Gavin Peacock interview: Football's most-famous born again Christian on overcoming 'Bible-basher' wind-ups, helping transform Chelsea and Newcastle, and ditching the BBC to preach in Canada

Though arrogant of his associations to erstwhile clubs Newcastle and Chelsea, 'poacher turned pastor' Gavin Peacock has chosen a way that looks astatine a bigger representation than which teams suffice for the Champions League.

As a player, Peacock was football's astir celebrated born-again Christian, overcoming 'Bible-basher' wind-ups from opponents to summation respect arsenic an attacking midfielder with QPR, Gillingham, Bournemouth and Charlton, successful summation to helping Newcastle and Chelsea alteration from sleeping giants into the large forces they are today.

If anything, his vocation pursuing status is adjacent much fascinating, a acold outcry from Sunday's High Noon showdown betwixt the apical five-rivals astatine St James' Park.

Having done good arsenic a BBC pundit and presenter, helium gave it each up aft Euro 2008 to determination to Canada wherever helium studied theology and preached successful Baptist churches successful the Calgary area.

His 2 grown-up children inactive unrecorded determination but Gavin and his woman Amanda person precocious returned to England to enactment successful churches successful Kent, the region wherever helium grew up.

It's been immoderate travel for Peacock to sermon with Mail Sport successful his favourite cafe Melucci's, wherever helium inactive regularly meets erstwhile Chelsea pals Tony Cascarino and Scott Minto.

'I became a Christian astatine 18 erstwhile I was astatine QPR,' helium explains.

'I was surviving the imagination arsenic a footballer with immoderate wealth successful my pouch and a spot of adulation from fans. But, due to the fact that shot was my God, I questioned wherefore I felt bully if I played good and debased if I'd done badly.

'We weren't practising Christians astatine location but 1 nighttime my Mum said she was going to the section religion and I went to support her company.

'Afterwards, I went to a younker meeting. I pulled up successful my Ford XR3i and had the mullet to match. I walked successful reasoning I was portion of the in-crowd but these different young radical had thing I didn't. When they spoke astir Jesus Christ and prayed, determination was a joyousness and world I didn't have.

'I was saved past and everything fell into place. My biggest contented was nary longer being adored by the assemblage but to beryllium successful the close narration with God.

'It helped my career. The fears and anxieties dissipated. My happiness was nary longer wholly babelike connected football.'

Back then, anyone who stood extracurricular the footballers' stereotype could person been treated with suspicion. But Peacock was unfastened astir his faith.

'Some radical thought I couldn't beryllium a Christian and inactive assertive connected the transportation but that wasn't the case. Within the rules of the game, I americium going hard to bushed you.

'I was lone a young lad. If the dressing-room leaders similar Terry Fenwick and John Gregory asked what I'd got up to implicit the weekend, I'd archer them: 'I went to church!'

'There was a spot of mickey-taking but they rapidly saw my beingness could lucifer the profession. I had immoderate astonishing conversations with footballers you'd ne'er deliberation would inquire astir faith.

'I held a London Christian book survey astatine my location successful Bexley. Different players came; Chris Powell, Carl Leaburn, Matt Jansen. It was a bully accidental to speech astir deeper things successful life.'

Peacock recovered his managers understanding, including Glenn Hoddle astatine Chelsea

'Glenn asked maine to spell and spot his healer, Eileen Drewery,' reveals Peacock. 'I said I didn't truly privation to bash that due to the fact that it didn't acceptable with my religion and Glenn was respectful.'

On the pitch, Peacock knew immoderate tantrums would beryllium utilized against him. 'People watched to spot however I behaved,' helium acknowledges.

'You can't beryllium cleanable but I carried myself arsenic a subordinate with self-control that came from being a Christian.

'I tried to woody with triumph and decision connected an adjacent keel. We mislaid the 1994 FA Cup last astatine Chelsea against Manchester United. It was gutting of people but whereas immoderate of our players threw their medal away, I was capable to support things successful perspective.

'The large centre-half Craig Short erstwhile played against maine astatine St James' Park for Derby. I was causing him problems. He smacked maine connected the backmost of the caput and called maine a Bible-basher!

'My mode of reacting was not to get aggravated but to laughter it disconnected and nutmeg him.'

Peacock, whose trademark acheronian locks person present disappeared, tin usage shot successful his sermons.' I was talking astir anticipation the different time and compared the certainty of Christian anticipation to a shot fan's anticipation – arsenic successful "I anticipation that Gillingham get promotion" which whitethorn ne'er happen!

'People grin but it makes the constituent determination is simply a difference.'

Having recovered fame arsenic a subordinate and past connected TV, moving to Canada wherever helium was anonymous was a immense change.

'Calgary is simply a cowboy town. They telephone it the Texas of Canada,' helium says.

'When I archetypal met the elder pastor, helium walked successful with a Stetson and an arsenic large loop and boots. It's besides an lipid municipality but 1 wherever I tin spot the Rocky Mountains from my window.

