When a young, spindly-legged Mustapha Izzet made his debut as a substitute against Sheffield United, he could have been forgiven for turning around and heading back down the tunnel. The vociferous Filbert Street crowd were directing their anger toward then manager, Martin O’Neill and the announcement of Izzet drew bewilderment from the terraces. Two promotions, two League Cups and a World Cup semi-final later and he has become a part of foxes folklore. Soar Magazine grabbed a beer with the mesmeric Muzzy Izzet to find out about the man behind the magic…

“I’ve tried to find my feet since retiring from the game and I’ve enjoyed spending time with my family. Now, Steve Walsh and I will be running our Soccer Academy across Leicestershire and we’re looking forward to giving something back to the community.”

When injury prematurely curtailed Izzet’s playing career there was a sudden professional void in his life, which is about to be filled.

“Football has been my life and I’ve never known anything else to be honest, so I’m excited about getting involved in the game again. We’ve played at the top level and we’ve got some great contacts, so I hope to be able to point the kids in the right direction.”

That love for the game, which he hopes to share with those attending his soccer academy, can be traced back to his early days in London.

“From a very young age I was inspired to play at Upton Park for West Ham, the team that I supported. My first heroes were Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie and I was hooked on football straight away.”

After serving his apprenticeship with Chelsea, Izzet was spotted by Martin O’Neill and John Robertson who persuaded the precocious talent to join the Foxes on loan for the 1996 promotion push.

“Martin has that hunger, desire and will to win as a manager and he knew that he would turn things around at Leicester. I was a naïve, young boy when I joined the club and I’d barely been out of London. That first day against Sheffield United was daunting, but I was sure I could make an impact and let people know that I meant business.”

And he did just that, scoring the winning goal at Watford which squeezed City in to the play-offs and later earning the penalty at Wembley for Garry Parker’s equaliser as the Foxes edged past Crystal Palace to reach the Premiership. The next four years were a dream for the young midfielder.

“I loved going in to work everyday. It wasn’t even like work to be honest, it was just football and I couldn’t wait to be there. The camaraderie was incredible and I was looked after well by the senior players.”

There were bad days though, as Izzet had to deal with highly-publicised racist chanting from sections of Everton and Leeds supporters, due to his Turkish heritage.

“It could easily affect some people but I honestly didn’t let it get to me, because if you do then you let people win. I’ve never hidden behind what or who I am. You have to get on with your life and ignore the negative stuff as much as possible.”

That determination and desire to prove people wrong was put to use as Izzet attempted to make an impact in the international arena.

“In terms of the England call-up that never came, I couldn’t have played any better than I was and with talent like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard waiting, I decided that Turkey was the best option of me playing international football.”

How right he was. Having a Turkish father allowed him to experience Euro 2000 and most notably the 2002 World Cup, where he played as a losing substitute in a tight semi-final against eventual winners, Brazil. It wasn’t straightforward though.

“For my time with Turkey I had a translator helping me, but if I’m honest I was just going out on to the pitch and playing my own game as instructions weren’t getting translated through to me.”

It could be said that it was just as difficult for other managers to get their message across too. After the departure of Martin O’Neill to Glasgow Celtic, Izzet played for a host of Leicester managers in a short space of time. How did they compare to the man that discovered him?

“Peter Taylor didn’t spend wisely and it didn’t work out for him. Some of his signings were ok, but he paid over the odds and his biggest mistake was breaking up the team too quickly. Dave Bassett came in to be ‘Harry Houdini’ but we all knew that Micky Adams was the long-term plan. It was difficult for him to move from being your mate, as the coach, to being the boss, but Micky did well.” After suffering his second relegation with Leicester, Izzet decided to move on and was highly sought after by a host of top flight vultures.

“I was chased by Blackburn, Villa and Birmingham. I didn’t get the right vibe from Graeme Souness at Blackburn who was talking about playing me on the left-side of midfield. David O’Leary didn’t have any cash at Villa and they were stagnating, so I chose Birmingham and Steve Bruce, who was about to sign some decent players.”

Injuries ensured that Birmingham fans never saw the best of Muzzy and soon after leaving the club rumours were rife that the former fox was about to return home for one last swan song.

“It was actually Tim Davies (former LCFC Chief Executive) who tried to bring me back to the club after I had left Birmingham. We talked about doing it, but I’d done myself no favours by trying to play through pain for two years and it just wasn’t possible to come back. I would have given anything to have worn the shirt again though.”

Now, apart from coaching with his former captain, Steve Walsh, Izzet donates his name and his time to a cause that is close to his heart.

“Back in my playing days, and don’t ask me why, I was always able to get on well with kids that we visited in hospitals. I felt that by getting involved as a patron for Wishes4Kids I could channel this in to making a difference for those less fortunate.”

It seems that this family man, with a heart of gold, is about to embark upon the next exciting chapter of an intriguing career. Let us hope that some of his magic will rub off on to the foxes of the future.

For more information on Muzzy Izzet and Steve Walsh’s Soccer Academy visit www.legendsuk.com