When Southend manager Steve Tilson signalled to Shaun Goater to come off in the final minutes of Saturday's title-deciding tie with Bristol City, the curtain finally fell on a long and magnificent goal-filled career.

The decision to bring off the lanky striker allowed the Bermudian to fully milk the applause from the Southend faithful and - fittingly for a man who will be forever linked with Manchester City - the travelling supporters from the north of England were also able to pay homage to their hero in his final appearance on English turf.

Southend claimed the title leaving Shaun Goater to walk away from the professional game he has graced for 17 years as a winner, although that final goal he so craved proved elusive on the day.

The big man shed a tear as he left the field, the mark of a man who had a relationship with fans that few professional footballers can surpass. And it was the visit to Roots Hall of the City faithful that showed the effect he had on that special group of supporters during his heyday as their goalscoring saviour.

Although you might think the high point of any footballer's career would be coming off the bench to nab two goals against the mighty Manchester United in the last ever Maine Road derby, for Goater his greatest pleasures lie elsewhere - much closer to home.

“Scoring the goals against Manchester United was great for me, but my best memories in football come from Bermuda,” said the Goat, whose name spurned one of the football world's most familiar chants, ‘Feed the Goat and he will score'.

“We were doing well in the 1992 World Cup qualifying campaign and they held a rally for us at Albuoy's Point and there were hundreds of people there and all the players were introduced.

“It was great to be at home and be in that sort of atmosphere. Another memory I have is playing a game in Bermuda and afterwards there were dozens of kids wanting my autograph. That happened to me a lot in England but for it to happen in Bermuda meant so much - we don't care much for celebrities at home so for those kids to actually want my autograph meant more than you could imagine.”

In his days at the top, Goater met all of City's celebrity fans - although when receiving his MBE at Buckingham Palace he never did find out who the Queen supported - including boxing champion Ricky Hatton (“smaller than you'd think”) and he had the pleasure of the best part of 50,000 chanting ‘Feed the Goat' when he turned up at an Oasis concert at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground.

The striker, who has done much to put Bermuda on the map, became one of the Premiership's most recognisable characters, no mean feat for a talented teenager from Bernard Park.

Goater was plucked from North Village's ranks following a Manchester United tour of the Island and after serving his time in their reserves alongside the likes of Mark Bosnich and Lee Sharpe, he was released and made his way to Rotherham.

His goalscoring began to take off and the gangly, often ungainly, looking player picked up an LDV Vans trophy at Wembley before making his way to Bristol City in the old Second Division before joining up with Manchester City where he was really to make his name.

Despite a shaky start, Goater soon won the fans over with his goalscoring ability and helped the club rise to the Premiership where his goals against Manchester United became the stuff of legend.

By now a genuine hero and talisman, following Joe Royle's departure, Goater was to enjoy only a bit-part role under Kevin Keegan before moving on to pastures new. Two years spent at Reading did not pass without their hiccups but one of the game's genuine nice guys then was given his chance at Southend to end his career on a high.

He did that in style, notching 11 goals on his way to helping the club to the League One title and a season-ending party featuring Gombeys, Man City fans, visiting Bermudians and, of course, that chant.