Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWhen Georgi Kinkladze arrived at Manchester City in the summer of 1995, the Georgian playmaker was one of Europes most promising young attacking talents.It didnt take long for the former Dinamo Tbilisi midfielder to become a cult hero at Maine Road, with the signing coming just as the still-young Premier League was beginning to establish itself as a viable destination for some of the continents best players.This was proved evident in the fact that City were able to see off AC Milan, one of that eras greatest sides, to Kinkladzes signature.Kinkladze on snubbing AC Milan for CityThere was interest from Italy, but [City chairman] Francis Lee was very determined, Kinzladze tells FourFourTwo as he looks back at his 1995 move to England.He flew to see me and convinced me that City was a place where I could be the main man. I didn't know much about Manchester, but I liked the idea of a challenge in England. You may like People said I looked like I was gliding when I played; that was thanks to the dance training - Georgi Kinkladze explains the unusual secret behind his Premier League stardom I have no regrets about turning down Liverpool and Manchester United. I needed that Bolton experience in my life Youri Djorkaeff on his 2002 Bolton move Youri Djorkaeff explains how Johan Cruyff's future influenced his move to Inter Milan It quickly became clear to the young Kinkladze that English football was very different to anything he had previously experienced.When I arrived, the football was very different. It was much faster and more direct. The weather and the food were hard to get used to, but the fans made it easy. From the first day at Maine Road, they treated me like one of their own. That connection was instant.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Alan Ball was the City manager at the time, having spent the previous season in charge at Southampton, famously building his team around Matt Le Tissier, instructing his side to Just the ball to Le Tissier. So was that similar with Kinkladze at City?Alan Ball was very important in my development as a player, he continues. He loved technical players and wanted the team to play with flair, even if we were struggling in the table.The 90s were a different time and sometimes I was targeted by foul play. If you tried to dribble, someone would try to kick you. Vinnie Jones and the Wimbledon Crazy Gang were famous for it. What to read next I dont remember Pep Guardiola telling me before a game, Jeremy, when you have the ball, do this and do that. He has given me a lot of freedom Jeremy Doku on the advice his former Manchester City boss handed him Kevin Keegan: how Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton and Newcastle fell Head Over Heels In Love with King Kev The late Kevin Keegan exclusive, on the upsides and downsides of his spell in Germany But I had played in the streets of Tbilisi so I knew how to jump over a tackle. I always thought that if they couldn't catch me, they couldn't hit me.Those early Premier League days saw a number of big-name foreign players join the league, with Kinkaldze admitting that it was an exciting time to be involved.It was the start of something new, he adds. Seeing Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Bergkamp and Juninho arrive in the Premier League was exciting and it felt like the league was opening up to creative players.The long ball reputation of English football was changing.TOPICSManchester CityPremier LeagueJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromRich Chamberlain
