Here is a good interview with Jonathan Spector:
At the time of year that most guys his age are trying decide which beach to cruise this weekend, or what to do now that Lollapalooza’s been cancelled, eighteen-year-old Jonathan Spector’s got a bit more going on. He’s got to pack his bags to travel across the Atlantic along with his teammates as a member of Manchester United’s traveling squad for the 2004 ChampionsWorld Series. Spector took a few minutes away from putting his luggage together on the eve of his flight into Philadelphia (the training base of United on the tour and site of the July 28th match against Celtic) to talk about his maiden journey overseas with The Red Devils.
"Yeah, this is a great opportunity for me," Spector says with a calmness in his voice belying the excitement he’s obviously in the middle of. "The chance to travel with the team and walk out on the field at home is an honor." When asked about his chances of actually seeing some playing time while he’s on this side of the pond, the central defender replied, "I don’t really expect anything. If it happens, then that’s great, but I’m just happy to be named to the squad".
The Arlington Heights, Illinois native is particularly excited about United’s first match, against Bayern Munich at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 25th. Possibly even more excited is Jonathan’s father, Art, who’ll be making the short drive from home with hopes of his son making an appearance during the game. "It would be great to see Jonathan out there in front of his family and friends. We’re planning on being at all three games Man U plays here in the States, but the Chicago game will be special. We can’t wait."
Spector’s no stranger to long-distance travel, as a longtime member of the United States National U-17 and U-20 Teams he’s traveled more air miles than most people three times his age. How does a young international star on the rise kill time on the plane? "I listen to all kinds of music…anything from new stuff to Frank Sinatra" he says. His affinity for Ol’ Blue Eyes is not the only old-school thing about Spector…"I use a portable CD player. I’ve got an MP3 player but haven’t got around to figuring out how to work it!". His team will be playing near Sinatra’s old stomping when they meet AC Milan at Giants Stadium on July 31.
As far as fitting in as one of the few Americans on a team filled with some of the greatest players from around the world, Spector says his teammates make it easy for him. "Everyone on the team has been friendly. There really isn’t any attitude. It’s never really been uncomfortable". And is he pals with probably the highest-profile American soccer player ever, Manchester United goalie Tim Howard? "Tim’s been great to me, he’s always available. He even had (United reserve striker and fellow American) Kenny Cooper and I over to his place to watch some NFL playoffs". Surely Spector is aware of the impact Howard’s appearances in last year’s ChampionsWorld Series had in turning the ‘keeper from Jersey into a member of last season’s English Premier League Team Of The Year, a squad also featuring names like Henry, Lampard, Viera, Pires, and van Nistelrooy. "It was a great opportunity for Tim last year, and I’m glad to be coming over this year", Spector says.
Should Manchester United Coach Sir Alex Ferguson call for Spector to make his debut appearance with the first team for in front of an American crowd, it’s not hard to predict that the noise from the packed stadium will be deafening. And as Ferguson’s "no-lineup-is-set-in-stone" style of management has remained steady in his 17 previous seasons with United, there’s no reason to not believe that these three games on home soil might be just what Spector needs to ingratiate himself into top-flight English soccer. |