MARCUS GAYLE: I knocked out United with Wimbledon as a player, now I want to cause an upset as a manager... and I have non-League's Ronaldo to help me!

PUBLISHED: 02:30 EST, 8 November 2013 | UPDATED: 14:11 EST, 8 November 2013

Marcus Gayle is manager of Skrill South side Staines Town. As a player, Gayle turned out for Wimbledon, Watford, Rangers and had two spells at Brentford. He takes his side to Griffin Park in the FA Cup first round. In this Footballers’ Football Column, Gayle talks about how he hopes to repeat some of the Cup success he enjoyed as part of the Crazy Gang. Before you read his column, watch his video below in which he reveals the strangest place he has been recognised.

 

Marcus Gayle takes part in Sportsmail's Footballers' Football...

When ball No 4 was pulled out of the bag I was hoping that No 80 would follow, and it did. In fact, I predicted we would draw one of six balls for the FA Cup tie and Brentford (No 4) was one of them.

It has always been a dream of mine to face Brentford. It has a community feel to the tie because of the closeness of the two clubs. I know my chairman wanted Luton or Woking but I was very pleased to see us drawn with one of my former clubs.

I was in a restaurant in Ascot when the draw was being made and all of my friends were tweeting me and texting me and they were all excited about the prospect of playing Brentford. But we still had a job to do against Poole in the replay.

New chapter: Marcus Gayle is carving out a new career for himself as manager of Staines Town

Focused: Gayle is looking forward to going back to his former club Brentford in the FA Cup

But once the draw had been made I thought I could put my boots back on and play the game straight away with half of the Chinese food down my stomach!

The excitement and energy the draw created made me want to play straight away. I had to keep cool and composed as there were other people in the restaurant, but deep down I was very excited.

Brentford are a club that is important to me as it is where I started. Signing for Brentford as a schoolboy was perfect, I used to get the 237 bus from Shepherd's Bush to training from the age of about 14.

Griffin Park was probably the first stadium I ever went to and I was a little intimidated by it at times. But I played in the Under 15s and worked my way through to the first team.

Our changing rooms at Staines are sometimes are an absolute state, back in my day you would not leave until everything was clean and tidy and if that meant staying until 10pm then so be it.

But the way players are growing up now it is as if the world owes them something. I was getting £27.50 a week and I was there 9am to 5pm, shining boots, washing the stands, cleaning the changing rooms and all sorts of odd jobs, all for the chance of being a professional. But it shaped me for the rest of my career.

I remember my debut for Brentford very clearly, it was October 22, 1988 at home to Preston.

My first touch I went to trap the ball, it went under my foot and into the gravel and I just thought, s***.

Next one, I got hold of the ball, took it down the wing and took a man on and crossed it, but it went out of play.

Third touch, everything came together and I put a good ball into the box and I got a little ripple from the crowd and I thought, ‘Yeah, that is more like it’. And that was it.

I will never forget those first three touches as a pro – especially the first one. But it was a very good place to learn and the crowd were very good and supportive.

The magic of the FA Cup is fantastic, and ties like this are what the competition is all about.

It is going to be our big day, we are going to give it all we have. We are not the favourites, but that could benefit us as we can go out and relax.

Back where it all began: Gayle started his career at Brentford, making his debut in 1988

In the last round against Poole we were favourites and we struggled. But we have only conceded one goal from our four Cup games so far. I have good defence lead by my captain Lewis Ferrell who is an ex-Brentford player as well, so it is not just me. It will be a proud moment for him as well.

In Louie Theophanous we have a special player. He is our striker and has 13 goals already this season.

I have known him for two years. He was at AFC Wimbledon when I was reserve team manager, he was out of shape and looking for a chance to make it at a pro club.

The danger man: Striker Louie Theophanous (right) has scored 13 goals already this season

Good times: Theophanous is mobbed after scoring for Staines this season

He scored 38 goals for the reserves and wasn’t given a fair chance in the first team despite the fact they were struggling to score.

