Dwight Yorke Exclusive: Why I Never Played in Serie A, What Luis Enrique Can Offer the Premier League, and How Lamine Yamal Can Match Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Dwight Yorke downplayed talk of Morgan Rogers moving to Old Trafford, however, with the youngster not what the 1999 treble winner believes Ruben Amorim’s side need in midfield to compete at the top again.

Speaking ahead of the start of the January transfer window, Yorke also considered Mohamed Salah’s situation at Liverpool, and whether he is at fault for their struggles this season.

Read the full interview below.

Dwight Yorke Interview With FootItalia

Did you ever have the chance to go and play in Italy or Germany?

“It didn’t play out like that for me, going to the Bundesliga. Manchester United was the biggest team. English football is all I know, although I admire the other leagues around the world. The Italian league was a big hit then. Germany was great, but not like it is now. 

“So, that never resonated with me. I wanted to be the best at Villa, then I became that, and then, you look at United with the players they had in their ranks, that was the only place. 

“Being in English football, although I’m sure I would have been able to play anywhere else because of my style of play, I had 10 years of experience being in the Premier League before I joined United. I was only in the top league. I was never outside of that.

“The next step was to be playing for the next best team or the best team in England, and that was United. So it was a very straightforward decision, the other ones weren’t in contention for me. As I said, although I admire them, it just wasn’t for me.”

What have you made of Benjamin Sesko’s start at Manchester United?

“At the end of the day, as a striker, you’re always going to be judged on goals. You can work as hard as possible, and people are seeing the work that Benjamin Sesko has put in. However, I still think United are adapting to playing with him too.

“They’re still finding their feet and understanding the individual roles that they all have. I think that’s why it’s taking some time with Sesko. 

Historically at United, creative balls are coming in, trying to get that number nine on the end of their crosses and creativity, and I think that’s an area United could improve in to help Sesko. 

“They haven’t really found a set way of playing to his strengths yet. You can see the manager is just thinking: ‘Just get results. It doesn’t matter how we get results right now, just get results.’

“That has isolated Sesko. If United are not really getting him on the score sheet, it doesn’t really matter. But that can only carry on for so long because if you’re not getting that creativity and they’re not creating for you as a number nine, the frustration will kick in. 

“We’ve seen what happened to Rasmus Højlund, and United will need to find a way of avoiding a similar situation, but creating more chances for Sesko.”

Do Manchester United need to learn from how Victor Osimhen’s teams use him?

“Whether you give him a chance and opportunity to score as a number nine, ultimately that’s what you’re going to be judged on. And he’s done that again, whatever he is. 

“Certainly, he’s the talisman in that team. They play to his strengths like Manchester United don’t do with Benjamin Sesko for example, that makes a massive difference as a striker.”

Could Harry Kane replace Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona?

“Harry Kane to Barcelona? I’m not sure because he is very comfortable. He is 32 now and he’ll find it more difficult, I think. I would think that he will find it much more difficult because of the tempo of the game and that kind of stuff. 

“I still think he would do well, but he won’t do as well as he’s doing at Bayern Munich. I would be very wary of that if I was his advisor or one of the people around him.

“If he’s happy there, Germany to England is only an hour and 15 minutes away with the private jets and everything, so he can get back home whenever he wishes.

“I would suggest that he stays and he’ll win major competitions. I know a lot of people talk around the fact that he can break Alan Shearer’s record. 

“I would say if he had stayed here, he would have had that chance. I’m not so sure if he comes back. One, who will take him at that top level that will create him that opportunity? I don’t see him going to Liverpool, nor Manchester United.

“I’m sure United may welcome him even now because of their struggles, but just because of his age, he’ll be 33. He won’t have the same impact. I don’t think he would.

“It’s happening with Mo Salah. And I don’t think he’s much greater than Mo Salah in any respect. Mo Salah is much more mobile, and that’s just an indication of age.”

Should Manchester United make Morgan Rogers their main target in the transfer market?

“Morgan Rogers is obviously a candidate that seems to fit well but is he the answer? I’m not so sure, but I can see why his name has been mentioned. 

“One of the qualities that Manchester United have had in the past is a good number six, who can really sit in that midfield, conduct the style of play, and influence the team. It’s an area we thought Casemiro would have filled. He looked very good when he first arrived, but he’s not getting any younger. 

“So, it’s an area United will need to address.

“Who else is out there that can fill that role and really influence the game? Someone like Moises Caicedo does a great deal of work there. There is Carlos Baleba at Brighton, I think he is another one who can be in that role and bring good energy.

“But it’s not just a sitting role, it’s someone who brings that energy and can see that pass. That number six role is so crucial. You’ve got to be mobile, you’ve got to be athletic enough to get around the place, and also control the game and the tempo.

