Off The Shelf | Sandro - now available on SPURSPLAY and all platforms
Fri 25 August 2023, 09:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Sandro tells his story in the latest episode of our official podcast Off The Shelf, now available on all platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google and SPURSPLAY, our home of exclusive live and on-demand video.
Fondly nicknamed 'The Beast', the midfielder became a cult figure with his all-action performances between 2010-2014, not least as we reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League at the first attempt in 2010/11. Hit by a serious knee injury in 2012/13, Sandro made 105 appearances for us before moving to QPR in 2014.
Hosted by his former team-mate, legendary former defender, captain and Club Ambassador Michael Dawson, alongside Senior Club Journalist, Paul Miles, Sandro talks about his early days growing up in the small town of Riachinho in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, signing for Internacional, winning the Copa Libertadores, pulling on that famous Brazil jersey and then changing his life by joining Spurs.
"Riachinho is a little village in Minas Gerais, maybe 10,000 people. My dad went to Brasilia to look for a better life. I lived there until I was three. Brasilia is a new city and that was a better place for us to grow. There, I started to play football. My dad would always say, 'come on boys, train, do your best, maybe you could be a footballer'. My dad wanted to be a footballer, but it was difficult. I loved playing football with my brother. That was the beginning..."
Sandro's journey led him to White Hart Lane in 2010. "It was a dream. It was two years of moments - playing for Internacional, the call up from Dunga (Brazil's manager and World Cup-winning captain, Sandro's hero) and then Spurs. I heard rumours, but then Tottenham came to speak to me. Really? You want me? But I was ready, my style is the Premier League style. My President at Inter said, 'you need to go there'."
Sandro talks about his four years at Spurs as we dig deeper into his character on and off the pitch - and Daws shows him a video taken in the dressing room back in 2013!
It's an episode not to miss with one of the Club's real modern-day characters.
All episodes of Off The Shelf will appear first and exclusively on SPURSPLAY. After that, they will be available on all your usual podcast platforms including Apple, Amazon Music, Spotify and Google.
Introducing... Off The Shelf
We are delighted to launch our all-new, official podcast, Off The Shelf.
Off The Shelf will bring you even closer to our great Club, telling often untold stories from the current playing squad to the legends who went before them, the staff who keep everything ticking over behind the scenes and, of course, our fans, the heartbeat of Spurs.
In our first series of podcasts, we'll speak to legendary former skippers and Club Ambassadors Ledley King, Gary Mabbutt and Jenna Schillaci; our esteemed captain and World Cup winner Hugo Lloris; another goalkeeping legend, Heurelho Gomes; Academy graduate Oliver Skipp and from Spurs Women, defender Molly Bartrip, who has a compelling story to tell, Clive Allen, who still holds the record for goals in a single season with his 49 in 1986/87 and 'The Beast', cult hero Sandro.
Each podcast is dedicated to its subject, shining a light on their careers, and the stories that define them. How did Ledley feel when he was told he’d have to retire? What has it meant for Hugo to captain our Club for almost 10 years?How did Jenna react when she was told she couldn’t play football as a young girl? How did Skippy climb through the ranks from Academy to first team? How did Molly overcome serious health issues to reach the top of the women’s game? What was the one thing Gomes wished for when he left home in Brazil to pursue his dream in Europe? How did Gary Mabbutt cope when he was told being diagnosed as a diabetic was the end of his career? What did David Pleat say to the team before switching to a five-man midfield in the 1986/87 season? How did Sandro react when he was told of Spurs' interest?You’ll hear those answers and more...
And who better to present our podcast than one of our modern-day greats and fans' favourite, Michael Dawson! 'Daws' joined us in January, 2005 and spent nine years at the Club, making 324 appearances in all competitions for us until departing in the summer of 2014.
Michael finally retired after 20 seasons as a professional for Forest, Spurs and Hull City in August, 2021, and stepped straight into new roles as our Club Ambassador and as a panellist on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports. A true leader, Daws radiates enthusiasm - his love for the Club shines through.
Joining Daws is our Senior Club Journalist, Paul Miles. 'Milesy' has been at the Club since 2000, interviewing our players and managers for 23 years - including every game of Daws' Spurs career! You may have seen him in the last couple of years as part of our N17 Live matchday team.
All episodes of Off The Shelf will appear first and exclusively on SPURSPLAY.
After that, they will be available on all your usual podcast platforms including Apple, Amazon Music, Spotify and Google.
