Rob Mager catches up with ex-Leicester, Ipswich and England U-21 centre forward James Scowcroft

You’re a Suffolk lad with Gorton heritage. How does that work?
My grandparents lived on Highgate Crescent just off Ryderbrow Road and I used to come up to Manchester a lot in the holidays. My brother was a big United fan so we’d go to Old Trafford. We’d also go to all the other local clubs too like Stockport and Oldham and even make it to some of the non-league ones like Hyde. We were football daft.

Do you remember much about Abbey Hey FC?
Yeah. During the eighties Abbey Hey’s ground just sprang up from nowhere on a bit of land about 100 yards from where my nan and granddad lived. I got my dad to take me over once to have a look at it. I had this fascination with football grounds and I looked at it and thought: "Wow, that’s amazing." Where I lived in Suffolk all you got was fields but here was a smart little ground literally at the end of my grandparents’ street.

Did you get to many games?
No but when I was 13 or 14 I remember hopping over the fence with some of the kids from the estate to have a kick about on the pitch. I was on the books with Ipswich at the time but none of the local kids could believe it.

Do you have any other experience of non-league football?
I finished playing two years ago at 35, an age where I wasn’t really ready to retire. I had an offer to go to Bradford but I didn’t want to uproot the family so I went and played for my local team Bury Town for a season in the Ryman Premier. A lot of professional footballers say ‘sod non-league’ when they come out but I loved it.

You’ve always been a match-going Manchester United fan. It must be a buzz to watch matches as a fan now you’ve hung up your boots.
I've had 18 years of pre-match meals, buses and hotels so now I just enjoy a few pints and the walk to the ground. I do about 20 games home and away a season. Being in the away end at places like Anfield where the police have got their eye on you is a world away from the match-day that pundits and commentator experience. They haven’t got a clue what it’s really like.

What was it like playing against United?
I played against them several times and the highlight of my whole career was playing at Old Trafford just after Ipswich had been promoted in 1999/2000. We’d had a great start to the season and were third a week before Christmas but came unstuck against United. We were beaten 2-0 but it could have been ten. We just couldn’t get the ball off them.

Is it true you once nearly signed for City?
Yes, Joe Royle nearly signed me in 2000 but went for George Weah instead. It was in the Evening News and blues who lived in Gorton went round to my nan’s to ask whether I would be signing.

What was the England experience like?
I had two years in the Under-21s and made five caps with squads that also featured Frank Lampard, the Nevilles, Nicky Butt, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Emile Heskey.

Did you get on with Gorton lad Nicky Butt?
My first game was against Poland at Wolves. Me and Butty were both injured at the time and the physio told us to miss training and go for a swim. I was obviously a big United fan but he was my team mate so I had to play it cool.
I knew he was from Gorton so got chatting and told him where my grandparents lived. I then racked my brain for things that I knew from Gorton to talk to him about to keep the conversation going and said: "Have you ever been to the Gorton Tub on Hyde Road?" It was the worst question I’ve ever asked anyone in my life. He looked at me and replied: "Yeah, I’ve been there."
He never mentioned it again but was always sound with me when we met up. You would sometimes see Beckham and some of the others understandably living it up but Butty didn’t. He’s a down-to-earth lad who knows his roots.

Do you have any plans for the future?
I’d love to be a manager one day. I’ve worked under some great managers and have already done my UEFA B coaching badge. I’m coaching the Ipswich Academy at the moment and it’s great working with the kids to see their enthusiasm and love for the game.

Hear more from James by following @Scowy1975 on Twitter