Vincent Kompany is Man City. Man City is Vincent Kompany.
The Belgian was brought to Manchester by Thaksin Shinawatra in 2008. While Shinawatra is now living in exile thanks to a dangerous taste for corruption, Kompany is a club legend whom most Mancunians would vote in as the Prime Minister tomorrow. It’s a funny old game.
Kompany has seen it all at City. He started out as Stephen Ireland’s midfield partner and now possesses a trophy cabinet containing four Premier League medals, two FA Cups, two Community Shields and four League Cups.
Eleven seasons into his Premier League career, Kompany is surrounded by the best team-mates he’s ever had, playing under the best manager to have taken the reigns at City. That’s a double-edged sword for the 32-year-old.
Kompany has started just 13 league games this season. Injuries have been no kinder to his body with age, while the emergence of John Stones and Aymeric Laporte as the Premier League’s best centre-back pairing have left Kompany in the shadows.
But this is no sob story. City are phasing out Kompany in the graceful manner his achievements at the club deserve.
Kompany was able to lift the League Cup having played 75 minutes of the final against Chelsea. He started the 2-1 win against Liverpool in January which could prove pivotal in the Premier League title’s final destination, scored the title-winning goal against Leicester and led the team to another FA Cup after thrashing Watford.
But it’s not just Kompany’s presence in the dressing room that has seen him last distance so far under Guardiola. He’s there on merit. Contrast Kompany’s game time with another legend of the modern City era- Joe Hart- and it’s clear that Guardiola has the ability to be ruthless when he feels it’s warranted.
No one could accuse Kompany of getting a free ride if he does end up lifting more silverware this campaign.
The future looked uncertain for Kompany with his contract ending this summer and it broke today that he is going to leave the club.
Whether he returns at some point either as a coach or a sporting director, Kompany’s legacy in Manchester is set in stone.
Can you think of another City player who Man United fans would be happy to call their son-in-law?
That love from both sides of the city is more of an achievement than any trophy he could have won during his time at the Etihad.
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