Former professional footballer Nicky Summerbee has reflected on his career and life in Qatar during a recent European trip that included stops in Italy and Georgia. Now 54, Summerbee has been based in Qatar for the past 15 years, working as a football pundit and commentator for beIN Sports, a leading sports broadcaster in the Middle East and Africa.

Summerbee’s initial plan was to stay in Qatar for just a few months after moving from Manchester with his family, but he said he quickly developed an affinity for the country, making it his permanent home. His three children have largely grown up in Qatar, where he balances family life with his role covering major football events.

During his recent holiday in Georgia, Summerbee reunited with former Manchester City teammate Georgi Kinkladze. The pair shared memories of their time together at the club’s old Maine Road ground in the mid-1990s, a period before Manchester City’s rise to the top tiers of English football. Summerbee praised Kinkladze as a gifted and humble player who remains a highly regarded figure in Georgia. He also noted that another former City teammate, Mikheil Kavelashvili, has gone on to serve as a president in Georgia.

Kinkladze has spoken to Summerbee about rising Georgian football stars, including Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain, who is widely celebrated in his home country. Summerbee also mentioned Kvaratskhelia’s younger brother Tornike, a 16-year-old winger who is said to show equal or greater promise at the same age.

Summerbee’s own playing career spanned from 1989 to 2006, during which he appeared in nearly 500 league matches for nine clubs. He began at Swindon Town, helping the team reach the Premier League in 1993, before moving to Manchester City for £1.3 million. He had two spells at City, from 1994 to 1997 and briefly in 2001. His family has strong ties to the club, with his father, Mike Summerbee, being a member of a celebrated City team that won multiple trophies in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Reflecting on Manchester City’s recent success under Pep Guardiola, Summerbee described the manager’s tenure as a “management masterclass” and compared Guardiola’s impact to that of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He considers the departure of Guardiola a significant loss for both City and English football but expressed optimism for the current season under the new manager, Enzo Maresca, citing a strong start including a notable win against Crystal Palace.

Though Summerbee acknowledges missing the camaraderie of the dressing room, he has embraced life in sports media, where he has covered two World Cups—experiences he says he deeply values, especially since he did not participate in the tournament as a player. He remains actively involved in football broadcasting while enjoying family life in Qatar.