Kickin' Off with Kevin Egan: Recent Episodes
Kevin Egan
Kevin Egan chats with people he admires within the soccer realm. Kickin' Off is a fun, laid back chat with folks that have excelled at their craft, all of whom have a love for the beautiful game. From legendary players and personalities, to comedians and commentators, Kickin' Off will take you inside the game, as well as their life, in a unique way.
Order of chat with Antoine Walker:
- growing up on Chicago's south side
- making his NBA debut vs his beloved Bulls in 1996
- close relationship with Michael Jordan (incredible story of MJ's return)
- winning culture at the Miami Heat alongside Shaq and D-Wade
- from multi millionaire to bankruptcy - all questions answered
Big love to Antoine. An absolutely brilliant guy.
Nick van de Wall, known as Afrojack, is one of the world's top DJ's, and it turns out he's one seriously good conversationalist too. Kevin and Afrojack chat about life, success, and how happiness is paramount. I promise you'll be better for listening to this!
Ted Lasso has been one of the greatest gifts that 2020 has thrown at us! In this episode Kevin Kicks Off with Brendan Hunt, AKA Coach Beard! Beard tells us so many fun stories from behind the scenes, like who is the real Roy Kent, what was the funniest scene from season 1, and what does the future hold for Ted Lasso in Season 2. This is a must listen for any fan of the show. Hit that subscribe and tell a friend. Cheers! Kev
Most kids that love the game dream of one day starring alongside the world's elite. I've had that same dream countless times, you know the one where you make your debut for one of the best teams in the world in front of a packed stadium and an international TV audience, you receive a pass from a superstar and score the winning goal in stoppage time! Incredibly that dream became a reality for Danny Karbassiyoon, who one day was playing high school soccer in Virginia, and the next he was playing alongside Thierry Henry, Denis Bergkamp, Cesc Fabregas and the Arsenal Invincibles! This is such an inspirational story, and I hope you enjoy! If so, click subscribe and check out Kevin's other chats. Cheers!
Nicky has an infectious personality, and during this chat he and Kevin discuss:
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Irish people during Covid-19
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Nicky's obsession with football
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Days at Leeds, Tony Yeboah's goals and his battles as a smaller keeper
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Transitioning from football to a boyband
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The secret to Westlife's success
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Why Westlife never really broke through in America
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His fear of sitting still and desire to always improve
And much, much more! Thanks so much to Nicky for the time. He's an absolute gent. All feedback appreciated. Thanks guys x
Kevin jumps inside the mind of entrepreneur and philanthropist Arthur Blank. On this podcast you'll hear Arthur talk about:
- What shaped his kind and ambitious spirit, and why write his new book 'Good Company'.
- His Mother, Molly. Her nature, and how that will always influence Arthur.
- Getting robbed at his house in Queens, NY. A gun pointed to his Father's head, and the amazing way his Mother reacted.
- Atlanta United. Started an MLS team, and fulfilling his sons wish.
- Gaining much more of an appreciation for 'The Beautiful Game'.
- Where does the 2018 MLS Cup win rank among all his accomplishments?
- 2020 has been a ridiculously tough year. Why we should have hope for the future world we live in?
Hopefully you'll click subscribe and tell a friend! Thank you ;)
Topics include:
- Making her debut on ABC for ESPN International coverage
- The impact of Kay's parents getting divorced
- A broken family led to Kay and her Mom in need of a home
- Kay's sunny outlook on life
- An unusual road to the role shes in now
- Hosting the Ballon d'Or twice, Kay's proudest career moments
- Not brushing her teeth before interviewing David Beckham
- Word association game! (Don't ever put pineapple on a pizza!)
Jack Collison chat looks like this:
- From Premier League star to youth coaching in the US suburbs with Atlanta United's academy
- Breaking through at West Ham under Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola
- The beginning of the end; the knee injury that would derail his career
- His Father's tragic death from a motorbike accident
- Playing for West Ham vs Millwall two days after his Dad died
- Tackling this adversity, and how he kept moving forward
- Playing for Wales against England, his first competitive international appearance
- The real Gareth Bale; what us folks in the general public don't know about Bale
- Fulham manager Scott Parker, as a teammate and now Premier League coach
Some of the topics discussed by Kevin and Kate:
- Nerves on release day
- Kate's resilience after early failures in the industry
- A focus on the theme behind her work
- Wow moments! How David Beckham, The Spice Girls and Drew Barrymore became fans of Kate, and promoted her work
- Working with Megan Rapinoe and the role of the US Women's National Team
- A focus on the images and stories in 'Play Like A Girl'
- There's a soccer focus, but 'Play Like A Girl' isn't exactly a soccer book. It's built to empower and inspire.
