before this week, they surely have now.

His name and picture have been splashed across the news and sports pages of this and every other local newspaper, his face flashed across TV screens and his phenomenal success the topic of every radio talk show.

It's been the same in his adopted home of Manchester, arguably the most successful soccer city in the world.

All of a sudden Shaun Goater has become a household name.

The gangling, awkward-looking but ever-smiling striker has practically become a cult figure.

Former Government minister Quinton Edness even suggested a Bermuda street be named after him.

And you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would argue the point.

What makes Goater's story so special is not his success but the manner in which he achieved it.

His is a classic Roy of the Rovers, rags to riches tale that could inspire every schoolboy who ever set eyes on a football.

His path to the English Premier League has been littered with obstacles, over which many a lesser player would have stumbled.

Despite a scoring rate second to none, his reputation in the English League was that of a journeyman -- a reliable, solid but unspectacular player who would never make it out of the lower divisions.

Until this season, even the Manchester City faithful couldn't embrace their leading marksman as they had former club heroes such as England internationals Francis Lee, Colin Bell and Mike Summerbee.

His ungainly style wasn't always easy on the eye. Reliable rather than explosive was often the media's definition.

But to his enormous credit, Shaun never lost sight of his dream, never shirked his responsibility, never doubted his own ability. And the goals continued to flow, at such a rate that even his fiercest critics had to admit the 400,000 City manager Joe Royle paid out in 1998 became the bargain of the century.

Goater's 29 goals this season were the most by any player in the entire First Division, his 29th against Blackburn on Sunday perhaps the most important of the lot, coming as it did against the run of play, out of the blue and at a time when City's automatic promotion hopes were looking decidedly shaky.

All of a sudden City's travelling army of 15,000 erupted in uncontrolled jubilation. The team responded with three more goals so ensuring promotion, and a day later those same fans voted Goater their Player of the Year.

That and every other accolade bestowed on Goater has been thoroughly deserved.

For while undoubtedly skilful, the former Whitney student wasn't blessed with the talent of a Pele, Maradona or a George Best.

His success has been carved out of hard work and unwavering self-belief, all the more impressive in a foreign country and in a profession where many would have settled for much less.

A better role model Bermuda couldn't find.

Manchester City fans showed their appreciation this week. Bermuda, in some shape or form, should follow suit.

-- ADRIAN ROBSON