My first football shirt: Dan Walker

As part of our first football shirt series we spoke to BBC presenter Dan Walker about his first and favourite football shirts. 

We covered football shirt cushions, the legend that is Tony Vessey and shinning volleys. This interview was featured in Your First Football Shirt.  A book of interviews published to raise money for CALM.

What was your first ever football shirt?

On this day in 1981, Ricky Villa scored 'that' goal in the FA Cup final against Man City. #COYS pic.twitter.com/9p3126FTLD

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 14, 2016

My 1^st ever shirt was the Spurs FA cup shirt of 1981. My Dad was a Spurs fan and tried to brainwash me from an early age but I turned my back on him and went for my home team of Crawley Town instead.

What is your favourite ever football shirt?

I have recently had a few old kits turned into cushions but my wife has already chucked them in the attic.

I caused a bit of a mini riot at our school when I turned up in a green German second strip in the 1990’s but my top kit would be my Crawley Town shirt with ‘Vessey’ on the back – that’s club legend ‘Tony Vessey’ by the way.

What is your favourite goal?

Now that is a tough one. It changes all the time but my favourite player is Zinedine Zidane so I’ll go for his volley to win the Champions League Final for Real Madrid at Hampden Park in 2002.

I tried one of those once and I shinned it straight in the air but the French master made it look like a doddle.

Thanks to Dan for speaking with us! If you want to read more about the football memories of players, writers, and more you can buy the full Your First Football Shirt book. Discover Alan Shearer's first ever football shirt, Carl Anka's most cherished shirt and more. All proceeds go to the charities CALM and Willow.