Paul Lake, the unfinished hero of Manchester City

TO late eighties and the early nineties, the industrious Machester was the fashion site In England, the place to be. He acid house, the raves and of course the United and City. “London, who doesn't usually look over his shoulder, he looked at usYes, we were the city that was cool. ” Paul lakemaybe the great cult hero citizen. On the other end of the phone, he guides AS about his tough personal story, such as City captain at 21You are able to refuse a blank check from Sir Alex Ferguson and retired prematurely at 26 after a knee injury, and over his city, Manchester. The legendary Madchester (pun on the term madcrazy) who lived in the first person a unfinished star who managed to compose himself in physiotherapist, overcome a depression and 16 operations to be able to walk and today it is ambassador of the Premier League. An icon with only 110 games for City.

A boy who went to the old stadium in Maine Road and what with 19 years old led the most remembered victory about the hated United. On September 23, 1989, a 5-1, the last against the red devils in 13 years. “How City fan it hurts me to say that we have lived in the shadow of United a long time, “admits Lake,” our seasons depended of win the derby, but with the Arab investment, Mancini, Pellegrini and the incredible Guardiola, that has changed, the City has grown in a meteoric way. “As was the career of Lake himself. Early defense and midfielder, international u21 and shortlisted for Italia 90, he had it all. “United, Liverpool and Arsenal bid for me,” he recalls, as a preface to the narration of a very serious knee injury in 1991 than sank his career. “It was a catalog of errors. I had to go through a tibial osteotomy that straightened my left leg to compensate for all the operations on my right knee and I keep having problems. Is a constant memory of what could have been in soccer… “, she is sincere. She never played again. That is why she dedicated her new life, after leaving it in 1996, to offer your help. Study Physiotherapy and was a counselor. “They made me feel like I was worth nothing, I want today's players to receive the best help possible“It refers to the then owner of the City, Peter Swales, that after going Lake to have surgery in Los Angeles made him return to england in economy class with the knee recently intervened. Eight hours of martyrdom. “We were footballers who we were worth millions and they had signed us insurance policies they covered only 10,000 pounds. It is inconceivable. “

It wasn't all painLake also experienced what it was like to be a young footballer in that Manchester and at The Haçienda, a disco (now demolished) so mythical that Puma has honored it in the second kit of the current City. Nights with The Stones Roses, New Order and the Oasis of the skyblues Gallagher. “It was a wonderful time, the city vibrated and proudly wearing the City jersey at a nightclub was part of our culture, “he recalls. Three decades later, Lake lives with his family and works for the Premierbut her heart beats in sky blue thinking of a possible Orejona. “It seems that the Champions always dodges us and the Madrid is very strong with and without RamosBut if there is someone you want to have in your corner, that is Pep, he is a magician. “