Sky Blues fans could argue its superiority ahead of the overhead kick scored by Wayne Rooney for rivals Manchester United against City in February 2011 which subsequently won the 'Best Goal' award at the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards.
As a player, Platt ironically began his career in 1982 as an apprentice at ‘the old enemy’ Manchester United, before signing for Crewe Alexandria in 1985 where he initially gained a reputation as a goal scoring midfielder.
Winning the Milk Cup in 87’ with Crewe, the free scoring and strong running midfielder finished with 56 goals in 134 league appearances.
Mid-way through the 87/88 season an approach from Aston Villa was established, the Villains’ stumping up £200,000 for his services.
His goal scoring from midfield continued, helping the club gain promotion to the first division at the delight of the Villa Park faithful, who had experienced the agony of relegation only the season before.
The following campaign, the club was on the brink of the league title, only for their hopes to be dashed by the supreme scousers of Liverpool. Nevertheless, Platt was rewarded for his fine form with the PFA Player of the year award, and an England international call up in November 89’ by then England boss Bobby Robson.
His consistent form would not go unnoticed by Bobby Robson, who picked Platt as part of his 22 man squad for World Cup Italia 90’.
His inclusive was as a squad player and his involvement in the group stages proved just, with two substitute appearances against the Irish and the Dutch, the final group game against Egypt spent on the bench for its entirety.
However, with England now in the knockout stages, they faced the belligerently bold Belgians who hit the post twice, and John Barnes having a goal disallowed for offside, wrongly so I might add, meant the two teams played out ninety minutes to the tune of nil nil.
The old adage ‘Cometh the man, cometh the hour’ certainly was to reign true as David Platt was brought on as an extra time substitute.
With the two teams locked goalessly with the prospect of penalties looming large, in the 120th minute, the last minute, Platt rifled in a screaming volley on the turn from a pin-pointly accurate Paul Gascoigne free-kick, David’s first goal for his country, what a time to open your account on the international stage.
"I had an eye for getting on the end of that sort of ball and the technical ability to finish those chances off. I worked hard on practising overhead kicks and volleys in training at Aston Villa but, even so, if I had re-enacted that chance against Belgium 10 times in training the next day there's a very good chance I wouldn't have scored once from it. It was just one of life's rare, perfect moments."
"The one place where things didn't go right was almost as soon as I left the pitch. One minute I was euphoric and the next I was being hauled off for a random drug test. It was hot and you're so dehydrated after playing that it took 40 minutes – which passed very, very slowly – for me to produce a sample. I was in a room with a couple of Belgians who were seriously unhappy because they'd just been knocked out. I didn't know what to say. By the time I came out the other players all had their suits on and the euphoria had passed"
Platt is immortalised for THAT volley and those decisive few seconds on 26th June 1990, in Bologna, Italy.
He started the next game against Cameroon, opening the scoring, latching on to a Stuart Pearce cross on the 25th minute. England would go on to win the game 3-2 in extra time.
With England reaching the semi-finals, West Germany stood in their way for a place in the World Cup final. The game finished one a-piece over ninety minutes, England again dicing with extra time. Platt had a header disallowed for offside, a dubious decision. Extra time concluded at a stalemate, Penalties the decider.
Platt managed to score England’s third penalty despite the Germans number one Bodo Illgner getting a hand to his effort. However it was not enough and England were beaten and out of the tournament, the Germans, victorious.
Thereafter at club level, the 1990/91 season would prove to be his last at Villa Park, continuing to contribute to Villa’s goal tally.
On 21st of July 91’ he transferred to Italian side AS Bari for £5.5m, the move proved relatively successful, in a league notoriously renowned for its defensive prowess, Platt carved out 11 goals in 29 league games, an impressive achievement especially for a midfielder.
The following season however proved less so, with the club relegated.
The big guns of Juventus came calling in 1992, Platt signing in June with the Bianconeri for £6.5million.
He helped ‘the old lady’ win the Uefa Cup in 93’, although not named amongst the substitutes for the final, he picked up a medal as part of the squad.
Throughout the season he found cementing a first team place a struggle, playing only 16 matches with a goal return of three.
His off the field friendship with Sampdoria captain Roberto Mancini would help end Platt’s Turin nightmare.
Roberto using his influence to lever a transfer for Platt to join him at Sampdoria, the move came in July 93’ for £5.2million.
Platt’s tenure with Sampdoria was exactly 2 years in duration, ending on 14th July 1995, he totalled 17 goals in 55 league outtings.
Not before he helped the team win the Coppa Italia in 94’ with future England manager Sven Goran Eriksson at the helm.
With his Italian football playing career concluding, David Platt had matured into an experienced and well rounded technical footballer, possessing a range of passing and finishing skills as well as being astute on the dribble.
A return ‘home’ to English football seemed the likeliest destination for the 29 year old.
On July 10th 1995, north London outfit Arsenal signed him for £4.75million, the first signing by new manager Bruce Rioch in his short tenure.
Rioch was sacked a year later after a dispute with the clubs board, despite a 5th place finish in the league.
With Wenger preferring the new partnership of Petit and Viera in midfield, Platt’s first team appearances were limited, although he was still a solid contributor from the bench, responsible for the headed winner against Manchester United in a 3-2 victory for the Gunners at Highbury.
The double winning season of 1998 proved to be his last as he opted to take a year out to concentrate on coaching.
Platt had a short stint at managing Sampdoria soon after in Serie A but a dispute over necessary coaching badges resulted in his resignation soon after.
Given the opportunity of Player-manager at Nottingham Forrest in 99’, his tenure lasted 2 years, as he struggled to gain promotion back to the Premier League with financial backing.
On July 21st 2001, soon after leaving Forrest, he was appointed England Under 21’s boss, guiding the squad to the 2002 under 21s European Championship, however he stepped down after failing to qualify for the same tournament 2 years later.
He was succeeded by Peter Taylor, Platt then worked in the media as a pundit for various TV channels.
In July 2010, Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini and former team-mate of Platt’s at Sampdoria, announced David’s appointment as first team coach, a role he continues to revel in alongside Mancini.
Fast forward to present day and Manchester City having failed to win in their first two pre-season games, Roberto Mancini’s squad have turned things around and won their last two matches against Turkish side Besiktas and Premier League rivals Arsenal, who they dispatched 2-0 with goals from Pablo Zabaleta and Yaya Toure at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium.
They dilligently disposed of a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpar last night 3-1, courtesy of Aguero, Tevez and Johnson before Malaysia pulled one back.
No comments:
Post a Comment