Gus Poyet won an FA Cup, Copa Del Rey, two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups and a Copa America during a career that also saw him make over 180 Premier League appearances for Chelsea and Tottenham.
Here, he tells FourFourTwo about the matches that changed his life...
This article first appeared in the October 2018 issue of FourFourTwo. Subscribe now and get 13 issues a year delivered straight to your door.
Arsenal 1 Real Zaragoza 2 (1995, Cup Winners’ Cup Final)
“I picked this game because of the way we won it – Nayim scored the winner in the last minute of extra time. It was the final 10 seconds of the match so he just thought, ‘I’ll have a try from the middle of the park against David Seaman, why not?’ [Laughs] You can’t imagine what lifting that title meant to Zaragoza, and the whole city celebrated at the Plaza del Pilar. Our coach called it the biggest social mobilisation in the city’s history.”
Uruguay 1 Brazil 1 (5-3p) (1995, Copa America Final)
“People don’t realise how important it is to do well for your national team, as it affects everyone. When you beat Brazil in the Copa America final in Montevideo, your friends and family are so proud of you. They feel part of your success, too.
I’ll never forget that feeling of getting the job done at the Estadio Centenario. That match definitely changed my life.”
Real Madrid 0 Chelsea 1 (1998, UEFA Super Cup)
“I was getting worried. Too many finals and I’d never scored in one, so getting the winner in a final against Real Madrid was amazing. Leaving Zaragoza to join Chelsea at 29 was the most important move of my career. London became my home. I was named man of the match in this game, even though I only played about 25 minutes. Crazy football world!”
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 1 (2000, FA Cup Semi-Final)
“The best pitch I ever played on was at Wembley, and that day was one of the greatest of my career. I scored both of our goals, including a late winner, and that’s a moment I’ll never forget. It was one of those matches when everything goes well. Being so decisive in a crucial game for Chelsea was a special feeling.”
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