The best Georgi in Manchester since Best. If you were a City fan in the 90s, he was the reason you bought a ticket.
Like many of the great signings of that chaotic decade, City bought him on the back of one dazzling performance. It came in March 1994, when Georgia demolished Wales 5–0 in Tbilisi. Kinkladze tore through the opposition, leaving even seasoned internationals chasing shadows. Neville Southall later admitted: “They murdered us. Kinkladze was different class and the best player on the pitch by a mile.”
Clubs took notice. Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and even Boca Juniors invited him for trials, seduced by his quick feet and balletic balance. Yet none committed. Manchester City did - and into the madness of mid-90s Maine Road he arrived, a player of continental flair at a club more accustomed to crisis than silverware.
What followed was a paradox. There were moments of genius that fans still talk about in reverential tones. His solo goal against Southampton in 1996, when he weaved past five defenders before lifting the ball over Dave Beasant, remains one of the most iconic in Premier League history. On his day, he was untouchable - defenders fouled him because they couldn’t catch him; fans adored him because they couldn’t believe what they were watching.
And yet, he couldn’t prevent City’s decline. The 90s were an unforgiving era for mercurial number 10s in England. The 4-4-2 was gospel, and Kinkladze’s natural habitat - floating between the lines - was viewed as luxury rather than necessity. It’s telling that both he and Juninho at Middlesbrough, two of the most technically gifted imports of the decade, ended up playing for relegated sides.
Still, City fans clung to Kinkladze like a lifeline. He wasn’t consistent. He didn’t dominate every game. Sometimes he drifted into anonymity. But when he lit up Maine Road, it felt as though the floodlights burned brighter. In the darkness of a difficult decade, he was the spark.
Eventually, the inevitable came. A £5m move to Ajax promised a grand stage, but he struggled to fit into their system. Derby County offered him another shot at English football, where flashes of brilliance returned but never with the same magic he produced in sky blue. The world never truly got to see the full weight of his talent.
And yet, perhaps that is what makes him unforgettable. Ask any City fan of that era and their eyes soften, their voice takes on a nostalgic warmth. They remember the nutmegs, the mazy dribbles, the impossible balance on muddy pitches. They remember a player who gave them hope when everything else felt bleak.
Georgi Kinkladze could frustrate. He could disappear. But in one sudden movement - a turn, a feint, a shimmy through three defenders - he could lift you from your seat, your heart in your mouth, giving you something you would carry with you for years.
Fleeting. Unpredictable. Unforgettable.
Georgi Kinkladze. One of one.
We also think you'll like...