Spain's still the place for pundit Armstrong

It should not surprise Brighton fans that Gerry Armstrong is fluent in Spanish. After all, he spent two seasons with Real Mallorca before playing for the Albion in 1996, but not many fans will know he is still connected with the game in Spain.

The former Northern Ireland international is a permanent fixture on Sky television where he covers the Primera Liga and all from the comfort of his family base in Sussex.

The much travelled striker, brought to the Goldstone Ground by Alan Mullery after spells with Tottenham, Watford, Millwall and West Brom, is quick to compliment the standard of Spanish football.

He said: "I go over there occasionally and do the big games like Barcelona against Real Madrid. The rest of the time I'm in the studio, I've been working too hard to be honest. I am a co-commentator and football analyst for Sky Sports covering Spanish football every weekend and this is my sixth year in the job.

"I have also been doing Asian World Cup qualifiers for Eurosport and I'm doing some stuff for UEFA.com too. I work every Saturday doing live broadcasts. I love the Spanish football the most, it is a very high quality.

"I think the Spanish League is ahead of the Premier League at the moment technically. In the Premiership here in England, there's a lot of excitement, but I think sometimes it's too fast and players don't really put their foot on the ball.

"Italy is too slow and boring for me. At the moment I think Spanish football is a happy medium between them both. The world class players like Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane are there.

"Spanish sides have done so well in the Champions League and UEFA Cup too. I think that bears out what I've said. Last season there were four Spanish teams in the quarter finals of the competition."

The football does not just keep the viewers on the edge of their seats, Armstrong says he never knows what game he will be commentating on until very late in the week.

"I don't know what game I'll be covering at the weekend until the last minute," he said. "But after six years of covering Spanish football I know all the teams inside out. Sky will call me and leave a message. There are usually a choice of three and if the editor of the show can't pick the best one, then he'll ask me."

The vast majority of Armstrong's work takes place in the evenings when the Spanish games take place. All of which leaves the amiable Irishman with plenty of free time during the day.

Armstrong took up golf four years ago and he now plays off a handicap of 16. When we meet he has a putter in one hand, and is about to dash to Hassocks for a game with another ex-footballer, Kevin Buck.

But despite his hectic timetable, Armstrong insists he and his family are very settled in Sussex.

He said: "I moved down here after the World Cup in 1986 to sign for Brighton and I like the area.

"I like the people and my wife is from Brighton. My two girls love the area too. It is handy for me for work, getting to Gatwick to fly to Spain or wherever."

Armstrong has every reason for maintaining a close connection with Spain. Most football fans will remember the 1982 World Cup in Spain where Armstrong's strong running and goalscoring exploits earned him the accolade of British Player of the Tournament.

His winner against the host nation is probably still the defining moment in Northern Ireland's World Cup history.

Nowadays instead of hassling defenders, the striker takes his stresses out on the running machine at Dragons Health Club in Hove where he is a recognisable face.

Armstrong said: "My wife and I were the 71st and 72nd members, now they have over 2,000. We joined at the outset and it's a very family, homely club. I know all the people here, they know me and we feel comfortable here."

Armstrong arrived at Hove as an ideal foil for Dean Saunders and Terry Connor in June 1986 and he went on to make 55 appearances in which he scored seven goals.

His first season at Brighton in 1986 resulted in relegation to the old Third Division but he was a member of the team that bounced back immediately.

He explained: "Alan Mullery brought me to the club and he got sacked soon afterwards. Barry Lloyd took over and we went down. Then the following year it was great because we bounced back and it was a bit of a rollercoaster ride and the club was going up and down like a yo-yo.

"It was a disappointment to see Alan go because I'd only been at the club a couple of months. We were seventh in the league in the old Second Division and I thought we were going quite well.

"As players, you don't really understand the financial problems behind the scene and you have to accept it and get on with it.

"It is nice now I am working with Alan at Sky and we talk about Brighton all the time. When you are at a club for along time which Alan was as manager, it's the first result you look for.

"When I pick up the Sports Argus on a Saturday, I'm always looking for a Brighton result, a Tottenham result and for Watford."

Armstrong, who also had a spell as player-coach at Crawley Town, insists that the future has rarely been healthier for the Albion despite the recent loss of manager Micky Adams to Leicester City.

"It is nice to see them playing some good football and they have a strong side," he said. "Now the only thing is the stadium, and Falmer will hopefully provide that.

"I totally understand Adams' decision to go to Leicester. He's done a job at Fulham, got them promoted and then found himself out of a job.

"Fulham pleased themselves bringing in Kevin Keegan, so on this occasion he pleased himself after doing really well for the club over three or four seasons.

"Adams took Brighton up, constructed a good side and the legacy is there as the last two matches have shown. I think he did a good job for Brighton and hopefully now he'll go on from here. I can understand his decision to move on because I think he took Brighton as far as he could."

As an ex-international striker Armstrong is well qualified to access the merits of Brighton's current hot-shot, Bobby Zamora.

He added: "For a lot of people the jury is still out on Zamora. That's because he has scored all his goals at a relatively low level. But I don't think it makes any difference. I think if you score at this level (Division Two), and great goals like he has, then I think he can score them at any level."

Zamora has made a great start to his career, if it is anything as varied and diverse as Armstrong's it will certainly be interesting to follow his progress.

James Nursey james.nursey@theargus.co.uk