
Lord Russell:That's good stuff. I also understand this. This made me laugh when I found this. Not in a bad way, in a great.
Tony Dorigo:What have you found? What have you found?
Lord Russell:That you appeared on the James Corden show prior to the England and Germany second round match of the World Cup 2010. I mean, so what was it like sharing the tv studio with James Corden, who is clearly an interesting, interesting individual, isn't he, James Cordon?
Tony Dorigo:What was real interesting about that was it was a show late at night.
Lord Russell:Yeah.
Tony Dorigo:And on the couch, I think, was me and a couple other England players. But Chris Evans was on there as well as Heston Blumenthal. Wow. And James Corden. So that was all. So in the green room, we're all there just chatting away in different things, and a couple of things stood out for me. James Corden at that time was really nervous. Yes, really nervous. And I'm thinking, wow, you are amazing at what you do.
Lord Russell:Yes.
Tony Dorigo:It comes across so confidently, yet you are nervous at this point in time. And then Hestan Blumenthal talking to Heston, he brought us all a goodie bag of sweets. And I. All I'm going to say is they were the best sweets in the world. One of them was a playing card. One was actually a white chocolate playing card. Somehow it had raspberry jam in the middle. It tasted like, incredible. I mean, I was forever thankful for my little goodie bag. And I actually then went to his restaurant, of course, as well, in Marlowe, which was an incredible three Michelin starred restaurant, which is amazing. So, yeah, lots of experiences like that. But that show was pretty cool.
Lord Russell:Yeah, yeah, it sounds pretty cool, I've got to say. So it's interesting to hear your story on that, Tony. It's fantastic. What is next in the world of Tony Derigo? What's on your plans now? Media work, obviously.
Tony Dorigo:Yeah. I think for me, I'm doing lots more with the club, with Leeds United. And I think we have an opportunity really to grow the club, to get it back to where I think the club deserves to be. And that is the upper echelons of the Premier League. We certainly have the name, we have the fan base all around the world, but we are in the championship. And I think the new owners that we've got in the 49 ers see the potential. We've just got a Red Bull as sponsors and they clearly see potential. You know, they're not sponsoring league United for the championship. They want to get us up in the Premier League. So, yeah, just to be part of that evolution of the club and try and get back to where we should be. Because I think what's happened with Leeds being outside the Premier League for so long, the clubs like at Chelsea, like Man City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, their size and infrastructure and what they've got off the pitch is just dwarfing what we've got at Leeds United. So we have a long, long way to go. But that journey, I think is quite exciting. And the 49 ers see that journey, they see the potential. And, yeah, I just want to really be help to be part of that, I think will be great.
Lord Russell:Fantastic. That sounds brilliant. Absolutely fantastic. And we are over the hour now, Tony, so an hour just goes so quickly.
Tony Dorigo:Wow, already. Wow. Incredible.
Lord Russell:So much. But as always on the world of Lord Russell podcast talk show, we could talk forever, Tony. And I know we could because we're both similar really, in that way about your life in top professional football, domestically and internationally too. It's been a huge pleasure, as always. And as always, the pleasure's all mine. And of course, the show's audience when this podcast is released on the world of Lord Russell podcast talk show and the Lord Russell Baker YouTube channel. Thank you, Tony. Ladies and gentlemen, I'll give you Tony de Riga. As you can see, I've clapping up the hands here with a fantastic show.
Tony Dorigo:Thank you very much.
Lord Russell:And if you don't mind just staying on for a couple of minutes after, I'll just wrap up and have a quick chat. I'll talk about the book. Be fantastic. Absolutely as well. So the next episode on the World of Lord Russell podcast talk show is a man forever etched in Yorkshire cricket history, where my special guest will be Colin Graves. Colin Graves was the executive chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 2012 to 2015. He was elected deputy chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board in April 2015. And in 2015, Colin Graves succeeded Giles Clark as chairman to serve until 2020. Colin Graves was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE to all of us in the 2020 New Year's Honours list for services to cricket. In 2024, it was announced that Colin Graves would be returning as non executive chairman of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Brilliant. What a story. And of course, I'm looking forward to seeing you all on the inside. So until then, it's au revoir from him and au revoir from me.