Source: Daily_Mail
Troubles all in the past for Manchester City's £22m man Joleon Lescott
News of Joleon Lescott passing his medical at Manchester City finally brings to an end the summer's longest-running transfer saga.
For Lescott himself, it begins a new chapter in a life that has known far greater drama than two clubs haggling over a footballer.
Lescott was only five years old when he was knocked down by a car outside his primary school in Quinton, Birmingham, and dragged along the road.
He was lucky to survive the massive head injuries which required emergency surgery and operations after that. The scars are still visible on his forehead today.
'A lot of people have come off a lot worse than I did,' says Lescott. 'I saw another littleboy in hospital who came in without a scratch but had suffered brain damage after being hit by a wing mirror.
'I know there was a time when my mum and dad didn't think it would turn out as good as it has done, put it that way, but thankfully the doctors worked their magic. I have a scar but I have nothing to worry about.'
Lescott, 27, has come through other medical ordeals far more serious than the one which cleared the way for his £22million move from Everton to City, like the knee injury he suffered after Wolves were promoted to the Barclays Premier League in 2003 that required a career-saving operation by Colorado surgeon Richard Steadman.
Although the club insisted it had not been caused by an incident in which he went to the aid of a team-mate in a street fight, Lescott did not kick a ball in the top flight thefollowing season.
It was enough to ward off several clubs, including Arsenal and Aston Villa. But DavidMoyes kept up his interest.
Even so, Everton insisted on restructuring the £5m deal so the final £1m would be paid in instalments. Today they will pocket a huge profit while Wolves' 10 per cent sell-on guarantees them a £2.2m cut of the deal.
Concerns over the state of Lescott's knees have proved somewhat unfounded. From the moment he signed for Everton three years ago, he has missed just three league games, including Sunday's trip to Burnley when he was already halfway to being a City player.
'When adversity comes knocking on Joleon Lescott's door he's got enough in his locker to deal with it,' said Chris Evans, Wolves' former director of youth.
'The accident would have affected adults, but for it to happen to a child shows the mental strength he's got. And then not to play a game in the Premier League after the knee injury. How heartbreaking was that? People wrote him off but he's come back stronger.'
Evans, now No 2 to Gary Megson at Bolton, first brought Lescott to Wolves' school ofexcellence at the age of 11. The boy was slightly built. By the age of 13, Lescott had grown weary of being out-muscled and overshadowed. He drifted away from the game.
When Evans saw him 10 months later he could barely believe his eyes. Not only hadLescott developed an impressive physique, he was playing for Derby in an Under-16game against Wolves. 'Something was peculiar,' recalls Evans.
'I couldn't understand why we couldn't get past their back four, and then I realised it was Joleon. He was a giant.'
Evans phoned Lescott's father, Mervyn, and his wife Debbie that afternoon and asked for a meeting at Molineux the following morning. He had kept Lescott's registration but Derby were offering the 15-year-old an apprenticeship and professional terms.
At best, Wolves could have expected £100,000 compensation. To his relief, the Lescotts chose Wolves.
'We'd have ended up with a bag of crisps and an apple, and lost a fine asset,' says Evans. 'When you see what he's got, it adds up to £23m.'
The shy but cheerful boy played in Wolves' successful Under 19 team at the age of 15,and made his first-team debut two years later. But, even though Lescott whose brother Aaron plays for Bristol Rovers has matured into one of England's finest centre backs, he has stayed grounded.
He was a popular figure in the Wolves dressing room and at Everton. That relationship has been tested in recent weeks as the move to City has rumbled on, but team-mates were impressed that he turned up to watch Thursday's Europa League tie against Sigma Olomouc from Yakubu's private box.
It was his last appearance at Goodison as an Everton player.
