‘I despatched goalkeeper into the stand to teach striker in objective – however Dele Alli ruined it’
EXCLUSIVE Former Liverpool and Wales striker Dean Saunders enjoyed a glittering career on the pitch before moving into the dugout at the end of his playing days, where he endured some comical moments
Former Liverpool and Wales striker Dean Saunders endured the ‘worst moment of his career’ in the dugout as manager of Crawley Town.
Saunders, 61, hung up his boots in 2001 after a successful career and moved into management in 2008 at Wrexham. Saunders made the jump to the Championship with Doncaster Rovers before he took the hot seat at a struggling Wolves team, who ultimately were relegated to League One.
After that disappointment, Saunders returned to the dugout at League One Crawley Town after John Gregory was forced to step down due to health issues.
Although Saunders said his time at Crawley was a ‘great experience’, he revealed he endured the worst moment of his career in charge of the West Sussex side.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star Sport on behalf of Casino.org to find the best online casinos in the UK, Saunders said: “They were struggling, obviously, no money, no training ground, couldn’t really pay wages in League One – probably had the smallest budget, or one of them. I pieced the team together and we started winning games.
“I had probably the worst moment in my career there, we went to Peterborough and we only had to win the game (to stay up). We talked through everything before the game. Everything worked. And they scored two goals in the 90-odd minutes, which stopped us staying in the league after doing so well.
“But I really enjoyed it that. I stayed in the Holiday Inn by Gatwick Airport, so I didn’t sleep much! But I enjoyed it, it was great, the fans were great.”
Saunders then recalled a hilarious story where striker Matt Harold went in goal after former Premier League goalkeeper Brian Jensen picked up an injury. But he had a genius idea of how to help the big striker through the match.
“We played MK Dons, Dele Alli was playing and centre forward Matt Harrold had to come on. Brian Jensen was the goalkeeper and he broke his thumb in the first five minutes and we didn’t have another goalkeeper. It wasn’t that we didn’t have another goalkeeper on the bench, we just didn’t have one!
“Imagine this, I turned around and went, ‘Has anybody ever played in goal before?’ And Matt put his hand up and said ‘I’ll have a go, I haven’t but I’ll have a go.’ So we put him on and Jensen went behind the goal.
“I said to Brian, ‘go behind the goal and coach him.’ Brian stood with the fans behind the goal and he was going, ‘get off your line! Get back on your line!’ Get it up the pitch!’
“As the game went on, he made a few saves and the crowd were loving it. It was such a memorable game because he was in goal for ages and they looked like they could score if they just shot anywhere near him.
“But he kept saving them, and then the last kick of the game, Dele Ali scored a scramble in the goalmouth.
“I remember that game clearly as a manager, you’re going in ‘Oh my goodness.’ I thought we’d get away with not having another keeper!
“At half-time, because the ground at Crawley is small, I sent him up the other end of the pitch to stand behind the other goal!”
Saunders left Crawley at the end of the season to join Chesterfield, but he last just 23 games before he was sacked in what proved to be his last managerial job.
