Manchester City face Atalanta on Tuesday evening in the Champions League, and it gives Marten de Roon the chance to return to the Etihad, somewhere the Dutchman enjoyed one of the best moments of his career.
Signing for Middlesbrough from Atalanta in 2016, De Roon kept very fond memories of Italy, a country he clearly loves to live, and returned to the club the following summer.
Playing in the Championship with Middlesbrough wasn’t to be for him, and now, having played an important part in Atalanta’s success, he finds himself ahead of a huge Champions League match for the Bergamo side.
Chosen to speak to the media at his club’s pre-match press conference, De Roon was asked about the time he scored for Boro at Manchester City.
Corriere dello Sport quote him as saying: “It was a great moment, I remember very good, because if you score against Manchester City, away, in the last minute, it’s something you remember for always.
“I remember we were suffering for 90 minutes and at the end we crossed the ball and I don’t know why I was there, but I was there. Especially the scenes after in front of the away fans was almost unbelievable. It was great, one of the best things of my career.”
Atalanta are currently third in Serie A, showing that their success hasn’t been a blip. The Middlesbrough exit couldn’t have gone much better for De Roon, and it’s also helped him on the international stage. Still, he’ll never forget that goal which a secured 1-1 draw against against City.
