BEING WESLEY BROWN

Last updated : 09 February 2003 By Editor
An interview with Wes Brown about the last Manchester derby taken from The Guardian.

"I was in hospital that day, we had a baby girl. I was still injured; at the time I was getting back into [the] training [routine]. She was born at five o'clock in the morning. I got back home for the game. It was a bad result, and not just for us. For the fans it carries on all year round."

Paternity leave and professional football being mutually exclusive, Brown was back at United's Carrington training ground at the start of the next working week. "I was in on the Monday morning," he said. "The mood was not good; it's the first derby we've lost in ages. I think the players knew it was time to step it up and sort it out and I think we have done that since.

"We'd been beat and it wasn't good. Getting beat isn't good any time, but in a Manchester derby it's the fans and you do want to win it for them. I'm sure [the manager's words afterwards] did motivate us more but I'm sure the players knew what we had to do anyway."

Brown's repeated mention of the United supporters stemmed from the fact that he is one. For a man who Ferguson said recently was "the best natural defender the club has had in years", his hero was not a centre-half but Danny Wallace.

"Gary Pallister, Paul McGrath, Des Walker, I thought they were great defenders. They set up to do a job and they just did it. Effective. I like Rio [Ferdinand] now, Ashley Cole, [William] Gallas. I'll tell you the truth, when I used to watch football I watched the attackers; Incey, Giggsy."

Brown was watching as a fan and, being born and raised in Longsight and schooled in Burnage, Brown is authentic Manchester. When he spoke of a mixed area it was of City and United.

"Yeah, it is mixed and some of my mates are still City fans," he said. "So I see both sides. It's good fun.

They [City] always say they are Manchester but it's because we have a worldwide fan-base. It's just one of those things people say but you reply by winning games. I get the odd joke now and again from City fans. But I'm a Manchester lad, so they know the score."