THIS SAYS EX-CITY STAR NIALL QUINN
HE had the best seat in the house for the greatest day in Manchester City’s history.
But Niall Quinn reckons 2019 will trump 2012 and Sergio Aguero last-minute winner – with the ultimate prize in the Champions League.
Despite spending six years of his career at Maine Road, Quinn, 52, is remembered more for a match he called from the commentary box than any of the 241 games he played in.
This was the final day of the 2011-12 season. Martin Tyler was in the Sky Sports hotseat – Man United in the driving seat. The defending champs beat Sunderland while City were losing at home to QPR.
But not for long.
Edin Dzeko scored a stoppage-time equaliser to make them believe and then Mario Balotelli picked up the ball on the edge of the QPR box.
Quinn, Sky’s co-commentator that day, said: “I’m looking down at my notes, noticing that Balotelli has
delivered an assist in any of the 72 games he’d played for City.
“And then he made that pass to Sergio. We all know what happened next, Sergio scoring, Martin Tyler delivering that wonderful piece of commentary – the AGUERRRRRRO line. There and then, I got caught up in the ecstasy of the moment, thinking back to my days at the club, all the friends I’d made there, all the supporters who stuck by us through thick and thin.
“And I’m thinking of them as the Balotelli stat gets forgotten.”
That said, Quinn’s contribution – “the greatest moment in Premier League history” – was also memorable.
The ex-Republic of Ireland forward said: “Afterwards my boss came up to me to say well done for being quiet and not getting in the way of Martin’s commentary. It was his moment, not mine.” More than that, it was City’s moment. Their first title since 1968, their first time being out of Manchester United’s shadow since the 1930s.
Five more trophies have followed and with another Carabao Cup Final guaranteed this term with a 9-0 first-leg lead over Burton in the semi-finals, Quinn (above) reckons 2019 will go down as the year when City get elevated to an even higher status.
He said: “I wouldn’t rule anything out. Looking at the league, Liverpool rather than Manchester City probably decide things.
“City have the squad to do something big in Europe, and while it is not the easiest thing to call, for me this could be their year in the Champions League.
“Yes, there is a lot of talk they have bought their way to this position but a lot of clubs have done that in the past too. Chelsea did it, while United always had a huge income to outspend City until these owners came in.
“And it still feels like they are chasing and it will feel that way until the Champions League comes and they have that full set.
“You do feel that with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich not firing, this might be the time for them to do it.
“But remember it is a cup competition and you cannot afford to be off guard at all in this competition. You get bitten.
“The regret teams have when they crash out in the quarter-finals or semi-finals is huge.”
Huddersfield v Man City,
Today, Sky Sports Main
Event, 1.30pm will HISTORY: Aguero’s moment in time