There is a mixture of puzzles and doubts, since Kevin Nancekivell begins to speak before the day they will be in Plymouth.
Are you sure this will be interesting? He asks a man whose life has dedicated himself to this proud football club before continuing to tell stories about Paul Gascoigne's advice, a grazing of the size of a small submarine for Jurgen Klopp and the inspiring nature of the FA Cup.
Yes, this is interesting and all these issues come before the best of all: how four days after having helped Plymouth's teacher the passage of the fourth round with a 1-0 clash in Brentford, Nancekivell received the freedom of the city in recognition of your service in Home Park.
Only 46 people have received the prize since 1917 and the last athlete to accept it was Tom Daley, the Olympic History diver, in 2023. That Nancekivell wonders if it is relevant to our discussion gives him an idea of his disinterest and humility.
“Look,” begins. 'It was an incredibly proud moment for me and my family. It was of tears to hear things that said about me. I don't know what it means I can do, but I would have been happy with a free grass! It is an incredible honor and I feel honored for everything.
However, the general delight for him reflects his position. Nancekivell is as green as the green grass of the homemade park: he was the child in the semifinal of the 1984 FA Cup that became the player who realized his childhood dream that became the man who now provides guidance Behind the scene.
Kevin Nancekivell was honored for his services to Plymouth by becoming a man free from the city.
The 53 -year -old player took the pilgrims to a famous victory of the third round of the FA Cup on Brentford last month
Nancekivell, 53, is a Miron Music assistant, the Austrian Bosnian who replaced Wayne Rooney as manager last month, but entered the caregiver role after the dismissal of England's legend for the game in Brentford.
Being temporary is not something that has been a surprise: he has done it many times in the last decade, particularly last season when he and former sports director Neil Dewsnip kept Plymouth in the championship on the last day, but the circumstances this time I felt different.
There was a despair for Rooney to go well. Nancekivell took a tour of the domestic park on his first day, explaining all the key points in the history of Plymouth in a mural outside the costume of the first team. When his departure was confirmed on December 31, there was an overwhelming feeling of dejection and a collective determination of correcting things in Brentford. The goal of Morgan Whittaker allowed them to do that and provided Nancekivell for a moment he will never forget.
“The last 12 months have been full of emotion and traumatic sometimes,” says Nancekivell. 'We made Steven Schumacher leave, Ian Foster entered and then going; Neil and I took things at the end of the season, then Wayne entered, and unfortunately he was too.
'This is my club, you know? It is my family's club and has always been. Everyone here are so interested in Plymouth and I know what the Green Army expects every time the team comes out because I am one of them. I carry that responsibility with me.
'Some of our followers live in Penzance: two and a half hours are needed to reach the domestic park. You see that fans go at 3 in the morning to go to Sunderland for a game and not return to the same time of the next day. Emotional and financial investment is huge.
'I live about 40 miles from Plymouth now, near Bude. It takes me 70 minutes to drive and I am talking on the phone all the time, seeing what is happening with the academy teams and everything else. I have to live so far because if I were in the city I would go to work at 6 am and still be there at 8 pm
'Then, in Brentford, everything came to light. I knew where my wife, Jo, and his daughters, Holly and Lauren were sitting, and I could see them when I ran to celebrate. What day was it!
Wayne Rooney was fired as Plymouth Chief in December with the club languishing at the bottom of the championship
Nancekivell served as a caretaker chief before Miron Muslic's appointment last month
It was an explosion of joy, a fist statement of what remains this wonderful competition. Nancekivell's lip shuddered when the crowd sang its name with Mrs. Robinson's melody of Simon and Garfunkel and did not need any affinity to appreciate everything.
It is not surprising that his phone exploded with messages, but a notification of Rooney on social networks that said 'delighted by this legend' said he would receive correspondence for days.
“I would have no idea of social networks,” he laughs. “But he was drinking a glass of wine, and one of the girls said:” Dad, have you seen what Wayne has put on Instagram? “It is a measure of the type of man who is. It still keeps in touch and a message is sent last week after beating West Brom.
Rooney, without a doubt, will be looking Sunday when Liverpool arrives. Of course, he will not coincide with the experience of 40 years ago, when Nancekivell was part of a battalion that went to Villa Park for a semifinal against Watford, but the joy of hearing him speak is contagious.
He was always in football and was an attacker midfielder for Bideford and Tiverton, for whom Nancekivell scored a Gol of the FA Cup against Cardiff in 2001. But he played six games for Plymouth, once scoring against Hartlepool, and the story of how he obtained his The opportunity is one for a book.
“They gave me a judgment in the summer of 2000,” he recalls. Everton arrived here. What team they had. They were Mark Hughes, Davie Weir, Scot Gemmill and Paul Gascoigne. I remember his left back, Alessandro Pistone, and I loaded him to win a shadow.
'I was stunned to get the ball, so I passed it next to him, I got the ball, threw it and ran back to half of the field. The following is that Gazza grabs me. “Reduce speed, son!” He says. “You're running too much here!” I told him. “I can't stop, I'm trying to get a deal here.”
'Gazza had to have the last word: “Don't worry, son. You'll be fine. You'll get one.” '.
Rooney shared his congratulations after Nancekivell guided Plymouth to the fourth round of the FA Cup
Nancekivell recalled to have been against Paul Gascoigne, after Everton, during his own game days
Such is his passion for Plymouth, this career enthusiast assumed responsibility in the five-men union of which his horses, Adaay in Devon and Maid in Devon, Wear-Green And-White, obviously, and obviously, obviously, and They, and them, and they, and they provide a distraction.
But Plymouth is never far from his mind and hopes that there is another fairy tale on Sunday.
“The last time Liverpool was here in 2017, the ginsters were our sponsors and introduced Jurgen Klopp this huge cornual cake,” he smiles. 'It was a wonderful night and although they beat us 1-0, it was all that should be the FA Cup.
'We are playing perhaps the best team in Europe, but we will give them a game. There is a buzz over the city again. It is wonderful to be part of.
And you know that this proud devonic means every word.