English Premier League side Man City is one of the most successful clubs in the world.
However, much of their success is due to the individual brilliance of the footballers who have donned the club’s jersey.
Below is a look at some of the most exceptional players who have played for the club.
They include club legends who have since moved on and current stars keeping the Manchester City name alive in the football world.
1. Kevin De Bruyne – Midfielder
- Position: Midfielder
- Current Team: Manchester City FC
- Previous Team: VL Wolfsburg, Werder Bremen, Chelsea, and Genk.
- Date of Birth: 28 Jun 1991
- Awards: Bundesliga Young Player of the Year (2012/13, 2014/15), Manchester City Player of the Season (2015/16, 2017/18, 2019/20, 2021/22), Premier League PlayMaker of the Season (2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23), Ballon d’Or 2022 3rd place).
Kevin De Bruyne is a Belgian professional footballer and one of the best Manchester City midfielders, if not the best in the world.
He has been with Man City since 2015 and has previously played for VLF Wolfsburg, Werder Bremen, Chelsea, and Genk.
Since joining Manchester City, De Bruyne has made over 350 appearances for the club and scored 97 goals (and counting).
However, he is best known for being Man City’s creator-in-chief with 105 premier league assists and 12,474 completed passes.
2. Vincent Kompany – Defender
- Position: Defender (center-back)
- Current Team: Burnley (Manager)
- Previous Team: Manchester City, Anderlecht, and Hamburger SV.
- Date of Birth: 10 Apr 1986
- Awards: Premier League Hall of Fame, Premier League Player of the Season (2011/12), BBC Goal of the Deason (2018/19).
Vincent Kompany is a former Belgian international footballer and a Manchester City legend. His career at the English Premier League club spanned over a decade (from 2008 to 2019).
Manchester City fans remember Kompany for being one of the best defenders in the club’s history. He also captained the club to its first-ever premier league win since 1968, on top of helping the team lift several other domestic trophies.
After leaving Manchester City, Kompany briefly joined Anderlecht in Belgium before retiring from professional football to become a manager.
He currently manages Burnley FC, which competes in the English Premier League.
3. Francis Lee – Forward
- Position: Forward
- Current Team: N/A
- Previous Team: Derby County, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers.
- Date of Birth: 29 Apr 1944
- Awards: Manchester City Player of the Year (1970) Football League First Division Golden Boot (1971/72) Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Francis Lee is a former English professional footballer considered one of the best Man City players of all time. He spent most of his club football career at Man City (1967-1974).
Lee is remembered as a goal-scoring machine at Man City; he made 330 appearances for the club, scoring 148 goals.
His brilliance helped the club win many trophies, including the 1967/68 league title, FA Cup, League Cup, and UEUFA Winners Cup.
Francis Lee retired from professional football in 1976, after which he went into business. Sadly, the former footballer passed away in 2023 due to cancer.
4. David Silva – Midfielder
- Position: Midfielder
- Current Team: retired.
- Previous Team: Real Sociedad, Manchester City, Celta, Eibar, Valencia, and Valencia B.
- Date of Birth: 8 Jan 1986
- Awards: Pedro Zaballa Award (2005), Most Assists in the Premier League (2011/12), Prince of Australia Awards (2010), Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit.
David Silva is a former Spanish professional footballer. He is one of the longest-serving Man City players, having been with the club between 2010 and 2020.
David Silva made 436 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 77 goals. However, he is best remembered for his playmaking abilities and is one of the top 10 Premier League assists providers of all time with 93 assists for Man City.
After leaving Manchester City, Silva joined Real Sociedad before retiring from professional football in 2023.
He has since found a new calling as a winemaker and currently runs a winery on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria.
5. Sergio Aguero – Forward
- Position: Forward
- Current Team: retired.
- Previous Team: Barcelona, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Independiente.
- Date of Birth: 2 Jun 1988
- Awards: Manchester City Player of the Year (2011/12, 2014/15), Manchester City Goal of the Season (2011/12) and Premier League Hall of Fame.
Sergio Agüero (Kun Agüero) is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He is another long-serving Man City player who played for the club between 2011 and 2021.
Agüero is one of Manchester City’s best players and the club’s all-time top scorer with 260 goals.
He is also remembered for scoring the goal that helped Man City lift the first league title since 1968, among other amazing feats.
After leaving Manchester City, Agüero joined Barcelona, though his career was cut short when he was forced to retire early due to heart problems.
