Within an exclusive relationship with Sky Sports ahead of the testimonial, Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany appears back on 11 glittering years at the Etihad Stadium.
Kompany, who captained Manchester City into four Premier League names, left to return to boyhood club Anderlecht.
From the early years earlier City’s takeoverinto a tide of trophies under Pep Guardiola, via that Aguero minute and that Kompany second, the 33-year-old chats with Geoff Shreeves to take a comprehensive look in his time in the club…
Arriving for a fee of approximately #6m, Kompany would go on to play with 360 occasions, winning two FA Cups, four Premier League titles, four League Cups and two Community Shields.
Looking back to his time in City Kompany insists it’s not all about the decorations. The fact the club have transitioned through several bumps in the road to the very best team in England, from mid-table, makes it far more special.
“Going through the transition City, and missing out on most of these names in the very first years, then hardship in terms of expectations, failing, expectations, failing, and then carrying on. It’s better doing it like this, for me anyhow, when I look back to this.
“I know I played a role in shaping the culture of this club, and probably the future of the club, which usually means a lot. There are clubs in which you can do it in this way. It turned out to be a journey.
“The owners came in, and they have been owners that give you time to construct, the perfect sort of owners for the club. So many come and say they are going to pile money in, be prosperous, but not attain it. That ownership group came in and said they went to build vision and a strategy, and will anybody doubt that?
“Not what was bad once I came, we had to change some of the players to become a successful group, but it was a great club with a fantastic history, and I Believe that’s the thing I tried to keep sharing”
The Belgian was linked away from City, but rarely did speculation proceed far. He had eyes for City, but first choice had been staying in the Etihad, though he admits he might have won league titles when he had jumped across other groups.
“I might have ended up in a different club, and out of four league titles you may have perhaps turned it into eight, depending on what club you go to, and how effective it is.
“It’s a competitive clubCity. It’s not like you are able to sit down for a year and wait for what occurs. Every move window, every six months, you are competing with the rest of the world. Anyone better in the world, they have the responsibility to get to improve the group, and you are not given the gift of staying at City for 11 years by anybody, you need to make it for 11 years.
“Doing so, while being awakened by your entire body, my mother would have been proud of me.”
Born in Uccles, Brussels, Kompany is an Mancunian. But that isn’t only a term.
Kompany is fully aware what it says he’s attempted to affect players with these characteristics, and means to be a Manc, and expect that continues long after his departure.
“I became a Manc at the conclusion of it. Every one of these core values before I was a Manc, I had, therefore them sort of transported through the years when I just signed. From the end of this I think there’s a strong identification of Manchester that stays.
“If a person receives a knock on the pitch, then you just get up, get on with it. You are in Manchester. It doesn’t matter as you’re in Manchester, whether you are a # 100m participant get on with it, and you are likely to get up. That is Manchester’s side I strove to keep during, and I feel the team was shaped a bit like that because of many others and myself.
“I mean, Carla [Kompany’s wife] and her household are enormous blues. There’s the red, that gets in Christmas! But now I got myself in a location where it always meant a great deal for me, over anywhere else.”
Four years later being carried over, the first name of City came in the very spectacular fashion. Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp winner from QPR supposed City pipped Manchester United in 2012 seen as the most dramatic moment in Premier League history.
‘Average City’ then took on a significance.
“Typical City style will have been to eliminate the game and dismiss it. That is what City intended in these days. Now the Kun Aguero moment defines City that is typical, you win games and don’t give you up return.
“Was my target from Leicester more significant? His aim was important! Mine appeared better, and that I never believed I would have !
“However, his was very important. He did do his very best to wait until that time, because he had the worst 93 moments of his career, and I would have had a word to say about this after the game when he didn’t’ score, but that’s the wonder of his occupation! One moment can always flip it around.”
Kompany got his second though far more concerned with keeping the ball from the other end. All time, the centre-back produced a strike that was stunning to watch off Leicester 1-0 in their match. In history, it moved down Just like Aguero’s second.
He knew that it was his final home game for City, however his decision to leave was not public. Was he psychological?
“I’m not an emotional type of guy. But it was borderline emotional because I was jumped on by everyone, and likely when I felt a goal and you could not find me. But I thought:’What if this really is the aim, what if this is the sheet that was blank we keep to the game’s end, and that provides the name to us.’
“The game finished 1-0, the kids came on the pitch, technically my last match for the club in the home, and that I already knew [I had been departing ]. Therefore it was very emotional. But it’s a time I will never forget, City lovers will never forget. Not disclosing it felt . It was not about mepersonally, it was about winning after there is always enough time for goodbyes, then what we had to win.
“It was hard to keep the emotion inside. I am searching around and watch that this iconic stadium for me, and now I see 57,000 people I’m really grateful towards, and also next to me my 11 team-mates, of which I have a few gamers in specific like Kun Aguero along with David Silva, who I went through all with, thinking:’We are still standing and doing so together!’ It was a night of feelings.
“That’s why I will always stay fairly humble in my entire life since I think these types of things only happen as you remain humble, focused and driven. Eventually, someone says:’Here you go, you get your reward.'”
Watch Manchester City Legends vs Premier League All-Stars on September 11 from 7pm on Sky Sports Premier League; Kick-off 7.45pm
Money raised from the match will go to Tackle4MCR – the initiative which Kompany set up with the Mayor Andy Burnham, of Greater Manchester, to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness in the city.
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