Shaun Derry: At Portsmouth I was disrespectful towards Robert Prosinecki - and he eventually snapped

Shaun Derry regarded Robert Prosinecki as one of the finest players he came across.
Robert Prosinecki was a Pompey team-mate of Shaun Derry's in 2001-02Robert Prosinecki was a Pompey team-mate of Shaun Derry's in 2001-02
Robert Prosinecki was a Pompey team-mate of Shaun Derry's in 2001-02

And Pompey’s former skipper has revealed how the cultured midfielder once snapped after strong half-time criticism.

The pair were Fratton Park team-mates during the 2001-02 campaign, following Prosinecki’s arrival in August 2001.

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The Croatian international had formerly seen service with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Now he was with Graham Rix’s Blues.

Derry told The News: ‘We were already on the training pitch and Milan arrived in this big car and out popped this guy.

‘A few of the lads didn’t really recognise who he was, but I had – it was Robert Prosinecki.

‘We’d had the heads up he was going to come and sign for us. The lads were laughing about how this superstar was never joining Pompey.

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‘He was there though. That day on a training pitch with no grass on, he was the best player you had ever seen, putting people on their backsides. Then he would have a fag and coffee.

‘Looking back, I don’t think I really appreciated playing with such a superstar like that.

‘I was probably caught in that little mode of being outspoken as a younger player and I shouted at him too often, probably about his work-rate.

‘I remember him reacting during one half-time. I don’t know whether he slapped me or came close to my face, but he said “You just get the ball and give it to me”.

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‘My actions were probably the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever seen – but I did it!.

‘For a younger player like myself sharing a dressing room with somebody like that, it was amazing.

‘You are in hotels and are on buses, looking around the place and thinking “Hang on a minute, this geezer played for Barcelona and Real Madrid”. How did this happen?

‘He didn’t come in for the half-time team talk, he’d go into Big Kev’s room and smoke, you could smell it down the corridor.

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‘I was thinking “Are we really allowing this?”. But, hang on, perhaps you needed to – it was Robert Prosinecki.’

Another international presence during the 2001-2 campaign was Yoshi Kawaguchi.

The Japanese goalkeeper was foisted upon manager Graham Rix by owner Milan Mandaric.

And, in November 2001, Rix was instructed from above to grant Kawaguchi his debut in place of Dave Beasant at Sheffield Wednesday.

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Derry added: ‘Bez was playing really well, I think he was 72 at the time!

‘He ended up being told just before kick-off at Sheffield Wednesday that Yoshi was coming in.

‘One of my earliest memories of Yoshi was I don’t think he’d ever seen baked beans being part of a pre-match menu before. It was beans on toast, chicken and beans, pasta and beans – he couldn’t get his head around it.

‘Yoshi was the happiest geezer ever, though.’

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