In the end, I left and he came with me and we have given him a chance at Staines. We have him here for two years to give him that final push to turn him into a professional.

He has all the qualities, he is 6ft 2in, but is extremely skilful and has feet as quick as Robin van Persie or Cristiano Ronaldo when he is dribbling, and that is not an exaggeration, his feet are amazing and he works on that on a daily basis.

Two of the best: Gayle compared Theophanous' dribbling skills to Robin van Persie and Cristiano Ronaldo

But he is just one player and one outlet for us. He has team-mates around him who will create chances for him, but he will create his own chances. He has probably created half his goals this season himself. 

For me personally, the FA Cup is very special. I got to the semi-final as a player with Wimbledon in 1997.

In the fourth round we played Manchester United at Old Trafford and got a late draw thanks to a Robbie Earl goal.

Then in the replay we beat them 1-0 at Selhurst Park and I scored the winner with a header. A lot of people say it was my best goal but I don’t agree. It was probably my most important goal, but not my best.

As a goal it was a simple header from a great cross from Kenny Cunningham. In the back of my mind I was thinking how Peter Schmeichel had cost me the week before.

Rising high: Gayle jumps to head home Kenny Cunningham's cross to knock holders Manchester United out of the FA Cup in 1997

Goal to remember: Gayle says his header against United was his most important

Celebration time: Gayle is congratulated by team-mates Dean Holdsworth and Oyvind Leonhardsen

I was on for a dream goal at Old Trafford from about 35 yards out and he tipped it on to the bar and out for a corner, I told him, ‘You are costing me money here’.

So when that cross came in I put every ounce of power I had, I remember closing my eyes just before impact and it went right through him, and the rest is history.

In the semi-final we came up against Chelsea at Highbury and on the day they were better than us. They had Zola in the side and he made all the difference.

We had beaten them 4-2 at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. But the semi-final was men against boys, it was a different level and they beat us 3-0 and we could have no complaints.  But it was a fantastic run.

Men against boys: Gayle says Wimbledon were outclassed in the semi-final against Chelsea

Falling out: Gayle said he wanted to 'do in' Joe Kinnear but the two later had a good working relationship

Now I am trying to carve out a career as a manager and I have been given that opportunity at Staines. I have taken things from managers I have played for.

I remember playing under Joe Kinnear and for a year I wanted to do him in.

He got on my nerves and he made me so upset and I couldn’t stand him.

But all he was doing was making me realise what I needed to learn, and to be part of the team.

There were certain rules on the pitch that I was not obeying and he did not say too much he just took me off and refused to speak to me for three months.

Back where it all began: Gayle had a second spell at Brentford towards the end of his career

Then he sprung a surprise on me in about February 1995. We playing Tottenham away and he put me straight in from the cold into the starting XI and from then I never looked back with him.

It took me three months to realise what he was trying to get me to understand. After that we had a very good working relationship. That is how I have been with every manager.

And it is how I want to be with my players, I don’t want to be their best mate and go for drink with them, I want to be the best manager, and the best coach and further down the road they can get me a Cup final ticket when they make it to the top.

Keeping calm: Gayle says he is not a ranter and raver on the touchline

I’m not a ranter and raver on the touchline, in fact I probably get accused of not showing enough on the sidelines.

But I show enough during training and in the changing room. I don’t see Arsene Wenger pulling his hair out and that is not my style either.

The way I look at it, you have done your work on the training pitch and you have to trust your players to go and carry out the instructions for two sets of 45 minutes and in between it you get 15 minutes to re-establish what you said.

Getting stuck in: Gayle enjoys being hands on at Wheatsheaf Park

At this level you are more hands on, it is not just the first XI. You need to be involved with the whole of the club.

It is good that I can do this at this level, I learn so much everyday. It is full on, I am involved with the website, the training facilities to sorting out what food we eat before games.

I’m trying to implement the things I learned from my playing days further down the pyramid. My aim is to manage this club as if it is professional.

The Cup run helps bring in more money and who knows, we could surprise Brentford and keep the run going.

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