Man City legends: The best Man City players of all time
- Manchester City have boasted some astonishing footballers over the years
- The club have dominated English football over the past decade
- There are plenty of sky blue legends across every single era
By 90min
Manchester City Football Club has had a rollercoaster history.
The club has gone from being champions of England in the 1960s to the depths of the third tier by the late 1990s and now to record-breaking global powerhouses under the guidance of Pep Guardiola and, of course, Sheikh Mansour, who have turned the club into a terrifying force in domestic and European football.
Here, 90min ranks their 20 greatest players across the generations.
20. Shaun Goater
Shaun Goater is by no means one of the most technically gifted players Man City have had over the years, but he remains universally loved by the club's supporters.
'Feed the goat and he'll score' became a popular tagline, with the striker netting 99 goals in 208 appearances across five years in Manchester.
He remains a Man City legend and was a beacon of hope during some of the club's darker days.
19. Erling Haaland
Given he has only spent just under two seasons at the Etihad, it's sensational that Erling Haaland is already one of Man City's greatest ever talents, and he continues to break record after record in sky blue.
The Norwegian smashed the Premier League goal record for a single campaign during the 2022/23 season, netting an astonishing 36 goals in 35 games, while also helping his side to a historic treble with his ruthlessness in front of goal.
How high he climbs on the list likely depends on his longevity, but even a few more seasons in Manchester should further solidify his place among the club's greats.
18. Ederson
The Brazilian has helped transform what it means to be a modern goalkeeper, and has regularly been among the Premier League and world's elite stoppers over recent years.
Ederson can not only make a wonder save to keep Man City in a game, he can also spray an inch-perfect 50-yard pass across to the right flank with little fuss.
17. Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta's place in the starting lineup was under serious threat after the emergence of Micah Richards, but the Argentine's understated talents saw him win the arm-wrestle and secure the right-back position.
His development during the Roberto Mancini era was outstanding, with Zabaleta's displays seeing him earn a spot in the 2012/13 PFA Team of the Year. It was thoroughly deserved following years of consistency and progress.
The South American would win five major trophies during his time with the Cityzens, including two Premier League titles. His opener in that 3-2 victory over QPR in 2012 will never be forgotten by the Man City faithful.
16. Fernandinho
The king of the tactical foul, Fernandinho was one of the Premier League's great defensive midfielders. The Brazilian was tenacious in the tackle, relentless in his work rate and capable of producing the odd stunner from range.
Fernandinho was a five-time Premier League champion with Man City, but just missed out on European glory after leaving the club at the end of the 2021/22 season.
15. Ilkay Gundogan
A hugely underrated part of Guardiola's unstoppable Man City team, Ilkay Gundogan was often the glue that held things together in central positions. He was a man for the big occasion, regularly favoured in the most important games.
The German was like a metronome in midfield but was also more than capable of playing in more advanced positions, often getting himself on the scoresheet with late runs into the box.
Gundogan came up clutch in one of his final games for Man City, bagging a winning brace in the 2022/23 FA Cup final against rivals Manchester United.
14. Eric Brook
On this day in 1930, Eric Brook is on the scoresheet as #mcfc defeat @LFC 4-3 in a thrilling game at Maine Road. pic.twitter.com/IfEvDT5gqt
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 1, 2015
Until the rise of Sergio Aguero, Manchester City's greatest ever goalscorer was Eric Brook, who was with the club between the end of the First World War and the start of the Second.
The striker amassed 177 goals in 494 appearances, firing the Sky Blues to a league title and an FA Cup as he ensured his name would go down in City history.
Known for a cannon-like right boot and a muscular physique, Brook proved far too powerful for many of his opponents, his domineering style of play impressing international selectors, as well.
13. Peter Doherty
Peter Doherty played alongside Brook during the 1930s and 1940s and is another one of the club's oldest legends. He too won the First Division title with the Sky Blues, while also being inducted into the Man City Hall of Fame in the early 2000s.
The indefatigable winger was relentless in the final third, with the Northern Irishman scoring 74 goals in 119 league matches during his time in Manchester.
12. Rodri
Rodri continues to be a difference-maker for Man City in the centre of the pitch, with the Spaniard offering unrivalled protection to his defence as one of the world's greatest holding midfielders.
On the few occasions that Pep Guardiola's Man City side look fallible, it's often due to Rodri's absence in the engine room.
Oh, and let's not forget he scored the winner in the 2022/23 Champions League final.
11. Alan Oakes
Oakes was an incredible servant to Man City from the late 1950s to the 1970s, with the midfielder donning the sky blue jersey 676 times - a club record
He won the First Division title, FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup during his time in the north of England, and remains one of the club's most loved heroes of past years.
10. Bernardo Silva
The mesmerising playmaker is also one of English football's underrated geniuses, with Bernardo Silva another man that Guardiola relies on to turn up in enormous matches.
