Former Manchester City star Geovanni says he will always be grateful to the club's supporters for the backing they gave him - especially after his goal against rivals Manchester United.
The Brazilian attacker joined City in 2007 from Cruzeiro, but had already made an impression on City fans after his goal for Benfica helped to knock United out of the Champions League in 2005.
And the attacker said that City fans were fond of him from the moment he signed because of the strike.
“That goal was very important for me and my team,” he said in an interview republished today on the club's website.
“It helped Benfica progress to a stage they’d never reached before and it was obviously a very high profile goal to score. I didn’t know how important it was at the time but have realised since. Many City fans seem to remember it very well!”
Geovanni only made 20 appearances for City in his year in Manchester, but made one defining contribution that has ensured his place in City fans' memories.
The attacker picked up the ball 30 yards from goal in the Manchester derby before unleashing a drive past Edwin van der Sar that earned City all three points, cupping his ear to the crowd as the fans went wild.
Geovanni said at the time that while his future was uncertain, the City fans had made a huge impression on him.
“The celebration of putting my hand behind my ear is because I want to hear the supporters cheering to their maximum," he added. "It’s an indescribable feeling having forty or fifty thousand people celebrating something you’ve just been part of.
"I have a one-year contract and, regardless of what happens in the future, Manchester City are part of my history and in my heart. I feel a lot of respect and affection towards me from the City supporters and I thank God for everything.
“This club is made from the loyalty and passion of its supporters and I find it amazing they are shouting my name already. They are chanting my name even when I make a good pass or do a trick – I couldn’t ask for better backing after such a short time at a new club.
"It’s been a long time since I have had that kind of adoration and I’m really happy with the way things are going. I haven’t been with City long, but I already feel I’ve achieved a lot.”
