大象传媒

Sheffield Wednesday legend, known to many people as Zico, speaks about boozing, betting and brawling which is also the title of his book which is due to be released mid August 2008.

But why did he decide to write the book now?

鈥淭o be honest I had been asked about 20 years ago to write a book but the time just wasn鈥檛 right. I didn鈥檛 think I had done enough in football to write about it.

鈥淚t just felt right to do it now. I鈥檝e said a lot in the book. I was truthful and it鈥檚 full of some great stories. A lot of time went by and I have kept my issues indoors and not aired them.

Wednesday v Manchester United in 1985.

鈥淚鈥檝e got somethings off my chest writing this book... It鈥檚 not just about football this and football that but it's about me.鈥�

Mel was born in October 1961 on Sheffield Manor Estate, he was brought up with a large family who worked to make ends meet.

Mel鈥檚 career started at Sheffield Wednesday and he went onto play for Leeds United for four years and then went to Glasgow Rangers for a short period. He also played for his country, England in his career.

鈥淚 played with Terry Curran, Chris Turner, Andy McCulloch, Jeff Johnson, Roger Wilde 鈥� they were all real characters.

鈥淢ick Picking (Defender for Sheffield Wednesday) was there for me when I lost my mum, he took me back to his house and he looked after me.

鈥淣ow in football, I just don鈥檛 think there are enough characters in the game, I don鈥檛 know why though. If you ever said a wrong word to any of them you鈥檇 get a clip round the ear and you appreciated that. My early years at the club were a learning curve and I was the apprentice and you knew that.鈥�

The demise

When Mel Sterland was at the peak of his career aged 29, he suffered a serious ankle injury which brought the end to his successful career in football...

鈥淚n the book I talk about suicide. I didn鈥檛 know what to do apart from football, people say it鈥檚 a cowards way out but when your mind is in a mess and you don鈥檛 know what to do, it is just so difficult. Your head just spins around. I remember coming home and finding my training kit in a black bin liner, boots and everything and I just thought. This is it. It was sad.

鈥淭hey were very difficult times for me and I just thought 鈥� that鈥檚 it I鈥檓 going to do something stupid. I nearly did it. It got to me. I was depressed and I went out somewhere and set myself up to kill myself.

鈥淚鈥檓 sure my mum was watching over me and I heard her talk to me. She reminded me that I had a wife and two kids! She swore at me and told me to get a grip of myself and I just stopped and cried and thought about everything.

鈥淚 wanted to play football and that was it and I wanted to do the best by my mum and dad.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to say 鈥榤ove on and get on with it鈥� and I鈥檝e been down the road and it鈥檚 difficult.鈥�

Boozing

As the book is called 'Boozing, Betting and Brawling' Andy couldn't let him go without asking him about two of his weaknesses...

鈥淚 never drank up until I was 21 years old.

鈥淲hen I went through parts of life that were tough I picked up the bottle. All of a sudden the drink took over. I鈥檓 not proud of it but it made me feel better at the time. Nowadays you don鈥檛 see that happen with footballers.鈥�

Betting

鈥淚鈥檒l never forget about this guy from Barnsley when I was 16 years old. He asked me to go into the bookies and put a bet on with him. I put a 拢1 to win 10/1 and it won! I just thought this was easy, go into the bookies, put a bet on and get some money. You never see a skint bookmaker though. Same with the Casino, you think wow at first but I guarantee you, you get into it and think it鈥檚 nice and that鈥檚 it. You鈥檝e got the taste.鈥�

The best moment?

Mel describes his fondest moment in his career.

鈥淚 got into the first team at Sheffield Wednesday and Jack Charlton was the manager. I told my dad that I was going to see him and he said, 'don鈥檛 be frightened, be positive, you鈥檙e in the first team.' The easiest thing to say.

鈥淲hen I went to see Jack all I heard was 'come in' I opened the door and Big Jack had a flat cap on, smoking a cigarette and reading the paper.

Mel Sterland in 2008.

'What does t鈥檞ant'

鈥淚 just said, nervous sweating and I just didn鈥檛 believe that I was in a room with him and I said 'errrm well how about 拢250 a week boss!'

"He dropped his cigarette, cap fell off and choked.

'What about signing that or get out.' Well that his what he said to those words anyway, that I can repeat anyway!

鈥淏elieve it or not, I signed it. I couldn鈥檛 wait to get out of that office. My contract was 拢50 a week and 拢60 appearance money. It was in the when you didn鈥檛 have an agent, it was a real experience.鈥�

Big Jack

Jack Charlton managed Sheffield Wednesday from 1977 to 1983 and was a strong character in the club, known for his language and for many other things鈥�

鈥淗e was fantastic, I remember us having a practice match on the pitch. We had 12 players on the field and nobody daren鈥檛 say anything. I went up to him and pointed it out. Jack said calmly, 'It鈥檚 not a problem. John Pearson, get off the pitch.'

鈥淗e was just so good and he used to eff and blind. He was a funny man, he used to get our names wrong all the time but it didn鈥檛 matter what our names were. We had to get on with it, when he told you to do something, you did it!

鈥淥ne day he was showing us how to do a free kick. He put the ball on the edge of the box and he bent it in the top corner. He didn鈥檛 have football boots on, he had Brogue shoes on. We all just looked at each other in amazement.鈥�

Engeerrrland

Mel was known as Zico, in homage to the Brazilian footballer. He spent his career comfortably as an Attacking Right Back and then one day he got the call, or rather a letter鈥�

鈥淚 got a letter, I鈥檝e still got it. It鈥檚 superb. In the letter you also get a list of players who were in the squad with you.

鈥淏ryan Robson, Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker, they were all in there. You just think 鈥業鈥檓 playing for Sheffield Wednesday and now I鈥檓 playing for England and I鈥檓 from the Manor Estate.鈥�

Mel Sterland Under 21 UEFA trophy.

鈥淵ou meet up three days before and sit down and talk. It was nerve-wracking and frightening playing with all the big hitters and meeting up with them (Manchester United and the likes.)

鈥淚 believe if you play well for your club you should get a chance. It was because Howard Wilkinson was the manager and I believe he gave me the chance. I got injured a few times and it was difficult to be selected again. Gary Stephens replaced me. It was disappointing but I got on with it.鈥�

:: Mel Sterland鈥檚 book 鈥楤oozing, Betting and Brawling鈥� will be released mid August 2008.