“There are a few candidates out there, but I can see why Morgan Rogers is mentioned. He is the flavour of the month at the moment, and everyone is trying to pounce on that. 

“I’m not really a great believer in that. I look a little bit deeper into the soul of the player to see if he will really fulfill that sort of area when it comes to United, because of the magnitude of the team he is going to play for.”

Do Liverpool look like a stronger team without Mohamed Salah?

“I think that you’ve got a player who has been a huge part of the fabric for seven, eight years. His contribution is incredible. What he’s done, the consistency that he’s brought to Liverpool, not just his own individual consistency, but to the team. Mohamed Salah has won them so many games on his own.

“The problem is when you get to that level and you get to that age and there is any sort of dip, there’s always going to be a question mark. As we all play the game, we understand when you get older, it just becomes a little bit harder. On top of that, Liverpool are not dominant like they were in terms of ball possession. 

“When you are dominant, that means you do less running from a defensive point of view. When you are up against it like they have been, they have to do a little bit more running back towards their goal.

“The legs are not quite as good as they were early on when he first joined. That’s just the reality of it. It’s hard for anyone to accept that as a player, but the total truth behind Liverpool is the reason why Mo Salah is not as influential as he is, is because they’re not dominating the possession of the football like they were. 

“Teams are really pushing them back towards the goal, which is something unusual. Normally, Liverpool lock these teams in their half. So that means there is less running towards the goal. It’s simple logic. 

“I listened to all these ex-players talking and they’re not really hitting the mark. They’re just talking around the actual problem without a solution. The solution is that Liverpool are not really dominant as they were. And if you’re not dominant, that means you’re going to have to do more running. It’s simple math.

“That’s what is really affecting Mo Salah’s ability to attack and not just Mo Salah, but the entire team.”

Was Liverpool’s huge transfer spend a mistake?

“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. The signings looked really expansive, really exciting. But having all of the top players doesn’t mean that the pieces come together and they’re finding it very difficult. 

“The unfortunate thing for Alexander Isak is breaking his leg, but that gives the manager a little bit of a relief because he does have one less player to think of. 

“Hugo Ekitike, who obviously has been superb so far in the campaign in that nine will start, and he doesn’t have to juggle the players to try and please the dressing room. 

“Sometimes you don’t need to go and sign so many expensive players. I think it’s backfired on Liverpool so far this season. It may come right eventually, but sometimes you just don’t need to. If it’s not broken, then just don’t go and try to fix it. 

“That’s what Liverpool tried to do, and it’s not really worked out the way that they all anticipated that they would have hoped for, for everyone.”

Should Sunderland’s focus be on survival?

“Sunderland got off to a really good start, which gives them a solid foundation to build on. They aren’t hovering around the bottom end of the Premier League, which is usually the first concern for a newly promoted team, survival. 

“I think that’s the logical priority for any business owner, manager, and the people there, to survive in the Premier League. They will take that and then focus on strengthening. The fact is, they got off to a really solid start and formed the core of their strategy. 

“It was always going to rely on their home form. If you are unbeaten at home, you have a very high percentage of remaining in the Premier League. They’ve managed to do that. I think they are one step away from maybe thinking they could get into Europe, although if it were to happen, that would be an incredible season.

“While people talk about a potential European challenge, I still go back to thinking that survival is the key. Finish as high up as possible with less stress at the back end of the season. They don’t want to go into the last five games needing to win two just to survive. 

“They want to be really comfortable and enjoy being in the Premier League. I think if I were the owner, the supporters, or the manager, that would be my message to the team, make sure we are not in that relegation battle come April or May.

“They should really focus on maintaining that sustainability and their home record, being proud of that, and then start building from next year. Then the expectation level can go up.”

Would Luis Enrique moving to Man City be bad news for everyone else in the Premier League?

“I would love to see it because he’s obviously one of the best managers in the world. The Premier League wants the best managers in the world, as well as the best players. So that wouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s not all doom and gloom for the rest of us in the Premier League.

“Would I fear Luis Enrique at Man City? Not really. I think it’s like anything else, it will be a cycle with new changes. Pep Guardiola has his legacy, can someone go in there and really fulfil that like Manchester United tried with Alex Ferguson?

“Every team is improving. Every team has got heaps of money to strengthen the squad. It’s about coming in there and resonating with the players and getting your ideas over as quickly as possible.

“He’s at Paris Saint-Germain, the teams there and the quality is not of the same level as the Premier League.

“Changes are not always going to lead you to success. He’s not managing in the Premier League. He will understand that this league is the most difficult league in the world, and there is no respite in any of these things. 

“Most significantly, it’s about people buying into what you are actually telling them. No matter how good of a squad or players that you have, if someone is not believing in what you’re doing, you’re losing half the battle straight away.”

