FOOTY legend Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock has lifted the lid on boozy trips to Dublin when he played for Liverpool.
The Reds side in the late 90s were dubbed the ‘Spice Boys’ because of their flash image and partying lifestyle.
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Razor, 56, said he and pals like Robbie Fowler and Ireland ace Jason McAteer would fly in for benders after games.
He said: “At Liverpool, when we let off steam, we really did let off steam every chance we got. The drinking that went on was phenomenal.
“Nights out often went international. After a Saturday game at Anfield it wasn’t unusual for us to fly over to Dublin and get straight on it.
“Twenty-two minutes it took on the plane, I remember it clearly. They knew us so well at Liverpool Airport that we didn’t even have to show our passports.
“Straight out onto the runway and that was that. Dublin was always another level.
“Someone would suggest it and the rest of us would be like, ‘No! What did you say that for? You know what that means? We’re going to have to do it now!’
“The intention was to come home Sunday morning. All too often though, we’d end up coming back on the first plane on Monday.
“We’d already have pissed our wives and partners off by going in the first place.
“With the damage done, our attitude was we might as well stay out there – in for a penny and all that.
“Me and Robbie Fowler got fined for going to Dublin and not getting back in time for Monday morning training.”
“Not that I only did a disappearing act in Dublin. Not coming home was a longstanding habit of mine.”
In his new book Toxic, Razor has opened up about his hard-living past – and also shared a raft of stories about his team-mate’s antics.
Jason McAteer, who was capped 52 times for the Boys in Green, is singled out in particular.
Razor said: “Like any group of pals, we might go away together – a time to forget the pressures of football and also revel in the acute daftness of McAteer.
“When a few of us went on holiday to Ibiza and rented a minibus for the 30-minute ride to the coast, Jason climbed onboard with a massive bag of ice.
“‘Jase, what are you doing?’ ‘It’s ice, to keep the beers cool on the beach.’ ‘But it’s 35 degrees. It’ll melt before we even get there.’
“‘Oh yeah,’ he considered. ‘I’ll go and fetch a spare.’”
‘BETTER FOOTBALLER THAN BRAIN’
“Jason was known as Dave in our dressing room, the name that the spectacularly dozy Trigger from Only Fools and Horses always called Rodney.
“We’d have called him Trigger but that name had already gone to Rob Jones, a man who once asked how he’d recognise the bride at a wedding.
“It was a shame because Jason had been called Trigger at his previous club, Bolton Wanderers, and really did deserve the name.
“I’ll never forget being with him when he locked his car keys in his new Porsche outside his house.
“Taking pity on him, a passing police officer offered to try to open it up using the old trick of sliding a coat hanger down the gap between the window and the handle. ‘If you could just fetch me a hanger, sir?’
“Thirty seconds later Jason appeared with a wooden one. Based on an application Jason made for a credit card I’m not quite sure how he was ever allowed near enough money to buy a sports car.
“Filling in the form he turned to me: ‘Raze, it says here position in company. What shall I put? Right-back or midfield?’ Thankfully, Jason was a much better footballer than he was Brain of Britain contender.”
Just as I was setting off in the direction of the legend that is Jimmy White, Dave came stumbling over and pushed me out of the way
Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock
Razor also told of a hilarious time in Dublin when McAteer put his foot in it when they met snooker star Jimmy White in a nightclub.
He laughed: “One night we were all on the piss at a legendary nightclub in Dublin called Lillie’s Bordello.
“We were quite far gone at the time but despite things being a bit blurry I spotted, out of the corner of my eye, the snooker legend Jimmy White.
“I f***ing love a bit of snooker and with Jimmy being a south London boy I was all over it. ‘F***ing hell, lads,’ I said to the others, ‘look over there. It’s Jimmy White!’
“’Right then,’ I said, downing a cheeky shot for courage, ‘I’ll go and say hello.’
“Just as I was setting off in the direction of the legend that is Jimmy White, Dave came stumbling over and pushed me out of the way.
“‘AAAAAAAAAYYYYYY, JIMMY!’ he shouted at the top of his f***ing voice.
“Even with all the noise Jimmy heard Dave’s call and after recognising us he waved and began to come over.
“As Jimmy began his journey across the club Dave assumed the position of a snooker player mid-shot and, as Jimmy got within a few feet, Dave cried out the immortal words, ‘ONE HUNDRED AND EEEEEEEEEEEEIGHTY!’
“What a f***ing plonker, Rodney. Sorry, Dave. I get so confused.”
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