Former City boss Brian Horton says iconic former Blues forward Niall Quinn was everything he could have hoped for in a player and a dream to manage.
Happy 60th birthday, Niall Quinn
The former Blues and Republic of Ireland striker celebrates his 60th birthday today.
Quinn represented City with huge distinction over the course of a memorable six-year spell between 1990 and 1996, making 244 appearances in total, scoring 77 goals.
Horton got to know Quinn well during his time as City manager between 1994 and 1996 where he fashioned a vibrant and hugely entertaining side during his Maine Road tenure.
He came to appreciate better than most the myriad qualities the big Irishman brought to the Club as part of a swashbuckling forward line that also featured Uwe Rosler, Paul Walsh and Peter Beagrie
And reflecting back in their time working together, Horton (pictured below) was fulsome in his praise and admiration for all that Quinn did both for him individually and City collectively.
City Vault: Enter The Mighty Quinn!
“I have to say Niall was an absolute dream to manage and such a top, top player for us,” Horton says today.
“I remember Niall had sustained a serious cruciate ligament injury when I took over as City manager which was such a blow as I knew even then what a key player he was.
“But I soon discovered he was not just a top player and a quality international but a top all-round guy too.
“He was brilliant in the dressing room with all the lads. The way he was with everybody was absolutely fantastic.
“He had this fantastic aura about him.
“Niall was also a very intelligent footballer. He had this knack of being able to pull off defenders which would give him time and space.
My memories of Niall Quinn’s Disco Pants weekend – David White
“Obviously being so tall, he was just brilliant in the air and he held up the ball brilliantly too while his movement and quality on the floor too was first class
“All the lads loved him and with good reason.
“I obviously copped for a fair bit of flak when I came in to manage City from Oxford United – what with the ‘Brian Who?’ headline and everything.
“But Quinny was a proper professional. He would listen to what we had to say, and he was just a pleasure to manage.
“From my point of view when you think about some of the senior players we had there, Tony Coton, Keith Curle, Niall and guys like that, you’d think sometimes coming in from a smaller club such as Oxford United that they could be hard to manage, but they weren’t.
“They were really, really good professionals and Niall was key in that.”
Quinn hails Kendall influence in City career
After moving on from City, Quinn went on to enjoy more success firstly as a player with Sunderland and then making a successful switch to the boardroom as Black Cats’ chairman after a brief spell as caretaker manager.
He also took on other numerous roles including an acclaimed spell as a TV pundit with Sky whilst also undertaking fundraising efforts on behalf of several charities including helping drive the construction of a children’s centre at City Hospitals Sunderland.
For an admiring Horton, all of those various endeavours were very much in keeping with the man.
“What Niall went on to achieve later in his career didn’t surprise me at all,” Horton adds.
“As I say, he always had that aura about him.
“He was a very good speaker. He was a very good mixer with players. He knew what to say to them and stuff like that.
“Obviously, he went with Reidy (Peter Reid) to Sunderland as a player first and got promotion again up there.
“Then seeing what he did as a chairman there was also no surprise to me.
“I think whatever Niall would have turned his hand to, he would have been successful no matter what because he always a very, very bright and clever guy.
“I can’t speak highly enough about him.
“He was an absolute top professional, and the sort of player any manager would wish to manage.”
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