IT was half-time and Newbury Town reserves were trailing 2-0 and facing a big defeat.
Suddenly, their mud-splattered teenage winger dashed into the dressing room and took manager, Keith Moss, to a quiet corner for a tactical chat.
Brendan Rodgers has come a long way since his time at Newbury TownCredit: PA:Press Association
He picked up a pen and began to draw on a discarded match-day programme.
For the entire 15-minute break, he spoke non-stop while his bemused boss nodded in agreement to every word.
Moss made the recommended changes, totally altered the system, and Newbury won 3-2.
Brendan Rodgers, who was just 18 then, had plotted his very first ‘managerial’ triumph.
A modest match in the Diadora League that earned him a paltry £7 — but he was broke and desperate for every penny.
Keith Moss, right, learned a lot from a young Brendan RodgersCredit: Newbury Town FC
Little did he realise that on an ice-cold day in West Berkshire, he had launched himself on to football’s prestigious Millionaire’s Row. Moss, who is now 80, said: “I was overwhelmed. He had an astonishing insight into the game for someone so young. He had remarkable vision.
“Brendan was a decent left-winger but it was his strategy and game plans that made him different.
“There were times when I couldn’t keep up with him.
“Many times I sounded him out and picked his young brains without him knowing.
“I was the manager and he was just a lad and I was learning from him. Thanks, Brendan!”
Leicester boss Rogers, 46, was also a star on the club pool table.
Moss recalled: “We had a chap called Dickie Jones, who had never lost at pool and he challenged Brendan and put £10 down on the table.
“Everyone at the club crowded round to watch them. You could have cut the tension with a knife.
“Brendan beat him and was crowned champion. Dickie declined a rematch — and he was never seen again. I watched Brendan closely. He fascinated me. He treated it like a football match.
“He had strategy, and was always a couple of moves ahead.
“Brendan was quiet, polite, never late and definitely superstitious.
“He always put his left boot on first and went through a strange routine before going on the field.”
Rodgers virtually lived at Newbury’s Faraday Road ground, marking out the pitch with wobbly white lines, helping a carpenter to build the clubhouse bar and talking endlessly with Moss about selections and systems — and always with a big smile on his face.
Manchester United’s wizard Ryan Giggs, a left-winger like Rodgers, was his idol.
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He was penniless and paid his way by sharing rooms with Newbury Town pal, Steve Kean, who also went on to be a Premier League manager with Blackburn between 2010-12.
Moss smiled and added: “What I’d really like is for Brendan to stop off for a few minutes when travelling to a match and we could have a quick chat.
“We could have a chat about his time here, where it all began, and how different it was then, when we went to clubs like Lewes, Thame and Tilbury. Oh, happy days…”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
