
Chris Flanagan
Chris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from more than 20 countries, in places as varied as Ivory Coast and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, AFCON and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.
Latest articles by Chris Flanagan

‘We haven’t heard anything from the club about a 10-year reunion for our Premier League title, but the lads are chatting and we'll have one – if we can help Leicester City during a difficult time, we would’ Ex-Foxes star tells FFT about anniversary plans
By Chris Flanagan published
Former Leicester title winner discusses the possibility of a special event to mark the club's famous Premier League triumph in 2016

‘I’m 68, I should grow up, but Hearts being top of the league is killing me – as a childhood Hibernian supporter, I think “Oh no, not them!” But I think they're the favourites, they're adrenaline junkies’ Former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan talks to FFT
By Chris Flanagan published
The five-time title winner explains why he expects Hearts to win the league – even if it's not an outcome he's actively hoping for

'When Pep Guardiola came in and began to play the beautiful game, people thought it was the first time ever that teams had played football in England' Tony Pulis on the continuous cycle of football
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE The former Stoke City manager's methods have come back into style this season

‘Spurs would be a brilliant club for Andy Robertson if he does leave Liverpool – they should be higher up the Premier League table, he’d bring experience to help them get there’ Ex-Anfield full-back tells FFT why the North London club could be a good fit
By Chris Flanagan published
In an exclusive interview, former Reds defender assesses the future of the club's Scottish stalwart

‘If I was Arne Slot, I’d give Mo Salah a big hug, tell him I love him, tell him I need to defend more and throw him back into the team’ Respected former Liverpool star tells FFT why the legendary Egyptian MUST be given another chance after AFCON return
By Chris Flanagan published
In an exclusive interview, top pundit explains how he'd manage Salah's comeback following the end of continental championship

'I was in London having lunch, and decided to ring The FA, I asked "Is Sven Goran-Eriksson there? Can I come and see him?"' Joe Cole on the random afternoon when he confronted the England manager in his office and asked for more international game time
By Chris Nee published
EXCLUSIVE Chelsea star Joe Cole reveals his struggles against an unwanted label

‘We always seemed to have it over Arsenal psychologically. If we could have played them every week, we would have done’ Tony Pulis on being Arsene Wenger’s kryptonite with Stoke City
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE Pulis’ Potter side had a habit of getting under the Gunners’ skin

‘I don’t think Aston Villa can win the title – if you offered Unai Emery fourth place now, I think he’d take it’ Former strike ace tells FourFourTwo why Champions League spot must be the aim
By Chris Flanagan published
In an exclusive interview, an ex-Villa forward explains where the club still need to strengthen during the January transfer window

‘Every time a manager got sacked, it was always, “Scholesy, are you going to do the Oldham job?” I thought, “F**king hell, go on then, I’ll give it a crack”’ Paul Scholes recalls his spell in charge of his boyhood club
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE The boyhood Oldham fan could only resist the call from Boundary Park for so long…

‘I drove a London bus down the road singing, ‘We’re all going on a summer holiday.’ My dad rang and said, “You stupid bastard, you’re never going to learn, are you?”’ Paul Gascoigne on the prank that got him in trouble with his dad
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE One classic Gazza prank even got on his father’s radar

‘I was in the ambulance – Rita walked past and went, “Oh, Nicky are you OK?” I said, “I’ll be all right, don’t worry!” And then she gave me a kiss on the cheek’ Nicky Butt on his Rita Ora run-in
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE The former Manchester United man has played in some eventful charity matches

‘When the finances come out and I try to say something, they go, “What are you f**king talking about? You haven’t got a clue, mate”’ Nicky Butt on his time in Manchester United board meetings
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE The former Manchester United man’s transition from the pitch to the boardroom came with challenges

‘At Spurs, the lads said I wasn’t funny, so I brought an ostrich to training’ Paul Gascoigne recalls one of his most infamous pranks
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE Who else but Gazza would be able to wrangle an ostrich?

‘Scholesy was a phenomenal footballer and when people of Zidane’s ilk say things like that about you, it’s not just some s**t player, is it?’ Nicky Butt on Zidane’s Paul Scholes compliment
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE The former Juventus and Real Madrid icon was a huge admirer of the ex-Manchester United midfielder

‘It’s going to be a hard task for England to win the World Cup – we have a chance like everyone else, but every player has got to be on it, you can’t afford to carry anybody’ Paul Gascoigne assesses England’s World Cup chances
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE Gazza turned out 57 times for England during his career

‘The smell was so bad that the chairman made me buy him a new car - £17,000 that cost me, and it was still cheaper than the other trout I divorced…’ Paul Gascoigne on the prank that cost him a fortune
By Joe Mewis published
EXCLUSIVE Gazza loved a prank, but some came at a bigger cost than others…

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ADDICTION! Gazza gives us his most revealing interview EVER
By Chris Flanagan published
EXCLUSIVE Many years since our last chat, FFT spent two weeks with Paul Gascoigne to get to know him as he is now. Conversations veered between the serious and the comical – from the dark side of fame, to a win bonus for a mouse…

'I was spraying champagne on Chelsea fans and nearly fell off the bus – I was holding on like Indiana Jones!' Joe Cole remembers Premier League title celebrations and the story behind iconic Didier Drogba moment
By Chris Nee published
Former Chelsea star Joe Cole reveals his running joke with Didier Drogba

"Some journalist went 'Obviously you might play now Gerrard’s not around?' It got my back up. So I made sure that whatever I did in that World Cup, I did myself proud" Nicky Butt recalls getting one over on Liverpool star at 2002 Finals
By Chris Nee published
Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt impressed at the World Cup in 2002 and has spoken up about his motivation

‘I got a phone call and our manager said, ‘I think you’d better take it’. It was the Pope - I said, ‘Hi Pope, you alright?’ So we went to the Vatican to meet the Pope and shook hands with him’ Paul Gascoigne on meeting Pope John Paul II
By Chris Nee published
The Pope was lucky enough to have an audience with Gazza during his time in Serie A

'I almost signed for Manchester United, but all of a sudden Chelsea came in for me – then they almost sent me on loan to CSKA Moscow' Joe Cole on his Russian Premier League and Old Trafford near-misses
By Chris Nee published
Joe Cole was the sixth signing made by Chelsea under the ownership of Roman Abramovich

2025: The Year of the Underdog (even North Korea won something)
By Chris Flanagan published
Features It wasn’t just Newcastle who defied expectations during a weird 2025 – while Manchester City won nothing, others also enjoyed unlikely success

‘If you brought prime Sir Alex Ferguson back in, he wouldn’t be able to turn it around straight away. The club is rotten from the bottom up at the minute’ Nicky Butt on the state of Manchester United
By Chris Nee published
Nicky Butt enjoyed enormous success with Man United under Ferguson and reflected on their more modern struggles

‘When Terry Venables died, I was sat in the car and cried my eyes out. Terry was a f**king diamond. He had to be, to put up with me’ Paul Gascoigne on the manager he loved playing for most
By Chris Nee published
Gazza played for a succession of England managers and thrived more under some than others

'I was just in a deep, dark place after West Ham got relegated. I didn’t want to leave the house, feeling that I’d let people down' Joe Cole on the Hammers' improbable relegation
By Chris Nee published
Joe Cole tells FourFourTwo about the aftermath of West Ham United's relegation from the Premier League in 2003
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