- Gerry Taggart discusses his goalscoring efforts for Northern Ireland
- The former Fox was speaking ahead of October’s international break
- Taggart scored seven times for his nation across a 13-year international career
Taggart made 51 appearances for Northern Ireland, and scored a brace against Poland a year after his debut, as he first headed home an equaliser before a volley rounded off a 3-1 triumph in 1991.
Strikes against Denmark, Lithuania and Latvia followed, while a half-volley against Germany in Nuremberg proved to be Taggart’s most memorable effort, after he put his country in front against the 1990 world champions.
“It’s a bit of a surreal moment, not least scoring your first-ever goal,” Taggart said. “I think scoring for your country has that added little bit of spice on the end of it.
“It was a bit of a surreal moment, because let’s face it, I ended up scoring seven goals in 51 games.
“You’re not expecting that when you first turn up for international duty, you just think yourself so lucky that you’ve been picked to play for your country.
“Then, to start scoring goals as well, it’s a bit of a surreal moment, especially for a centre-half.”
Taggart’s goal against Germany wasn’t the only one he scored against an elite international outfit, with a strike also coming against Spain in 1998 – his final in a Northern Ireland shirt.
While speaking on the latest episode on Extra-Time alongside his former City team-mates, Taggart said: “Players like Tony [Cottee] and Gupps (Steve Guppy) were expected to chip in with goals, because they’re playing the forward lines.
“With me, I just went into the game thinking ‘I’m playing for my country’. The Germany half-volley – anyone would have been proud of that!
“It was 15 yards out and bosh, it was straight in the bottom corner! That would have won Goal of the Month easily, that goal.”