There are fan favourites, and there is John Stones – City Magazine spoke to the man who can do no wrong in the eyes of our supporters to discover how what is seemingly an unbreakable bond first began…

There are many reasons why the City fans love John Stones, just as there are for many of our players.

A classy, unflustered Rolls Royce of a defender, he is now in his ninth season with the Club having joined from Everton in 2016.

He has shared many wonderful moments with the supporters, winning no less than 15 trophies so far with the Blues.

And, of course, he’s been a huge part of our many successes, contributing with incalculable last-ditch tackles, blocks and clearances - often moments that might be lost in the passage of time, such is the lot of defenders who maybe get to do the less glamorous, headline grabbing stuff – but Stones’ individual big moments seem to have stuck firmly in the minds of his legion of fans.

Listing them all would be an exercise in futility, but who will ever forget THAT goal-line clearance against Liverpool at the Etihad when his incredible, acrobatic hack to safety denied Jurgen Klopp’s men a goal by just 11 millimetres with the score at 0-0 in January 2019?

If Sadio Mane’s effort had gone in, who knows how that incredible title race might have ended? As it was, City won 2-1 on the day and the Blues ended up winning the title by one point more than Klopp’s team.

People don’t forget those moments and nor should they.

As earlier stated, there have been too many instances that have endeared Stones to the supporters’ hearts, and it is a bond that has only grown year on year.

Looking at the fresh-faced lad from Barnsley, it’s hard to think he’s 30, though he undoubtedly has many more great playing years ahead.

But it is fair to say his popularity has never been greater.

Already this season his last-gasp goals against Arsenal and Wolves have resulted in crazy celebrations, an additional three points won, and a further cementing of a relationship between supporters and the player that appears unbreakable.

The celebratory run to the fans to blow kisses is genuine. There isn’t a moment he doesn’t appreciate the sort of backing he gets week in, week out and when he gets the chance, he wants to reciprocate that affection.

Goal-scorers and/or creative and highly productive midfielders are used to that kind of adulation, but it’s rare to find that same kind of reverence in defenders.

So, why does Stones think he became such a terrace idol?

“I’ve no idea!” he laughs.

“It’s not something you can really put your finger on. I think we’ve enjoyed a lot of great nights and great moments together, but I suppose from my point of view, I just try and give everything every time I’m out there and I believe that’s really all fans and people want to see.

“I think they can relate to that, and it literally is just that as far as I can tell – giving absolutely everything, no matter what the circumstances are – each time you pull on that shirt.

“Luckily, we’ve won a lot more than we’ve lost or had bad games and even when things haven’t gone our way, we’ve still given it our all and I think our supporters genuinely appreciate that.

“Things aren’t always going to go the way you want them to be and from my perspective, this is the Club that I love and have been here such a long time now – and hopefully will be for a lot longer – and I can relate to a lot of the fans and their journeys in football because it was the same for me as a kid.

“They want to see you doing your best, being passionate at what you do and then sharing the special times with them.

“If I was pressed on a favourite personal moment with City, I’d struggle because there have been so many, but probably just the Treble season – just all of it, full-stop. I don’t think I could ever top that.

“On a personal level, I remember at the title presentation at the Etihad in 2023, and it was so special – something that will live with me forever.

“The fans singing my name when I was walking up to get my medal, honestly it touched my heart, and it touched my family’s heart.

“When you hear your name being continually sung, it’s so special, it really is and all I want to do is make them proud and make them love the team, the Club and everything we do as players even more.

“The majority of our fans have been here a lot longer than I have, and many have seen really difficult times as well as the good ones and I just want to help create more good times, memories and moments they can enjoy and never forget.

“My family are all City fans now – kids, relatives, you name it – and City are a huge part of their lives as well, so I feel privileged to be part of the fabric of this fantastic football club.”

The big question is – just how many John Stones chants are there?

