This week on The Balls.ie Football Show we were delighted to welcome back Stephen Hunt onto the show to discuss the Reading and Wolves sides that he played in and their large Irish influences at the time.
After talking about Preston North End being every Irish fans new second team, and what it's like to break into a team with a gang of Irish teammates, we then asked Hunt for some views on some of the more random players he shared a pitch with during his career.
In a new segment called The Ballbag Live where we took our usual questions and answers slot and brought it to Facebook Live, we asked our viewers to name random football players that we haven't thought about in a long time. You can watch the footage from that below, but with Hunt we wanted to throw out some of the names that popped up, who were also his teammates at one stage, and see what he remembers of them.
Here's what he told us:
Fromer Reading and Burnley defender Andre Bikey:
[Laughs] Madman!
I dunno just not all there really, just had a temper. Very talented footballer but, defending... Couldn't defend to save his life.
I think he headbutted someone [against Burnley for Reading], we should have known because when he was on trial he got sent off in his first game for doing something silly if I remember right. Listen, do you know what, he did OK for us for a while and I think he went to Burnley after that actually.
On American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann:
You're picking some mad ones alright. Sound guy.
Had a presence in goal, didn't look very pleasing on the eye but was good in terms of positional play and an extremely good influence off the pitch even if he was crazy.
God knows what he's doing now, probably shooting deer or something. Great guy generally, listen Americans are Americans but he ain't that bad to be fair.
On Icelandic defender Ivar Ingimarsson:
Very calm influence in the dressing room. Very good positionally and very clever, I think he owns a bed and breakfast now in Iceland and runs it from there.
He's well educated so he's probably just saving his money and doing a bits and pieces, living the life. Doesn't vary much in terms of different situations, not very good on a night out. Extremely sound guy, he was the reason we did well for a certain period.
On Brazilian Hull City attacking midfielder Geovanni:
A luxury player.
Very talented. I didn't get to know him that well because he travelled from Manchester every day, from when he was at City he used to get a driver. He used to sleep all the way to training. A nice guy, harmless in fairness to him, very talented as well in terms of free kicks and that, but I couldn't tell you what he had for tea or anything like that.
On big Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink:
He was a good target man, wasn't the typical Dutch guy full of arrogance I think Celtic mellowed him by the time he got to Hull.
Very good to be around, I think, probably just past his best in his career in terms of his peak but extremely nice guy as well.
Hunt then suggested Jimmy Bullard, but when we asked him if he had any Bullard stories in the bank he laughed before stating:
Yes, and they'll stay in the bank!
Have a look at some of the names and stories that came out of The Ballbag Live below and feel free to get in touch with any more random shouts you'd like us to discuss on the next episode of The Balls.ie Football Show.
