A Talksport debate between former England international Ray Wilkins and Sun journalist Neil Custis descended to farce this morning, as both men debated the Celta Vigo goalkeeper's role in Marcus Rashford's sublime free-kick last night.
Speaking on the Alan Brazil Show, Wilkins was of the opinion that Celta 'keeper Sergio Alvarez - who produced a string of stunning saves throughout the evening - should have 'saved the ball with his teeth' for some reason, when Rashford's out-swinging strike from the right-hand side of the Celta penalty area beat him at his near post.
Custis, meanwhile, argued the case for the ferocity and beauty of Rashford's strike - or at least he tried to, before Wilkins bizarrely accused him of lacking football knowledge because he writes about football for a newspaper.
Not one to take such criticism - or seemingly anything at all - lightly, Custis returned serve, and it all kicked off.
This is just some of the transcript, while the full clip is available below.
Neil Custis: You are being ridiculous.
Ray Wilkins: Don’t talk to me about being ridiculous when it comes to footballing knowledge because you don’t have any, you write for a newspaper and you give your opinion. I perfectly understand that.
NC: Why did you just say there, that I have no footballing knowledge? Who the hell are you to come on here, you’ve rung me up, right?
RW: Exactly, and I do apologise for that... I didn’t actually ring you up Neil.
NC: Hang on, hang on. Stop, stop, stop. You’ve come on here to ask me to come on this show, and you start insulting me like that? Who the hell do you think you are? You just said I have no footballing knowledge, who the hell do you think you are to speak to me like that?
RW: No, hang on one second Neil... If I’ve been disrespectful to you, I apologise immediately, but a real goalkeeper would have taken that in his teeth because he would not have moved to the side of the goal when he shouldn’t have moved.
NC: Oh stop it! Who are you anyway? I don’t know, I know it’s Alan Brazil, who are you?
RW: Who am I? I’m nobody my friend, nobody whatsoever and I’ve always claimed that through life.
NC: You’ve just said that to me, you’ve basically just said that to me.
RW: Oh, I do apologise.
NC: Well, so you should.
RW: Now, what I’m saying is the free-kick was initiated very well indeed...
NC: No, you keep saying it. You’re boring me to death, and every listener. I keep hearing what you’re saying on this and it’s nonsense.
RW: It’s nonsense, is it?
NC: Yeah.
RW: Well, I’m sorry my friend, but everybody in football...
NC: I’m not your friend.
RW: ...If you ask anybody within football that’s played within football...
NC: Unlike me who you’ve rung up to ask me about this whole event!
RW: ...they will say the goalkeeper should’ve saved the shot.
NC: Hang on, I’ve got no footballing knowledge so why have you rung me up to ask me about this whole thing? Jesus Christ
Ray Wilkins v Neil Custis
[Independent.co.uk]
