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Man City's only Champions League winner tried to give his medal away to teammate

Man City's only Champions League winner tried to give his medal away to teammate

Should Man City win the Champions League, it's unlikely any of their stars will follow the lead of their teammate.

Manchester City's squad contains only one Champions League winner, but it turns out that he actually tried to give his medal away.

City take on Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

After securing a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Bernabeu last week, Pep Guardiola's side know a win will see them reach the final for the second time in three seasons.

City have never won the Champions League, while Guardiola has not lifted the famous trophy since his Barcelona side beat Manchester United in 2011.

It's a little surprising that City - on the hunt for a famous treble - only have one Champions League winner in their ranks. It's not who'd you expect either.

37-year-old goalkeeper Scott Carson is the only Cityzen to have tasted European glory, a feat achieved back in his Liverpool days.

The then 19-year-old was on the bench as Jerzy Dudek pulled off his heroics in Istanbul, the night Liverpool fought back from 0-3 down to defeat AC Milan on penalties.

Carson did play between the sticks in the semi-finals though, making just his third appearance for the club as Rafael Benitez's side beat Juventus 2-1 at Anfield.

Scott Carson won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005
Scott Carson won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005

That outing, coupled with his appearance on the bench in the final, meant he received a winner's medal when Liverpool were crowned champions.

For most players, such an achievement would be the pinnacle of their careers, but Carson actually tried to give his medal away to teammate and fellow goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.

"When we got the medals, I tried to give mine to Chris," Carson told The Guardian.

"He played more games in the group stages than me. So I felt that he deserved it more.

"But Chris, as anyone who knows him will say, is a really nice lad and he said: 'No. You were on the bench, you played your part as well.'

"I’m delighted I’ve got it, but a medal is a lot more valuable to you if you played. For me, just to witness that night was good enough."

So, if City beat Madrid on Wednesday and go on to win the final, will Carson get a second medal?

The keeper hasn't made a single appearance for City this season in any competition, but according to the UEFA handbook, the winning team is given 40 medals to hand out at their discretion.

Ultimately, it would be down to the club whether Carson gets one or not.

Featured Image Credit: PA/Alamy

Topics: Manchester City, Champions League, Real Madrid, Liverpool