Manchester City legend Glyn Pardoe, winner of 1968 league title and the club’s youngest ever player, dies aged 73
- Former Manchester City player and coach Glyn Pardoe has passed away aged 73
- Pardoe spent his entire career with City between the years of 1962 and 1976
- City said they were ‘deeply saddened’ to learn of Pardoe’s death on Tuesday
Glyn Pardoe, Manchester City’s youngest ever debutant, died on Tuesday morning aged 73.
The left back, who made his first professional appearance at 15, was a key member of Joe Mercer’s City side to win all three domestic trophies plus the 1970 European Cup-winners’ Cup.
His extra-time Wembley winner had beaten West Brom in the League Cup final around seven weeks earlier.
Manchester City legend Glyn Pardoe has passed away at the age of 73, the club confirmed
The versatile former star had spent his entire playing career with City between 1962 and 1976
Pardoe is widely considered as one of the country’s finest players never to win an England cap, his career severely hampered by a leg break in a challenge with George Best in December 1970. The injury sidelined him for almost two years.
Pardoe had still been attending City matches and was present to watch grandson Tommy Doyle make his first-team debut in the EFL Cup earlier this season.
Doyle led the tributes on Tuesday. ‘Forever my hero,’ the 18-year-old tweeted alongside a picture of the pair embracing after the teenager captained his boyhood club to a EFL Trophy penalty shootout win at Shrewsbury Town.
There was poignancy that Pardoe could see Doyle’s debut for Pep Guardiola’s side last October. The youngster’s other grandfather, Mike Doyle, played in the same City team as Pardoe and died in 2011.
Pardoe (third left) is pictured with the FA Cup after Manchester City won the trophy in 1969
He remains the youngest player to play for the club after making his debut in 1962 aged 15
‘It’s tremendous, it’s unbelievable, I’m so proud,’ Pardoe said the morning after Doyle’s City bow.
‘I love him to bits and he is a great lad, it’s in his blood. He sees his granddads as a challenge to out-do us, and I hope he does.’
Pardoe is considered among City’s luminaries and others, including Mike Summerbee, Colin Bell and Tony Book, all eulogised the one-club man capped four times at Under-23 level.
‘A wonderful person — very shy and quiet and he underestimated himself as a footballer,’ Summerbee said.
‘His contribution to this football club was outstanding. He made me a better player. Young Tommy can take it on from here and go and be really successful like his grandfather was.’
City youngster Tommy Doyle posted a picture of himself with his grandfather Pardoe to Twitter
Pardoe and late former team-mate Mike Doyle were grandfathers to City star Tommy Doyle
Bell added: ‘He was a terrific defender and I’m sure that but for that bad leg break he suffered, Glyn would have played for England.’
‘You couldn’t have met a nicer lad or have a better team-mate and I’ll miss him terribly,’ Book said.
In an interview with Sportsmail in 2012 – as City looked to clinch their first top-flight title since 1968 – Pardoe said: ‘We’ve had some awful times since we last won the title, but if we could just nick the league this year I — and plenty of others — would settle for that. I really would.’
Pardoe spent his entire playing career with City between 1962 and 1976, and remained on the coaching staff until 1992.
The versatile former star made 380 appearances in total for the Premier League giants, lifting several trophies – with City also clinching the FA Cup in 1969 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1970.
Fellow City legend Colin Bell (left) paid an emotional tribute to Pardoe (right) on Tuesday
Shaun Goater, who played for City between 1998 and 2003, also paid his respects on Twitter
Joey Barton also paid his respects on Twitter. He wrote: ‘RIP Glyn Pardoe. Thoughts are with his family and friends.’
Shaun Goater, who played for City between 1998 and 2003, shared a video of Pardoe’s League Cup-winning strike and said: ‘Rip Glyn Pardoe.’
Former City physio Roy Bailey added on Twitter: ‘I’m truly devastated that Glyn has passed away. One of the nicest people I’ve ever met and worked with in football. He was a true legend.
‘Rest in peace Glyn. Our thoughts and prayers are with Pat and the family.’