How big of a call was it for Celtic to replace Martin O’Neill?

“Of course Martin O’Neill has personal affiliation with the hierarchy at Celtic and it was probably a sensible call to get them back on track where Celtic have always been dominant. 

“He was inheriting a team that has been dominant in the Scottish league for a number of years so I don’t think that you need the world of experience to be managing a team of that nature when you’re actually playing against, maybe two other teams now including Hearts.

“Hearts now have a little bit of resilience, and Rangers who are in a transition period, so it’s a good time for an incoming manager to try and be dominant again.

“I think a lot of questions would be asked. The fact that Martin O’Neill has gone in there and done an unbelievable job in  bringing them back up to the top of the table, and people would think, ‘Well, again, go back. If it’s not broken, why go and fix it?’

“But this was already in place. They had their eyes on Wilfried Nancy coming in to do the job. And that was already set. It was just an interim role for Martin O’Neill. And so Martin O’Neill can go back to the media and all that kind of stuff, knowing that if someone is looking for an interim manager, maybe he puts his hat into the fold again. That’s great for him.” 

Did you ever have the chance to go and play in France?

“I’ve always admired the French league, but when you’ve played in the Premier League, as I did for so many years, there’s only one place to be. To play for the quality teams I was playing for, which is obviously Aston Villa for 10 years and then Man Utd for nearly four to five years, that’s pretty much where your career was based. 

“So, no, there was no intention and no opportunity to even think about it. The question wasn’t even asked, let alone having the opportunity to go play there.”

Can Lamine Yamal be the next Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

“Looking from the outside, you can’t help but admire someone with Lamine Yamal’s ability. Another player from Barcelona who’s really hit heights for his club and country and earning accolades.

“However, with social media, there is no hiding place for these young kids anymore. That’s just the nature of where we are in the world today and you’ve got to understand it.

“With Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, you didn’t see them so much on social media. There young guys are everywhere. I think that if Yamal is getting distracted away from his football, that can be a real hurdle  for him. 

“He’s got to make sure and get the balance right. He’s young, he’s learning, he’s still developing. A kid is nowhere near his full potential yet. I think the next two to three years is where we will really start to find out if he’s the real deal. 

“But certainly, you can’t help but admire someone with that ability at that young age doing what he’s doing at the moment. So it’s great. I think it’s down to the individual. 

“It always comes down to the individual how much he wants to really be and sort of achieve in that period of time. If he settles down and wants to be the best and become the best and write his name alongside the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, then he can do that. 

“There’s no doubt he’s got the full armoury of potential, the greats. But that’s just down to individuality. I can’t predict those things. We have to wait and see how it all unfolds. And as I say, it will give us a better base in the next three years or so.”

Who are the players to watch in Germany right now?

“I think if you look at German football, all of them wanted to come here, didn’t they? All the players outside of Bayern, unique players, every one of them used to run to go to Bayern. They don’t want to go to Bayern anymore. 

“The whole world wants to come here to the Premier League. Omar Marmoush, Florian Wirtz and all these guys.

“Bayern are interested in getting these players. Bayern used to be like Manchester United in taking the best players from the rest of the league, it’s not like that anymore.

“When it comes to German football, Thomas Muller and all these guys are all gone now and it’s a new generation of young players. Jamal Musiala could’ve been outstanding but he broke his leg, I thought had a really good chance of being the biggest star.

“But outside of that, I can only name a few, very few good German players. Whereas before in the past, you could name six, seven, eight that were amazing.”

What can Canada hope for at the World Cup?

“Jesse Marsch, I had an interaction with him recently. A really hyper guy, really likes to play at a high tempo and they will need to. Their fitness is very much part of the way Jesse wants to play, that sort of high press at high tempo at all given times. 

“We’ve seen that when they get it right, they are a handful, that’s for sure. They really are a handful.

“But at the end of the day, you can pick them off and pass around them. They can get found out very quickly and then they get confused by it. It’s difficult for these teams. It’s the World Cup. You expect it to not be an easy way through for some teams.”

Do the host nations have an advantage with a World Cup on home soil?

“Canada, America, they’ve got their work cut out and it’d be interesting to see how they get on. But I’m sure as a manager, you back your team, you back your way, how you play.

“You’ve got home advantage, so you’ve got to make that count in every sense. They will certainly get the support wherever they are. 

“Can that support be an additional player to their squad, trying to get them over the line? But both teams, if they were to advance outside of that first round, would be deemed as a huge success. 

“If they were to not get out of that first round, then that would be a huge failure, the opposite.”

Would you have liked to have played in Brazil or Argentina?

“I admire those two nations. Coming from the region of the Caribbean, next to Venezuela, the Spanish culture of football is always integrated into us. 

