“That’s frightening,” Robbo admitted, speaking to us for our new ‘Five questions with…’ feature ahead of our huge Premier League clash against Leeds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday evening (8pm UK).
Now a popular pundit across TV and Radio Five Live – Robbo, 175 appearances and one goal against Watford in his four years here, 2004-2008, and one of the most popular players to pull on a Spurs shirt in recent years – is preparing for a new adventure – covering this summer’s World Cup.
For now though, it was time to talk Spurs and Leeds – the importance of the fans and his praise for how Antonin Kinsky has recovered from that tough night in Madrid – something Robbo can certainly relate to after conceding a goal against Croatia in Euro 2008 qualifying where he went to clear Gary Neville’s back pass but the ball hit a divot, bounced over his foot and rolled into the empty net.
Let’s start with our fans – you had one of the best player-fan relationships of recent years – how important is that connection?
Robbo: “The rapport and the connection that I had with the Spurs fans - and I still do now - was probably the most special I ever had in my career. We hit it off from day one - they got me and I got them. I was this 23-year-old Yorkshire lad coming down to London for the first time. I just think when the fans can see that you care and you're one of them and it actually means something to you… I used to go and clap the fans, thanking them for taking the day off, paying the money for the ticket, paying the money for the travel, coming to support us and actually being there as part of our group, if you like, because you're a group together. You need that camaraderie, that togetherness and to have that unity and know that they've got your back. As a player, you have a responsibility to give the fans something as well. You’re putting the shirt on for their team and what that means to fans and to families and supporters, how ingrained a club is, not just on a Saturday afternoon or a Monday night, but in their life, 24 hours a day, 24-7. I was at Villa Park. I was on the gantry above the Spurs fans, and the noise was incredible. That support can really lift the team – without a shadow of a doubt."
Next up – Antonin Kinsky. You experienced that – let’s say 'negative' – spotlight playing for England against Croatia. Tell us what you think of how he’s come back from what happened in Madrid – it feels like you will know as well as anyone – and how did you deal with it after England-Croatia?
Robbo: “The mental strength that he's shown has been incredible. I was in the stadium in Madrid that night and I've never seen anything like it, one of the biggest blows you could have as a goalkeeper is to be substituted. To come back from that in the way that he has, at such a young age… to have that challenge so early on in his career, it's difficult for you as a goalkeeper, you're always on an upward trajectory and things have been going well – back home in Czechia, his club career, his domestic career, his international career, it's always been on an upward curve. Then you do get a hit like that. It’s coming, but you just don't know when it's coming. To have it so early on and the way that he's dealt with it has been superb. I've always been an admirer of his goalkeeping because I think he's got a lot of quality. I think he's a technically all-round, very good goalkeeper and he's going to develop into a top-class goalkeeper. It’s amazing what confidence can do for you and the mindset of a player when he steps onto the pitch is huge. Roberto De Zerbi can take a lot of credit for the way that he's handled the situation. He's had to because of Vicario's injury, but Antonin Kinsky deserves so much credit for the mentality and the mental strength that he's shown. For me, after England-Croatia, it was tough. Juande Ramos took me in and out of the team - my performances weren't at the level because that had affected me. That incident was an international match and on a much bigger scale. It affected me, personally. I used to drop the little one off at school or go to the supermarket - you'd see people talking and think, 'are they talking about me?' Everyone was talking about it. It was difficult, it affected me and knocked my confidence for over 18 months. At the time, my thinking was I need to keep playing – therefore I needed to get out of Spurs, because I needed to play regular first team football to get my England place back. Now, at 46, a lot wiser and with hindsight, I should have just sat on my hands, and I'd have stayed at Tottenham for another six, seven years because Harry Redknapp would have been the perfect manager for me - but we're all wiser with hindsight. I've told you before, the day I climbed those steps at Wembley to lift that trophy (League Cup in 2008), the best day of my career, I knew I was leaving the football club that I loved at the time, which was even harder.”
Tell us about Leeds – I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of them…
Robbo: “There was a pivotal point in the season when they played Manchester City away (in November) and they got absolutely thumped in the first half and they weren't even in the game. They were in the bottom three. They had City, Chelsea midweek and then they had Liverpool the following weekend. At half-time in the City game (Leeds were 2-0 down), Daniel Farke changed to a back three system, and they've gone to a different level from there. It's a system that suits the players. It’s not a back five, it's a three - the two wing-backs play extremely high. I did an analysis piece the other day for Premier League television, PLP, and the full-backs are the ones that are alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin – they are on a completely different level. That’s kept Calvert-Lewin within the width of the 18-yard box, where he does his best work from. They've been on this brilliant run that's looking like it's kept them in the Premier League, so, there's a lot of credit due.”
How do you see it panning out on Monday night?
Robbo: “It's massive now. I mean, the way that Tottenham played on Sunday night at Aston Villa, it gives fresh hope. Last weekend has changed things hugely, because Leeds are safe - okay, still not mathematically safe, but they are safe. The way Spurs played at Villa, all of a sudden now you look at those fixtures, and you think, ‘Leeds at home, yeah, we can win that’. You can see that Roberto De Zerbi has had time on the training ground with the team. At Villa, you saw the impact he's having already - now you go into those last three games of the season with so much more optimism.”
Finally, can you believe it’s almost 10 years since you retired (2017) – how are you enjoying your work in the media?
Robbo: “Nearly 10 years - it's frightening. Do I miss it? Not in the slightest. I absolutely loved my playing career, but I've got a wonderful work-life balance now and I've got a fantastic family at home, and I thoroughly enjoy the work that I do. I’m doing the World Cup for the BBC - the World Cup Final! I'm getting to see most of America and Mexico - New York, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Mexico, and I'm doing the World Cup final. I'm at games most weekends, most weeks I do games, cover all different leagues. I cover the Saudi League. I cover the Italian League. I do, obviously, all the Premier League. Fans will hear me most on Five Live in this country. It's just great. I look back with extremely fond memories of my career and think how lucky I was, but what I've got now, you know, I'm also very, very lucky.”
