I wish it had gone in... I would’ve been an instant legend
HENDRIE ON HIS GOLDEN CHANCE IN EPIC ATLETICO CLASH TO PUT VILLA IN SEMIS
IN his mind’s eye, Lee Hendrie can still see the chance.
It’s the last few minutes of Aston Villa’s last European quarter-final, 26 years ago. They are drawing 2-2 with Atletico Madrid following an epic second-half fightback on an electric evening in Birmingham.
With seven minutes to go, Steve Staunton manages to find him inside the area. Hendrie tries to bend it in but the shot is too close to the keeper. “It was a brilliant opening,” he said, “I would have been an instant legend if it had gone in.
“It really was a massive opportunity. I went for the far corner and hit it well but it was a good height for him.
“If I’d gambled and hit it further away from him, then we’re through.” Does it still rankle? Let’s put it like this: He didn’t take much prompting to recall the incident.
The former England international, now 46, can’t quite believe it has taken so long for Villa, who tonight entertain Lille in the quarter-final of the Europa Conference League, to reach the last eight of a European competition again. Yet the memories of that UEFA Cup night remain clear. He said: “John Gregory had just taken over as manager and he made changes. He brought in me, Gareth Barry and Jlloyd Samuel – he’d known us from the Under-21s and he pretty much put me in the team straight away. I hadn’t been in the side for long when we went to Madrid for the first leg against Atletico.
“It was at the old Vicente Calderon. The atmosphere was a joke. It was so intimidating
“They had the likes of Christian
Vieri, who went on to be transferred for a world-record fee, and a No.10 called Kiko, probably the best player I’d come across by that stage.
“It was unbelievable because every time he wanted the ball he’d whistle for it. He just kept whistling and whistling. It was high-pitched.
“I was talking to someone afterwards about it and they said: ‘Rather than shout all the time, that’s what he does, he whistles.’ Whether it was because of the crowd noise I don’t know but I have never heard of anyone do it since. By the way, Kiko could play.”
Hendrie (below) recalls both legs as though they were played last week.
“Over there we were battered for long periods of the game,” he said. “I think we just about stayed in it – although they only won it thanks to a penalty from Vieri. And Mark Bosnich nearly saved it.”
So, it was all to play for in the return. The atmosphere may have been hot in the Spanish capital but, thanks to a second-half fightback, it was equalled that memorable in Birmingham. As Hendrie recalled: “The return leg...wow. It was one of the best games I played for Villa and one of the best nights I’ve ever experienced there.
“We went one down early on (to a goal from Jose Luis Caminero) and I think that took the sting out of it a little bit. It looked as if we had left ourselves too much to do because we couldn’t get back into it but I remember playing a ball into Julian Joachim who set it back for Ian Taylor to pull one back with about 20 minutes left.
“It could only have been a couple of minutes later when I chased a ball down the left. I flicked it inside to Stan Collymore who stepped inside and smacked it into the top bin. The place erupted.
“I thought: ‘We’re going to win this’ and the hairs were standing up on the back of my neck. The crowd were going wild. And that chance...I always look back and wish it had gone in.”
Atletico went through to the semi-finals on away goals but were denied a place in the final by Lazio. The Italian side were then beaten 3-0 in the final by Serie A rivals Inter Milan, whose third goal was scored by none other than Brazilian superstar Ronaldo
Hendrie said: “We were a good side. We had the likes of Stan, Steve Staunton, Taylor, Bosnich, Gareth Southgate. We pushed and pushed but we couldn’t get over the line. Who needs ’em, eh? Those nearly moments...”