Grobbelaar, Melwood and “a steamy bus” – David James’ first Liverpool impressions – Liverpool FC

David James joined Liverpool in 1992 and arrived whereas his idol Bruce Grobbelaar was nonetheless between the sticks at Anfield, a time when fashionable luxuries weren’t all the time readily available.

Whereas he first needed to bide his time behind Grobbelaar, James went on to play 277 matches for the Reds throughout a interval that noticed silverware dry up, with the 1995 League Cup his first and solely honour.

It’s in direct distinction to Grobbelaar, who made 628 appearances and lifted 13 items of silverware in a glittering profession for Liverpool spanning 13 years.

The 2 grew to become teammates in 1992 however crossed paths earlier than then, with James recalling with This Is Anfield the time he made a mad sprint in an try to assist his idol.

“I’m a Luton City fan, in order a child I might see Bruce enjoying at Luton,” James defined.

“And after I was an apprentice at Watford, Liverpool got here down, it was a sunny day and Bruce didn’t have a baseball cap.

“And I ran as much as the Watford store to purchase him a baseball cap! Introduced it again down, it had Watford on it and he type of checked out it and went ‘oh, I can’t put on that’.

“I’ve gone ‘oh, no. I’ve upset my idol nearly’!

“However to see Bruce after I joined the membership was wonderful, he’s a tremendous man. It was a beautiful partnership.

“I like Bruce’s goalkeeping model, due to this fact you type of just like the particular person although you don’t know them. Once I joined the membership he was pretty much as good because the particular person I assumed he’d be.”

And the connection with Grobbelaar could have been key for James as Liverpool didn’t make use of a goalkeeping coach within the early Nineties, to not point out Melwood on the time was a stark distinction to the AXA Coaching Centre.

“The primary impression [of Liverpool] was getting modified right here at Anfield, leaping on a bus after which driving to Melwood to coach as a result of it was actually the pitches and that was it,” James defined.

“We didn’t have a goalkeeping coach both so it was one thing completely different for me as a result of at Watford we had one. Various issues have been completely different in that sense.

“A fond reminiscence was when it was getting chilly and we might get modified right here [Anfield], go to Melwood to coach, get soaking moist and muddy and sit on the bus on the way in which again with no air con so all of the home windows have been steaming up.

“It doesn’t occur these days! I can’t think about Jurgen and the workforce getting on a steamy bus!”

You’re in all probability proper there, David!