His close control, agility and magical left foot make him a versatile and breathtaking talent, with his performance during the 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in the 2022/23 Champions League semi-final second leg one of the great individual displays in Europe.
9. Mike Summerbee
Over the course of his 452 games for Manchester City, winger Mike Summerbee won the First Division, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup, and the Second Division.
It was a wonderful decade for the Englishman and the Cityzens, who were the perfect match. Adored by the fans and his fellow players, Summerbee became an icon in the late 1960s, when he and the club would win four major honours in the space of three seasons.
8. Yaya Toure
Some footballers were born for the big stage. Yaya Toure was one of them.
He wrote himself into Man City folklore during his debut campaign in England, hitting the winners in the semis and the final of the 2011 FA Cup as the club ended a 35-year wait for more silverware.
One year on, Toure's double at St James' Park - a sumptuous curling effort and a fierce blast into the roof of the net - secured a crucial 2-0 victory in the penultimate round of top-flight fixtures.
That brought the Sky Blues and the Ivorian a maiden Premier League title. They doubled their tallies in 2013/14 as Toure's rampaging form produced 20 goals from midfield, and countless breathtaking moments.
7. Francis Lee
The late Francis Lee only passed away in October 2023, with Man City supporters incredibly saddened by the loss of one of their all-time greats.
The forward had endeared himself to the blue half of Manchester due to the sheer regularity of his goal contributions, with Lee winning the FA Cup, First Division and European Cup Winners' Cup for the club.
He was even nominated for the 1969 Ballon d'Or and currently sits seventh in Man City's all-time goalscorers list.
6. Vincent Kompany
Remember Vincent Kompany's thunderous goal against Leicester City during the 2018/19 season? If someone wrote a script where the same thing happened, people would say it's just not realistic.
Everything about that night was perfect. Almost too perfect. He was the captain, a man who'd been plagued by injuries. He'd fought hard to get back on the field for his club, and they desperately needed a saviour as the game with the Foxes entered the final 20 minutes.
The fate of the Premier League title was changed by Kompany's ridiculous strike from 100 miles out. It proved to be his final gift to the Etihad crowd, who had witnessed so many domineering displays.
One of the finest centre-backs of the modern era, he was a giant amongst giants as Man City lifted ten major trophies with his aide.
5. Bert Trautmann
Playing in goal, Bert Trautmann - who had recently been released from a prisoner-of-war camp in Lancashire - overcame the prejudice and hatred of City fans with his incredible shot-stopping abilities.
By the time of his 545th appearance for the Sky Blues, Trautmann had become an adopted member of the Manchester City family. Supporters no longer held his nationality against him, having seen the German perform one of the bravest, most dangerous acts in footballing history.
The 1956 FA Cup final saw his side face off with Birmingham City. The Sky Blues would emerge with a 3-1 triumph, though the real story was Trautmann breaking his neck with a quarter-hour remaining.
Incredibly, he stayed on the pitch, and pulled off some remarkable saves, as he did throughout his 15 years with the club.
4. Sergio Aguero
After Toure's brace had downed Newcastle United in May 2012, Aguero provided one of the defining moments of Manchester City's history.
Facing relegation-threatened QPR and needing three points to seal their first English crown in 44 years, the Mancunians found themselves 2-1 down with the clock ticking into the red. The situation was dire.
The 30th of his 252 goals for City came in the fourth minute of stoppage-time, the forward rifling an arrow into the near post.
It was one of many steps on Aguero's path to becoming a legend. He is comfortably the club's all-time leading goalscorer and a five-time Premier League champion.
3. David Silva
El Mago, the magician. This is a nickname that is very appropriate for the man whose wizardry captivated Premier League audiences for many years.
David Silva conjured up many mesmerising moments over a decade at the Etihad. A domestic treble came Man City's way in 2018/19, and the Spaniard was one of the chief orchestrators.
He was a force throughout his time with the team, racking up 140 assists and 77 goals over the course of 436 appearances.
2. Colin Bell
For 13 years, the Man City faithful got to watch 'the King of the Kippax' turning out for their beloved team. He was something of a cult hero, his thrilling performances earning him favour among fans of the England national team, as well as the Sky Blues.
Colin Bell shared in the glory that came the way of Summerbee, the pair regarded as two of the greatest Man City players of the 20th century.
1. Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne has arguably established himself as the greatest midfielder in Premier League history, although there is a lot of competition for that crown.
The Belgian is just an effortless and astonishing footballer, the kind who makes people fall in love with the game. The way he glides over the turf, picks out defence-splitting 40-yard passes and rifles home worldies makes him so much fun to sit back and watch.
He's certainly the greatest Man City player of the 21st century, with a trophy cabinet bursting at the hinges, but he may just be the club's best ever star.
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