Stuart Pearce: My Dad Wouldn't Let Me Stay Down

Phil Foden was sent off at Old Trafford on Sunday for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. Whether the reaction that followed earned the red card has been argued about ever since... Stuart Pearce has a view on what going down has done to football, and it comes from a long way before any of this. His father wouldn't accept him staying down. Never show the opposition you're hurt. Never roll your socks down at the end of extra time, because you're telling them you're tired ❌ He tells Jeff Stelling that simulation saddens him, that nobody in the ground enjoys it even when it's their own team, and that the answer isn't punishing players - it's backing referees so they can say it's unacceptable. At the moment, he says, whoever falls over gets the free kick, because giving it is the safe call 🙌 He also explains why he was sent off only five times in a thousand matches despite the reputation, the referee who let him off when he should have gone, and why he'd never help an opponent up or congratulate a goalkeeper 🤝 This episode was recorded before Sunday's derby. Pearce isn't talking about Foden or Fernandes - the example he gives is Riccardo Calafiori in Arsenal against West Ham back in May, 2026. From the full episode with Stuart Pearce on The Jeff Stelling Show, filmed on Wednesday 13th May 2026. ▶ Watch the full episode:    • Stuart Pearce Reveals What’s WRONG With Fo...   🔔 Subscribe to OLBG so you don’t miss an episode of The Jeff Stelling Show:    / @olbguk   🚨 Win THREE football shirts from a club of your choice Enter NOW - it's completely FREE! 👕 Enter at 👉 https://prizes.olbg.com/raffles/your-... 18+ | UK Entrants Only | T&Cs apply #StuartPearce #PremierLeague #ManchesterDerby #JeffStelling