- What we can all do to encourage equality.
Kevin and Charlie chat about the following:
- Adversity faced as a young boy. Charlie's father struggled with alcohol and drugs, while his mother's mental illness meant Charlie was forced to grow up quickly.
- At peak of his powers in 2009, Charlie's life and career were derailed when we has involved in a horrific car crash. Charlie survived, and speaks about how he managed to overcome those dark days.
- During what should have been the happiest time of his life after his twin boys were born, Charlie was told he had cancer. Listen as he talks about the worst day of his life.
- Charlie then talks about how a positive outlook on life can shape your future.
Here's what Kev and Spencer had a chat about:
- His nerves while proposing to Alex
- Being in a public relationship
- Traditional education not for him
- Entrepreneurial spirit - selling sweets as a 12 year old!
- Challenges of owning a football club
- How far can Hashtag United climb?
- Admiration for US single entity structure
- We end with a fun game to get to know Spencer a little more
I hope you enjoy!
If you need a laugh, listen to this podcast with the hilarious Al Foran. The impressionist extraordinaire joins Kev's 'football phone-in' and is in rare form. You'll hear from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Louis Van Gaal, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Conor McGregor, Donald Trump, Matthew McConaughey, Kim Kardashian, Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Mark Wallberg, Eddie Murphy, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney! If That's not enough, Al also opens up about his journey to make it to the main stages, and staring Mike Tyson down being the most frightening moment of his life! Follow Kevin Egan on Twitter and Instagram: @Kev_Egan
Most would have walked away from the game. Not Ali Krieger. She doesn't entertain the idea of failure. Whether it be breaking her leg or tearing her ACL, near death or being told she wasn't needed anymore. Ali's faced more than her fair share of setbacks, yet she continues to show us what a winner looks like. In this chat, Kevin and Ali dive into what's required to overcome major adversity. Ali opens up about quarantine with wife Ashlyn Harris, how domestic soccer in the US has evolved, issues with Jill Ellis, her 100th cap and the speech that followed, why the US Women's National Team are far more than just footballers, and that fairy tale ending in the 2019 World Cup final.
Here's a breakdown of Kevin's chat with Robbie Keane:
00:00 - 1:15 - Keano intro - what to expect
1:15-3:00 - Quarantine life with his family
3:00-6:20 - Robbie's incredible charitable work during quarantine
6:20-8:00 - What makes Ireland such a special country at dealing with tough times
8:00-10:20 - The importance of picking the right team as a young player, and getting games under your belt
10:20- 15:15 - Believing in himself, even when he landed at a club like Inter, competing with the likes of Ronaldo and Vieri. Language issues, and Kev's schoolboy error with a restaurant choice for Italians.
15:15-17:45 - Representing Ireland. Proudest moments in his life.
17:46-19:05 - If Robbie could replay one game, which is it?
19:10-21:20 Partnership with Niall Quinn, that goal against Germany and the Spain match in 2002.
21:30-22:30 - Harry Kane used to clean Robbie's boots!
22:30-24:30 - On David Beckham's help in joining LA, and the success in MLS
24:30-26:30 - Would Robbie like to manage LA Galaxy?
26:30-28:40 - What sort of coach is Robbie Keane?
28:40-30:00 What's Robbie singing in front of best friends and family in Ireland? And how about LA?!
30:00-33:33 - Music game! Can Robbie guess the song as Kevin reads out lyrics in a monotone voice.
Kevin gets Vieri to open up about his newfound family life early in the show, before then diving into his extraordinary career. Bobo talks about his struggles in Serie B, playing alongside his idol Roberto Baggio, and then becoming the most expensive player on the planet. He addresses the comparison to Erling Haaland, and then picks an actor to play his life in a movie. Any and all feedback / rating / reviews are always appreciated. Cheers!