Phil Jagielka talks incredible goalkeeping record, replacing Paddy Kenny v Arsenal & reveals shocking details of ‘Battle of Bramall Lane’

• “I didn’t get anything out of the Arsenal players at the end of the game. Disrespect would probably be the wrong word, but none of their players said anything to me.“
• “I don’t think it’ll happen much again, where we see outfield players in goal, definitely not for 30 minutes in the Premier League!“

• “Talk about atmospheres to throw yourself into… I had long hair, wearing an Alice band with blonde highlighted tips, and I’ve had to get the gloves on and go in goal at Millwall away! Again we won that game.”

•  [Playing in goal and beating Arsenal] “In that game in particular, I’ve seen Paddy holding his groin… when he ending up going off, I knew it meant I’d be going in goal again. This is after 61 minutes, 1-0 up, at home against one of the best teams in the division…”

• “I didn’t get anything out of the Arsenal players at the end of the game. Disrespect would probably be the wrong word, but none of their players said anything to me. They’re used to winning, you know. They probably turned up on that day and expected to win.”

• [Battle of Bramall Lane] “It was incredible, but it was one of those games where you just always felt like something might happen, because it had been brewing for a while.”

• “Derek McInnes scored a worldie for them, and we were completely struggling, playing against a better team, and down to 10-men… and then hell just broke out.”

• “All of a sudden, I turn around and I’ve seen Patrick Suffo headbutt Derek McInnes, and McInnes’ nose has just gone ‘pop’! And I’m just thinking what on earth has gone on?!“

• “I remember coming into the dressing room after the game. Simon Tracey had obviously been sent off first, and as we all come in, in his London accent, he goes: “What the f***?! has gone on here?!””

I had a great record in training in goal… Neil Warnock didn’t bother putting a keeper on his bench!

Of course, I’m asked a lot about going in goal for Sheffield United, notably at Bramall Lane against Arsenal. That’s the game I’m probably questioned on the most from my career, but there have been plenty for different reasons.

I don’t think it’ll happen much again, where we see outfield players in goal, definitely not for 30 minutes in the Premier League!

It feels really odd; it actually feels like a totally different game these days, just because of the amount of subs you’re allowed to make, and all of that. You’ll do well to see it happen again.

The way I got put into goal came from me just messing around before games, when the team would come out to warm-up. A few of the lads would get the balls out and start having shots from the edge of the box, and then it became a things where no one had scored past me for a few weeks because I was throwing myself around, trying my best.

Obviously, Neil Warnock had spoken in the past about not putting a keeper on the bench, and then we played Crystal Palace away one week. We were competing with them in the old First Division, and I had to replace Paddy [Kenny] just before half-time. I think he’d done his knee and so I had to take over from him. That was nerve-racking, but at half-time the goalkeeper coach took me back out onto the pitch to work on my handling – in front of their fans. So, obviously, they’re absolutely hammering me. But after a couple of minutes, my handling was pretty good!

That was the most nervous, and tired, I’d ever felt after a game. All I was concerned about was ball-watching, making sure I was in the right position; it was so draining. We got through that game and won it, and then it happened two more times.

The next time, we were away against Millwall, in the following season, and Paddy got sent off just on half-time. So it was the same situation again. Talk about atmospheres to throw yourself into… I had long hair, wearing an Alice band with blonde highlighted tips, and I’ve had to get the gloves on and go in goal at Millwall away! Again we won that game.

So, you can imagine, playing in goal, at home – even though it was against Arsenal – was a pleasant experience for once!

Putting Paddy’s gloves on with 30 minutes to go against the best in the division…

In that game in particular, I’ve seen Paddy holding his groin, and usually he wouldn’t come off; he’d just play on and I’ve had to take goal kicks for him. He’s just seen the game out. But when he ending up going off, I knew it meant I’d be going in goal again. This is after 61 minutes, 1-0 up, at home against one of the best teams in the division.

It wasn’t too bad, though; Arsenal just didn’t play the game right for that occasion, because of the style they liked to implement. I think it would’ve been more difficult against a route one team, but they were trying to be too intricate, passing it around and trying to get crosses in, which we were just easily defending.

If you watch the whole match back, I think I came out for more crosses than I made saves, which was funny because I always used to hammer Paddy for never coming out for crosses. I just had to show him how easy it was!

