Episode 1 The Clare Balding Show

APPLAUSE Thank you very much. Welcome to a

brand-new series. Tonight Show is a celebration of the beautiful game. I

cannot tell you how excited I am, on the team sheet tonight, they

returned from the 2015 World Cup as heroines, Lucy Bronze and Katie

Chapman from the England lioness 's are here! He is one of the finest

put on an England shirt and he was voted and field's ever, Steven

Gerrard! -- and field. He is adored by all clubs, have a look at how

this than reacted to how after 17 years he was leaving. He is not

leaving! Pit is awful. -- it is. The crying went on for at least another

hour. That is a fully grown woman. First up is the Premier League's

most enigmatic personality. Love him or hate him,

you cannot ignore him and you have He is a specialist in success,

having won league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and

Spain. He has tasted

Champions League glory One of football's greatest managers,

the special one became the happy one on his return to Chelsea,

always quotable, always stylish, he is one of the game's most

charismatic figures, please welcome the man

who has won everything, That is quite a reception

you are getting there, do you like the fact that

people here love you? I feel even better when I play

at home, Stamford Bridge, and I feel that my

stadium is with me. But I confess that I also like it

when I go away and I feel I will ask you a really tough

question now, are you ready? LAUGHTER All the clubs you have

managed, which is your favourite? LAUGHTER I have to be honest and say

that every club I go, I arrive, I wear the shirt and not

even to sleep I take the shirt off. The only one where I wear

the shirt twice was Chelsea, it was the only club where I was,

I left and I came back. I would say Chelsea,

but I have to also confess that Inter Milan was really special

and Porto was my beginning A giant like Real Madrid is also

an honour to manage. There is only one club

which you have sung for, he can sing the song,

a bit of the song. LAUGHTER I don't mean to be unkind,

but that singing is truly terrible. We cannot loan you to

The Voice, but I can't now! You have a colourful

relationship with the media, do you have to do a lot

of press conferences, It depends, three matches means

six press conferences, LAUGHTER Let's have a look at some

of your finest performances Do you know what the line-up

will be tomorrow? Oscar, a yellow card,

hmmm...this one and... I did not speak, that

was not the opportunity. --I did not speak,

the masseur spoke to the team. He was screaming so much in his

Scottish, I did not understand. I did not understand,

but the players were clapping, That last one, in reference

to the masseur who you got to give the team speech, was this before

the Manchester City game? It does not matter, myself,

an assistant, one of us can do it, the last words before

we go to the pitch. Obviously positive words,

obviously words to increase a little bit of the tempo and the body

temperature, but Bill is a special I have to say that even sometimes

with Sir Alex when I speak with him face to face it is good,

but when he is on the phone... LAUGHTER You cannot

understand, you just say yes? You have just released a book,

you have won 22 trophies in 15 years, what were your

career highlights? What are the things

you will never forget? The moment I will never forget

is the first three months LAUGHTER It is a fair point,

lots of people will say judge me on my successes, others will say

judge me on how I recover I prefer to be

judged by my career. And by the victories,

but it is a good experience, it is an experience that

probably has come too late, I was ready to live

with it, to cope with it. Because maturity and experience,

I can imagine if this happened in the beginning of my career,

probably my career would be even I am better than I thought.

