Rob Lee spoke exclusively to Football FanCast as he paid tribute to former Newcastle United and West Ham United manager, Glenn Roeder, who sadly passed away on Sunday.
The former Newcastle midfielder spoke glowingly about the man who gave him his debut for the Hammers, his boyhood club, at the age of 38.
Roeder was a well-loved and respected man within football as seen by all the tributes which have been pouring out since Sunday and Lee emphasised that point and thought he was too nice for football.
Lee, like many people, was shocked when he heard the news that a good friend had passed away, despite not seeing him for a number of years.
Sadly, Lee believes he was treated poorly while managing the Hammers and not fully respected for the manager and person he was, with many people highlighting how nice of a man Roeder was, before mentioning his footballing ability which pays testament to the legacy he’s left behind.
How much would Roeder be worth now?
Less than £50 million!
More than £50 million!
Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast Rob Lee spoke at length about Roeder as a man, player and manager, he said:
“I’ve known Glenn and the family a long, long time. I hadn’t seen him in a couple of years, three years, I think since he moved to NewMarket.
“So, I didn’t even realise he was ill. So, it was a massive shock when I was told. He was a great guy, really nice. Probably too nice for football people would say.
“He got me into West Ham when I was 38. Made me be able to play for my boyhood team, very late, but he was the manager then. I think he was treated very badly by West Ham.
“It’s a huge loss for his family and friends. You know, the good ones are taken too soon, unfortunately.”
Clubs up and down the country paid their respect to one of football’s good guys, but none more so than Newcastle United where he captained the club before becoming manager and stabilising the club.
Lee remembers fondly the type of player Roeder was and his signature ‘Roeder shuffle’. All the tributes paid by Newcastle fans can hopefully squash the myth once and for all that they do except people from London, as Lee explained:
“He got massive tributes from all his clubs, especially from Newcastle. You know, I mean, if you think of that team, you know, they always get mentioned the team that got promoted back in the 80s was Keegan, Beardsley, Waddle and Terry McDermott but Glenn Roeder was the captain.
“He was the one, I think everybody remembers the Glenn Roeder shuffle. Everybody knew it and no one could stop it.
“It’s a myth that geordies don’t accept cockneys, geordies accept anybody as long as you play well for their club and Glenn did that.
“He was a captain for a long time, he looked after the young Gazza coming through. So, yeah it was a huge shock.”
Roeder was a true gentleman of the game and ahead of his time with his ability to bring the ball out of defence, and he’ll certainly be missed.