Neil Ruddock has revealed Roy Evans “broke his heart” by benching him for the FA Cup final.
In 1996, English football’s two biggest sides went head-to-head at the old Wembley, with Liverpool aiming to stop Manchester United from winning a historic double
Despite playing the previous two rounds and final five league games, no-nonsense defender Ruddock found himself sidelined in favour of Phil Babb, Mark Wright and John Scales.
“I played the quarter-final, semi-final, and the last eight games coming into the FA Cup final,” Ruddock recounted. “I just walked away, I think I swore and then walked away. I didn’t wait.
“He said, ‘I don’t know how to say this’, and I just went, ‘no’, and walked away. I did cry. I was in tears because that was what you wanted to be a footballer for. The FA Cup final, at the old Wembley.
“So that broke my heart, but he gave me a new contract about three months later, so he wasn’t such a bad man! But it was devastating. I love Roy Evans now, I was his assistant manager at Swindon after that so we do get on, but for a couple of hours he wasn’t my favourite person in the world.”
“If we’d have won that FA Cup final, if I’d have played, we would have won,” he added. “If I’d have played because Cantona would have been in my pocket like he always was.
“I’d have been turning his collar down, all he would have wanted to do would be to fight me, he wouldn’t have wanted to play football, he wouldn’t have scored the winner.
“Phil Babb who took my place spooned one out for a corner right at the end. I’d have brought it down on my chest, kneed it and played Steve McManaman through, we’d have won 1-0.”
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