Nathaniel Clyne used to be a striker. He was football mad as a kid but idolised Gianfranco Zola and thought David Beckham’s match-saving free-kick against Greece in 2001 was the ultimate England feelgood moment.
He had no intention, in other words, of growing up to be the new Gary Neville, yet full-backs have to come from somewhere. An academy coach at Tottenham Hotspur suggested Clyne switch to defence, and the Londoner has not looked back since. Spurs ended up missing out on the player because their Essex training base was too far from Stockwell for Clyne to reach after school, but Crystal Palace picked him up and from there it was a steady progression to the England right-back berth, after making a name for himself at Southampton before joining Liverpool this summer.
“Ideally I would have been a striker, I liked playing up front and scoring goals,” Clyne says. He was not too shabby at it either, once scoring four goals in a trial for Arsenal. “That was a long time ago,” he says. “I was only seven or eight at the time and I can’t even remember who the opposition were, but it was Spurs who I ended up joining. I was with them from age 10 to 13, and that’s when I began playing full-back.
“Even when I was playing up front I always had a lot of energy and a hunger to run after people and win the ball back. I was really good at it, so eventually they decided I was better off as a defender. Tottenham was great, it was just the travel that was the problem. It wasn’t ideal from south London because mum didn’t drive and we had to take the train. I had to find somewhere closer, and Crystal Palace was just around the corner.”
Now 24, Clyne would be the first to admit his mother Ann has been a major influence on his successful career, both in terms of practical support and early encouragement. Familial pride in his achievements is reflected in an early photograph of him playing with a football as a three-year-old which has pride of place in the Clyne home and was subsequently reproduced in ink on Nathaniel’s arm midway through his first professional contract at Palace.
Stockwell tube station also makes an appearance among the tattoos, just as Wembley is represented among Raheem Sterling’s illustrations, though Clyne believes he had the idea first. “I think Raheem copied me,” he says, though clearly there are similarities in both players’ backgrounds.
“I am proud of where I am from,” Clyne explains. “Our estate in Stockwell originally had signs up saying: ‘no ball games’, but because everyone was ignoring them they built a sort of pen for us to use. I grew up playing football with older kids in a cage where the ball never went out of play. I used to be in there all hours of the day and when I finally came home mum would have to reheat my evening meal. It was a good grounding though, all-action stuff, and it was there that I was spotted and invited to attend the Afewee Academy in Brixton.”
Clyne’s talent, enthusiasm and capacity for hard work did the rest, though Ann always took a keen interest and still attends all of his games. “She travels a lot because she still lives in London but home and away she is always there,” he says. “I owe her a lot but I think my success has made her happy. The first time I was called up for England, I told her on the phone and she cried. It was a proud moment. When I told my family and friends everyone was ecstatic.”
While Clyne is still establishing himself in the national side and has yet to experience a tournament, his confidence and composure in his first starts for Liverpool and England side have encouraged many to suggest he could occupy the position for many years to come. “I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he says.
“I have got where I always wanted to be, but now I have to work hard to keep improving and stay here. It is going to be difficult because there are a lot of people who can play right-back, but I have to try to make the position my own and competition is a good thing.
“I think the position of full-back has changed a lot in the last few years. We are almost regarded as wingers now: you are expected to get forward and help in attack but also be good in defence. It is a lot of running up and down but I happen to like that. I’m a fit young lad and I enjoy getting forward as well as defending. You get the best of both worlds in this position, as well as special advice from Gary Neville.”