Undoubtedly, the ‘Johnny, Johnny Stones’ song is the most popular, though we won’t reprint the full lyrics here for obvious reasons!

He also features in ‘The Boys in Blue’ chant as well as the ‘Follow, Follow, Follow!’ and there might even be more – but three songs ain’t bad for starters!

Does he know them all and their lyrics?

“I haven’t a clue if I’m honest! “ he smiles.

“There’s a few, I know that and obviously I know all the ones all the lads sing to me – one in particular! It’s super special, it really is.

“How does it make me feel? It makes me feel really, really good and I get a lot of banter from the boys about it.

“They will start singing it constantly around the place or in the changing room or even during games when our fans are singing they join in! It’s nice to be appreciated like that and I appreciate it as well.”

A father of three, what do John’s kids make of their dad being serenaded with his name echoing around stadiums at home, away or overseas? And do they sing them back to him?

“They know them, but they won’t sing them around me!” he smiles.

So, whatever the main reason for the connection between John Stones and the City fans is, we can only assume it’s a collection of those special moments mentioned above, or the fact he’s an excellent and innovative footballer who can effortlessly move from defence into midfield as though he’d played their all his life.

Maybe that plus he’s just a hugely likeable, intelligent and down to earth lad from Barnsley.

There used to be a flag some City fans brought to games a few years back, with a message that ended along the lines of ‘Play like we dream’.

It’s a mantra John Stones abides by each and every time he represents Manchester City.

Interview: David Clayton

CONGRATULATIONS, RODRI!

Rodri became the first Manchester City player to win the coveted Ballon d'Or at the end of last month. Or midfield colossus saw off a number of high-profile challengers to win the vote of journalists worldwide. As he recovers from surgery, here is a gallery of a most memorable evening for our peerless No.16...

Our feature on hard-working Blues who gained a cult status amongst City fans reaches a man that personifies this category perhaps more than any other.

Pablo Zabaleta made a relatively quiet entrance at Manchester City.

The Argentinian right-back was 23 and had already played three seasons in Europe with Spanish side Espanyol.

But in the summer of 2008, there was a lot going on at the Club.

Future captain Vincent Kompany arrived, while fan favourite Shaun Wright-Phillips made an emotional return after three seasons at Chelsea.

Zabaleta was confirmed as a City player on 31 August 2008 but just hours later, HH Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of the Club was complete and a new dawn for Manchester City arose.

For all the players, but new signings in particular, that could have caused some anxiety around how they fit into this new world.

Zabaleta, who joined on a modest fee, needn’t have worried.

He would go on to be a backbone of many of our early successes under the new owner and strike up a timeless relationship with the thousands who flock to the Etihad week in week out.

One thing was immediately apparent to the City faithful: this man would give his all.

Zabaleta was prepared to put his body on the line to an extent that must have had his nearest and dearest fearing every time he stepped on to the pitch.

The full-back would often end games head to toe in mud and covered in bandages, with one particular image of a bloody dressing wrapped tightly around his head the prevailing one when fans look back on his career.

It wasn’t long before a song was coined that insisted Zabaleta was harder than Jaap Stam – a former Manchester United defender that appeared to intimidate strikers into surrendering possession rather than tackling them.

Initially considered competition for Micah Richards at right-back, Zabaleta was more than willing to play where necessary.

That versatility saw him utilised in midfield in his first season, playing 42 times in total.

His opening goal was a moment of true finesse, taking the ball down and allowing it to bounce before striking perfectly from the edge of the box.

He would only score 12 times in total for City, but they were always memorable.

As we transitioned into life under Roberto Mancini, both right-backs pushed each other on.

Zabaleta started the all-important FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United in 2011 and came on in the second half of the final.

In the 2011/12 season, they shared duties with Zabaleta appearing 31 times and Richards 37.

It was the Argentinian who got the nod on that crucial day in May when our maiden Premier League title was within touching distance.

That was a day mostly remembered for the impact of another Argentina international: Sergio Aguero.

