Many footballers become managers or pundits after hanging up their boots. Very few start touring the globe with heavy metal band Iron Maiden.
But that’s 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 Hadrian’s 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.
“There’s 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.
"That’s when he asked me if I fancied a game for the Iron Maiden team. I didn’t even know they had one but I couldn’t say yes quickly enough. It all went from there.”
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.
When you’re Iron Maiden, you’re 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.
“There’s 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, I’m there. I’m playing football with my heroes. I’m like a kid in a candy shop.”
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, you’d be amazed,” he confirms. “And I’m not just saying that because he’s my music idol.”
Not that it’s all fun and games. Hendry insists these games are highly competitive. “I’ve seen rucks and all sorts at these matches,” he laughs. “We played against Eintracht Frankfurt’s 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. “I’m hanging out with my heroes, I’m keeping myself fit, I’m in a good place and I love playing,” he says. “It’s a dream come true, honestly.”