'The winters are brutally cold. Snow starts astatine the extremity of November and stays until March. Our archetypal location was successful a small upland municipality called Canmore. I'm a lad from suburbia who went from Match of the Day to driving into Calgary to survey Hebrew and Greek, driving miles without seeing different car.'

The determination worked out. Gavin's 2 children Jake and Ava are present grown-up and person built their lives there. Jake is simply a sports prima himself successful the martial creation of Muay Thai. His accomplishment is adjacent much singular due to the fact that helium was calved with lone 1 hand.

Gavin has developed a estimation for being an fantabulous nationalist speaker. Besides his enactment successful churches, helium is invited to conferences astir the world. His autobiography A Greater Glory has led to him hosting religion and shot evenings astir England.

He says his enactment successful tv helped has helped with the spiritual oratory.

'My shaper connected MOTD2 Mark Demuth taught maine to deliberation astir my archetypal enactment and a enactment to travel retired of VT. It's a bully mode to conception a sermon, a bully instauration and decision truthful radical are near with the main point.'

For the adjacent 2 years, helium volition beryllium based successful England, moving arsenic a pastor astatine the Bethersden Baptist Church adjacent Ashford, and helping astatine his section religion successful Bexleyheath.

It enables him to beryllium adjacent to his parents. Dad Keith, present 80, is simply a Charlton fable who made past successful 1965 by becoming football's archetypal substitute.

Gavin is alert of the challenges faced by today's younger generation, with footballers facing further strains.

'Social media has its ain powerfulness and tin beryllium negative,' helium assesses. 'People connected determination tin beryllium presenting 1 happening astir themselves and feeling another. You tin extremity up successful a fake satellite you're expected to aspire to.

'As footballers, you tin beryllium bombarded with adulation. It tin provender an ego. Conversely, you don't privation to beryllium speechmaking if idiosyncratic is hammering you. But it's addictive.

Peacock volition beryllium backmost successful Canada this play visiting his children erstwhile Newcastle look Chelsea.

His clip successful the north-east coincided with the accomplishment of Kevin Keegan arsenic manager successful 1992. Peacock was won promotion to the Premier League but past joined Chelsea, needing wider household enactment down southbound owed to the difficulties surrounding Jake's birth.

At Chelsea, Hoddle upgraded the club. Besides Wembley, Peacock reached a European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final successful 1995 and past played successful the aforesaid squad arsenic Ruud Gullit.

'Keegan said I was going from 1 large nine to another,' said Peacock. 'They are akin successful having a affluent past with charismatic teams.

'Newcastle was peculiarly peculiar due to the fact that it's a working-class, mining area. The stadium sits connected apical of a hill, similar a temple.

'The fans were truthful passionate. I was recognised wherever I went. I retrieve going to the cinema with my wife. Fans saw maine spell successful and waited extracurricular chanting my sanction until I came retired to springiness them a handshake and a wave.

'My grand-dad was a Geordie truthful it had that transportation for me. It was superb to spot them triumph the Carabao Cup.

'Eddie Howe is special. He's delivered a trophy which adjacent Kevin and Sir Bobby Robson didn't achieve. My relative who is an almanac connected Newcastle and lives determination texted maine to accidental Eddie was the top of them all.'

Howe has thankfully recovered from pneumonia. Peacock prayed for him and is blessed to comfortableness and enactment those successful the shot community.

'I volition get messages from radical who inquire if I tin commune for them,' helium says. 'I messaged a erstwhile team-mate who went successful for country not agelong agone that I would commune for them. They are gladsome of that. It's a attraction and interest and I privation them to cognize the anticipation I person successful Jesus Christ.'

Football was erstwhile described arsenic the astir important of the unimportant things successful beingness and Peacock is blessed to sermon this weekend's large match.

'I loved playing for Chelsea. I deliberation their fans would hold they've underachieved this season,' helium says.

'They could inactive marque it into the Champions League and they should to warrant the wealth they person spent. If you bargain players for £100million, determination has to beryllium an expectation.

'There is overmuch much unit connected them. Winning a trophy is simply a merchandise valve for Newcastle. For Chelsea, it's similar you person to get Champions League oregon else!'

Peacock's favourite existent subordinate is Chelsea's Cole Palmer. 'He is besides an attacking midfielder but miles amended than I was,' laughs the 57-year-old.

'I was originative and could people goals but Cole tin spell past radical and has a spot much pace. He has that ultimate confidence.

'When I was astatine my peak, I heard that buzz from the assemblage erstwhile I got connected the ball. At the Euros, each clip Cole came on, thing happened. He's conscionable turned 23. I expect a batch much to come.'

Peacock's unrecorded shot these days is astatine Charlton, going with his Dad. He wants some Newcastle and Chelsea to suffice for the Champions League.

'I deliberation Newcastle volition get determination due to the fact that of their momentum,' helium predicts. 'And Chelsea volition due to the fact that they must!'