Glenn Hoddle had a magnificent career as a player and manager, working with some of the biggest names in the game.
His playing career saw him win trophies at Tottenham before moving to Monaco and Swindon then finishing at Chelsea.
Hoddle was player/manager at Stamford Bridge and later spent three years as England boss, before having spells at Southampton, Spurs and Wolves.
The 64-year-old joined talkSPORT on Thursday morning for an hour ahead of the launch of his autobiography – Playmaker: My Life and the Love of Football.
He told us his memories of three of the greatest players that he has had the pleasure of encountering over his career.
Diego Maradona
Hoddle played with the great Argentine one, in Ossie Ardiles’ testimonial in 1986.
“Ah, Diego. I played both with him and against him,” Hoddle said.
“I had to give my no.10 shirt up for him, did the right thing for Ossie and everyone. I gave my shirt up and played in no.11, but it was wonderful.
“Later on in life the handball and hand of God didn’t go down so well. It was wonderful to play with him.
“I gave him the shirt and there’s a free-kick on the edge of the box, we are playing Inter Milan.
“I’m thinking ‘I’ll do the right thing and step back’. Diego is there with his left foot. I’m looking at him and he’s looking at me.
“Suddenly Paul Miller runs from the halfway line, in between us, and smashes the ball into row Z. Diego looked at me to say ‘who is this?’ I just put a finger to my head to say ‘crazy’.
“Diego’s face was a picture.”
Hoddle added: “If you watched him in the big games for Argentina or in Italy, when he’d warm up he’d be popping [the ball] up off his shoulder 40 yards up and popping up again and again.
“It was all about intimidation. He’d be doing all these skills before a game.”
Paul Gascogine
Hoddle left Spurs the year before Gascogine joined, but was his manager with England in the late 90s.
“Gazza, what a genius as a player. Absolute genius. The saddest decision I had to make as a manager was not taking him to the World Cup.
“He was injured at the time and was carrying injuries.
“He was a character and in Rome with that fantastic performance where we had to get a point in Italy. That was a wonderful game and he was class there.
“At times, you couldn’t understand him. Genius of a player and a good lad to have around.”
Ossie Ardiles
Hoddle and Ardiles were teammates at Tottenham, enjoying huge success together in a memorable period of the club’s history.
He said: “What a man and what a player. I probably played with him for over 10 years. He came as a World Cup winner in ’78 and we couldn’t believe Spurs had bought him and Ricardo.
“They were so humble and down to earth guys.
“I remember the day when we won the FA Cup in ’81 and we won it in the replay. Ossie, he couldn’t hold his drink, he broke the FA Cup. But you have to read it in the book.”