Out of the four times I went in goal, I don’t think I was as nervous against Arsenal as I was against Palace, Millwall or Plymouth.

Arsenal players had no respect for me after that game

We weren’t supposed to beat Arsenal, and so I guess it helped that it sort of felt like a free hit for us; it might have been a different story if we were playing against one of our relegation rivals at the time.

I didn’t get anything out of the Arsenal players at the end of the game. Disrespect would probably be the wrong word, but none of their players said anything to me. They’re used to winning, you know. They probably turned up on that day and expected to win, even with Paddy in goal, so even more so when I ended up replacing him. That was my interpretation of that Arsenal era. I think football has changed for the better in that respect, with the world of social media, you feel like there’s more of a connection between players. But on that day, I didn’t get anything from them.

I ended up getting my own gloves made!

I took Paddy’s gloves for that game, but I’d actually had a pair made having already played in goal for Sheffield United. And in hindsight, I’m so glad I borrowed Paddy’s… could you imagine me running off to get my own gloves with ‘JAGS’ printed on them, and having a shocker?! I’ve still got Paddy’s top from that game, although I don’t think Paddy’s signed it yet! But, yeah, just for a bit of a joke, I turned up at training with my own gloves… thankfully I didn’t have to use them again!

Even when I try and show my kids those clips, now, they laugh their heads off at me, with some of the different hairstyles I had, back in the day. But it’s all part and parcel of the game, and growing up. I was lucky enough to have had the career that I’ve had, but on top of that, I’ve got moments like that Arsenal game; little strange moments I was put in, and I’m delighted I can look back on those days. There won’t be too many lads who’ve done what I’ve done; I think I played in goal for four games, and three of them were for at least a whole half.

Battle of Bramall Lane… you always felt something might happen

I don’t even think I was 20 when I played in that infamous ‘Battle of Bramall Lane’… looking at the height of my shorts in any pictures from that day, I must have been around 19, possibly 20!

It was incredible, but it was one of those games where you just always felt like something might happen, because it had been brewing for a while. Andy Johnson had previously elbowed one of our players in the face, and he had to have a metal bar put in his cheekbone as a result. Whether or not that was on purpose or accidental, I don’t know; it was before my time.

West Brom were doing well at the time, and I think we were fighting for survival – I must have only played something like 10 games for Sheffield United up to that point, in midfield. Simon Tracey was sent off early on, for handballing it outside of the area. That was inside 10 minutes, so we’re down to 10-men and not long after, Scott Dobie put them 1-0 up. And then, I think, in the second-half, Derek McInnes scored a worldie for them, and we were completely struggling, playing against a better team, and down to 10-men…

Hell just broke out

And then hell just broke out. Then the manager brings on Georges Santos and Patrick Suffo, and within a minute, Santos has flown into a tackle on Johnson… he was sent off. I’ve still got a picture now, of that game, and I’m trying to hold a couple of my teammates back, to stop them from kicking off. All of a sudden, I turn around and I’ve seen Patrick Suffo headbutt Derek McInnes, and McInnes’ nose has just gone ‘pop’! And I’m just thinking what on earth has gone on?! He’s obviously been sent off, which put us down to eight players. There was still half an hour left!

We play on, but Michael Brown had been playing with a hernia – he basically couldn’t move, and because Rob Ullathrone had gone off injured too, and we’d used all of our subs, it meant the game had to be abandoned.

What followed was all sorts of investigations. That was a rude awakening to a life in the Championship for me, as a player. I’m just glad I wasn’t involved in anything other than trying to calm things down! You dread to think what retrospective punishment would be given if that would’ve happened now!

Simon Tracey was laughing away in the dressing room as we came back into the dressing room

I remember coming into the dressing room after the game. Simon Tracey had obviously been sent off first, and as we all come in, in his London accent, he goes:

“What the f***?! has gone on here?!”

Every 10 minutes, a new person was coming in! He wasn’t watching live on TV, because we couldn’t back in those days. Nowadays, obviously he’d have been watching the live footage. So he’s sat there, probably waiting to get hammered by the manager, and before you know it, someone else has joined him, and then someone else, and then the game is finished. All I remember is walking in and seeing him laughing away thinking ‘what has gone on?!’

It was surreal; I don’t think many – if any – have been called off because of a similar incident… it’s incredible to think about, really.