Scotsman John Spencer has lit up MLS since joining Colorado in February. Spencer, who has played with and against many of the worldÆs great players, got his start as an apprentice with Glasgow Rangers.
The Facts
Born: Sept. 11, 1970 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland.
Pro clubs: Colorado (MLS) 2001-present, Motherwell (Scotland) 1998-2001, Everton (England) 1998-99, Queens Park Rangers (England) 1996-98, Chelsea (England) 1992-96, Lai Sun (Hong Kong, loan) 1988-89, Morton (Scotland, loan) 1988-89, Glasgow Rangers (Scotland) 1987-92, Scotland: 14 caps, 0 goals. European Championship: 1996.
SpencerÆs Greatest Foes
Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)
Denis Irwin(Ireland)
Tony Adams (England)
Steve Bruce (England)
Dan Petrescu (Romania)
David Beckham (England)
Patrick Vieira (France)
Roy Keane (Ireland)
Ryan Giggs (Wales)
Robbie Fowler (England)
Alan Shearer (England)
My First …
Job: I left school at 13 and became a Glasgow Rangers apprentice. Every day, we prepared the training kit and boots for the first team.
Car: An open-door jeep. During the winter in Scotland it was a bit damp and cold, but it was great in the summer.
Professional goal: For Rangers against St. Johnstone. Off a throw-in, the ball popped across the box and I hit it first-time to the far corner.
My Career …
Best Goal: A scissor-kick against Liverpool for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. We drew, 2-2. I got two goals and Steve McManaman got two. I also scored after a 70-yard run against Austria Vienna. A lot of the Chelsea fans, when I meet them, even in America, say that goal was the best goal theyÆve ever seen.
Rangers: We had three great strikers ù Mo Johnston, Ally McCoist and Mark Hateley ù so I just tried to learn off them as much as I could. I learned a lot on the field and off the field, how to conduct myself and what to eat and what to drink.
Chelsea: Possibly the most enjoyable part of my career. I was playing with the likes of Ruud Gullit, Mark Hughes and Dennis Wise. I trained for a few months with Luca Vialli and Gianfranco Zola, so for me that was the most interesting time and the best learning curve in my professional life.
Scotland: Playing in the 1996 European Championship in England was the highlight because my family could come watch me play.
My Favorite …
Musical Artist: Dr. Dre. I love the rap and the hip-hop.
Actor: Tom Cruise.
Actress: Julia Roberts.
Film: ôMission Impossible II.ö
Book: IÆm not a big reader. The last book I read was ôShaq Talks Back.ö
Food: Chicken and pasta.
Drink: In season: water. Out of season: Cola or Sprite.
Soccer player: I donÆt really look up to anybody, but I admire guys like David Beckham and Raul. Raul was phenomenal last year.
Vacation spot: Marco Island, down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Hobbies: Walking the dog. I like a game of snooker, but we donÆt have many snooker tables over here.
Pregame activity: Rest and make sure I get some carbohydrates and some protein.
Postgame activity: Go to a postgame party with the Rapids in Denver. Then home to bed.
My View On …
American food: If you eat cheeseburgers every night, I donÆt think youÆll be playing soccer for very long.
Tim Hankinson: HeÆs gotten the best out of me this year.
Carlos Valderrama: An important player for us because he creates so many opportunities for the strikers.
Denver: In three words ù great, great, great!
Rangers-Celtic rivalry: I donÆt like it because it doesnÆt have a soccer background. It has more of a religion background. It bothers me that people talk about the religion rather than the soccer.
MLS: I knew it would be a tough league to play in, and it certainly has been.
The future: I look as far as the next game.
Interview by Poul Swain