While no trip to Manchester City could ever be described as a relaxing day out for any opposition team – even without Erling Haaland in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI – at least Fulham won’t be heading to the Etihad Stadium this weekend knowing that their Premier League status rests upon securing three invaluable points.
Not like in April 2008, when Roy Hodgson’s Cottagers side produced a dramatic twist in their improbable ‘Great Escape’ tale; coming from 2-0 down to triumph 3-2 in England’s North West.
That is one of just two wins the Londoners have enjoyed over Man City in the last 14 years. But what became of the Fulham team who showed such character and no little quality on that exhausting, exhilarating afternoon in 2008; proving beyond all reasonable doubt that diamonds are, indeed, forged by pressure?
Fulham’s team from that famous Man City win
Kaser Keller
Alongside Brad Friedel, Washington-born Keller helped spark a proud tradition of American goalkeepers plying their trade on the other side of the pond. After a brief spell as an assistant coach for the USA national team, the former Southampton, Leicester City and Tottenham is now a pundit.
Paul Stalteri
Another North American to represent Fulham in the Premier League, Canadian Stalteri is still remembered fondly for the role he played during the club’s narrow escape from the drop, joining on loan from Tottenham in January 2008.
Stalteri is a coach at MLS outfit Toronto FC these days.
Brede Hangeland
This Texan-born Norse giant was one of the most underrated centre-halves in the modern Premier League era. Hangeland forged a granite-like partnership with Hughes en route to the Europa League final, and is now working as a sports co-ordinator for the Norwegian national team.
Aaron Hughes
Now 42, Hughes only hung up his boots in 2019 following spells at Hearts, Melbourne City and Indian outfit Kerala Blasters. Capped 112 times by his country, Hughes was part of the coaching staff for the Northern Irish U19 women’s team in 2021.
Paul Konchesky
Another who has dipped his toe into the women’s game, Konchesky’s West Ham United side are currently seventh in the WSL. The dependable former left-back also spent time at the helm of the Hammers’ academy between 2017 and 2021.
Simon Davies
Scorer of Fulham’s goal during the Europa League final defeat to a Diego Forlan-inspired Atletico Madrid in 2010, Davies is now an assistant manager at former employers Peterborough United.
Jimmy Bullard
Given his larger-than-life personality, it is no surprise to see Bullard establish himself as a popular TV personality after walking away from professional football. Formerly a contestant on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Bullard is keeping himself trim by firing potshots at poor Lloyd Griffiths these days on Soccer AM.
Danny Murphy
A regular on talkSPORT and Match of the Day, Murphy is one of the most considered pundits around these days. The former Liverpool playmaker was the driving force behind Fulham’s Great Escape. He scored one and set up another against Man City on that iconic April afternoon.
It was also Murphy who nodded home the final day winner at Portsmouth.
Clint Dempsey
Arguably the finest American footballer ever to step foot on UK soil; Dempsey is Fulham’s all-time Premier League top scorer and a two-time Cottagers Player of the Year. Alongside NBA All-Star Chris Paul, Dempsey recently launched a 7-a-side soccer tournament broadcast on ESPN with a one million dollar cash prize (Daily Mail).
David Healy
A legendary player in his Northern Irish homeland, Healy is proving himself to be a rather handy tactician too. Since taking charge of Linfield in 2015, he has won ten trophies and came within touching distance of making The Blues the first team from Northern Ireland ever to qualify for the group-stages of a European competition.
Brian McBride
Another all-American hero, frontman McBride enjoyed the best days of his career at Craven Cottage. He is now the general manager of the USA national team.
Substitute – Diomansy Kamara
No mention of Fulham’s Great Escape is complete without Diomansy Kamara. The £6 million signing from West Brom was hardly prolific in white and black. But it was his second-half brace which turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead at the Etihad. Kamara works for broadcaster Canal Plus these days.
Substitute – Eric Nevland
As far as Norwegian strikers go, Nevland didn’t quite make the same impact as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erling Haaland on the Premier League stage. He did, however, score a crucial goal in a 2-0 victory over Birmingham City in the penultimate weekend of 2007/08.
Nevland was an iconic striker for Viking IF in Scandinavia. He’s now adding another chapter to his story as their director of football.
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