City's most famous player said: "I'd got the family around me and we just stood in silence ourselves at home. You could hear a pin drop and my eyes filled up with pride at the way City supporters honoured the dead. I was close to tears. It was such a significant time for all true supporters.

"I'm not a believer at all in this clapping lark and I did appeal in the Manchester Evening News for supporters to behave themselves.

Although I wasn't 100 per cent sure they would, I was confident that Manchester would commemorate the occasion."

Bell was in the City team that last won at Old Trafford 34 years ago, a game that's famous for ex-Red Denis Law's back-heel goal.

"I was one of the first to go over and congratulate Denis," said Bell.

"But I have never seen anyone so disappointed after scoring. I put my arm around his shoulders and patted his cheek and tried to cheer him up, but he looked like he had scored an own goal.

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"It was in my mind to tell him that he'd scored for the right team but I didn't. He was so down in the dumps he ended up being replaced and not much was said in the dressing room."

Of Sven Goran Eriksson's revitalised Blues, Bell is confident European football is round the corner.

He said: "There is certainly a good chance to qualify for Europe.

You always need to get out of the blocks from day one, which City did because there is always a stutter. If you can beat United at Old Trafford you are capable of beating anyone and I hope Sunday's result kick starts our season again.

"In Richard Dunne and Micah Richards we have two great centre halves. "Elano has been a little off the boil after injury but Petrov is a good old fashioned winger, a breath of fresh air.

All we've been lacking is an out and out goal scorer and Benjani could just be the person to get us the goals that will get us into Europe. He's certainly made a good start to his City career."