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Macca attack England midfielder caps first Spanish season in style
Posted: Wednesday May 24, 2000 06:27 PM
SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) -- Recent history is littered with English players who have failed to adapt to the rigors of European soccer. Steve McManaman doesn't look like being one of them. The 28-year-old midfielder was instrumental in Real Madrid's 3-0 win against Valencia in the historic all-Spanish Champions League final on Wednesday. The former Liverpool player, a cross country champion as a teenager, covered every blade of grass at the Stade de France and acted as the perfect supply line to the Spanish giant's talented front three. With Valencia coming back into the match after conceding a first-half goal, the English player hit a rasping 67th-minute volley from 20 yards to set Real on its way to a record eighth victory in Europe's premier club tournament. Many pundits regard "Macca" as the most gifted Englishman since Paul Gascoigne -- a player who impressed in England but flopped in his foray abroad at Lazio. But not every Liverpool supporter was sad to see the back of the player when he left Anfield for Madrid on a Bosman free transfer last summer. Some still talk of a magnificent goal at Celtic in the UEFA Cup when, in the final minute, McManaman collected the ball outside his own penalty box, dashed fully 70 yards and unleashed a left foot thunderbolt to earn Liverpool a 2-2 draw. Just as many others recall a series of listless performances in a declining Liverpool side of the late 1990s. Macca has found a new lease of life at the Bernabeu. Playing in a far deeper role, he's learned when and where to make his darting runs into opposition territory. McManaman's impressive displays won't go unnoticed back home -- and should improve his claims for a place in the England team at this summer's European Championships. "Most of all it's the team that made it a fantastic victory. No doubt it's the most fantastic game I have ever played in," he said after the victory over Valencia. "You have to get the respect of the Spanish players and you have to show them that you can play. It's been a big battle but thankfully I did that."
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