World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

Weknewtherewasn’ta lotbetwen
Bayernand us.Wehad drawn th
themtwiceandtheyhad alreadywonhe
leagueandcupinGermany,sotheywre
playingfor thetrebleaswell.
Wehad ourmostinfluentialplayer
missinginRoy Keane.Wehadso many
fantasticplayers,butwithoutKeanewe
weren’tthesame.Hewasourleaderan
drivingforce,asheshowedagainstJuvents
inthe semi-final.Weknew we hadto
beontopof ourgameforthefinal.
Bayernstarted fantastically.Theywent
1-0 up andcould have gonetwo,three
orevenfourup;theyhitthebar, thepost,
andPeterSchmeichelmadesomegreat
saves.But whenthegamestaysat1-0,
youalwayshavea chance.
Itwas a strangedressingroomat half-
time–there wasn’tmuchsaid.Wehad
dominantplayers,buttheyweren’tvocal:
JaapStamandRonnyJohnsenwerebig
anddominant at centre-halfbutnotvocal;
DenisIrwinwasever-presentbut quiet;
DavidBeckhamandRyanGiggsweren’t
vocal;GaryNevillealwayshad somethingto
saybuthewasn’tdominant thenbecause
hehadsenior playersabovehim.
Buttherewasaninnerbelief.You looked
aroundandthought: “I knowhe’sgoingto
fightuntilthebitterendtomakesure
we’ve gota chanceofwinning this game.”
Athalf-time,SirAlexcametome
andsaid:“Ifwe’restilllosing1-0 after 15
minutes,you’regoing on.” So I satthere
thinking:“Pleasedon’tscore.”
I wantedto be partof thegame.I didn’t
wantmyteamtowinwithoutme doing
anything– I won’tdenythat.Thenin
thefinaltenminuteswecamealive.
WhenBeckstookthatfirstcorner,itwas
getting desperate becauseSchmeichel
hadcomeup.Becksplayedtheball to the
farpost.DwightYorketriedto helptheball
backin.StefanEffenbergtriedtoclearit
anditwenttothe edgeofthe box. I saw
itfalltoGiggsyonhis rightfootandI’m
thinking:“Thiscouldgoanywhere.”
Hescuffed hisvolleyanditcame

NEXTISSUEONSALEJANUARY 21

bobblingtowardsme.I triedto hititas

hardasI canand scuffedit offmyankle

pastthegoalkeeper, andinto thegoal.

I knew I wasonside butasI turnedaway

tocelebrateIhadtolookovermy shoulder

tomake sure thelinesmanhadn’tput his

flagup.I sawhimwithhishandsdownand

wentoffto celebratein frontofthefans

• they were going absolutelynuts.It was
  like: “Right,thisisgoingto extra-time.”
  Twentysecondslater,wehadanother
  corner. Thecrowdaregoingnutsnow
  becausetheyknowwe’rein thefinal
  secondsandwe’vegotanother chance.
  Becksgoesacrosstotakeit,andnow
  I’mfeeling tenfeettall. I’mthinking: “Put
  thatballwhereveryouwant– I’mgoing
  toheadit, I’mgoingtoscore.”
  Asheputtheball in Igotacrossmy
  manand rose up to headitinthenear

ManchesterUnited2 BayernMunich1

1999 ChampionsLeaguefinal,NouCamp,Barcelona

The1 999 ChampionsLeaguefinalwasonef themostdramatic
ofalltime– andTeddy Sheringhamwasrihtatthe heartofit.
After comingoffthebench,hescoredonegoaland assisted
another as ManchesterUnited sealedanhistorictreble...

TeddySheringh m

post, butinstinctively IknewI wasupa bi

too early. People that understand foot ll

willknow: in that splitsecondyou c nge

yourmind. Irealisedthatifhea t for

goal, it’s goingtogooverthear, so all

I candoisheaditintoa reaat thefar

postand hope one mymatesis there.

AsI flick tothe farpost, I couldjust

e puttingit into theroofofthe net.

Everyonejustexploded. TheBayern

endwentcompletelydead;theirplayers

werelyingon thefloor– they just

couldn’tbelieve what hadhappened.

Howdo youexplainit?It’s likeRoyof the

Roversstuff – thesethingsdon’thappen.

Itmust have been twominutesof

celebrationsbeforewewalkedback;

20 secondslater, thefinalwhistlewent.

Itwas pure ecstasy. Some peopleask:

“Isscoringagoalbetter thansex?”

I thinkthatnightitwas.

Interviewby UEFA.com.Celebrate

30 Seasons of That#UCLFeelingbyvoting

foryourultimate momentin#UCL history.

Enternowat UEFA.com/30Seasons

CLwinners...

Sheringhamlifts

thetrophywith

DavidBeckham

SirAlexsaidtome:“Ifwe’re

stilllosing1-0after 15 minutes,

you’regoingon.”So I satthere

thinking:“Pleasedon’tscore”

MYBIGGEST

GAME

i i