With 2020 approaching, Goal picked out the greatest players to wear the blue shirt at the Etihad Stadium over the past 10 years
GK: Joe Hart
The latter part of the decade has been tough for Joe Hart, so it’s easy to forget what a huge part he played in much of Man City’s earlier success.
Signed from Shrewsbury Town as a 19-year-old, he spent 10 years at the club, amassing 348 appearances.
Hart was first-choice goalkeeper for both Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini, playing a played a key role in two Premier League title triumphs, in 2012 and 2014.
Along the way there were some remarkable individual performances, not least in a 1-0 loss at Barcelona in 2015, when Lionel Messi shook his head in amazement at some of the saves pulled off by a man he described as "a phenomenon”.
Ultimately, Hart didn’t fit in with Pep Guardiola’s philosophy, but his contribution to a golden decade for the club should not be overlooked.
AdvertisementRB: Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta could not hold back the tears when he said an emotional farewell after nine years at City in 2017.
The Argentine built a remarkable bond with the fans over the course of 333 appearances for the club.
He was an adopted Mancunian, electing to live in the city while many of his team-mates chose rural Cheshire, and was regularly spotted at his local fish and chip shop.
But it was his warrior spirit that endeared him most to the fans, as he often seemed to finish matches with a bandage wrapped around his head or cotton wool shoved up a bloody nose.
While there have been more gifted players at City over the past decade, none were more committed to the cause than Zabaleta.
Getty ImagesCB: Vincent Kompany
Every successful team of the Premier League era has had a leader that sets the example on and off the pitch. At City, that man was Vincent Kompany.
His intelligence away from the field was matched his cleverness on it, and he played a pivotal role in four title-winning campaigns.
Kompany was a masterful defender but also demonstrated incredible determination in overcoming the persistent muscle injuries that blighted his final years at the club to make 360 appearances in total.
He was also the man for the big occasion.
Kompany scored the only goal in the 1-0 victory over rivals Manchester United in the tight 2012 title race and an incredible 25-yard strike in his final game at the Etihad Stadium, against Leicester City, just as City looked like to lose top spot to Liverpool.
CB: Aymeric Laporte
The French defender has been at City for fewer than two years but has made a huge impression during that time.
After initially declining a switch to the Etihad, his quality and potential prompted a rare u-turn from Guardiola by making a second move for a player that had turned him down.
Neither the manager nor the player regretted the decision and he played a key part in both of Guardiola’s title-winning seasons with his strong defending and controlled passing out from the back.
With a contract that runs until 2025, Laporte is set to have an even bigger future at the club.
The only question is, will French national manager Didier Deschamps finally see what everyone else sees and finally give him an international cap.