On This Day – 1st July
Steve McManaman left his boyhood club Liverpool with a heavy heart on this day back in 1999, joining one of the world’s biggest clubs in Real Madrid.
McManaman’s contract with Liverpool had expired on 30th June and he decided against signing another deal at Anfield, deciding instead to join Real Madrid. He became the second Englishman to play for the Spanish giants after Laurie Cunningham who played for Los Blancos between 1979 and 1984.
Over the next four years, McManaman won two La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues, a UEFA Super Cup and an Intercontinental Cup.
It was in the Champions League Final at the end of his first season at the Bernabeu that McManaman played his greatest match in a Real Madrid shirt.
Real played fellow Spanish side Valencia at the Stade de France in Paris, beating them 3-0. McManaman put in a fantastic performance that won him the Man of the Match award, scoring the third goal to seal the victory and their eighth European Cup.
In August 2003, McManaman decided that his time at the Bernabeu was up. It seemed an obvious decision as the arrival of David Beckham (who played in McManaman’s position) would severely limit the Liverpudlian’s first-team opportunities. He decided to move back to England and joined Kevin Keegan’s Manchester City where he stayed for two seasons until he retired from the game.
About Author