this is an amazing learning process. LAUGHTER Does it matter

if players like you, I think they need to

like to work with me. I think they need to understand that

I am the best manager Like me, don't like me,

the person, the man, I think it is fundamental

that the manager is somebody the players look at and

they know he is good. LAUGHTER How do you say to yourself

and indeed your players, Do you set out a plan

at the beginning of the season? them this is the impossible target,

but the target is win every match. They know that is impossible

and this season is proving How do you find other

clubs and other managers? Would you send each other

Christmas cards, do you chat? Three groups of managers

with my Christmas cards Another one I send

a personalised message. To some the Christmas

cards are not big enough, I really enjoyed to write

a message to a good guy. LAUGHTER When you think

about the moments you are happiest away from football,

what are the things that They give you peace

and they make you feel alive? LAUGHTER APPLAUSE

I do take that point. LAUGHTER APPLAUSE You said

in an interview recently that is is impossible to go anywhere

in the world without people recognising you,

we put it to the test. Do you think the Massi warriors,

the tribe in Kenya would know him? APPLAUSE To be fair, you have met

Massi warriors in Kenya. I was there on holiday at the same

time a World Cup was played in South In my hotel there was no television

and they made sure that I got a television in the

middle of that tribe. He has had some of the most

audacious moments of brilliance, no one has warned the red shirt with so

much universal admiration. He is one of the world's most wonderful

footballers. Steven Gerrard 1/100 caps for England. -- 1/100. He has

been at some of the club's most amazing moments, inspiring them to

the Champions League success. After an emotional farewell he joined LA

Galaxy and is now one of the biggest stars in MLS, please welcome a

legend for club and country, Steven Gerrard. APPLAUSE

CHEERING And there are a few Liverpool shirts

there, but that's not all Liverpool fans, that's some Chelsea

fans cheering you. The two of you are going to be fine,

you are going to get Because I never knew

what on earth was going on here? The funniest thing about that,

it's like a five-year-old child, I've got the ball, you're

not having it back. You've always admired him

as a player? His blood spoke and he decided

to stay at Liverpool, which I was a bit frustrated with,

especially a couple of times because the third one

I was convinced he was coming. --because the third one

I was convinced he was not coming. You know, when Jose Mourinho comes

calling it puts a player Only that I'd been at Liverpool

since eight years of age and all my family are Reds

and the club means so much to me. So he put me in a difficult

situation three times. Yeah, it was after charity match

that we held at Anfield, John Terry was kind enough

to make his way down and do his bit for charity,

and he handed me a letter, He just said open it,

it's a surprise for you. When I got home I opened it

and it was off this fella. And it was a very touching message,

and the letter is now in a frame, pride of place in the house,

that's what it means to me. It was a nice touch which showed

the other side, what he gives Even players that have turned him

down on two or three occasions, he is still humble enough

and genuine to take the time out You've been training at Liverpool

under Juergen Klopp, and while we have seen

the softer side of Jose, of Juergen Klopp all

the time, he is a hugger. He loves to hug his players,

has he hugged you? Nice, he's a big guy,

think he's about six feet three When these top managers come along,

and they show players love, it makes you feel taller,

makes you feel bigger, Are you a secret hugger,

do you hug them? So where is he going to be

on your Christmas card list? And there are these breaks

in the MLS which is why you are here, and I think

Thierry Henry did it, Robbie Keane, I think they came

on loan while they were at an MLS Would you think about playing

for Liverpool again? I've already had my time,

it's time to move on. I'm enjoying being over in America

and playing in the MLS. I'm keeping fit there at the moment

and enjoying being around the staff And you are still such

a fan of Liverpool, you are watching their games live

when you can, aren't you? Yeah, but it is BT's fault they keep

putting them on at 12:30am. If Liverpool win it is

fine, you are happy. It is when you get up and they lose,

that's the problem. And what are you

like when you watch? Probably worse than when I played

because you cannot control it. When you are playing,

in the dressing room, there is something you can do,

you are contributing. When you are sitting on a couch

in LA there is nothing you can do except throw stuff around the house

or shout and scream at the TV. You rang David Beckham for advice

before you moved there, He spoke very highly of the club,

Galaxy, about the level. He said I'd enjoy the life,

get left alone, be able to do stuff He said I would also enjoy

the league and explained it is not Premier League level

but it is still good enough When we knew you were coming

on the show, I got in touch with a couple of your friends to get

some alternative questions. I rang your good mate John Bishop,

good footballer himself actually Anyway he would not pick

up the phone to me. He did leave a message

on my answerphone. Can you do me a favour and ask

Stevie about the injury he picked up playing against Bournemouth

in the FA Cup? Well, he has given us

the technical explanation, there. I went in for a slide tackle,

50/50, to stop a cross, The block tackle followed through

right up into the private area. No, but there was an extreme sting,

and I knew the game was on TV so I had to have a slight peek

and it did not look great. So I went over to Brendan

and the physio, and gave the physio And he said, carry on,

because it was a cup game Then I got it stitched

up after the game. I tweeted your good mate Wayne

Rooney. And this is what he

thought I should ask. Same reason he used to rush home

after games, to watch X Factor. I could imagine you judging it,

you'd be brilliant. We had an after party planned if it

went well, and at half-time it got But after the game we'd won

and I was one of the last leave, Have you ever slept

with a trophy? You've written a book which deals

candidly with your 17 years I think the important

thing when doing a book Be really fair to the people buying

it, be as honest and genuine So much more to ask

you and we are in danger of running Tactically, Rafa Benitez.

quick questions you. Which manager was the worst

footballer themselves in training? None of them

joined in. Actually Kenny Dalglish joined

in and he was pretty good, Wonderful to see you sitting next

to each other, given the relationship you've had

without managing to work together. So we will take this

as your moment together. guest you have been,

thank you so much. And now it's time to welcome our

final guests. This England team made their country proud with the 2015

World Cup and turned women's football into a front page,

mainstream sport. The lioness is lit up the 2015 World Cup. Their

third-place finish confirming them as England's most successful

football team in almost 50 years. Defender Lucy Bronze announced

herself on the world stage with that sensational strike against Norway.

