Welcome to Transfer Talk, brought to you by Bet 365, where every nail biting Neil-Neil, every bizarre

VAR, every foregone conclusion, bad pass, slam dunk, tap in, false start, dead heat,

and absolutely expected defeat is amazing.

From football to tennis and ice hockey to motorsports.

Whatever the moment, it's never ordinary at Bet 365. Hello and welcome to another Transfer Talk podcast special. I'm very pleased to say

we're joined by the former Manchester City Chief Executive Gary

Cook. Gary, welcome along.

We're going to have you for a little while, so do be patient with us.

We just want you to give us an idea for our listeners,

a bit of your story, born in Birmingham Birmingham moved to the US in in 1985 and then you joined

Nike in in 1996 if my research is correct just just give us an idea of what your

role was back then.

I came from a football background, having worked in the football sports industry here in the UK and then obviously over there.

But my last job there was the most interesting.

I was the president of Michael Jordan's brand.

And of course, you know, that's a pretty good brand

to be involved in.

Quiet one then.

Let's fast forward to 2008, and did it come as a surprise to you when the Manchester City owner

then Tachshin and Watra approaches you to become chief executive of of the football club and

did you have any hesitation in accepting that?

You know a boyhood dream being British and following the Premier League and of course

...