Noel Gallagher: Al Mubarak Made Instant Impression in First 90 Seconds

Noel Gallagher has paid tribute to Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, revealing that the Abu Dhabi executive made an indelible mark within moments of their first encounter back in 2008.

The 51-year-old Al Mubarak has steered City to prominence in European football since taking the helm 18 years ago, following Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan's acquisition of the club. Under his watch, the appointment of Pep Guardiola in 2016 has propelled the club to unprecedented heights, with the Catalan boss now in his tenth season and chasing a seventh Premier League crown. City recently overtook Arsenal at the summit with five matches left to play.

Speaking to TNT Sports, the lifelong City supporter lavished praise on the chairman's vision and delivery. "I remember getting taken to meet Khaldoon, the chairman, early on at a game, and when I met him after 90 seconds, I was like this is one of the most impressive men I've ever met in football," Gallagher explained. "He was so eloquent in what was about to happen and so realistic and focused. Everything that he said they were going to do they've done times 10."

The former Oasis guitarist recalled a prescient conversation with ex-City defender Joleon Lescott in the early days of Al Mubarak's tenure. Following the club's first FA Cup triumph, Lescott had suggested that City would become regulars in finals and semi-finals for years to come—a prediction that proved remarkably accurate.

"I remember Joleon Lescott saying to me, after the first FA Cup win, your club is going to be in finals and semi-finals from now on and we said 'one trophy will do us'. And he was right, every year the standards went up," Gallagher reflected.

The musician, who has followed City through thick and thin, acknowledged the transformation from the club's darker days. "They had this vision of what the club could be, and no one else did. People of my age, who kept that club going, followed them everywhere in the Third Division – there wouldn't be a club to take over if it wasn't for people like me and my generation."

For Gallagher, the ambitions were once far more modest. "I just wanted a new kit. The kit we had at the time was awful. If we get a new kit and could somehow win the League Cup because Middlesbrough had won it, that would be enough for my lifetime. Nobody knew it was going to be like this."

He concluded by marvelling at the distance travelled: "No one had that vision. They did, thankfully, and now we're one of the powerhouses which is funny to think when me and the lads were jumping on the train to Macclesfield on a Friday night."