Notts County legend Les Bradd has revealed Jimmy Sirrel used to tell him to be more selfish – because he believed the club’s leading striker could have netted even more.
No-one has ever scored more for the Magipies than Bradd, who got 125 league goals for the club between 1967 and 1978.
But appearing on Notts TV’s Sportsweek, Bradd said his equally famous manager used to say he was capable of more.
He said: “Throughout my career I averaged about one in every three games. Jimmy was the manager for most of my career at Notts County, he believed I could score a lot more.
“He told me that I had to be more selfish. He actually educated all of the players at that time to be team players so to me it was more important that we got something from the game other than personal recognition.”
He added: “I recall one game at Meadow Lane, afterwards he called me in the office and I said I thought I’d had a good game. I said I thought I won everything in the got out wide, took players on.
” ‘Stop’, he said. ‘Your function in my team is to be in that 18 yard box causing havoc, creating chances, getting defenders to make mistakes and scoring goals.”
Bradd, 68, went on to break records for the Magpies before moving on to Stockport and Wigan. He eventually retired in 1982.
For more from Les watch the September 21 episode of Sports Week on Notts TV at 7.30pm, or see our catch up service from 8pm, where the entire series is also available on demand.
