Brian Howard On Southampton, Barnsley And Becoming A Football Agent | OneFootball

You started your career as a trainee at Southampton. What did you learn coming through the system there?

“I joined Southampton around nine or ten years old. I was always playing a year above in local football, so even as a professional, I was never the tallest or biggest.

I had to physically learn and grow quickly and use my skills to outweigh what I lacked physically until I developed and could do more in the gym.

“The quality and standards were so high. You learned quickly what was expected at a Premier League academy.”

“Yes. I spent a few months at Chelsea after leaving Southampton. A friend had moved there earlier, so they knew about me. At that time, Chelsea were trying to bring in young English talent because funds were limited. We were discussing a contract, and I went away with England Under-20s for about two and a half weeks.

“When I came back, Roman Abramovich had bought the club and suddenly they’d signed Veron, Joe Cole, Hernán Crespo… ridiculously good players in my position. I thought, if I’m not getting a game at Southampton, there’s no chance at Chelsea with that spending.“

Swindon were in League One then. What was it like stepping straight into first-team football?

“It was exactly what I needed. I’d captained Southampton’s reserves at 17, 18, 19, but I needed men’s football. I had five or six offers at that level, but Swindon just felt right. Andy King – who has now sadly passed away – was brilliant with me.

“We had a great mix: experienced players, strong loan signings like Dion Burton and Eddie Howe, and Sam Parkin, who was a fantastic striker.

“We were expected to be in the promotion hunt from day one, and our first game was a sell-out against Sheffield Wednesday. Straight into a pressure cooker.

“We reached the play-offs, but the next season the club’s funds dried up, which meant, at times, we were being paid late, and they couldn’t offer new deals. So I had to move on.”

You signed for Barnsley next and had immediate success, winning promotion via the play-offs in Cardiff. What was that final like?

“Incredible. I’d always lived on the south coast, so moving to Barnsley took me out of my comfort zone.

“But I knew a few of the lads from England youth teams, and we had a young, hungry squad. We did everything together, both on and off the pitch. To get the job done against a really good Swansea team at the Millennium Stadium was unbelievable.”

Then came a famous FA Cup run in 2008, where you scored against Liverpool in a cup upset en route to reaching the semi-finals. How special was that period?

“Really special. I’d already been scoring goals in the Championship and controlling games more.

“Then the Cup run came, and I scored against Liverpool, played well home and away against Chelsea. Suddenly, more people noticed me rather than just Championship fans. It put me on the map.”

How special was a winning goal at Anfield?

“That’s what dreams are made of. Growing up playing in the park, you pretend to score at Wembley or the Kop.

“I actually did an interview the day before, saying a last-minute winner at the Kop end would be the dream. To live it was a pinch-yourself moment. One of the best moments I’ve ever had.”

You represented England up to Under 20 level, but Scotland tried to call you up for the senior national team. Red tape prevented it in the end. How frustrating was that?

“It was incredibly frustrating. I’d played for England Schoolboys because I was in school in England, which meant I couldn’t play for Scotland schools. Scotland approached after a Victory Shield game and asked if I could switch, but we decided to stick with England, and it seemed to be going well.

“My dad’s Glaswegian, and I’ve always supported Scotland. When we played England in the Euros recently, I sang Flower of Scotland in a bar full of England fans!

“I actually found out that I had got the call-up when the manager at Barnsley told me I was in the squad, and I phoned my dad to tell him. Two days later, FIFA said I wasn’t allowed to switch because I’d played competitive U20 games. That really hurt.”

After Barnsley, you joined Sheffield United. There were other clubs linked – what swung that move?

“There were still two or three clubs at the table when the deal was happening. But Sheffield United had the best offer.

“There wasn’t a new contract on the table at Barnsley, so technically I was out of contract. I know the rivalry made it difficult for some fans, but it was the right move.

“Huge club, and still a place I love going back to. Unfortunately promotion didn’t happen.

“I thought we had the best squad in the league, maybe too many good players in the end, as it was harder to pick a settled eleven.

“We dominated Preston in the playoff semi-finals, but Burnley beat us 1-0 in the final to end our promotion hopes. Wade Elliott – someone I grew up with – scored the winner, which made it worse!”

Later in your career, you moved abroad to CSKA Sofia. Was playing abroad always an ambition?

“Yes, I always wanted to do it late in my career. Maybe not Bulgaria specifically! But CSKA are a massive club with history. Sofia is an amazing place to live.

“Everything football-wise was great, but then the investment dried up and wages stopped being paid. I knew there was interest from Championship clubs, so I set my heart on coming back.”

“Fantastic. Mama Sidibe also signed at the same time, which helped. The dressing room was quite split between different nationalities, but Martin connected everyone.

“His quality was obvious, and I look back thinking that it was a shame that I didn’t get longer playing with him.”

“When I was at Portsmouth, during administration, I was club captain and helped lads with issues, given the circumstances at that time. They said I was doing more than their agents, and that stuck with me.

“I was always interested in the business side. Coaching can mean moving all over and starting again. I wanted stability and a new focus, so an agency made sense.”

Does being a former player help you now as an agent?

“Definitely. I’ve lived through everything players go through in terms of the highs, lows, pressure, and setbacks. We’ve signed some really good young players recently, and they trust the advice because I’ve been there.

“I’ve also kept relationships with people now working as managers, heads of recruitment, directors of football, so they’re easy calls. Hopefully they respect me and I respect them and that helps get things done quickly for the players.”

Finally, Brian, who were the best players you played with, and toughest opponents?

“The toughest opponent was Cristiano Ronaldo, whom I faced at the Toulon Tournament, before he hit the big time. He wore orange boots and was just different to anyone I had faced at that stage of my career.

“I also played against Ribéry, Carlos Tevez, and Javier Mascherano, who were incredible players.

“Facing Steven Gerrard too was memorials as he was someone I looked up to. Someone recently sent me a photo of us challenging for a header, which was a nice memory.

“In terms of the best players I played with, it would have to be Matt Le Tissier and Gianfranco Zola because when I trained alongside them, their ability was on a different level to everyone else.”