Ex-Premier League ace saw old foe on train years later and asked 'want to finish fight?'

Posted Thursday, September 29, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

Leon McKenzie, who became a pro boxer after hanging up his boots, said he believed the fateful meeting with an old enemy who he claimed had spat at him, sparking a tunnel bust-up, was "meant to happen"

Ex-Premier League ace saw old foe on train years later and asked 'want to finish fight?'
Leon McKenzie had a spell at Norwich and played in the Premier League with the Canaries (Image: Press Association)

A former Premier League striker said he bumped into an old enemy years later on a train - and asked if he wanted to finish their fight.

Leon McKenzie, who became a pro boxer after calling time on his playing career, could hardly believe his eyes when he stepped onto the carriage and saw burly centre-back Guy Branston sitting alone.

Some years earlier, he said Branston had spat at him during a game, sparking a melee in the tunnel.

And when he clapped eyes on him on the train, it was soon apparent that he'd held a grudge.

Speaking on the Undr The Cosh podcast, McKenzie said: "I wanted to f*** him up.

Ex-Premier League ace saw old foe on train years later and asked 'want to finish fight?'
Leon McKenzie started his career at Crystal Palace (Image: Birmingham Post and Mail)

"He spat at me one game. I was at Norwich. He was playing for Rotherham and he sort of spat at me. I just went for him in the tunnel, but we never got connected.

"Honest truth, from my heart, about four, five years later, I get on a train. Guess who’s sitting on the train on his own, right in front of me as I’m walking on the train? He’s sitting on the train.

"But I don’t forget, yeah, so he’s sort of seen me, he’s like, ‘Oh, how you doing, mate?’ I’m like, ‘Mate? Do you want to finish that altercation?’ I said to him, ‘Do you want to finish that altercation right now?’

He’s like, ‘Oh, don’t be silly, mate. Don’t be silly.’

Ex-Premier League ace saw old foe on train years later and asked 'want to finish fight?'
McKenzie bumped into Guy Branston on a train years after their 'altercation' (Image: GETTY)

Just in the moment, I’ve gone, ‘Are you sure?' Because I’m still sort of holding onto it a bit, so just to make sure.

"Ever since then, good as gold. I believe that meeting was supposed to happen because there’s no teammates around, no one to stop anything, and in my head, I'm just like, now it’s just me and you.

"He was sitting down on the train and I was ready to fight, basically. But then I saw a side to him that...he’s not that guy. You make peace and go about it."

Ex-Premier League ace saw old foe on train years later and asked 'want to finish fight?'
Leon McKenzie (right) became a pro boxer after he finished playing football

McKenzie, 44, started his career at Crystal Palace and went on to play for clubs including Peterborough, Norwich, Coventry, Charlton and Northampton.

His dad is former British boxing champion Clinton McKenzie and his uncle is Duke McKenzie, an ex-world champion, so fighting was in his blood.

A few months after hanging up his boots in 2013, he had his first professional boxing match. He retired in 2017 with eight wins, one draw and two losses to his name.

He's spoken openly about his battle with depression and is now a speaker and ambassador for mental health.