07/08/2025
💙⚽️ A Truly Special Visit for Eric Mullender at Manchester City Stadium ⚽️💙
We recently had the chance to take Eric Mullender on a long-awaited trip to the Manchester City Stadium — a place filled with history, memories, and moments that Eric helped shape over the decades.
It was a fantastic and emotional experience. Eric was truly fascinated by how the stadium looks today — the scale, the technology, the modern design. The changing rooms alone left a huge impression. It was incredible to see how far things have come since his early days with the club.
Eric not long ago celebrated his 91st birthday, so this visit was the perfect continuation of that celebration — a meaningful return to a place that holds so much of his footballing legacy.
For those who don’t know, Eric spent over 40 years as a scout for Manchester City. He played a key role in discovering some remarkable talent — most famously spotting a nine-year-old Ryan Giggs (then Ryan Wilson) playing in Salford. Eric supported him for years, even driving him to his first England schoolboy trial at Deepdale and buying him boots for the Astroturf pitch.
“He was very quick and had a good left foot,” Eric recalled. “You can never say ‘he will make it,’ but he had the potential, even at nine years old.”
Although Giggs later joined Manchester United, Eric remained proud of the role he played in his journey. “Naturally, I was disappointed,” he once said. “But I knew he was going somewhere he’d be looked after, and he certainly has.”
Over the years, Eric also unearthed players like Garry Flitcroft, Mike Sheron, Lee Croft, Stephen Jordan, and Ashley Ward — helping shape the club’s future one talent at a time. “You don’t find a Premier League-quality player every weekend,” he says. “But Ryan was always a bit special.”
Eric has always believed in developing local talent — especially with modern rules requiring more home-grown players. “I think fans like to see local lads in the team. It makes the job even more important,” he once said.
This visit wasn’t just a stadium tour — it was a return to a place that holds a huge part of his heart and legacy.
🙏 A heartfelt thank you to all his friends, and especially Joe Makin, who met Eric at the stadium and helped make this special day happen. Your kindness and support meant the world.💜
Kingsley Healthcare Group
