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English Football News: Darren Anderton

Darren Anderton bows out of English football

Andy Greeves

A Coca-Cola League Two match on a cold December afternoon was the unlikely arena for a player, who graced the Premier League and an England shirt, to bow out of professional football.

AFC Bournemouth v Chester City was Darren Robert Anderton's final match of a 447 game career. A career which spanned 18 years and brought 30 England caps. Despite the injury set backs that cruelly gained him the nickname 'sick note', Anderton will be remembered as one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. An individual central to England's impressive showings at Euro 96 and World Cup 1998 and a star act of 13 Premiership seasons.

Anderton leapt to fame at the age of 20, scoring for Portsmouth in an FA Cup Semi-Final against Liverpool in 1992. He moved to Tottenham that summer for £1.75m, quickly winning over the north London club's notoriously hard to please fan base. Quick, skilful and attack minded, Anderton had all the attributes the White Hart Lane faithful love to see their footballers possess. After 305 appearances and 12 years at Spurs, he moved on to Birmingham, Wolves and finally AFC Bournemouth in 2006.

In true Roy of the Rovers fashion, Anderton came off the bench against Chester on December 6th and scored Bournemouth's winner with just two minutes of the game remaining. And it wasn't just a tap-in, but a 35-yard half volley that nearly burst the visitors net. The goal, described by Bournemouth manager Jimmy Quinn as "phenomenal" brought the loudest cheer Dean Court had experienced at all season. Anderton left the pitch to a standing ovation, with his teammates forming a human tunnel to applaud him off.

In hanging up his boots Anderton becomes the final member of England's Euro 96 team that played against Germany to retire, marking the end of an era for the player and his many fans. Growing up as a Spurs supporter in the early days of the Premier League, Anderton, or 'Shaggy' as we used to call him at White Hart Lane (because of his facial similarities to a certain Scooby-Doo character) was one of my first football heroes. I can still recall waiting for his autograph as a ten year old boy outside the West Stand reception and him duly signing my match day programme.

Tottenham's travails go on after they fell 2-0 away at Udinese in the UEFA Cup.

Winless so far, despite a summer spending spree which dwarfed all rivals, Spurs remain rock-bottom of the Premier League with only two points from eight games. He-he. Never have the triangle jokes (three points) lasted this long into the season.

Spurs' utter uselessness this season however is a mystery for rationalists: Their coach has a good record, they won the Carling Cup against Chelsea in February and grabbed some real talent over the close season in Luka Modric, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Giovanni Dos Santos and David Bentley.

Sixteen years on I'm holding a microphone in front of Anderton and interviewing him for probably for the last time. While I'm trying to remain professional, it's pretty tough to avoid myself wanting to reminisce with Anderton about all the great memories I have of him. His debut for Spurs playing in a sky-blue away kit at Southampton in August 92, the days in which he was part of Tottenham's 'Famous Five' with the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann and Teddy Sheringham and his role in the League Cup win of 1999.

I need not worry, as Anderton is in a sentimental mood himself, as he reflects on his time as a professional footballer. "I've done everything you want to as a kid," he says. "You dream of playing for your country and I've been very fortunate to do so. I think I've been a good pro throughout my career, I work very hard at my game and I'm a team player. Managers come and go, players come and go, it's all part of the game. You just do the best you can, and that's what I've done".

I ask Anderton if the style of football in League Two has forced him to bring forward his retirement plans (he had a contract with Bournemouth until the end of the season). I also quiz him on his relationship with the manager Jimmy Quinn, who recently stripped him of the captaincy, had any baring on his decision. He rejects either suggestion. "All managers do things in different ways. I've had all sorts of weird and wonderful managers. I get on with it and I do what I'm told. At 36 it becomes harder, so rather than 2-3 months down the line end up hating football, it's good to go while I still like the game a little bit."

Jimmy Quinn paid tribute to Anderton after the game, describing him an "excellent professional." Quinn joked about his retirement commenting, "I've told him (Anderton) he's got Monday off and I'll see him on Tuesday." AFC Bournemouth have maintained Anderton's playing licence until the end of the season, just in case they urgently need playing numbers. But don't expect to see Anderton in a Cherries shirt anytime soon. "I might have stayed on if we'd drawn Tottenham away," Anderton comments after the topic of Bournemouth's possible upcoming third round FA Cup tie with Blackburn is raised. "But I've played against Blackburn enough in my career". And what about missing the Second Round FA Cup replay away to Blyth? How does that make him feel? "Pretty good," Anderton chuckles.

The most likely return Anderton is likely to make to a football arena would be if his former employers Tottenham organised a testimonial for the former Lilywhites favourite. It's mystery to most Spurs fans why a testimonial never happened after Anderton left White Hart Lane and the man himself is similarly perplexed. "I'm not sure why I never had a testimonial. In the future you never know. It was never something I pushed for, I would never start shouting my mouth off that I deserve a testimonial. If the people at the club want to put it on, then that would be fantastic. I just feel lucky to have played for Tottenham for twelve years."

For now Anderton's focus lies away from the football pitch. "All I've ever done is think football and play football," he says. "In a way it will be a nice change to do my own thing and I'm quite excited. I've got some things going on business-wise that are quite exciting and I'm looking forward to doing that. I'm involved in a few things, including a solar power mobile phone charger, which is coming out in the next few months. I think it's going to be a great product and no doubt the boys (Bournemouth players) will be after one."

With that, I turn off my Dictaphone and shake hands with one of the footballers that first inspired my love for the beautiful game. Anderton signs my programme and team sheet, just as he did many moons ago. And despite the consequent ribbing I get from my fellow journalists I'm not concerned, because I will treasure both items for years to come, just as I will the memories of Darren Anderton playing for Tottenham Hotspur.

Andy Greeves

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