However, it was Zabaleta who got the day up and running just six minutes before half-time with a moment of sheer determination.

He burst through the defence and fired a shot at Paddy Kenny that the goalkeeper diverted onto the post before it landed behind the line.

The next two terms, one under Mancini and one with Manuel Pellegrini saw Zabaleta firmly establish himself as the first choice at right-back.

He did so with a sheer bloody-mindedness that had become his trademark and made him so relatable to thousands of fans who could never dream of having the otherworldly talents of the likes of David Silva and Yaya Toure.

In fact, in 2012/13 he would be named in the PFA Team of the Year.

Between 2011 and 2014 – Zabaleta’s undoubted peak – he also earned 39 of his 58 international caps and represented his country with honour on their way to a runners-up spot at the 2014 World Cup.

Perhaps Zabaleta’s most famous City celebration came in December 2014 at the Olimpico in Rome.

Needing to beat AS Roma to progress through the knockout stages, City went 1-0 up through Samir Nasri.

The midfielder then had another opening but instead played it inside to the marauding Zabaleta, who forced it home.

He proceeded to sprint over to the City fans in the corner of the grand old stadium to rejoice in the moment together.

Pep Guardiola’s arrival in 2016 saw Zabaleta relied upon as a trusty, now older player, who could support a smooth transition into the squad the Catalan wanted.

Even so, he left in the summer of 2017 with the knowledge that England’s Kyle Walker was being pursued.

Guardiola was quick to praise the departing hero: "Pablo is a real legend in what he has done in this club. He helped us with his team-mates, with the club, to make a step forward, to try to qualify for the Champions League, to win the Premier League, to be in Europe three or four times in a row when it was never in Europe for 30 years.

"That's why Pablo Zabaleta is so, so important."

Having crept through the entrance door at a time of great upheaval, Zabaleta left behind a stable City taking its place at Europe’s top table and ready to become Guardiola’s masterpiece.

Now, Zabaleta works closely with the club on media opportunities around the world and is the subject of pure adoration every time he meets a City fan.

Feature: Jack Mumford

Meet James Morley, the talented young presenter on the popular City vlog JSM44... 

CITY MAG: Good to meet you James, how and when did you start your vlog? 

I started in 2021, unfortunately it was the heartbreaking defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League Final in Porto. I knew not many people would be attending as it was restricted capacity, so I decided to do a vlog, so people at home could feel like they were at the game and it’s grown from there!

What’s your personal City story – how and why did you end up following the Blues? 

My grandpa used to tell me incredible stories about him following City, so blue has run in the family. I had to support my Grandpa’s team. It was City or you're OUT!

All-time favourite City moment in your life? 

It has to be in Istanbul. Finally winning the Champions League and completing the Treble. I turned around to my Dad and said “we’ve done it” followed by a massive man hug - that moment will never be beaten. 

When did you think this could be more than just an occasional hobby? 

I’m currently doing YouTube full-time, I post other types of football videos, mainly challenges, and doing something you love full time, it’s unbelievable! 

What can people expect on your channels? 

Lots of City vlogs from all around the world, I love the Champions League and I love to travel to games everywhere! And of course me failing a lot of very difficult football challenges haha!

Why the name ‘JSM44?’ 

My name is James Stephen Morley, so it’s my initials and my favourite number is 44, it’s always been my lucky number from when I was very young. The luck came true in 2012, Aguero’s goal was City’s 44th shot of the game, and it was our first title in 44 years! Lucky number for a reason!!

What tech do you use for the vlogs when you’re home and when you’re at games etc? 

All the vlogs are filmed on my phone and edited on my phone. I try my best to upload as fast as possible after the game!  When I’m home, I’ve got a Canon 250d camera, and sometimes I upload and export on my PC.

Things going well? 

Extremely well, but I’m only as good as my last video, so I never get carried away! I always look to improve and expand my horizons even more!