However, in 2023, there were reports that he was planning a comeback after undergoing successful medical checks.
6. Raheem Sterling – Winger
- Position: Winger
- Current Team: Chelsea FC
- Previous Team: Manchester City, Liverpool.
- Date of Birth: 8 Dec 1994
- Awards: PFA Young Player of the Year (2018/19) and FWA Footballer of the Year (2018/19)
Raheem Sterling is an English professional footballer. He is also a Manchester City legend who spent seven successful seasons at the club between 2015 and 2022.
Raheem Sterling is remembered for his prolific goal-scoring ability at Man City. He made 339 appearances and scored 131 goals, making him one of the City’s all-time top goal-scorers.
After leaving Manchester City, Raheem Sterling joined Premier League Side Chelsea. He is currently signed with the club till 2027.
7. Erling Haaland – Forward
- Position: Forward
- Current Team: Manchester City
- Previous Team: Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Salzburg, Model, and Bryne.
- Date of Birth: 21 Jul 2000
- Awards: ESPN Striker of the Year (2022/23), UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI (2019), Premier League Player of the Season (2022/23), UEFA Men’s Player of the Year (2022/23), World Soccer Player of the Year (2023), and 2023 Ballon d’Or (2nd place).
Norwegian professional Erling Haaland plays as a forward at Man City.
He has been with the club for only a short period, but he has quickly established himself as one of the best Manchester City players of all time.
During his debut in the 2022/23 season, Erling Haaland scored 36 goals in 35 appearances, setting the record for most Premier League goals in a second season.
His impressive (and record-breaking) tally of 52 goals across all competitions helped Man City lift a treble – the FA Cup, Premier League, and UEFA Champions League.
8. Bert Trautmann – Goalkeeper
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Previous Team: Wellington Town, Manchester City, and St Helens Town.
- Date of Birth: 22 Oct 1923
- Awards: Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Order of the British Empire, English Football Hall of Fame, and Germany’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Berr Trautmann was a German Professional footballer considered one of the best players in Manchester City’s history.
He is famous for being an ex-Nazi who reformed and found a new calling in professional football.
Trautmann played for Man City between 1949 and 1964, making 508 appearances. During his time at the club, he became famous for being sold between the posts, including during a match where he played with a broken neck.
After leaving Man City, Trautmann briefly joined Wellington Town before retiring to become a manager. The football legend passed away in 2013 at the age of 89.
9. Collin Bell – Midfielder
- Position: Midfielder
- Previous Team: San Jose Earthquakes, Manchester City, and Bury
- Date of Birth: 5 Jan 2021
- Awards: English Football Hall of Fame, Order of the British Empire, Football League 100 Legends, and Manchester City Hall of Fame.
Collin Bell was a professional English footballer mostly remembered for his impressive spell at Manchester City. He played for the club between 1966 and 1979 and went into the City’s history books as one of the greatest players ever.
Bell made 498 appearances for City and scored 153 goals. His brilliance in midfield and finding the net helped the club lift several trophies, including the 1967/68 league title and the 1969/70 UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup.
After leaving Manchester City in 1979, Bell joined American club San Jose Earthquakes before retiring from football shortly after to become a coach for City’s youth and reserve teams.
Sadly, the legendary footballer passed away in 2021 at the age of 74 after a short illness.
10. Yaya Toure – Midfielder
- Position: Midfielder
- Current Team: Retired.
- Previous Team: Qingdao Huanghai, Olympiacos, Manchester City, Barcelona, Monaco, Metalurh Donetsk, and Beveren.
- Date of Birth: 13 May 1983
- Awards: Ivory Coast Player of the Year (2009), African Footballer of the Year (2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015), BBC African Footballer of the Year (2013, 2015), Manchester City Player of Year (2013/14), and FWA Tribute Award.
Yaya Toure is a former professional footballer hailing from Ivory Coast. He is also a famous footballer who spent a large spell of his career (between 2010 and 2018) playing for Manchester City.
Toure made 292 appearances for Manchester City, scoring an impressive 81 goals.
However, despite his goal-scoring abilities, Toure is remembered for his solid performance in the midfield, where he played as a holding midfielder who could switch between defensive and offensive duties.
After leaving Manchester City, Toure had two brief spells at Olympiacos and Qingdao Huanghai (China) before he retired from professional football.
Afterwards, he became a manager and is currently the assistant coach of the Saudi Arabia national football team.
