Gary Lineker has recalled cutting short a toilet visit to snub managerial great Brian Clough.
Back in the late 80s, the England striker’s future was up in the air after falling out of favour with Johan Cruyff at Barcelona. Following his goal exploits for Leicester, Everton, Barca and his country, Lineker was in demand, with numerous English clubs keen to sign him.
One was Nottingham Forest, who had started the decade by winning a second successive European Cup under the legendary Clough. Forest were still one of the top sides in English football and signing Lineker would have represented a real statement of intent.
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Clough contacted Lineker at the end of the 1988/89 season, only to be awkwardly rejected by the Leicester-born marksman. Recalling the incident on The Rest Is Football Podcast, he recalled: “It was the end of my last season at Barcelona and I knew I had to move. He [Cruyff] wanted his own players, which was totally understandable.
“I had a bit of interest from various places. I was on a post-season tour with England in Sweden or Denmark. I was rooming with Peter Shilton, as I always did, and I was on the loo. The phone went in the room and I heard Peter answer it.
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“Peter’s the most confident bloke but he sounded like he was a little bit in awe of whoever was on the phone. Then I heard him say, ‘Gary’s on the loo’.”
Lineker eventually emerged from the backroom to take the call. He added: “So I came in and Peter put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and said, ‘it’s Brian Clough’. I thought, ‘oh s***, blimey’. I picked up the phone and he went, ‘young man, have you washed your hands?’ I said, ‘yes I have, Mr Clough’. He went, ‘call me Brian’.
“He went on, ‘tell me, are you signed, sealed and delivered?’ I said, ‘not yet, I’ve got options but nothing confirmed’. He said, ‘world you consider coming to Nottingham Forest?’ I went, ‘no, not really’. ‘Why not? [he asked]’. I got a bit tongue-tied and said, ‘if I was coming back to English football, it would have to be to one of the big clubs’.
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“Peter Shilton had buried his head under his pillow at this point! He [Clough] said, ‘Nottingham Forest is a big club, there’s only Liverpool who have won more than us in the last 10 years.
“I said, ‘I’m perfectly aware of your record, Brian, it’s incredible what you’ve achieved. When I say one of the big clubs, I mean of the big grounds, London etc, if you understand?’.
“He said, ‘no I don’t, call me Mr Clough’ and hung up! I never heard from him again, understandably so.” Lineker went on to join Tottenham instead.