One-nil to Stan in battle of pundits

12:55pm Friday 11th July 2008

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He was only at Valley Parade for three months but still provided one of the great highlights of a miserable second season in the Premiership.

Ask any City fan for a positive from that relegation year and Stan Collymore’s goal against Leeds is bound to crop up.

Let’s face it, other than the win over Chelsea there were not too many moments to smile about.

Collymore’s deliciously-struck overhead kick from Beni Carbone’s perfect cross was vintage Stan.

And so, typically, was his goading reaction to the Leeds fans directly behind that goal at the Bradford End.

The image of him stood there in the teeming rain with his hands indicating the score is still a vivid one.

That effectively was it for Collymore as a City player. We never saw the best of him.

The same could be said of other teams he played for – including England.

When people talk about a wasted talent who never reached the heights their natural skills should have taken them, then Collymore is the number one case study.

It is seven years since he last kicked a ball competitively and he is still only 37. But football’s loss has become radio’s gain.

Having interviewed him – briefly – at Valley Parade, I know he is an articulate and intelligent fella, if slightly off beam at times.

And listening to him on the radio over the past few weeks, he comes across as an absolute natural.

It helps that his partner is Danny Kelly, for me the ubermeister of all sports talk shows, but Collymore comfortably holds his own.

Witty, erudite (his word, not mine) and clearly enjoying the buzz of thinking on his feet, Collymore is light years ahead of the likes of John “autocue” Barnes and any of the studio panelists that ITV wheel out.

Collymore fell out of love with playing football because he got bored. He needed a new challenge.

I hope he sticks with this one – and we see the guy really fulfil his undoubted potential.