Where’s your audience/subscriber numbers currently at? 

I’ve surpassed 400,000 YouTube subscribers, and I’m close to 200k on TikTok. But YouTube is my main focus, and I always look to grow more and expand on there!

Any memorable moments doing the vlog that particularly stick out? 

Loads of great memories, but for me, the celebrations in Saudi, when we became Champions of the World! Everyone was going crazy together, including the locals. And it started raining, it made it even more sweet, I’ve never been warm in the rain before!

Are you getting recognised at games and if so, what’s the reaction been like? 

Yes, I get recognised quite a bit. From Blues it’s all positive and I love meeting everyone. I’ll always stop for a chat and talk about football! From Liverpool fans after you sit in the Liverpool end supporting City (but being discreet) let’s just say some plastic bottles passed in my direction...

Which other City vloggers do you enjoy watching? 

Prime Mutton - I’m a true Muttonista, I love his content.  We catch up often and I even joined him for a banquet in Madrid and it was amazing!!!

And other vloggers in general... 

I really enjoy watching Fut Crunch, the vlog that he does in his style, it’s so engaging and I’ll sit there for hours, binge-watching his content! 

We obviously win a lot of games – what are your vlogs like when we lose? 

I’ll always try and be a sportsman, even if I’m disappointed that we don’t get a result. I have to remember that the people who are going to watch when we lose or draw will probably support the opposition, so being sporting will be key!

Where would you like the vlog to lead? 

I’ve never sat down and thought about it. Maybe working with City one day, I know a lot of the other creators do Matchday Live or even Sky Sports. I don’t know, I’ll just take each day as it comes!

Finally, what advice would you give to other youngsters wanting to follow in your footsteps? 

Keep consistent and never give up. It’s tough at the start, it really is. You have to keep consistent with your posting and even if they’re not bringing in the views, keep going and never give up! 

 Follow James’ YouTube channel here:
YouTube Tik Tok Instagram

City-supporting Blossoms’ new album is produced by the band’s long-time collaborator James Skelly of The Coral, alongside Jungle’s Josh-Lloyd Watson, who produced What Can I Say After I’m Sorry? And Nightclub.

CMAT has co-written two tracks on the album, I Like Your Look and Why Do I Give You The Worst Of Me? The album charted at #1 on week one of release. Blossoms recently played their biggest headline gig to date, a sold-out show to 30,000 people at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park.

The band’s previously announced UK tour dates November are nearly sold out, with only a few tickets left at a handful of shows (see full details below and on Blossoms’ website).

Since forming in 2013, Blossoms have enjoyed widespread success and acclaim. Their 2016 debut Blossom stopped the album charts for two consecutive weeks and went on to earn the band BRIT Award and Mercury Prize nominations, while 2018’s Cool Like You charted at Number 4 in the UK album chart, spawning the anthemic singles I Can’t Stand It, There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls) and How Long Will This Last?

Their third studio album, 2020’s Foolish Loving Spaces was the band’s second UK Number 1 album, while their fourth studio LP Ribbon Around The Bomb gave the band their third UK Number 1 album, with the record’s standout tracks Ode To NYC, The Sulking Poet and Care For now well established as fan favourites.

Blossoms have had five Top 5 albums in the UK, including their In Isolation/Live From The Plaza Theatre, Stockport release.

We have one special album version of 'Gary' available to win for City fans!

To enter, simply answer the question below.

How many studio albums have Blossoms released to date?

1, 5, or  3?

Please send your answer to info@shootmusic.co.uk The winner will be drawn at random on Monday 2 December 2024 – good luck!

He’s been playing hardman Cain Dingle on one of Britain’s best-loved soaps Emmerdale for almost 25 years – CITY MAGAZINE caught up with lifelong Blue Jeff Hordley….

Where and when did your City story begin?

