Destined for an unremarkable career in East Germany, where the Berlin Wall presented a greater mental boundary than the bricks and mortar that formed the physical division between two different worlds, Uwe was 25 and heading nowhere. Then, a chance for the raw talent that had been contained in his repressive surrounds was to be set loose, as he was offered the chance of a loan at struggling English Premier League club, Manchester City. The contrast between 'Madchester' and his homeland could not have been more marked.

The mullet-haired striker was an instant hit, his goals helping City survive relegation and winning him a permanent deal. Voted Player of the Year in his first full season in England, over the next four years Rosler wrote his name into City folklore and became a terrace idol. The fans loved his raw passion, commitment and the fact he wore his heart on his sleeve - that, plus his goals.

However, once he fell out with boss Alan Ball, there was only going to be one winner.