On the opening day of the 2008/09 season, Stoke were due to play Bolton away in the Premier League.  I boarded the bus and sat in the same place as I had for five years on the Reading FC bus - second table from the front, next to the window on the left.  I liked to travel with my back to the road, it was how I played after all, always with my back to goal.  In my head it made sense.

For five years I sat opposite Ivar Ingimarsson and next to James Harper.  Players would come and go but us three remained.  Five years separated by a tiny table and an ability to not only tolerate one another’s company over long distances, but actually learn and help one another along the way.

On the Stoke team bus I tried to cultivate the same set up.  I sat opposite Ryan Shawcross and next to Rory Delap.  But it just wasn't the same.  They spoke about different things, they wore different tracksuits, the table was black, not grey. Actually it was nice, but ultimately it wasn't the same.  Everything was different and I couldn’t handle it.

Some players stay in your life for years, Ivar Ingimarssion is one and James Harper is most certainly another.  So when The Dave Kitson Academy took off and I was thinking about bringing in some help, Harps was the first person I called.  The first thing to say is that with Harps, what you see is what you get - you will never find anybody that says a bad word about him.  He goes at life on his own terms and leaves a trail of happy people in his wake.

He’s also an incredible coach.  Harps came through the Arsenal academy at a time when the first team boasted the likes of Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.  He learned a huge amount from those giants at the hand of legendary coach Arsene Wenger.  When Harps was called into the Arsenal first team, his initiation was to stand up at the front of the bus, where he had to hammer each and every first team player.  This is an 18 year old attempting to destroy a team of invincibles, some of whom had just won the World Cup.  Harps not only found a way to do it, but to this day, his one man tirade is still talked about at Arsenal’s training ground.

Harps has already started coaching with me and the results have been fantastic.  He’s brilliant with the players and his flat-out enthusiasm to pass on what he has learned is second to none.  

He also has an incredibly warmhearted side to him.

On the way to the Bolton match I was in a state.  I was so miserable and mentally fragile that we may as well have played a lamppost up front.  I sat down at the table with Rory and Ryan and tried to lose myself in my thoughts.  Just then my phone beeped.

I picked it up and opened a message from Harps.  It was a picture of my empty seat, the seat on the Reading bus that I’d sat in next to him for five years.  He wouldn’t allow anybody to sit in it.  Underneath the picture it said: “I miss my mate.”

I’m not ashamed to say that I went to pieces on that journey to play Bolton.  This new 6 foot 3 inch record signing striker that Stoke were putting their faith in was unable to put one foot in front of the other that day.

Ryan and Rory tried to help, but of course, it just wasn't the same.

15 years later, I’ve got my mate back!

***

On Sunday (January 14), I’m appearing at Blue Collar Corner in Reading town centre for a live Q&A event.  I’ll be talking about my time at Reading and of course that memorable 106 season.  I’ll also be talking about the current state of the club we love and you’ll also have the opportunity to ask me anything you like.  Provided I can remember, I’ll give you the truth as I see it, whether that be good, bad or ugly. Doors open at 5pm.

Tickets are available via this link: https://www.skiddle.com/g/106recordbreakers/