Howard: Playing For Leicester City Was Huge For Me

[davieG]

The sight of him barrelling to the corner flag after netting a last-minute winner against Leeds is etched into Club folklore. Before every matchday in the present day, Filbert Way regulars are reminded of that bullet header during the pre-match montage. It's a goal which holds worthy status alongside strikes which sealed Premier League glory and wrote European history. Howard's entry was equally as significant – hoisting the Club up from depths it had never experienced before.

Howard, a 'daft Geordie' in his own words, was one component of a strike force which was, in truth, a bit of cheat code in League 1 back in 2008/09. Between Howard and Matty Fryatt, they bagged 40 goals that term. It fuelled an immediate rescue-act from Nigel Pearson, resetting the whole culture at the Club, and allowing the Foxes to lock their sights once again towards the Premier League. Without the class of 2009, maybe the triumphs of following years might not have happened. 

The clock struck 90 in April 2009 with Leicester and Leeds locked in stalemate. Both sides were eying promotion, but it was table-topping City who stood the greater chance. Nevertheless the chasing pack was closer than our recollections perhaps do justice. The nine-point gap to third which appears in history books was forged later on, boosted by this showdown with Leeds. Max Gradel, a product of the Academy, swung his right boot at a corner-kick and the ball sliced through the air. As Steve now recalls, he wasn't sure he had the energy to even make a go for it in the box, but he found it from somewhere.

 

More here - https://www.lcfc.com/news/3832186/howard-playing-for-leicester-city-was-huge-for-me/featured?lang=en

[VictorFox]

I’ll remember that goal against Leeds till the day I die 

[MGLCFC]

Yeah, My wife and I had been away to America for Easter and got out of Manchester airport car park ay 10.10am (I had joked whilst on holiday if the plane was on time I might just make the kick off). I didn't even bother going home - the wife dropped me off at the top of Filbert Way, running down to the ground I got inside just as the players were coming out. After 90 minutes, I was wondering why I had bothered, but Howard's last minute goal (and for the life of me I can't understand why Leeds put their smallest player on the line) made it all worthwhile. It took me over and hour to walk home, but it was the smuggest I'd felt for years. Absolutely unforgettable.