I have met a few players when I was a kid, the players from the 1997 side. If I remember rightly, Terry Phelan had the softest hands ever. Andy Hinchliffe was injured at the time and someone said "When are you coming back? We need someone to take the corners." He replied "is that all you need me for?" Jokingly. Neville Southall gave one lad a glove and another lad his other glove as he was sat in his car. Apparently it was hard to find Duncan Ferguson as he used to come out of the Goodison road exit and not the Park End. I also met Bobby Gould, Wales manager at the time that night.
I'll tell you a story about Duncan Ferguson that my Dad told me. It was my dads mate in work who told my Dad this story.
His son had been to an away game and arrived back at Goodison same time as the team, I think it was raining and Duncan Ferguson went over and said "lads, do you need a lift home?" The lads said "yes, ok" Ferguson dropped the lads off and my Dads mate said he got a shock when he answered the door and Ferguson was standing there with his son. I think that was a lovely thing to do.
In 2002 I saw Franny Jeffers in a pub by mine, he'd signed for Arsenal at this point and I remember walking over and singing "Franny Jeffers is a wan*er, is a wan*er" he never looked at me and this big fella he was with started pushing people back.
I was mates with Leighton Baines when I was 15, he's a year older than me and went to the opposite school in the town we were brought up in. He used to always get the girls and was a boss lad. I never ever thought he would play for Everton, let alone in the Premiership and for England! I think when he was at Wigan they were second division! I never ever thought he would've been one of the best left backs in the world.
I saw David Unsworth in Ormskirk with his dogs when we were playing football up that way, I didn't say anything to him but was in earshot of what he was saying to others.