Part I of an interview with Simon Grayson, by Callum McFadden for WFi. Part II can be found here.
As a player, you played for some massive clubs. How do you reflect on your playing career as a whole?
“I’m really proud of what I was able to do. I lived a dream in terms of supporting Leeds United, and I managed to make my debut when I was 17. I was in an age group with Gary Speed and David Batty. I went on to play a lot more than I did at Leeds, and I’d have loved to have played more games, but that wasn’t to be. When I got to 22, I thought I needed to move on.
“I learned a lot from people like Billy Bremner, Howard Wilkinson, and Gordon Strachan, who were big influences on my career—how to train, look after yourself, etc. Then the opportunity came to go to Leicester, and within, I think it was 11 games from playing in the reserves at Leeds, I was playing for Leicester in the Championship play-off final against Blackburn in front of 70-odd thousand. That was all I wanted to do and achieve as a player: to start playing regular first-team football.”
At Leicester, you won trophies such as the League Cup as well, what’s that like as a player?
“In terms of that Leicester period, it was incredible. We lost that final the following year to Swindon. The next season, we beat Derby when I was fortunate to be the captain, and I was the first Leicester City captain to ever win at Wembley.
“Then we got relegated from the Premier League and went back up again in the Championship play-off final. So we had four play-off finals in the space of five years. After that promotion, we finished ninth in the Premier League but went on an amazing cup run in the Coca-Cola Cup, now the Carabao Cup.
“One of the highlights of my career there was scoring a goal in the semi-final against Wimbledon, which got us to Wembley, where we played Middlesbrough. They had a really strong team with Emerson, Juninho, and Ravanelli. I know we drew at Wembley, but we beat them at Hillsborough in the replay.
“All those days, for Leicester supporters and players who went through that period, were remarkable. The number of times we were playing in finals and at Wembley and doing this, that, and the other. I had no intentions of leaving, to be fair.
“Then I was called to go to Aston Villa by Brian Little, who had originally signed me for Leicester. He’d gone to Villa a few years before that. I just felt it was too good an opportunity to pass up, going to a team that was in the top four of the Premier League and reaching the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. It was a great period in my career at that particular time.”
You finished your playing career at Blackpool, where you then began your managerial career. Was going into management something that you always planned to do?
“Well, I was doing my badges while still playing. I was doing the reserves as well as playing. I remember one experience where I was at Bournemouth on a Tuesday night, then had to get back to Blackpool, where I lived on the outskirts, in the early hours of the morning.
“Then I was picking up the kit and going off to do the reserves for an 11 o’clock kick-off the next day.
“That was what I was thinking of doing. But I never really thought I’d be managing, if I’m being honest. I thought I’d be a coach, maybe.
“However, I had the opportunity to go somewhere else with a friend as an assistant manager so I went to Blackpool to ask about it. Could I leave and retire? So, I went to see Karl Oyston, and he said no.
“I was quite shocked. Ultimately, he turned around and said, ‘I’m in the process of sacking Colin, and you’re taking over as caretaker manager.’ So I sort of fell into the manager’s role, which was only part-time from November until the end of the season. We did really well, and then I got the job on a permanent basis after that.
“It was something I wasn’t looking to do, but when you’re given that opportunity, you’ve got to give it your best shot because it could lead to a different career for many years to come if you’re successful.”
You talked earlier about how much Leeds United meant to you as a fan growing up and playing for the club. So what was it like when Leeds United approached you to become their manager?
“Yeah, it was really weird because I remember getting a call asking if I’d be interested in the job since Gary McAllister had just been sacked. I was like, ‘Yeah, too right I would be.’
“Leeds were in League One, Blackpool in the Championship, and I had a really good squad at Blackpool. I loved working with the players and developing them.
“Seeing players who had developed go on to big things, like Wes Hoolahan, was probably one of the biggest successes we had.
“However, when the opportunity came to go to Leeds, they could have been in League Two or the National League—I would have taken that job because it was the club I supported.
“The privilege of managing a club like that and following in the footsteps of great managers like Howard Wilkinson, Don Revie, and Billy Bremner was just a no-brainer.
“There were a few complications with leaving Blackpool. I had to resign, and there was a potential court case, but it all settled down, and eventually, I got to Leeds and loved every minute of it.”
I have to ask you about winning at Old Trafford in the FA Cup against Manchester United while the club was in League One. That win was the first time Leeds had won there in over 30 years. How would you sum up such an achievement?
“Yeah, look, it was such a memorable day, and everybody who’s connected with Leeds still has memories of it all happening. We went there as a League One team.
“We were doing well in the league; I think we were top of the division. Manchester United were the reigning Premier League champions, and they had a strong team out. Sir Alex never liked getting beaten by anybody, but he certainly didn’t want to lose to Leeds, and he didn’t want to lose to a League One team as well.
“We went there full of confidence and belief, got an early goal, and as a manager, you’re thinking, ‘Have we scored too early against them?’ Even when it was going into the last minutes of extra time, you’re thinking something’s going to happen in Fergie time where they’re going to come back and equalise. But we held on, and it’s such a memorable feeling.
“I’ve seen 9,000 Leeds fans in the corner, buzzing around the place, singing your names, singing the players’ names. Again, it only seems like yesterday, but it’s, what, over 14 years ago.”
You led Leeds to promotion back to the Championship from League One. What did taking the club back to the second tier mean to you?
“Yeah, look, nobody has a divine right to get out of any division. There have been some really big football clubs that have been in League One recently.
“Manchester City have been down there, and many other big teams have had to get out of that division. We had a really good squad, a really entertaining squad—Beckford, Becchio, Snodgrass, Gradel, Howson and Johnson.
“A lot of these lads have gone on to have fantastic careers in the Premier League. One of the biggest and proudest moments is seeing these lads develop as players and go on to do what they do. But getting your home team promoted was a rollercoaster ride.
“We only had to win, and we were down to 10 men just before half-time. Then we went 1-0 down. It was like, ‘Well, what are we going to do?’ We won 2-1 in the end, and the whole place erupted. It was a really proud moment.
“I look back at that time and think we achieved something, and then we needed to work out where we were going and what we were going to do in the Championship.
“The following year, I think up to the last few games of the season, we were within a sniff of the playoffs and just fell away. Maybe if we’d recruited a little bit in January, when I needed maybe a defender, we could have got back-to-back promotions.
“That is all ifs, buts and maybes although we had a really good team. After that, the following year didn’t pan out how we wanted it to.
“Players left and were sold. We were only five or six points off the playoffs when I got sacked, which was a bit of a surprise but also a sad moment but proud as well of what I achieved for the football club.”