It was touch and go whether I'd even play in the Manchester derby at the weekend never mind score my 100th goal for City.

You see in the Worthington Cup defeat at Wigan I picked up a knock which led to me having a fitness test just three hours before Saturday's match was due to kick off.

I had come off worse in a tackle during the Cup match and my knee became inflamed. It didn't happen immediately after the game or even the next morning, it was around 2 p.m. that it began to swell up.

I thought it was strange and didn't relate it to the challenge because it was my calf that was more sore than anything else. I didn't realise I had twisted my knee when the player tackled me.

I had a scan on the Wednesday and it showed there was no problems with the knee, other than the swelling, which was pleasing.

It was still swollen on Thursday and Friday and we tried all sorts of methods to alleviate it. I felt no pain at all but it was just swollen.

The physio told me that the only way I was going to be able to play was if the swelling went down. He said he could have drained it but it could have long term effects and so there was no way I was going to consider that.

Despite the significance of the match it was only one game and there was only three points at stake - it wasn't an FA Cup final or anything like that.

On Saturday morning I had it looked at again and it was right on the borderline of what the physio thought was acceptable to play.

I was asked to do a fitness test to see how the knee reacted. If the swelling got worse then it obviously wasn't right and I would have to sit it out.

That was at 8.45 a.m. and the game was at 12.15 p.m.

Everything I did in the test was no problem. Sprinting, jumping, turning, twisting, kicking - everything you do in a game - so I was pleased.

The gaffer, Kevin Keegan, the physio and myself then sat down. The physio explained the situation and the gaffer said ‘well, it's up to you Shaun'.

I said ‘I didn't feel anything in the fitness test and so I am happy to play' and he replied ‘well you're starting then if you're happy'.

As it turned out it went better than I could have expected.

Nicolas Anelka put us 1-0 up after just five minutes when my shot was palmed into his path by United's ‘keeper Fabien Barthez.

Although United equalised through Ole Gunnar Solksjaer three minutes later we went in front again when I robbed Gary Neville of the ball on the byline, made my way into the six yard box and shot across Barthez into the net.

After the break I scored again - my 100th goal in City's colours.

I was talking about it to my wife before the game and I said ‘wouldn't it be something to score the 100th goal against United'.

That was as much as the conversation was really. I could have had a T-shirt done, all sorts of stuff, but I didn't.

I was thinking about the celebration afterwards - there was nothing to suggest it was 100 goals, it was just a normal Shaun Goater celebration.

I had really given the hundred no thought even though I had mentioned it to my wife as a joke.

The match ranks up there with the best moments of my footballing career, playing for my country in the World Cup qualifiers, scoring the goal against Blackburn that helped win us promotion, winning the play-offs at Wembley. Because of what it meant, the 100th goal against United in the last derby at Maine Road it has to be up there.

We had a good time afterwards especially as a number of Bermudians had made the trip to England to watch the game.

I was able to make a number of them who are United fans eat their words. One or two of them I had seen in the summer and they had wished me all the best but said United would beat us. I approached one of them straight after the game and said ‘Sorry, what was that you were saying during the summer?'.

But it was good to spend time with Bermudians because they look at the game totally differently to how an English supporter would.

It's do or die for them but we could have a laugh as both Bermudian United and City supporters.

I think the result shows where we have come in the past few seasons, where Joe Royle and then Kevin Keegan have taken us.

As players that's all that result can say really, I don't think it says anything more than that. But for the fans it means everything.

We have players from all over and maybe some of them didn't even realise how important it was right up until the last 48 hours beforehand.

For the supporters that have supported the club for 20, 30, 40, 50 years that result will mean everything to them and I was glad I was able to play my part.