“I was a huge fan of Brazilian football as well as Argentine football, and we know the similarity between both of them. I never really had the desire to go there. Not that their football wasn’t great, but I’ve always wanted to go to Europe and play in England.

“I’ve always admired the football there. I’ve always been a Brazilian fan and admired the Brazilian players. I managed to play against one of my heroes, Rivaldo, and those types of players. 

“To play alongside those guys, to see what they are, and to test your ability against them was quite incredible. 

“Yeah, it never really happened for me to go and play there. Like I said, I still had nearly 20 years in the Premier League. That was tough, but I never had the chance of going to Brazil and playing football.”

Can Casemiro play a huge role for Brazil at the World Cup?

“Casemiro can play a huge role for Brazil at the World Cup and I can see why Carlco Ancelotti has backed him. Ancelotti is going into an environment where he has to rely on players that he knows. 

“Casemiro is one of his players at Real Madrid, right? So he understands Casemiro. Casemiro will understand what is required and there’s a good feel factor there. 

“When you have a relationship between you and a manager, it helps to propel you, so that is for me like a no-brainer. That’s an easy decision. He will be a significant player. He will be a huge player in that number six role that he plays at United.

“It won’t be surprising for him to be outstanding for Brazil because, one, they’re playing with better players, they possess the ball more. That means less running in terms of errors of going running back to your goal. So they expect to dominate teams. 

“Also, when you dominate teams, you ask any player, that’s the moment you enjoy playing football, when you dominate teams. So Brazil expect to dominate those teams until they get into the latter stage, but the early stage of the games or in the competition, the first round of the competition, Brazil will dominate these teams. 

“That means your confidence builds, your team is on top, that’s a footballer’s dream, really.”

Can Matheus Cunha take a starting role from Richarlison?

“Brazil’s striker position is up for grabs. If I were Carlo Ancelotti, I would sit tight. Richarlison is a bit hit and miss, although he’s getting a little bit more game time now compared to last season when he didn’t play at all. 

“Matheus Cunha, I think, is in form, but he’s not a number nine. I don’t think Cunha is a nine, and that’s the problem for Ancelotti, whether he plays with a nine or not. If he’s looking to play with a nine, then I don’t think Cunha is the answer.

“Cunha is more mobile, he’s athletic, he takes the ball forward, he takes on opponents. A number nine is someone who’s running in and playing with their back to goal. I don’t think Cunha is that. 

“People underestimate what a nine is. A nine is the only player on the football pitch who consistently plays with their back to goal. Nobody else. People say it’s better to play side-on rather than back to goal, but the position is designed for the only player that plays with their back to goal. That’s why it’s a specialist position. 

“If you don’t play it week in, week out, you may do a job, a part-time job for now, but you’ll never truly be a nine, because you’re not a nine. 

“The only reason why Harry Kane has scored so many goals, the only reason why Alan Shearer scored so many goals, is that they only play nine. They don’t play anywhere else. You look at myself or Thierry Henry. They started as wide players and then played nine. 

“Shearer never played right wing or midfield. Number nine, that’s why you become a specialist. Like a centre-back. They play centre-back. They don’t go right-back and left-back and all that. So you get to understand the role even more. 

“Goalkeepers don’t come out and play outfield, right? They play in goal. That’s why you become good at your position and instinctively know when to come out, how to take crosses. 

“Those are specialist positions. And I just think people don’t talk enough about those situations because when you ask it, yes, you can put somebody in a nine position, and it will look good for a period of time. But in reality, he’s not a nine. He can’t play nine.

“You know, he might do well for Brazil because it’s only five games. Playing as a nine, he might say, ‘I’ll do the job.’ He’s not going to say no, is he? Because you’re playing. 

“But really? Holding the ball, linking the play, getting on the end of things, that’s what you practice every day to get better. 

“However, I’m not saying he can’t do a job because it’s only a handful of games to win the World Cup. But will he then be a full time nine? Never.”

How important is Emiliano Martinez to Argentina?

“Goalkeepers are huge in any team. You listen to the experts or the players who play there and understand goalkeepers are huge. Your goalkeeper is huge. And Emi Martinez is proving it. 

“He’s a big personality, and Aston Villa are in the title race and that’s down to him. He’s playing his part, and he always has.

“The goalkeeper is a crucial part of your team. And he loves the pressure. He loves it. He strives for it. He won the last World Cup with them. Again, another opportunity for him. 

“He’s a big name. There’s no question that he’s written his name into the history of Argentine football.

“Back in the day, Argentina goalkeepers were a little bit dicey and shaky, but he is as solid as they come. And you certainly don’t want to get down to penalties because he tends to psych these guys out when it comes to penalties.

“In terms of what he brings to the table, what he brings to that Argentina setup, I would say, second only to Lionel Messi’s influence, he’s big.”