And was proclaimed one of the stars of the tournament. With over 90 caps

to her name, Katie Chapman has had a dream year. As well as shining at

the World Cup, the midfielder led Chelsea to a glorious double. Please

welcome the pride of England's lionesses, Lucy Bronze and Katie

Chapman. Welcome home. I know it seems a long

time ago now, but congratulations again. Finishing third at the World

Cup! APPLAUSE You watched it, didn't you? Yeah, it

was so big over in the US, because their girls were going well as well.

And how impressed were you with the way they picked themselves up after

being beaten by Japan? I was jealous! All they've done now is put

extra pressure on the lads. But no, they were fantastic and should be so

proud of themselves and what they are doing for all the girls around

the country. What does it mean to you to play for England? Anybody

representing their country at that level, it is unbelievable. And my

children were there to watch me, which was magical. You've got three

boys, Steven has got three girls... Any advice? What age are yours? 11,

nine and four. 12, seven and two. This is the future of England's

football, here and now. And Lucy, how do you reflect on the whole

World Cup? To be honest I thought I was not going to play, I thought I

would be sitting on the bench. The first game came and I played left

wing, and I am right back. Scored a few goals and everything kicked off

for me in that sense. Because nobody knew who I was before. You ended up

as one of the players of the tournament, you were in the team of

the tournament and one of the reasons was discovered against

Norway. COMMENTATOR: Takes a touch, couldn't get the shot away. Lucy

Bronze can and does! OES! An absolute belter! England are ahead!

What a strike! You know about long-range goals, how

good is that and how difficult is it to do it with that power and

accuracy? Probably one of the most difficult techniques of the game, to

connect that well from that distance, fired into the roof of the

net, a world-class finish. Difficult thing to practice. Had you

practised? No! You had some official receptions, what was happening here?

Karen Bardsley our goalkeeper, I think she did that. I don't know why

we did that because he wanted to get pictures with us anyway and we'd met

him a few times, he gave as a team talk before the Japan semifinal.

Yeah, semifinal. He'd been on the speaker. We had the Prince giving

our team talk. There was a tube strike on that day and I got stuck

in traffic and completely missed the whole thing. Have your girls got a

different attitude to trouble because of what they have been

doing? Not so much my girls, I think I have sickened them with football

to be honest, every time I put it on the TV, they run out, or try to the

remote to put the cartoons or the American shows back on. But I'd love

them to be involved. I don't know about you girls, did your parents

get you into it or did you just play it in school? How did you get

addicted to football? I just started playing in school, joining in with

the boys in the playground. Maybe I'll try that one. I just about

learned the offside rule for the World Cup, I think. I just copied my

brother. You've had the most unbelievable season. The lionesses

did so well, but also for your club, Chelsea, you won the league, having

lost it last year on the last day, and won the FA Cup, final at Wembley

for the first time which was massive. Yeah, it was history,

playing in the first ever women's FA Cup at Wembley. To be on a massive

stage and get the support that we did was an unbelievable moment. And

the setup is changing so much, none more so than at your club,

Manchester City, they did not have a women's side until two or three

years ago. Last year was their first proper year in the league. Now we

are the only women's team in England with our own stadium. We train at

the men's crown, we have our own changing rooms, share the

facilities, which is unheard of really in the women's game across

the world, let alone in England. So Manchester City are really paving

the way and I am so happy to be at that club. It is nearly Christmas

and we know Jose will be very busy telling his secretary who to send

cards to. Steven, normally over Christmas you would be getting ready

for Boxing Day match and not eating a lot on Christmas Day? Know, very

light. Most Christmas night I am in a hotel preparing for Boxing Day

fixtures. What will be different this year? I'll be having a glass of

wine or a beer. Quite a tradition of Christmas parties at various clubs.

And then being fancy dress parties. Yeah... I've been to a few lively

ones over the years. Will you get invited back this year? I haven't

yet, no. We'll have to see how the next couple of weeks ago. But I'm

available. Get that invitation out there. When it's fancy dress you

really make an effort. This was very good. The main thing with fancy

dress, if you are going to do it, do it properly. So who is this? Peter

Crouch. Correct. And who is that? Ramsay? As Rambo, absolutely. And

what about this one? Gareth Barry? Very good. Finally, who is this? I

think that is the best fancy dress I've ever seen. How many hours in

make-up did that take? That is amazing. It's not make up, it's a

mask. It's a great effort. It is. I just had to go to my grandad's to

get all the clothes. Very good effort. If you do get invited to the

Liverpool fancy dress party, send us a photo. Sure. Thank you so much,

we've reached the end of the show, make sure you come back. I will be

joint by Mark Webber and AP McCoy next time. To Jose Mourinho, Steven

Gerrard, Katie Chapman, Lucy Bronze, many thanks, and thank you at home

for watching. See you soon, good night.