QUINN’s ‘schOOL’ ReVIVAL
NIALL QUINN has revealed he became a Sunderland legend — by pretending to be a schoolboy.
Black Cats fans are hoping promotion to the Championship via the play-offs could lead to a return of the club’s glory days when Quinn and Kevin Phillips banged in the goals that twice took them to top-seven finishes in the Premier League.
Quinn joined for a club-record fee of £1.3million in August, 1996 and went on to enjoy the best days of his career — after turning the clock back to his youth.
“There were times when self-doubt creeps in,” admitted the former Republic of Ireland striker. “I had a couple of bad knee injuries, it looked like I was washed up.
“Before one game in the kickabout at five to three, I took a deep breath and looked around me and decided to try and pretend I was playing in a match I had played really well in.
“I brought myself back to a schools final I played when I was absolutely invincible and the game was easy. I lost all my worry about the two centre-halves marking me or the ability of the other team.
“I decided to enjoy it and I ended up getting four years of football where the game became so easy for me because I wasn’t in this cauldron in the Stadium of Light with all this pressure on.
“I was playing smaller matches where I stood out. I got a huge lift. It worked for me and my career took off from the ages of 31 to 35.
“The social life I had the 10 years before may have something to do with it, too.”
The highlight of Quinn’s career at Sunderland was his headed winner at rivals Newcastle in November, 2000.
“There were a few good days,” he said. “But the one that stands out was the header I got against the Mags.
“Micky Gray put one in from the far corner flag and I was galloping up the pitch. I was a bit slow getting there because we had been defending a corner. I ran as fast as I could, got there in time and planted a header in the corner and went over to the fans.
“We had about 700 fans up in the gods and they were like pigeons.
“That was the moment for me.
“They show it occasionally on television and it brings back the goosebumps.
“They were great times — and that day was the best of them all.”