Premier league legendary coach linked with Spurs job
TalkSPORT – Jim White & Friends
Live interview with Sean Dyche on the Spurs rumours
Jim White: Sean, great to have you on TalkSPORT. How are you keeping?
Sean Dyche: I’m good, Jim. Keeping busy. Dogs are getting walked, garden’s getting a prune. Still up at six every morning though — can’t shake it.
Jim White: The discipline never leaves you, eh? Now, I have to jump straight in. The papers, the websites, my phone — everyone’s saying Tottenham Hotspur are lining you up. What’s the truth?
Sean Dyche: [laughs] The noise, Jim. Always the noise. I was in the pub just up the road the other night —
Jim White: Which one? The local in Corby?
Sean Dyche: Could be. Anyway, I’m stood there with a pint of Guinness in my hand, and this lad, probably 25, full of beans, comes over and says, “You’re meant to be in talks with Spurs tonight.”
Jim White: And what did you tell him?
Sean Dyche: I said, “Well, I’m standing next to you having a pint of Guinness, so it’s unlikely!” If Daniel Levy’s doing business in the Red Lion, no one’s told me.
Jim White: [laughs] That’s brilliant. But seriously, has anyone from Spurs actually been in touch?
Sean Dyche: No. Not a call, not a text, not an email. Nothing. Zero.
Jim White: So where do you think this has all come from?
Sean Dyche: I don’t know. It’s the modern game. Someone throws a name out there, it gets retweeted 10,000 times and suddenly it’s fact. I’ve been around long enough to know the difference between what’s real and what’s a story.
Jim White: Do you get frustrated with how quickly these rumours spread now, with Twitter and all that?
Sean Dyche: Frustrated? No. I’ve got thicker skin than that. But it is funny how one bloke in a pub can start a whole news cycle. Everyone’s a journalist with a phone now.
Jim White: You’ve built a reputation on organisation, hard work, making teams hard to beat. Do you think that style would fit at a club like Spurs, who are expected to play expansive football?
Sean Dyche: Look, I’m not here to sell myself. I’ve got my way of working, and it’s effective. We kept Burnley up year after year on a budget, we kept Everton up when everyone had written us off. But I’m adaptable. People forget we played some good football at Burnley when we had the players to do it.
Jim White: Would you take the job if it came up?
Sean Dyche: I’d look at any project that’s right. It’s got to be right for me and right for the club. I’m not going to chew your ear off about it now because, as I said, I’m in the pub, not in a boardroom.
Jim White: What have your mates been saying? I imagine the WhatsApp group’s been busy.
Sean Dyche: Oh, non-stop. One of them sent me an AI picture of me in a Spurs tracksuit with a flat cap. Said I’d look like I’d walked off the set of Peaky Blinders. Cheeky buggers.
Jim White: [laughs] You do suit the flat cap though.
Sean Dyche: I love a good story, as long as it’s true.
Jim White: You mentioned Guinness. Is that your go-to when you’re not working?
Sean Dyche: It is, yeah. Proper pint. Takes time to settle. You can’t rush a Guinness, and you can’t rush building a team either. There’s a metaphor in there if you want it.
Jim White: I like that. So what’s the message to fans who are speculating about your future?
Sean Dyche: The message is: I’m ready when the right call comes. Until then I’ll be walking the dogs, doing the garden, and having the occasional pint. And if you see me in the pub, don’t assume I’m negotiating with Real Madrid. I’m probably just trying to get the head right on a Guinness.
Jim White: Sean Dyche, always a pleasure. Thanks for clearing that up.
Sean Dyche: Cheers, Jim. All the best.