“My uncle Neil took me to the game when Colin Bell made his return from injury – Boxing Day 1977 – against Newcastle and when he came on at half-time, the whole of Maine Road were on their feet clapping. I asked my uncle what it was all about and he just said that he was a really, really good player who was coming back. It was a really special time, and I loved Maine Road and shouting ‘Kiddo!’ My family were all from Blackley originally but as a youngster I went to live in Oldham.”

Who was your first hero?

“It was Brian Kidd and many years later I was fortunate to meet him at a game when he was working under Roberto Mancini. I think it was in the Chairman’s Lounge and he sort of sidled up to me and said, ‘Are you going to go and sort that Jay out?’ – and I thought, ‘My gosh – he watches Emmerdale!’ It was a real moment for me because he was my boyhood hero and he is an absolutely lovely guy.”

Can you recall when you got your first shirt?

“It would be the Umbro strip with the diamonds from the late 1970s. I had badges, hats and all that kind of stuff.”

Were you a decent player yourself?

“I was OK, but more of a jack of all sports. When I went to senior school, I captained the team for a few years, and I was playing alongside Mark Robins who obviously went on to play for United and City and he used to score goals for fun. I was playing right wing, so I made a lot of assists for him but if I was getting 14 goals a season, he was getting 40-plus. He was unbelievable and he stood out a million miles.”

When did you decide you wanted to go into acting?

“I used to be in school plays and we had a really good drama teacher who took us to The National Student Drama Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe and I did that up to A-levels.  I didn’t think about it much until after I had left school and doing different jobs until I was 21. I’d i did a shirt and tie job and discovered that wasn’t for me. Then I found out a couple of the guys I’d been in the school plays with had applied to drama school and got in. It was a sort of lightbulb moment for me, and I suddenly thought if I could get paid to be an actor, that would be amazing.. So, I applied and though I didn’t get in the first time, I did the second time, so I began at drama school at 23. What had been a hobby at drama school became a reality when I realised what I really wanted to do. So I followed my dreams, and I think that’s really important that you do a job you love.”

You have two little ones, don’t you Jeff?

“They’re not little anymore! My daughter is 19 and just started university  and my son is 16 and a fantastic musician, My daughter is looking into becoming a writer and possibly going down that route. I’m encouraging them to do what they love, but also warning them about the pitfalls by making sure they have another job that can support that dream. My way of supporting acting was deejaying which I did for a long time and do just for a hobby now. I used to be at a club called South in the rock and roll bar for many years which supplemented my income in the early days.”

After joining Emmerdale in 2000, did you start to get recognised at games?

“I did. Fans are mostly lovely, but every now and then there will be a few who like a bit of banter. I remember sitting down at Maine Road after shuffling along to my seat and there was  a guy a few rows up shouting ‘Cain! Cain!’ – when I turned around to acknowledge him and he shouted something not very nice – his mates were laughing and I just thought, ‘oh, god!’ But that’s football and most are absolutely lovely, and the club really look after me and I get some really lovely privileges because of the job I do and one of them is being able to watch my biggest passion which is Manchester City.”

You keep your loyalties fairly low key, Jeff.

“Yeah, I suppose I do. I get asked to do a lot of interviews but don’t do that many because I’m fiercely private when it comes to my wife Zoe and my family, so I don’t necessarily shout from the rooftops about City, but everyone who knows me knows I’m a lifelong Blue.”

Do you enjoy playing Cain in Emmerdale?

"I’ve been fortunate to have such a brilliantly written character who I’ve grown up with. I get to do some really fun things but nowadays I would say he’s a bit more rounded, he's more mature these days. When I first went for the audition, I had longer
hair and the character was like a Manchester throwback and that look and attitude worked for the part at the time. They wrote Cain as the type who would grab someone by the collar in the early days. But I suggested that maybe he didn't need to do that. From my experience true hardmen intimidate with a look rather than being physical.. I took my years working at clubs and with bouncers and used elements of that to
help create Cain’s persona I suppose. But he's a great character and I feel very privileged to be part of this wonderful company.”

