Viv Anderson, 68, won the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest and was the first black man to represent England at football, going on to earn 30 international caps. 

Aside from Brian Clough’s Forest, he played at right back for Arsenal, Manchester United, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Middlesbrough. 

After hanging up his boots, he turned to coaching, before becoming a goodwill ambassador for the Football Association. 

The father-of-three lives in Timperley, Greater Manchester with long-time partner, Nicole, and their son and daughter.

What did your parents teach you about money?

They taught me to be very careful with money, as it can disappear very quickly.

Their thoughts were prominent in my mind when I finally did get some money.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

As a schoolboy, I used to travel to Manchester United from home in Nottingham to train during the holidays.

That ended when I was 16, and the club said I wasn’t going to make it with them.

My parents told me to get a job and put football behind me, so I got work as a silk screen printer making warning stickers for the back of lorries.

Luckily, I was only there for six weeks before Nottingham Forest signed me up as an apprentice on £7 a week.

Two years later I turned professional, and my wage shot up to £80-a-week. That was a lot of money for an 18-year-old.

I used to put some away as the club insisted we save and start a pension.

Have you ever been paid silly money?

When Brian Clough came in as manager, he said: ‘You’re not getting any of your bonuses – no £50 for a draw, £100 for a win – until we get a certain number of points.’

We all had to agree on a number of game points, and only when we reached that figure would we start to earn bonuses. Cloughie wanted to reward success, and that was really clever as we’d work our socks off to earn our bonuses.

If we were on £100 a game for a win beforehand, under Clough we’d each get £1,000 a win, and we’d find ourselves higher up the league and vying for trophies. He was a genius at motivating us.

What was the best year of your financial life?

I went from Arsenal to Manchester United in 1987, and there were only three players on more money than me at the time. I’d say that period was the best of my career, financially.

The most expensive thing you have bought for fun?

I bought a 6 Series BMW when I was 22. I can’t recall what I paid, but it cost a lot of my wages. It was a very decent car for a young lad, but I’ve always liked my cars, so I splashed out.

What is your biggest money mistake?

Buying that bloody car! I didn’t realise it at the time, but when you buy a nice big car, as a young lad, the insurance is going to kill you. The petrol wasn’t too bad, but the insurance came as a shock.

Best money decision you have made?

Buying a house. I left my parents’ home and moved a mile down the road into a little house.

That was my best decision – I was a homeowner at 21 and I’m still enjoying the benefits of getting on the property ladder so early.

Will you pass your money down or spend it all?

I have memorabilia, such as my first England shirt, that will to go to the kids, and I’d like to think I’ll help them out financially. That’s my intention.

Do you have a pension?

I’m that old, I get a pension income from the Government! I’ve also always kept up payments into my private pension. I’m reaping the benefits now.

Do you own any property?

Yes, I own my five-bedroom house. I’ve been a homeowner ever since leaving my parents’ house all those years ago.

I live in Timperley, which is near Manchester Airport. I’ve been around this area for 30- or 40-odd years.

When I was manager of Barnsley FC, I’d travel across to work, the same with Sheffield Wednesday.

When I became Bryan Robson’s assistant at Middlesbrough, I could fly to Teesside, so I’ve not needed to move with every job since leaving Arsenal in 1987, which makes financial sense and is better for the family.

If you were Chancellor, what would you do?

I would raise the state pension contribution level by something significant – 5 or 10 per cent. I’m sure it wouldn’t be popular, but I don’t think enough younger people realise just how essential it is to have a pension in later life.

Sure, you can advise people to invest or save, take out personal pensions but too many don’t and they are storing up trouble.

What is your number one financial priority?

The family. One of my children, Charlie, is grown up and recently became a dad for the first time, while my other two, Ruby and Freddie, are still teenagers and live at home.

Making sure they are provided for when I die is, of course, essential, but it’s not just that.

I want to do what I can for them now, and, as such, my priority is to make sure they are safe, that they have money in their pockets, and that they know they are and will continue to be looked after.

Who will win the World Cup?

I like the French and I like the Spanish, as they both have great players, but on any given day, nobody wants to come up against England.

I went to two World Cups, although I didn’t play in either tournament, and we always talked about the importance of not losing the first game.

If you get something out of it, the momentum grows, you gather more confidence as the tournament progresses.

Nobody wants to play England in a one-off game. I’d put my favourites as France, then Spain, followed by England.

Viv Anderson is an after-dinner speaker represented by the Champions Speakers Agency and founder of PlayOnPro, a global networking platform that connects sports fans and ex-sports professionals.