Fame is not all it’s cracked up to be
We’ve two brand new guests on the latest episode of Liquid Football, as Kelly Cates is joined by former Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves midfielder Jamie O’Hara and ex-Hull City and Ipswich Town centre-back Alex Bruce.
After Tyson Fury’s extraordinary victory over Deontay Wilder and the obstacles that ‘The Gypsy King’ has overcome on his road to becoming a world champion, the two are asked about their own experiences with fame and how they dealt, or struggled to deal, with it.
O’Hara – who is now Billericay Town manager – opens up on his own courting of fame after marrying television personality Danielle Lloyd. And while fame was never the goal for him, he admits that he did “take his foot off the gas” when he reached a certain point in his career before, eventually, realising that fame and being in the public eye was much less important to him than doing what he loved.
That has led him to his current job, courtesy of some help from his former manager Harry Redknapp. As the first manager we’ve had on the show, O’Hara discusses what it has been like transitioning from a playing career to being in the dugout, while revealing that how he was treated during his career has had an impact on how he talks to his own players.
As parents of famous footballers and managers themselves, Kelly and Alex give an insight into the personal impact a bad result can have on a manager and their family.
With Alex having just left Kilmarnock three weeks ago, he discusses how it feels to face the idea of retiring from the game he’s played for decades, and what it feels like to move between clubs towards the end of your career.