Cain's character is obviously a tough guy, do you find people at games have difficult separating Jeff and Cain?

“I don’t think so. A lot of people talk to me and will say, ‘oh, you’re nothing like your character’ and I just think, thank goodness for that!!”

What's a typical matchday look like for you?

“I go with my son and sometimes some mates. On occasion we might go for a meal in town first, but generally, just get to the ground and bed in.”

Any other Emmerdale actors follow City?

“I have a lot of banter on set. The other big Blue on Emmerdale is Dom Brunt who plays Paddy, and we often go to games together with our sons, but Mark Charnock who plays Marlon is a huge United fan. When we won the title in 2012 after the game against QPR, I turned up in a full City strip in his dressing room the next day and he just laughed and took it really well, I have to say.”

As a lifelong City fan, has it all been a bit surreal for you, the past 15 years or so?

“It does. I used to go to games with a good mate of mine called Woody who sadly passed away a few years back, and we’d just look at each other and say that we couldn’t believe what we were watching. We’d both suffered the barren years and the Yaya goal against United in the FA  Cup semi-final, the Aguero moment as the tide changed in Manchester up until David Silva, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne and it’s just incredible. I still miss the days when we didn’t win a thing but I’m enjoying the ride of winning everything just as much.”

Interview: David Clayton

Here we revisit a City Magazine feature on Nicolas Anelka, which acted as an overview of his three years with the Blues…

In the summer of 2002, this felt like City’s first real superstar signing for maybe 20 years or so – Nicolas Anelka dressed like a rock star and was as stylish off the pitch as he was on it – this was the first of three interviews with Nico. And he was a million miles away from the guy the Press called ‘Le Sulk’…

Nicolas Anelka has been given such a bad press over the years that after just five minutes in his company you are left wondering why. Friendly, charming, polite and almost painfully shy, is this really the multi-million pound superstar that has allegedly made life difficult for the managers of top clubs throughout Europe? If it is, he’s doing a fantastic impression of somebody who is completely the opposite.

Perhaps his reluctance to seek the glare of the media in some of the biggest cities in Europe like London, Paris and Madrid has created the myth of Nico being moody and sullen when in reality all he’s ever wanted is a quiet life. It is almost impossible to live a normal everyday existence when you are as famous as he is – the lack of a private life comes with the territory, just as the fantastic trappings of wealth do – but you can’t help feeling that sometimes the anonymity the general public is something Anelka craves.

Maybe that’s why Manchester is the perfect place for the French superstar to re-discover the form that made him one of the most sought-after strikers in the world. His south Manchester home may not sound as glamorous as his apartments in Madrid and Paris, but at least it affords him the opportunity of walking to the corner shop for a pint of milk without a pack of photographers watching his every move.

His early form suggests exactly what Kevin Keegan has been saying all along, that at £13million, City have a genuine bargain. His goals in the opening matches – a volley, a header and a long-range- drive – carry the hallmarks of a player who can do pretty much everything you could want a striker to do. He was cruelly robbed of the deflected free kick against Everton but he doesn’t plan to appeal against the somewhat harsh opinion of an official panel.

‘If they want to take the goal away from me, that’s up to them. It would be nice to have been given it but if they want to give it somebody else, I’ve nothing to say about it,’ said Anelka.

It was amusing to hear the commentators on Sky Sports covering the Arsenal – City game last month say that Nico had never scored a header in England just moments before he nodded Ali Benarbia’s cross home past a static David Seaman. He ran past the Arsenal fans urging them to stay silent, a wish with which they were happy to comply.

Anelka had been given plenty of stick by the Gunners’ faithful on the night despite scoring 23 goals in 65 Premiership appearances during his time at Highbury. Football fans, though, rarely boo a bad player. And it must have been sweet to score his first header at Highbury. Anelka admits he enjoyed it.

