I was Man City’s ‘most exciting signing’ – but hold two unwanted records in Premier League.
There are bad Premier League debuts – and then there’s Christian Negouai’s record-breaking horror show.
The 46-year-old will live long in the memory of Manchester City fans – for all the wrong reasons.
Manager Kevin Keegan brought the midfielder to Maine Road from Belgian outfit Charleroi in 2001 for around £1.5million.
Upon his arrival to the club, the then-City boss hailed him as the ‘most exciting signing he had ever made’.
But the Frenchman proved to be anything but successful during his four-year spell at the club.
Two serious knee injuries restricted the player to just ten appearances in all competitions for City.
Seven of those came in his first season where he scored once in the first division as City returned to the top-flight as champions.
It wasn’t until Boxing Day in 2004 which saw Negouai make his Premier League debut – his first league outing since February 2002.
But there would be no Christmas miracle in Negouai resurrecting his Citizens career, with his brief cameo instead proving to be the final nail in his coffin after receiving a rapid red card.
Negouai was brought on for the injured Danny Mills in the 80th minute with City trailing 2-1 against Everton at Goodison Park.
Just three minutes later, he was shown his marching orders for a leg-breaking lunge on Toffees striker Marcus Bent.
City defender Sylvain Distin glided up the pitch with the ball, before playing a neat one-two with Negouai on the edge of Everton’s box.
Distin ended up losing the ball, with Negouai then looking to win back possession – but was beaten to it first by Bent.
As a result, it saw Negouai make a studs-up challenge high up on Bent’s ankle.
And referee Phil Dowd didn’t hesitate in whipping out the red card to the delight of the Everton faithful.
Negouai’s dismissal was the quickest from a player making his Premier League debut – a record that still remains today.
The player never played again for City following his sending off, adding another unwanted record to his name.
It means that Negouai is the only footballer in English top-flight history to be given an early bath in his only Premier League outing.
He is also one of 23 players to be sent off on his Premier League debut, with Anass Zaroury most recently doing so for Burnley in their 3-0 defeat to City in August 2023.
But for Keegan, he was of the opinion that Dowd was too harsh on Negouai, while also stating his side should have been awarded a free-kick in the build-up.
Keegan said: “The sending off was very harsh. If he looks at the incident in isolation you will see a very bad tackle on Sylvain Distin that should have been a free-kick.
“The ball broke and Christian was going for the ball. The other lad was going in the same way.
“He has made a wrong decision and I would not protect players when they are in the wrong.
“But if it had been Bent doing that to our lad, I do not think it would have been the same decision.”
Negouai returned to Belgium in 2005 to join Standard Liege, where he broke another record, though this time it was one he could be proud of.
He scored just 11.84 seconds into a clash against KVC Westerlo in 2006 – a record that stood for seven years until Imoh Ezekiel needed 10.8 seconds.
But he will never be able to shake off his ill-fated outing in Merseyside, which no City fan will ever forget.
