My Football Passport: Recent Episodes
KEEPUP
Introducing our new podcast - My Football Passport. Hosted by James Dodd, he will chat one-on-one with some of Australian football's most popular players and coaches about their careers across the football planet, both in the A-Leagues, and abroad. You'll hear from A-Leagues icons, Socceroos and Matildas legends, and globetrotting coaches paving the way overseas.
We have a fitting season finale to our first season of My Football Passport, with one of the Isuzu UTE A-League icons Thomas Broich joining us to reminisce over his career.
The German is in fine form, reflecting on his arrival in Australia while lost in the football world; his status as the A-Leagues GOAT, and amongst other topics, special insight into Ange Postecoglou.
Enjoy.
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As Melbourne Victory begin their Isuzu UTE A-League finals campaign, there is no more fitting guest to profile in our My Football Passport series.
James Dodd chats with one of the A-Leagues' most popular imports, Gui Finkler, to reminisce over his fabulous life in Australia.
They:
- Speak about struggling to move to Europe initially with Wolves and how he didn't even know what Good Afternoon meant!
- Discuss almost moving to Gold Coast United in 2008 because fellow Brazilian Fernando Rech almost got him a move here.
- Reminisce over adjusting to Melbourne.
- Talk about his ACL injury and how he thought he might not return.
- Discuss the great days winning the double, playing with Besart Berisha and Archie Thompson and the day Ange Postecoglou wouldn't allow him to travel for his own wedding.
- Speak candidly about falling out at Wellington Phoenix with Darike Kalezic.
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Tommy Oar joins James Dodd for this week's My Football Passport, reflecting on a career that included stints in Holland and England, and a key contribution under Ange Postecoglou at the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Asian Cup.
He reflects on:
- The pressures and expectations on young kids moving to Europe, looking back on his transfer to Utrecht.
- The 'New Harry Kewell' tag he wore early on, and what it was like playing with that pressure.
- The early days under Ange Postecoglou at Brisbane and then at Socceroos level.
- Why it didn't work out in England.
- What the Eredivisie taught him.
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Scott McDonald is our latest guest on My Football Passport with James Dodd, fittingly, as Celtic edge nearer to returning to the summit in Scotland.
He reflects on:
- Signing for Celtic - and turning down Rangers.
- 'Hell' before and after the Old Firm Derby.
- What it is like to play in one of football's most iconic cauldrons.
- Ange Postecoglou's impact at his former club
- The agony of not getting selected for the World Cup squad with the Socceroos, a career that almost made him not want to return home.
- Deadline Day stories, including his move from Celtic to go to Middlesbrough.
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Macarthur's mercurial star Ulises Davila is James Dodd's latest guest on our new series: My Football Passport.
From growing up around the 'narcos' scene in Mexico to landing a dream move to Chelsea after an under-20 World Cup, Davila has quite the story.
He cried when he found out he was going there but had to keep it a secret for a month; he was so excited, he had to be talked out of getting pictures with his new teammates Drogba, Terry, Torres et all.
Unfortunately, caps for Chelsea, or Mexico, did not eventuate, which he reflects on in this episode. He also reveals how his move to Australia eventuated - and how it might never had, if it wasn't for a detour through India.
Enjoy
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Former A-Leagues marquee player Emile Heskey is our very special guest on this week's My Football Passport, with James Dodd.
Heskey still talks fondly of his time in Australia, in Newcastle, where he got to finally enjoy living a professional football life - without the scrutiny and pressure that came with the spotlight of the Premier League.
The former Jets star certainly felt that burden of expectation, as part of England's Golden Generation. He reflects on that part of his life and why that cohort never reached its potential - except for one famous day against Germany!
From his start at Leicester City, to the pressure that came with becoming Liverpool's record signing and how he almost joined AC Milan - but joined Birmingham instead - Heskey and Dodd reminisce over his distinguished career from start to finish.
Also: What was Emile's first jersey he bought? Best teammate? Best city he visited as a pro? His first sporting love?
Listen on!
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Matildas striker Emily Gielnik is James Dodd's next guest on My Football Passport.
The Aston Villa striker, who has had multiple stints in the Liberty A-League and was at Bayern Munich in 2019-2020, reflects on her journey in Australia and abroad.
She also looks deeply into the Matildas - their success and also their failures - and how they have coped with the mental impact of big losses in major tournaments. All those lessons will come to a head next year when the World Cup is on home soil, something Gielnik speaks excitedly about.
Enjoy.
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A-Leagues icon Milos Ninkovic is a compelling guest on episode III of My Football Passport with James Dodd.
A class act who has entertained us at Sydney FC, Ninkovic has quite the story to be told.
In a pertinent reflection given the world's current climate, he looks back on living in Belgrade in the 1990's, where his city was bombed daily.
Ninkovic tells great stories from his career; playing at a World Cup, before returning to Belgrade and winning a title - which earnt him plenty of freebies in the year after; the move to Australia, a move to Newcastle Jets which almost eventuated, and a hilarious response to his boss Steve Corica's claims he is the greatest player in Sky Blues history.
We present My Football Passport: Milos Ninkovic. Enjoy.
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James Dodd is joined by Adam Federici in episode II of My Football Passport, KEEPUP'S new mid-week football podcast.
The former Premier League goalkeeper takes us through what it took to crack it at the top level - including turning up for trials with his suitcases on him, and the persistence it took, even after rejections that left him lying on his friends' floors while applying for jobs.
Federici, who returned to Australia with Macarthur last season before retiring before this Isuzu UTE A-League campaign, reflects on his time abroad, his Socceroos and Olyroos experiences and muses over any things he'd change.
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Introducing our new podcast - My Football Passport. Hosted by James Dodd, he will chat one-on-one with some of Australian football's most popular players and coaches about their careers across the football planet, both in the A-Leagues, and abroad. You'll hear from A-Leagues icons, Socceroos and Matildas legends, and globetrotting coaches paving the way overseas.
We launch by catching up with Perth Glory legend Diego Castro.
Diego talks us through his career, including how he snared Zinedine Zidane's jersey in his second ever LaLiga game, as well as his journey to Australia: how he ended up here, his time in the Isuzu UTE A-League, why it ended and ... will we see him back?
Some of your favourite players and personalities, past and present, will get the chance to reflect on their football journeys in My Football Passport - we hope you enjoy our new show!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.