Anthony Gordon calls on England utilise own strengths rather than replicate Spains style at future tournaments
Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterMany footballers become managers or pundits after hanging up their boots. Very few start touring the globe with heavy metal band Iron Maiden.But thats exactly what former Blackburn Rovers, Rangers and Scotland defender Colin Hendry has been doing since leaving the game behind in 2003. It all started with a chance encounter in a hotel bar.I have been a massive heavy metal fan my whole life, Hendry, who won top-flight titles on both sides of Hadrians Wall, tells FourFourTwo now. ACDC, Guns N Roses, Motorhead, you name it. I still have my ticket stubs from my first Iron Maiden gig in 1980.Latest Videos FromFourFourTwoWatch full video here: Theres even a WhatsApp group, where they list the concerts and the countries in there and say, Which games can you play in?About 10 years ago, I was in Manchester to watch them and I got chatting to a representative of the band at the hotel. He asked if I was still playing and I said, Oh yeah, I keep myself fit, I still play in charity games and legends matches and all the rest of it," Hendry says on behalf of a current offer for Kalshi users."Thats when he asked me if I fancied a game for the Iron Maiden team. I didnt even know they had one but I couldnt say yes quickly enough. It all went from there. You may like How FourFourTwo magazine helped Neil Sullivan earn a Scotland call-up in the 1990s Scottish football club sporting director has had arguably the maddest career in history I worked as a hairdresser before joining Gillingham it was clattering Steve Bruce that earned me the contract How Tony Cascarino earned his big break in football The Euro 96 star learned that, since their formation and rise to success in the 1970s, Iron Maiden have been playing football matches wherever their music takes them scouting pitches close to venues and arranging for local sides to take them on.Bassist and chief songwriter (not to mention lifelong West Ham United fanatic) Steve Harris is the driving force behind the fixtures, but other members of the band as well as roadies, security, friends and family also play.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.When youre Iron Maiden, youre capable of pulling in some decent ringers, too. Among the former professionals to have pulled on the Maiden shirt down the years are former Italian striker Paolo Di Canio, Argentine winger Claudio Caniggia and England captain Terry Butcher.Yet while these faces come and go, one former professional has become a stalwart. Wherever the band play, whether it's here in the UK, in Europe, South America, wherever, I make it if I can, grins Hendry.Theres even a WhatsApp group, where they list the concerts and the countries in there and say, Which games can you play in? I played in multiple games along each tour route. Whenever I can make it, Im there. Im playing football with my heroes. Im like a kid in a candy shop. What to read next My life is very strange Ive been in a bath with rose petals, recreating American Beauty, and over the California countryside in a hot air balloon that was also a pair of pants Peter Crouch tells FFT about his latest acting venture At West Ham, I told Slaven Bilic Ill never play at right-back! Mark Noble argued with me, so I stormed off and got a taxi home Michail Antonio on his shifting roles at West Ham Liam Gallagher bought my house! Tony Adams on his �4m property deal with the Oasis frontman Speaking of which, Hendry highlights bassist Steve Harris as a very handy player himself, even at the age of 70. Listen, for a feller his age, youd be amazed, he confirms. And Im not just saying that because hes my music idol.Not that its all fun and games. Hendry insists these games are highly competitive. Ive seen rucks and all sorts at these matches, he laughs. We played against Eintracht Frankfurts youth team in Germany and they were all about 20 years old, running rings around us, so we had to compete in other ways.We played in Prague against a team with Karel Poborsky, Patrick Berger and Vladimir Smicer all top players back in the day so the standard is very high and the band takes the games very seriously. That was another tough battle.For Hendry, the latest chapter in his footballing career is one he cherishes. Im hanging out with my heroes, Im keeping myself fit, Im in a good place and I love playing, he says. Its a dream come true, honestly.Ed McCambridgeSocial Links NavigationStaff WriterEd is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, hes been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngsters move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegans playing career.
