Luis Boa Morte – Fulham tussles with Jonathan Greening – Middlesbrough
Mandatory Credit:Action Images / David Slater
By Nick Lough
A member of one of the most decorated Manchester United sides in history and with over 18 years experience in the top two tiers of English football, Jonathan Greening has seen it all.
Now at the age of 37, Greening is playing his football semi-professionally with local club Tadcaster Albion – but with his thoughts focused on paving his way into management.
At the tender age of 18, Greening made his first big strides into football after breaking into the York City squad as a talented young centre-forward. It was clear to see there was something special about the Scarborough-born youngster who was almost immediately snapped up by the famous Red Devils.
“I got into the York first team at a young age and played a few games after Alan Little gave me a chance,” said Greening.
“We played a reserve game against Sheffield United and I scored all four goals as we won 4-0. I was a striker back then.
“After the game one of the coaches brought me in and told me there had been a Man United scout there watching me – and had been for about six months.
“I went to train with them and, being a Manchester United fan, it was amazing to be around some of my heroes like Becks, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs. After I went back to York, it was all done and dusted within a few weeks.”
Greening played the rest of the 1997-98 season in United’s A team and immediately made an impression on the coaching staff – so much so that he forced his way into one of the most successful squads in English football history.
“When I first went there I was just expecting to play in their U21 team. I remember my first game, I scored all four again and we won 4-1. There were only a few months of the season left.
“When I came back after the summer I was training with the first-team and I thought ‘bloody hell, I’m really going to have to step things up!’.
“At the end of the year we won the treble and I don’t think it’ll be ever done again. It was meant to be that year and I feel truly blessed to have been a part of it. At the time I didn’t appreciate it as it was all going on, but, looking back, I can’t believe how it all happened.
“I lifted the Premier League trophy on the Saturday, the following Saturday I lifted the FA Cup and the Wednesday after I got on the Concorde to Barcelona and lifted the European Cup!”
Greening made seven appearances in total that season for Manchester United and was named among the substitutes for the biggest game of them all, the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
A momentous day for a 20-year-old striker-turned-midfielder who almost didn’t make the 18-man squad after losing a game of snooker to the boss, Alex Ferguson!
He said: “The day of the Champions League final there was a snooker table in the hotel. The boss said he would give a game and if I won I would get a place on the bench that night.
“I was half decent myself as I used to go play with my Dad at the working men’s club when I was a kid so I thought ‘I’ve got this’. But he absolutely smashed me up and as he walked off, he winked at me and said, ‘Well, that’s not you on the bench then!’.
“All day I thought my chance was gone but I found out he was joking so that was quite funny.
“We were missing Roy Keane and Paul Scholes and it was weird sitting on the bench. At half-time Sir Alex said he didn’t want to walk past that trophy without touching it – that’s all he said. “When he put Teddy Sheringham and Ole Solskjaer on we thought we could nick it, but you get to 87-88 minutes and you think it isn’t happening.
“When the equaliser went in, it was like ‘we’ve got them in extra-time’. Then we scored the second and we all went absolutely mental! It’s a squad game but you’ve got to give credit to Teddy and Ole. After being left out of the biggest game of their careers, to come on and do what they did typified their class as players.
“Everyone ran on the pitch and in the changing room there was Champagne spraying everywhere. I was only 20 so it didn’t really sink it at the time.
“I was thinking during the game that I might get on with nobody else a midfielder and Phil Neville playing full-back all year. I was quite excited and not really nervous.
“When you’re that young, nothing really bothers you and you take things in your stride. I was thinking in the back of my head that it could go to extra-time and I may make it on. It wasn’t meant to be and it could have been a blessing in disguise I didn’t make it on!”
Two years on and 27 appearances later, Greening made the decision to leave in favour of a move to Premier League rivals Middlesbrough to earn more playing time, following United assistant manager Steve McClaren to the Riverside.
“I went to Middlesbrough because in the back of my mind I didn’t want to be one of those players who got to their mid-20s and had only played a handful of professional matches.
“I struggled a bit in my first year getting used to playing week in, week out, but I came into my own in the second season and won ‘Player of the Year’ and ‘Players’ Player of the Year’ and I really enjoyed it. I got injured in my third season and missed a big chunk of it. I played every round of the League Cup until I tore my thigh against Arsenal and missed the final.
“Steve is an excellent coach, one of the best in the game. That’s why he has done so well in his career and why Sir Alex brought him in as soon as Brian Kidd left. I won the League Cup under him which was Boro’s first major trophy, they got to the UEFA Cup final and he did really well. When the England job came up, he wanted to test himself; maybe it was too early for him and he had to go abroad to rebuild his reputation.”
After leaving Middlesbrough, Greening enjoyed five full seasons with West Brom after being convinced to sign for the club by Gary Megson. Despite being part of the team that stunningly pulled off Premier League survival after being bottom on Christmas Day (the first side to achieve that feat), two relegations and one promotion epitomised the phrase ‘Boing, Boing Baggies’.
In 2009, Greening swapped the Midlands in favour of London club Fulham in a bid to remain in the top flight. In a storming season under Roy Hodgson, the Whites famously knocked Juventus out en route to the Europa League final, recovering from a 3-1 defeat in the first leg in Italy to storm through in the last 16 clash.
“It was a great club to go to at the time and the Europa League was a big challenge for me as I was 30 at the time. We had such a small squad so to finish 12th in the Premier League and get to the final was a great achievement.
“We had a great team bond and that saw us past Juventus and, later, into the final to play Atletico Madrid. We took it as a challenge and that’s a credit to Roy Hodgson, but we lost to a superb side with players like De Gea, Forlan and Aguero – we could be proud to get so far.”
After a spell with Nottingham Forest, Greening signed up with local semi-professional club Tadcaster, playing alongside his brother in a bid to stay fit. Having enjoyed a few games for the Non-League outfit, Greening left for York City, returning to where it all started.
He took charge of York’s U18s before being called upon to make a few appearances for the senior side due to injuries. In December his time at the club ended in the aftermath of new manager Jackie McNamara’s arrival.
“When Jackie came in he wanted to bring in his own management staff, which was fair enough – I can understand that,” he said.
Now back at Tadcaster after re-signing, Greening insists he is in the same position as he was the last time he joined – the relationship will see him keep fit and play matches while looking for a new coaching job.
However, this time he is aiming a bit higher than managing youth teams and wants to take on the challenge of a senior side.
“I’ve got all of my coaching badges now, including my A and B licences. I coached Nottingham Forest U21s and York City U18s so I have a bit of experience combined with 20 years playing at the top level, and I’m now looking for the right opportunity to try and manage a first-team.
“I want to step into men’s football. You’ve got to be patient but I want to find that job managing a first team because that’s where I want to be.
“I’m desperate to get in there and show what I can do and it’s just the hope somebody will take the gamble on me. You look at Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink at Burton – they took a gamble on him and he did excellently, getting them promoted, and they’re flying this year, resulting in him going to QPR.
“You need someone to take a risk on a young and upcoming manager like myself.”
