Darren Anderton has paid an emotional tribute to Terry Venables after the former England manager’s passing at the age of 80.
Venables, who managed England between 1994 and 1996, died on Saturday after a long illness.
The popular coach enjoyed a varied career that included a stint with Barcelona, during which time he won a LaLiga title and only missed out on securing the club’s maiden European Cup triumph by a penalty shootout loss in the 1986 final to Steaua Bucharest.
After the conclusion of his time in Spain, Venables took over at Tottenham Hotspur, a club he represented as a player, guiding them to an FA Cup triumph in 1991.
Anderton arrived at the London club from Portsmouth a year later and has outlined the impact of a manager he describes as “like a second dad” had on him as a young player.
“Honestly, he was like a father figure to me,” Anderton, who also played under Venables internationally, told BBC Radio 5 Live. “He took me to Spurs as a youngster, 20 years of age, a very naive young boy [and I] really struggled.
“But [he] just gave me a belief that I belong there. He cared, he cared about everyone he came in contact with as a human being. He was the best.
Terry Venables led England to the last four at Euro 1996— (PA)
“I remember when I was struggling in those early days, we played Everton at home and were losing 1-0. I came off again, sat in the bath almost in tears and he walked in. The game was still going on and he went, ‘hey, you’re a kid, you’re 20 years old, [Paul Gascoigne]’s been through this. I bought you for next year – this is all a bonus. You’re going to be absolutely fine. You are an incredible footballer’.
“Then there was a like a roar, and we had equalised. He didn’t even flinch, he just carried on talking to me, didn’t go out, didn’t do anything. And he just gave me a pat on the head and went, ‘you are going to be a special player’.
“I really did look up to him as a father figure. He was a second dad to me. It’s very, very sad.”
Having stepped up to an executive role after a failed bid to take over the club, Venables’s Tottenham tenure was ended in May 1993 after allegations were made over business misdealings.
He was appointed England boss about eight months later, and took his country to the semi-finals of Euro 1996.
Venables gave Anderton his international debut against Denmark in 1994 and the winger was part of the side that swept Netherlands away in a 4-1 group stage win two years later.
“He was the most wonderful human being,” Anderton recalled on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “When he was England manager, we played against Holland on Monday night. We were in the lounge afterwards, and without doubt my best memory from football is that night.
“He walked in and tapped my dad on the shoulder in the lounge and said, ‘I told you he’d be alright’.
“He lit up every room that he walked into, he really did. I could speak about him for hours as a football manager and a coach, but as a human being he was the best. Even in the dark moments within a football changing room or on the pitch, he literally lit up a room.
“He tried to always look after his boys and his team. You never heard a bad word said about him. He really did enjoy life.”
