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Controversial striker Stan Collymore was thrown a lifeline by Leicester
City manager Martin O'Neill, with a move to Filbert Street, in February
2000. Collymore had endured a turbulent time at Aston Villa and Villa
boss John Gregory was only to happy to be rid of the wayward frontman.
O'Neill decided Collymore's undoubted talent was worth the gamble and
after an impressive start, which included a hat-trick against
Sunderland, it seemed the highly popular Irishman might just be proved
right. Naturally, Stan had made the headlines for all the wrong reasons
shortly after his move to City, with an incident in a Spanish hotel, but
the game with Sunderland saw him in the spotlight for all the right
reasons.
His opening goal was an absolute beauty - rifled into the top
corner from 25 yards to leave Sunderland keeper Thomas Sorensen groping
at thin air. His second was a powerful header and the hat-trick was
completed when he bundled the ball in from close range. Stan had linked
up magnificently with Emile Heskey to leave City fans licking their lips
at the prospect of the two of them playing havoc with Premiership
defences. Sadly they were to be disappointed as Heskey moved to
Liverpool days later whilst Stan's season was cut short when breaking a
leg against Derby County. The departure of O'Neill, who seemed as if he
may be the man to get the best out of the enigmatic Collymore, meant the
summer arrival of Peter Taylor from Gillingham.
Taylor selected Stan
for the first game of the new campaign, a 0-0 draw against former club
Aston Villa, but thereafter he remained a substitute. Collymore made it
clear he was not happy with the situation and he left the club, once
more surrounded by controversy, with a move to Premiership strugglers
Bradford City. (David Scranage)
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