Liverpool icon ‘modified’ Man City historical past – ‘we would not have had Pep Guardiola’
A Liverpool icon claimed he changed the course of Manchester City and Premier League history.
David James played for Liverpool for seven years between 1992 and 1999 during a storied career in England’s top-flight. The 53-time England international also turned out for Aston Villa, West Ham, Portsmouth – where he was part of the famous side that won the FA Cup in 2008 – and for City in the Premier League, but it was at the latter he unwillingly created a moment in football cult legend.
Named in between the sticks for the 38th time that season, James was replaced by Nicky Weaver and pushed up front by Stuart Pearce in the final minutes of the last game of the season against Middlesbrough in May 2005. City needed a goal to qualify for the UEFA Cup ahead of their opponents, but they were unable to force a winner despite the 6ft 5 keeper being thrown up front. However, James, now 55, believes a fellow former Liverpool star had an even bigger impact at City.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Sport, on behalf of Grosvenor Sport, who offer the latest World Cup Odds, James recalled the infamous moment and how he reflects on his brief cameo as striker.
He said: “I wish I made that run, I wish I’d done this or that. It happens a lot when I’m cutting the grass! I didn’t know that I was going to play up front, and for everything about preparing, if I had any inkling that I might end up outfield for City on that day, then I would have stayed behind and done extra training.
“I would even have had a chat with one of the wingers and said, ‘look, if you get in that position, just cross it and I’ll get on the end of it.’
“There’s a moment where I’m in the box and I’ve kind of gone one way, gone back the other way, took a heavy touch and ended up wiping out a couple of Middlesbrough defenders.
“The moment in my head is, I do a little sort of drag back and curl in the top corner! There’s many, many, many things that I think that I could have done. I don’t get frustrated by it.”
James was unable to help City force a winning goal and a missed penalty from Robbie Fowler meant the Citzens missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Cup at the expense of Boro, who were subsequently beaten 4-0 by Sevilla in the final.
City’s failure to qualify for Europe was a factor in the club facing a severe financial crisis, resulting in them having to sell Shaun Wright-Phillips to Chelsea for £21million that summer to avoid bankruptcy.
In 2007, the club was purchased by Thaksin Shinawatra before Sheikh Mansour’s oil money changed the league entirely when he bought City in 2008.
But if City had qualified for Europe, the club might not have been in such dire financial straits that forced the sale of the club, and subsequently, the era of dominance under Mansour and Guardiola.
James said: “From a City perspective and possibly a Premier League perspective, there is a story that Robbie Fowler says that had he scored a penalty, City would have gone to Europe and the club would never have been sold.
“And if the club hadn’t been sold, then we wouldn’t have had Pep Guardiola!”
