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Born in Marburg, Germany, Eike Immel was 34 years old when he arrived at
Maine Road in August 1995 to help the club out of a goalkeeping crisis.
The Blues' three senior 'keepers - Tony Coton, Andy Dibble and Martyn
Margetson - were all out of action through an assortment of injuries, a
situation that forced manager Alan Ball to spend £400, 000 on the VfB
Stuttgart goalkeeper. A veteran of three European Championships, Immel
was the holder of 19 German caps and had played nearly 600 games in the
Bundesliga for Stuttgart, and prior to them, Borussia Dortmund and his
first club, Eintracht Stadtallendorf. After signing on August 17th, he
had just one training session with his new team-mates before making his
debut two days later in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham in the season's
opener. City's goal that day was scored by his fellow countryman Uwe
Rosler, a man credited with being influential in persuading Immel to try
his luck at Maine Road and one who helped him not too inconsiderably
with his early language difficulties.
Following his debut, Immel went on
to play in each and every one of City's 38 League games of the 1995/96
season (along with Kit Symons, the only ever present in the League) as
well as playing in eight more cup-ties. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall,
he was a goalkeeper who preferred to punch rather than catch the ball
but continued his reputation as a terrific shot-stopper, regularly
saving what was at the time a poor City side from even heavier defeats.
He was such a consistent performer that even when first-choice Tony
Coton got himself back to full fitness he had to contend himself with a
seat on the subs' bench. Ultimately though it was a desperately
disappointing season, one that ended in relegation from the Premiership
on the final day with a 2-2 Maine Road draw with Liverpool. Back in
Division One, 1996/97 was a season of five managers and four
goalkeepers. Immel kept his place for the first four games (two home
wins and two away defeats) before losing out firstly to Dibble, then to
Margetson and finally, in March 1997, to new arrival Tommy Wright. He
played exactly fifty times for City before finally retiring from the
game in 1998. (Ian Penney - author of The Legends of Manchester City)
Senior career
1978–1986 Borussia Dortmund 247 (0)
1986–1995 VfB Stuttgart 287 (0)
1995–1997 Manchester City 42 (0)
National team
1975–1976 West Germany U-15 4 (0)
1975–1976 West Germany U-16 5 (0)
1977–1978 West Germany U-18 4 (0)
1979–1986 West Germany U-21 14 (0)
1980–1988 West Germany 19 (0)
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