"'You’re a f------ p----. You’ve just humiliated me'. That was the last time I spoke to him." - Man City's most famous in-game tactic ended Blues career of record signing

"It’s ridiculous. It’s on comedy channels, 'The 50 Stupidest Things in Football'. I’m part of it, you’ve got to face it and answer it. I’ve never really spoke much about it other than to friends. At the time, it f------ hurt."

This was the Premier League's most infamous substitution, on par with Ali Dia's ill-fated cameo for Southampton. In that instance, Dia was simply out of his depth, the butt of the joke. Yet on the final day of the 2004/05 Premier League season, this was a substitution that would cost Manchester City a place in Europe, and define the careers of three men.

For David James, it was a case of carrying out instructions, and he was the one with the least to lose from taking an outfield shirt and going upfront for the last few minutes against Middlesbrough. For Stuart Pearce, it was a high-risk gamble that would only pay off if City found a winner that would elude them. For Jon Macken, sat on the bench as James marauded up front, it was a blow that would take years to recover from.

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The maths was simple going into the final day. City needed to beat Middlesbrough at the City of Manchester Stadium to leapfrog the visitors into the final UEFA Cup spot. Anything less, and Boro were in Europe.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink fired in a worldie to make the task harder, but Kiki Musampa levelled things just after half-time, and City were one goal away from European qualification for only the second time in 26 years.

But as time ticked away, the goal wouldn't come, and manager Pearce felt the need to turn to his bench for a goal. He had already brought on youngsters Bradley Wright-Phillips and Lee Croft, with then-club record signing Macken