, The72 Interview: Daniel Nardiello

The72 Interview: Daniel Nardiello

I meet Daniel Nardiello at the lively, attractive Village Hotel in Bury, a scenic spot which overlooks the flowing River Roch, not far from the JD Stadium (or, as it’s better known Gigg Lane), where the evergreen Nardiello has been integral in the club’s recent promotion to League One.

Honest, engaging and with a good sense of humour, Nardiello discusses a career which has taken him from Old Trafford to Oakwell, and examines the highs and lows of a career which has included three promotions, a relegation, several international caps for Wales, and a string of unfortunate injuries. Read on for praise of Paul Tisdale, erroneous Sky Sport hat-trick announcements and play-off winning memories.

DB: You grew up in Coventry in the ’80s and ’90s during the most successful period in the Sky Blues’ history, and joined the youth setup at Wolves during your teens. Who did you follow as a fan, and what are your memories of your earliest years in football?

DN: I was a Coventry City fan, and my Dad [Wales international striker Donato Nardiello] had played for Coventry. I went to see Cov all the time, watched all their games. It all went from there really.

I always loved football. My early memories were of watching Micky Quinn in a Sky Blues shirt – and he was a hero of mine – and Peter Ndlovu. Growing up in Coventry and signing for Wolves, it was a local team so they scouted me and I ended up there.

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The prolific Shakers striker at Bury’s Village Hotel

DB: You moved to Manchester United as a trainee in 1999, and signed professional forms in October of that year. Who were your friends within that United youth setup? And what was the training and facilities like, compared to what you’d experienced at Wolves?

DN: We went straight into The Cliff [United’s former training ground] so the facilities, compared to what United have now, weren’t as good. But after six months, we moved to Carrington, and at the time, the facilities were second-to-none. As a young lad, it was incredible, and exciting to see the first team players as well. It was amazing.

I lived in digs with Craig Coates, James Jowsey and Chris Taylor. I was quite close with them, and really close with Alan Tate at the time. There were a good set of lads in that youth team, and it was a shame only a few of us actually made it to the level of being an actual professional footballer.
DB: You played four first-team games for Manchester United, including an FA Cup tie against Arsenal. What are your memories of those matches?

DN: I also played against Maccabi Haifa, Leicester and West Brom, but my debut was against Arsenal at Highbury [on 5th November 2001]. It was on TV as well, and I remember watching it back, and thinking ‘I’ve pulled on the shirt of Man United, and actually played in the first team’.

I remember travelling down to London with the first team, and then coming on the pitch with 20 minutes to go. I actually had a shot on goal which went just over the bar. I wish I could have that chance again now – I’d put it in the back of the net! It was an amazing experience.

DB: Between 2003 and 2005, United sent you out on loan three times, twice to Barnsley and once to Swansea City. Did you resent the club loaning you out, or were you happy to drop down a few divisions to get regular first-team football?

DN: It was something I needed to do. My first loan move – to Swansea – I scored just one goal in five games, in the JPT [Johnstone’s Paint Trophy]. I had a bit of a nightmare there, and it was a massive learning curve for me. Swansea were in the League Two of today at the Vetch. I found it really difficult, and afterwards I went back to United and back into the reserves. United asked me to give it another crack, and I went to Barnsley that same season, in a higher league.

I scored two goals on my debut for them. It was a great spell at Barnsley, especially that first loan stint. So the Swansea thing was a huge learning curve, and I think a lot of young players today should go out on loan, because it’s how you learn the trade. It’s completely different to playing reserve football, or u-21s football, as it is now.

DB: So was Swansea a bit of a culture shock, having been at Wolves and United?

DN: Yeah, absolutely. It was a League Two club struggling a bit, and it was just a complete change of atmosphere. It was great for me to see how it was in the lower leagues, which I’m playing in now!

It was a brilliant thing to have done, and I’m happy that the manager at the time [Brian Flynn] gave me a chance there, and it’s just a shame I couldn’t do too well for him.

DB: In July 2005, you joined Barnsley on a permanent deal after being released by United. That season, Barnsley were promoted to the Championship, and you scored a crucial goal in the play-off semi final against Huddersfield, and the equaliser against Swansea in the final. What are your memories of that season’s dramatic play-off triumph?

DN: It was an up-and-down season for us. We had a really good squad and the manager, Andy Ritchie, was brilliant to work under, as was Rick Holden – his assistant. As a team, we pulled it through in the end. We were good enough to go up, and we deserved to go up.

However, in the final we got absolutely battered. I still talk about it today with some of the lads – Swansea destroyed us for 120 minutes [the match 2-2 after extra time, with Barnsley winning 4-3 on penalties] but we scored crucial goals, and our penalty taking was unbelievable. We scored every one.

The free-kick I scored in the game is something I’ll never forget. When I scored, I just remember seeing all my family and friends in the crowd, about 20 odd of them. It was a special moment.

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