Sky high Sky Blues: 5 greatest players in Manchester City history

Manchester City are a modern-day juggernaut within football. Since being taken over in 2008 by Sheikh Mansour, they have seen themselves rise to an elite position in the Premier League, having won eight top-flight titles in the past 16 years. In 2022, they became just the second English side to complete a continental treble when they won the Premier League, FA Cup and their first-ever Champions League.

Prior to their takeover, City had certainly endured a tumultuous history, ranging from a golden era across the 1960s and 1970s to an eventual decline that saw them relegated to the third tier of English football in 1998, though they have been a constant in the Premier League since the early 2000s.

Given their accolades, it is understandable that the Sky Blues have had some truly brilliant players represent them over the years, even amid the rockier patches of their story. With that being said, which five players to have worn the City jersey have been the best of all time?

5. Kevin de Bruyne

Kevin de Bryune’s first taste of English football came with Chelsea when the Blues signed him from Genk in 2012. Across his two years at Stamford Bridge, de Bruyne was utilised rarely, eventually joining Wolfsburg in 2014 having previously spent the 2012-13 season in the Bundesliga on loan at Werder Bremen.

With Wolfsburg, de Bruyne quickly established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s best midfielders. The Belgian was an instrumental part of the Wolfsburg side that won the 2014-15 DFB-Pokal. His form in Germany meant Manchester City soon came calling, signing the Belgian for a then-club record fee in the 2015 summer window.

In the nine years since, de Bruyne has evolved into one of the best midfielders that the Premier League has ever seen. He is an exceptional playmaker with an exquisite passing range and a keen eye for goal and has helped guide the Sky Blues to six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and a Champions League with almost 400 appearances to his name. Still in his early 30s, it is feasible that de Bruyne has at least a season or two longer at the highest level if not more, to increase an undeniable City legacy.

4. Colin Bell

After three years with nearby club Bury, Colin Bell made the short move to Manchester City in 1966 for just £45,000. Bell made a swift impact, helping the team to win the Second Division title before finishing the following campaign, his first full season, as the team’s top scorer, with City placing 15th in the First Division.

Bell went on to spend 13 years with the Sky Blues, ultimately winning a First Division title, an FA Cup, two League Cups and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1970. Bell was unfortunate as, at just 29 years old, he suffered a serious knee injury in 1975 that would ultimately keep him out of action for two years, though Bell remarkably was able to make a comeback to the sport.

By the time he departed the club in 1979, he had racked up 430 appearances for the club, meaning he comfortably sits in the pantheon of Manchester City greats.

3. Vincent Kompany

Now the manager of Bayern Munich, Vincent Kompany enjoyed a storied playing career before entering the world of football management. After time with Anderlecht in his native Belgium and Hamburg in Germany, Kompany made the move to Manchester in 2008, where he would spend the next 11 years.

In that time, Kompany evolved into one of the world’s best center-backs at his peak, a defender as strong as he was intelligent who understood the game and the art of defending. Of those 11 years at the Etihad, he spent eight seasons as club captain, with his leadership being another admirable trait of his.

Despite sporadic battles with injury, Kompany made 360 appearances for the Sky Blues, captaining them to their first-ever Premier League title in the 2011-12 term and leading them to three more in the following years. He also won two FA Cups and four League Cups before returning to Anderlecht in 2019 and retiring in 2020.

2. Sergio Aguero

After five years with Atletico Madrid, which truly established Sergio Aguero as a talent in Europe, he joined Manchester City in 2011. At the end of his first season, Aguero scored what is perhaps one of football’s most famous goals when he netted a winner against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the season to secure the league title for his team.

Over the next decade, Aguero rose into being one of the continent’s deadliest strikers. His 260 goals in all competitions means he is comfortably the club’s all-time top scorer, over 100 goals ahead of second place. Until his last season at the club, during which he struggled with injury problems, he never scored under 10 Premier League goals in a campaign.

Aguero left City for Barcelona in 2021, but would only play four games for the Catalan giants before being forced to retire due to medical reasons. While his career ended on a sad note, it takes nothing away from the legacy that he carved for himself.

1. David Silva

Outside of the Etihad stands a statue of David Silva, alongside teammates Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany, such were the contributions of the trio over the course of their Manchester City careers. 

Fondly remembered as El Mago, Silva spent 10 years in Manchester, joining City from Valencia in 2010 and departing for Real Sociedad in 2020. In that time, Silva made clear that he was one of the best midfielders ever to grace the Premier League, with his silky passing ability often catching the eye of those watching on.

Silva sits fifth in Manchester City’s all-time appearance-maker list, having racked up 436 games for the team. As well as his passing range, Silva was also composed on the ball, capable of driving forward and opening up space for his teammates. The Spaniard was a key figure in the 2010s revolution that saw City rise to and remain in the position of one of England’s best sides.

Prior to his exit from the club in 2020, Silva helped Manchester City win four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups, having been a crucial part of Pep Guardiola’s early team at City and just as important to the managers that came before him.