I was paid £7,000 to appear in GOAL and took my family to watch – then I found out they cut my scene from the film
Jamie O’Hara was today years old when he found out his former Wolves boss Dean Saunders was cast in the film GOAL.
Monday’s talkSPORT Breakfast hosts were cracking up as they listened to pal Gabby Agbonlahor putting on an American accent for one of the station’s adverts during the show.
But unbeknown to O'Hara, Agbonlahor isn't the only one to have tried his hand at acting, as it turns out Saunders has been handed a few acting gigs himself - including in 2005's popular football film GOAL.
When asked by Breakfast co-host Jamie O’Hara whether he’d done any acting, Saunders said: “I was in a few films Jamie.”
When the former Tottenham star looked shocked by this, he continued: “I was in GOAL! The film GOAL. Remember GOAL? I was in it!
“I got paid and everything.”
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“I was like a coach,” he added.
Unfortunately for Saunders, though, it turns out that despite getting paid a fine sum to be in the movie, his part never made the final cut.
He continued: “Did you ever watch Billy Elliot? The film about the young lad who’s a ballet dancer? His dad in that film [actor Gary Lewis] was in GOAL and he was one of the coaches.
“I was stood next to him in the classroom when the manager was walking round the classroom talking to the players and saying, ‘we’re going to do this’.
“I was stood there, I didn’t have a speaking part.
“I got £7,000 and they cut the scene out the picture! I was devastated!”
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At this point, O’Hara was cracking up.
“I told all my family I was in the film!” Saunders laughed. “Then when we got there I said ‘it’ll be on in a minute, don’t worry, my bit's on in a minute’.
“But they cut it out! But I got seven grand.”
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Saunders left any possible acting career behind three years later in 2008 when he became manager of Wrexham, who had just began what would prove to be 15-year stint in non-league.
He went on to manage Doncaster, Wolves, Crawley and Chesterfield.