In January 2010, former Kenya international Central midfielder McDonald Mariga came to within touching distance of playing for current English Champions Manchester City.
The move would have meant that the gifted midfielder would have been the first Kenyan to ever play in the English Premier League. A record that was later taken by his younger brother Victor Wanyama.
Besides that, the towering former Pipeline FC man would have been the most expensive Kenyan sportsman of all time as the English club had had their bid, in the region of €10 million (approximately Ksh. 722 million), accepted by his parent club AC Parma of Italy.
Again, that record was later claimed by his brother Wanyama who moved to the English Premier League from Celtic in a staggering £12 million deal to Southampton and then a further £23 million deal to Tottenham Hotspurs.
Mariga would have as well held other records apart from the two as he would have perhaps been the first Kenyan to play in and score in the English Premier League. That record was again claimed by his brother during his time at Southampton.
Given that City were playing in the Champions League at the time, Mariga would have also become the first Kenyan to play in the Champions League and probably rack up some goals in City colours. He moved to Internazionale and fulfilled that but it would have been more fun at the Etihad club.
In 2010, the English Premier League was a very popular football league in the country and City were not very popular at the time as they were transitioning from a mid-table club to the World Beaters.
Mariga's move would have also meant that the Cityzens acquired more fanbase in the country as many would have supported them for the sake of the towering midfielder.
Moreover, the Cityzen's midfield at the time was weak and should the move have gone through, he would have been an ever-present figure in there and even probably gone on to play alongside the evergreen Ivorian Toure Yaya and learnt more from him.
His move to the Premier League was hampered by work permit complications and it meant he had to settle for Inter Milan which was a relatively better option on paper but not good enough for the development of a 22-year-old.
City had prioritized taking the Kenyan to the then City of Manchester Stadium after missing out on their primary target in the shape of the then Real Madrid and Argentina international versatile utility player Fernando Gago.
His move to the English Club would have been the greatest news perhaps of the past couple of decades.
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