Tommy Booth Hails Franny Lee as the “Erling Haaland of His Day” in Tribute to Manchester City Legend

Manchester City legend Tommy Booth believes Franny Lee was the Erling Haaland of his day.

Booth Reflects on a Golden Era at Manchester City

Booth and Lee famously won the European Cup in 1970 with the Blues in what proved to be a golden era for the club.

They also won the FA Cup in 1969 and the League Cup the following season with feared striker Lee City’s top scorer for five consecutive seasons from 1969 to 1974.

Britain’s first millionaire player, Lee sadly died last October aged 79 and a new book ‘The Francis Lee Autobiography: Triumphs, treachery and toilet rolls’ details his incredible life, on and off the pitch.

A Striker Ahead of His Time

Off the pitch Lee was a successful businessman and former Blues’ chairman, but it was his wonderful exploits on the pitch for which he will fondly be remembered the most for.

Lee scored 148 goals in 330 appearances for City – and Haaland is well on course to surpassing one of the club’s greats having scored 99 goals in 103 appearances for the club.

Last season alone Haaland, 24, who has only just started his third season at the Etihad, bagged 46 goals in 55 appearances last term and has started this campaign on fire with nine goals in his first four Premier League fixtures.

“They’re two great goal scorers, two of the best,” Booth told SportsBoom.com.

“Haaland has the freedom to go where he wants on the field, doing whatever he wants, whereas as Franny was an out-and-out striker and goal scorer.”

“Franny was the Haaland of his day, he was a superstar in his own right, he’s a City legend.”

Franny Lee’s Toughness on the Pitch

“If you pick a team of City’s best players then I’m sure they both be in it. No problem.”

“He was such a top lad; he was a class bloke. City was always in his blood.”

“Modern day players now, well defenders can’t go through them like we used too. You’d get booked or sent off.”

“Franny would be lethal these days. He was a tough lad, the only way you’d get the ball off him was to tackle him from behind.”

“If we are taking the micky out of someone, they’d go straight through him. But he’d just get up and laugh at them and do the same again. That was him.”

“It was such a great era. I got into a team with Franny, Mike Summerbee, Colin Bell, Neil Young, Alan Oakes and Glyn Pardoe, there were just so many great players.”

“It was just such a special time for the club, we were the trailblazers of our time before a lot of these new superstars came along.”

“But the funny thing was that we all used to go out with each other, we were all great friends, and we were so close.”

“I always remember the round we had to buy; it was 16 pints of lager!”

Franny Lee’s Confidence and Penalty Precision

Respected centre-back Booth played nearly 400 times for City during a distinguished 14-year career at the club, and the 74-year-old will always remember his time alongside teammate Lee as a real privilege.

“I remember coming in at half-time at Derby (County) and they had two big centre-backs who were playing for England at the time,” recalled Booth.

“It was 0-0 at half-time and before (assistant manager) Malcolm Allison and (manager) Joe Mercer had even said anything, Franny stood up and said ‘listen, just give the ball to me and I’ll win us the game. I’ve got the beating of these two.”

“So, we did and he went and won us the game. We won 4-0 and he scored a hat-trick, that was what Franny was all about. It was unbelievable.”

“If you knew what Franny was like he did sort it out most of the time. He tore them to shreds.”

“He just backed himself in whatever he did. I asked him once what he did with penalties and just laughed and said, ‘I just run up and hit it as hard as I can!”