Brian Barry-Murphy is sitting in his Cardiff City office after training on Thursday working out how to answer a question on his reputation for emotional intelligence. He tries to play it down when there’s a knock on the door. Calum Chambers, the former England centre-back, walks in, Barry-Murphy laughs and mentions that he’s been discussing the 30-year-old’s impressive array of former managers and how “intimidated” he feels.
Chambers’ club career took him through Southampton, Arsenal, loans at Middlesbrough and Fulham, then Aston Villa and now Cardiff. “I’ve told the roll call of Chambers’ managers: Pochettino, Wenger, Emery, Karanka, Scott Parker, Ranieri, Unai again. I’m intimidated!” Barry-Murphy lists. Chambers smiles. “It keeps getting better!” he replies, nodding to his current head coach. “He has to say that!” Barry-Murphy responds.
