Boro nearly signed Chris Sutton

[GibbosEmpire]

“I MET MARTIN O’NEILL IN A HOTEL IN BEACONSFIELD. I COULD’VE GONE TO SPURS, COULD’VE GONE TO MIDDLESBROUGH WITH BRYAN ROBSON, WHO WAS THE MANAGER, AND THEN I MET MARTIN.HE ACTUALLY SORTED OF SLAUGHTERED US FOR FIVE MINUTES, BUT THEN HE GOT US ONSIDE AND BASICALLY TOLD ME HOW BAD I WAS AT CHELSEA BUT THAT HE’D FOLLOWED MY CAREER CLOSELY AND ADMIRED ME. I WAS NEARLY SICK WHEN HE SAID THAT! HE TALKED ABOUT HIS THOUGHTS FOR CELTIC, HOW THEY WERE BUILDING, AND HE WAS GOING TO BRING PLAYERS IN AND THAT I SHOULD GIVE IT A GO. “I ALWAYS LIKED MARTIN FROM AFAR; BEING A NOTTINGHAM FOREST FAN WHEN I WAS LITTLE, I HAD FOLLOWED HIM AND HIS MANAGEMENT PAST.”

Chris Sutton

 

[atypical_boro]

I remember big Mal said on the radio once that Robbo told him he was going to spend the majority of his 1996 summer budget on a top-level English striker. People at the time (fantasists) speculated that it was Fowler or Shearer, given the wages we were paying neither were totally implausible, but clearly it was Sutton then. But we got Rav.

 

[atypical_boro]

Actually maybe not, if it was after Sutton was at Chelsea. Ignore the above.

 

[TheHolgate]

He never actually choose Celtic over us. We pulled out after he was taking too long to decide.

 

[Madeinbrazil]

Don't like the arrogant A*** anyway

 

[atypical_boro]

I don’t mind him on the radio. I find his voice quite soothing actually.

 

[Will_Graham]

Never really liked him since he refused to play for England B because he was too good for it.

And I don't like the way he speaks in capital letters only. Full of himself.

 

[Druss_The_Legend]

Just been looking and it appears we signed Noel Whelan and Joseph-Désiré Job a couple of weeks later then Boksic a week or so after that.
We paid £3m for Joseph-Désiré Job, £2.5m for Boksic and £3m for Noel Whelan. Celtic paid £6m for Chris Sutton.

 

[sadgit]

We also nearly signed Rio Ferdinand. So he said. One of may options, we could have signed but didn't.

 

[Juno10]

Ferdinand came here as a youth player, probably similar to Carrick.

I remember being linked with Sutton in the late 90's/early 00's period. Around the same time, we had links to other slightly past their best stars including McManaman & Fowler and others who were just about to hit their prime including Robbie Keane, Kieron Dyer and Owen Hargreaves. They all occupied a fair bit of the Evening Gazette over the years!

 

[TheHolgate]

I reckon he may have choose us.

 

[Will_Graham]

I reckon he may have choose us.

That link reminds me how involved Gibson was back then compared to today.
Talking quite openly about our signings and ambitions.

 

[SilentProf]

We also nearly signed Rio Ferdinand. So he said. One of may options, we could have signed but didn't.

It was mentioned on a recent episode of the Peter Crouch podcast. Ferdinand explained he trained with a few clubs including us and West Ham were the only ones who talked about how they would use him in the first team and what they were building at the time with the other young prospects they had.

 

[BoroMart]

We also nearly signed Rio Ferdinand. So he said. One of may options, we could have signed but didn't.

Not quite true. As a favour to his youth team coach he came (who knew Lennie very well), he came up a few times and trained with our youth team. Stayed in digs in Stockton, forget what the place is called but used to have several youths staying there.

He never really intended to sign for us, he already was 90% gonna go to west ham. But saw it as a good learning experience. From the horses mouth.

Had a good chat with him about how Viduka was probably our best striker ever and he told me that Viduka would turn up to training at Leeds. All the players would already be on the training pitch stretching and Viduka as car would screw h into the training ground and he would jump out, with his boots already on, hop over the fence and start training at 9 on the dot brilliant player but not one who enjoyed training

 

[Peppery_John]

Not quite true. As a favour to his youth team coach he came (who knew Lennie very well), he came up a few times and trained with our youth team. Stayed in digs in Stockton, forget what the place is called but used to have several youths staying there.

He never really intended to sign for us, he already was 90% gonna go to west ham. But saw it as a good learning experience. From the horses mouth.

Had a good chat with him about how Viduka was probably our best striker ever and he told me that Viduka would turn up to training at Leeds. All the players would already be on the training pitch stretching and Viduka as car would screw h into the training ground and he would jump out, with his boots already on, hop over the fence and start training at 9 on the dot brilliant player but not one who enjoyed training

Or football. He just happened to be good at it.

 

[BoroMart]

Or football. He just happened to be good at it.

Yes that’s often been quoted, but then he glows when he talks about playing in our team, he really enjoyed playing for us. I think he just doesn’t enjoy sitting in front of the tv and watching games so much.