A partnership of real threat
NIALL QUINN A FEARSOME FOE, REMEMBERS NEVILLE
MANCHESTER United legend Gary Neville has recalled how difficult it was to play against Peter Reid’s Sunderland side.
Reid guided the Black Cats to back-to-back seventh placed finishes in the Premier League between 1999 and 2001 – a position they have failed to better since.
In both seasons, Sunderland flirted with the top sides in the Premier League table and had some full-blooded battles with Manchester United – who won the league in both seasons – at the Stadium of Light.
Neville, who was a mainstay at right-back for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side during that time, discussed Reid’s Sunderland side with Black Cats legend Kevin Phillips and revealed how difficult it was to play against Phillips and his strike partner Niall Quinn. “I can remember specifically the partnership with Niall Quinn,” Neville told Sky Sports’ Football Show. “Niall used to pin you down and you could never get anywhere near him. He was an amazing target man in the sense that he didn’t just flick things on, he would pin you and it was almost better than a pass into Kevin.
“He was a constant threat all the time and he must have been Kevin’s favourite strike partner.”
Phillips then went on to unsurprisingly reveal that Quinn was the best strike partner he played with during his career.
“I think people underestimated big Niall,” he said.
“People used to just think he was a good header of the ball which he was but he had unbelievably quick feet for a big man.
“I was lucky enough to play with Peter Crouch who was in that ilk and Niall was right up there. I remember him scoring a goal away at Leicester and he surprised everyone in the stadium with a bit of magic feet with his feet.
“He had the ability to pin centre-halves and to look which you were running which was quality.”