Stuart Pearce has now revealed what he did at Nottingham Forest, which enraged Brian Clough.
The 62-year-old made the remarks when speaking with Geoff Shreeves on The Overlap about his time at City Ground.
So, what did Nottingham Forest legend Stuart Pearce say about another iconic man, Brian Clough? Let us have a look.
What Stuart Pearce has said about Brian Clough
The man who made 395 appearances for Nottingham Forest has now revealed how Clough “shunned” him at the City Ground.
Pearce answered, “He’d hate it if you got fired. The first time I got sent off was in Leicester. I tackled the right winger, causing serious bodily harm during the challenge. We come in at halftime, and Cloughy asks me, “Can you stay out of trouble in the second half?”
“I said yes. In the 47th minute, I mistimed a challenge against the same kid and was sent off. He refused to speak to me for a week. He just avoided me. It was as if to say, “If you let us down now, you’ll let us down when it counts the most,” and it taught me a valuable lesson.
Pearce eventually made 282 appearances under Clough, scoring 45 goals and providing five assists, so it appears that he benefited from his experience against Leicester.
Times have changed.
Pearce went on to inform Shreeves that despite being ostracized by Clough, he only collected five red cards in around 1,000 games of football, implying that Clough’s managing strategy worked well.
Unfortunately, managers nowadays are unlikely to regard such treatment as having the same influence, as footballers may run to the media to leak stories, and player power in the dressing room appears to be as strong as ever, with some earning more money than the boss.
Nonetheless, Nottingham Forest will always have a particular bond with Clough, and they can continue to appreciate the traditions that have made him one of the greatest managers of all time.
