Time & Perspective Quote by Kenny Cunningham

Athletes get praised for what they do under floodlights; Kenny Cunningham is praising Paul for what he does when the cameras relax. The line opens with the obligatory credential - “fantastic player” - then deliberately pivots to the real subject: a code of conduct. That shift matters. It signals that talent is common currency in elite sport, but character is the differentiator people actually remember, especially from those who shared dressing rooms and the grind of travel, injuries, and scrutiny.

“Off the pitch” is where reputations are quietly built or burned. Cunningham’s emphasis on “manner” reads like insider testimony: the day-to-day decency that rarely makes highlight reels. In football culture, where ego can be rewarded and celebrity can warp basic interactions, “always very humble” is not just a compliment; it’s a subtle rebuke of the expected script. Humility here isn’t sainthood. It’s restraint - a refusal to treat achievement as permission.

The sharpest phrase is “the paying public.” It’s a blunt reminder that fandom is an economic relationship as much as an emotional one. Cunningham frames Paul’s generosity with time as a form of respect for the people who underwrite the entire spectacle. “Had a lot of time” suggests patience: autographs, small talk, eye contact, dignity. In an era when access is increasingly managed and monetized, that kind of uncurated availability becomes its own quiet prestige - proof that success didn’t hollow out the person.