On Psycho's path

Andy Burton didn't really want to go to Sweden... until he saw Stuart Pearce telling him otherwise!

Ready for one final push behind inspirational Pearce

Before I left for Sweden I agreed to write a blog. I also promised my boss I wouldn't put anything controversial in it. Thankfully, he's on holiday so probably won't read this. And therefore I'm going to break my promise. I'm going to start by saying something controversial... I really don't want to be going to Sweden. And I can understand players not wanting to come to this tournament either. I know what you are thinking, but hear me out. When I woke up this morning, I didn't want to come to this tournament. This season feels like it has gone on forever. I can't really remember when it started. The middle bit is nothing but a blur. And as for the end, it feels like it's never coming. And I've not once laced on a pair of boots or strapped on some shin pads. I can hear you now... "You've got a dream job, what are you talking about?" And you know what? You're right. Yet working in football takes its toll on you and at this time of the year a lot of people are suffering. However, most of them are on holiday. This season I've seen more airports than Simon Cowell has seen bad singers. If I have to check in to another soulless hotel I might go insane. I miss my girlfriend (she's way too good for me, I'm not even in her League), and I miss my son too. Being away from the people you love - this time for another 22 days - isn't easy. It's the same for the players. Exhausted. Drained. In need of a rest. And most of their club managers would rather they were heading to a beach somewhere than a tournament - if Arsene Wenger can try and send Theo Walcott on holiday, why can't my boss do the same?

Advert

I spent the first 30 minutes of my day trying to think about how I could wriggle out of this trip. I bet some of the players had thought it at some point too. Even if only for a split second. Then I put Sky Sports News on and I saw the advert promoting our coverage of the tournament. You've probably seen it - it's the one where we stuck Stuart Pearce's face stuck on an army recruitment poster. "Your Country Needs You" he declares. As I watched that advert, and Stuart Pearce glared at me from my TV screen, I knew I had to get on that plane. Stuart Pearce is a legend. A genuine hero of mine. When he talks to you, you listen. I don't know what it is that he's got, but he's got it. Honestly, if he told me to run through a brick wall, I'd try and do it (but if you're reading this Stuart, please don't). He brings out this pride at being English - and it all stems from his penalties. I'm 31 years old. Italia '90 is the first tournament I really remember properly. I remember three things clearer than the rest. That David Platt goal against Belgium. Gazza's tears. And then there is Stuart Pearce's penalty. When it was saved, and England's dream began to fade, I cried my eyes out. It was hideous. The worst thing that had ever happened to me. Six years later it was Euro '96. That was the first tournament I could watch in the pub with a beer. I'm not a big drinker by any stretch (far from it in fact), but my mates and I had just turned 18 and it was an amazing summer. Maybe the best. And that summer Stuart Pearce became my hero. When he exorcised those demons in the shoot-out against Spain, I felt like I was celebrating with him. The clenched fist. The outpouring of emotion. The scream. It made you want to be there and jump on his back and celebrate with him.

Emotions

If I was there I definitely would have jumped on him. I sometimes wish I could jump on him now and scream something at the top of my voice. But that would just be weird. Too much time has passed and it would make any subsequent interviews really awkward. Pearce evokes those emotions in a lot of normal people. It's because he is a normal bloke. One of us. We all felt like he did, win or lose. He evokes those emotions in a lot of players too. To a lot of the players in this England Under 21 squad he is also a hero. Yet he is more than that. He's their Gaffer. And I think he is a massive reason why we've got such a strong squad. There are no David Bentley's resting themselves for next year's World Cup with the senior team. These boys wouldn't do that to him. They're the ones that have had the exhausting season, not me. Some of them, like Gabby Agbonlahor, have been playing since July. But Stuart Pearce has helped put the England Under 21 side back on the map. They're important. They're a team worth watching. They come here with a real chance of winning this tournament. None of them are thinking about their holidays. None of them wanted to miss this. When I saw Pearce on that Sky Sports advert this morning, and saw the highlights from two years ago, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. We saw drama that we could never have dreamed of. England may have lost in a semi-final again, but it was an amazing ride. All of a sudden I wanted to be in Sweden with them. That's a good job to be honest, because I'm writing this on the plane to Gothenburg. I could never tell my boss I wasn't going. He's scarier than Pearce. There's one guy missing though who really wants to be here. Steven Taylor. He captained this team through the qualifying campaign. He was the guy called a 'cheat' two years ago by Holland coach Foppe De Haan when he said he wasn't sure if he could take a penalty in that dramatic semi-final shoot-out. He was the guy (which Foppe De Haan seemed to forget) who had played for 30 minutes of injury time with a seriously damaged ankle because his team had used up all their substitutes. He was the guy who pretty much hopped up on one leg to take the penalty - and scored it. When he scored, he punched the air. There was another release of raw emotion. That celebration was just like watching Pearce all over again. Steven is back at home now with an Achilles injury, and he is a big, big loss for this side. If he could be here he would. I know that he played through the pain barrier to try and keep Newcastle in the Premier League in the final weeks of the season. Ultimately, his efforts were in vain. If Newcastle had 10 more Steven Taylor's they wouldn't be in the position they are in right now. If England had one Steven Taylor, they'd be in an even stronger position than they are in right now. The team needs someone to step up and fill the void. Not just in defence. But they need a presence. I'm not sure yet who it's going to be but Stuart Pearce will bring it out of them. After all, they've probably all seen the advert too... 'Your Country Needs You'. Is Stuart Pearce YOUR hero too? How do you think his side will fare in Sweden? Let us know by filling in the feedback form below...