‘I have scored headers elsewhere in the past but this was the first time I’d actually managed it in England,’ he said. ‘I think the Arsenal fans were the way they were because they don’t understand why I left Highbury.

‘I went back there twice last season with Liverpool and the reception from the fans was okay but I don’t care about that. I have got on with my life and Arsenal fans should forget. I forget their whistles and only think about the good times. They are an awesome side and they still have the desire and hunger to win more.

‘Arsene Wenger was a big influence on my career and I am full of admiration for what he has done at Arsenal. He had confidence in me when I was a teenager and I had confidence in him. He helped me as a 17 year-old and I helped him by doing my best on the pitch. He trusted me and I trusted him.’

His time at Real Madrid yielded only two goals in 19 appearances before he returned to Paris St Germain in 2000. He remained there until his loan move to Liverpool last season where he added four goals in 20 appearances for the Anfield side. While it seemed almost certain he would join Gerard Houllier’s side, he was surprised and disappointed when the Reds’ boss decided against the move.

Anelka recently said of Houllier that “he imagined future problems and imagined the worst.” Privately, the young striker must be hoping to make the Liverpool boss regret the decision but their loss is City’s gain and he has surprised many by not just his prowess in the penalty area but his all-round work rate which is something he admits is a new side to his game.

“It was not part of my game when I was at Arsenal where I was an out and out striker and a scorer of goals. But, first at Real Madrid and then at Paris St Germain, I learned to play behind the strikers. Now I do both jobs for the side and I like that a lot. I am a better player now. I am older and wiser. Many things have happened to me in my career since I was at Arsenal.

“I feel I have different dimensions to my game now and I am a more complete player because of it. I am enjoying playing for City, but we all know we need to improve. I feel very settled and the supporters have been behind me from the very first game, which I appreciate a lot.

“At this club, it doesn't matter whether you are French, Dutch, English, German or whatever,” explained Anelka, as he takes off his trademark Ray-ban glasses and stretches back into a blue armchair.

“It is so easy to be the same and we are all friends. That is not the case at all clubs. Here though, it is the best. It is very easy to be accepted. This atmosphere is different to anywhere I have been. In Spain with Real, going into the dressing room is like entering into a family environment. If you are a stranger, it takes time to be accepted and it is hard to get inside that inner circle.

“It is not like that here. Straight away you are made to feel welcome and players enjoy it. There are no reputations to get past. At Real, you have to wait and wait to see if you are accepted.

“A manager like Kevin, though, helps bond the players together. He smiles all the time, even when you miss chances. He will always have a laugh and a joke and a smile is never far from his face.

“I have to say thank you to the supporters here. They are simply the best I have ever played in front of.

“Since the start of the season I have been happy with the way things have gone. And I am really happy here, the happiest I have ever been. When you have travelled around places like England, France and Spain, you get to see what things are the best.

“For a player, England is the best. When you leave training, you are left alone and you can generally do whatever you like. That is not always true in France or Spain and you can't walk around like everyone else in the street.”

It’s only a 15-minute chat and with that, the French striker is on his way home. In the car park after the interview, Matias Vuoso walked to Nico’s Ferrari and pretends to get in before shrugging his shoulders and walking back to his more conservative Peugeot where laughing passenger Paulo Wanchope is awaiting. It’s nice to know even professional footballers have a wish list, just like the rest of us.

What happened next?

Anelka remained at City for two -and-a-half years, playing 103 times and scoring 45 goals. There were no fall-outs, spats with the manager or tantrums.

He remained popular with the City fans and, as his statistics prove, he enjoyed one of the best spells of his career in Manchester. But he was a restless soul and in January 2005, he headed for sunnier climes with Turkish side Fenerbahce.

In 2006, he joined Bolton Wanderers and 18 months later, he signed for Chelsea where he remained for four years before having brief spells in China, Italy, India and even a short stay at West Brom before calling time on his career aged 35.

Words: David Clayton