“I was grateful to John Hollins” – Savarese on his short lived Swansea career

When John Hollins signed Giovanni Savarese for Swansea it was somewhat of a surprise but 14 goals in his time at the Vetch earned him a move to Millwall and now the former Swans striker has shared some of the highights of a playing and managerial career that has taken in many spots, most of them successful.

Savarese’s goals in his time in Swansea was not enough to stop is falling back to the bottom division just twelve months after promotion but it was an introduction to English football and a style that was very much different from what he was used to.

“I was playing under coach John Hollins,” said Savarese via the Coaches Voice.

“He knew how to handle the group, and I was grateful to him for bringing me to Swansea.

“I scored 14 goals, but they weren’t enough for the team to avoid relegation. They were, however, enough to earn me a contract with Millwall, who were in the First Division.

“I thought this was a good opportunity for me because it was a step closer to the Premiership, and it was also in London.

“In the end, my time there wasn’t as prolific as I’d had at Swansea. But, as with every team I’d played for, I learned things that now I use as a coach to understand players who come from different places, different backgrounds and different cultures.”

The interview with Savarese is an interesting one as he talks about conversations with Carlos Alberto, the legendary Brazilian captain together with his idol Gianluca Vialli who he felt he had many similarities with.

“I grew up following Italian football at the weekends,” he added.

“My parents were Italian immigrants who made it to Venezuela in the waves of immigration during the 1960s and 1970s.

“I have clear memories of us watching football on TV and listening to the Italian commentary on the radio. It was a tradition for us to watch a Serie A game every Sunday.”

Savarese’s transition from player to coach appeared to be a smooth one and one he prepared for over many years as a player – “I took notes from training sessions throughout my playing career. I always watched games from different leagues so I could learn more. How could I be a better striker? How could I perform better?

“I also took note of how my coaches did their job. And now I was excited about passing on everything I’d managed to learn.”

Giovanni Savarese was talking to A Coaches Voice