Ake, who had been a squad player at Chelsea, spending time on loan at Watford and Reading, had joined the Cherries in 2017 after a successful loan spell the season before and the Dutch star would go on to make 121 appearances for the south coast club over the next three years, scoring 11 times.
His first season with the Blues would be plagued by injury and he would make just 13 appearances.
It’s fair to say, however, that each time he played he impressed the City fans, even though his efforts to get a run in the team were continually hampered by fitness issues.
His second season at the Etihad would see him clock up 27 appearances, and though not a regular starter, he had already proved to Guardiola that he was a more than reliable option should the likes of John Stones and Ruben Dias be unavailable.
In fact, Ake rarely put a foot wrong.
In our Treble season, the Dutch star played 41 times – the most he’d ever clocked up in his career – as he enjoyed a season largely free of injury problems and was regularly named in Guardiola’s starting XI.
As always, the unassuming Ake was outstanding throughout, quietly getting on with his job in a calm and completely assured manner.
Indeed, Ake’s calm authority never dimmed, with his tackling perfectly times, his aerial challenges usually resulting in a successful clearance and his passing excellent.
A terrific barometer of the respect a player has won is reflected when he returns to his former clubs – it had been almost three seasons since Ake had been a Bournemouth player, and our games at the Vitality in the intervening years had seen Ake absent from the City squad.
But in February 2023, Ake returned to face the Cherries for the first time and, with his name warmly applauded by the home fans as the teams were announced, he was then given rapturous ovation as he was substituted on 80 minutes – this with their team 0-4 down.
A few months later, Ake was named in the starting XI to face Inter in the Champions League final, playing the full 90 minutes and giving his usual high quality performance as the Blues completed the Treble.
In 2023/24, Ake made 44 appearances as the Blues retained the Premier League title for a fourth year I a row.
His remaining two campaigns at the Etihad would see Nathan play a further 52 times, bringing his total to 177 with 11 goals scored.
His last game for the Blues was the 2025/26 season finale against Aston Villa, the match we said goodbye to Pep Guardiola, Bernardo and John Stones.
Ake won 12 trophies in six seasons with Manchester City, served the club with distinction and was a crucial part of all the success we enjoyed during those six years.
He was a firm fan favourite, but very much an unsung hero at the same time.
But it is perhaps away from the pitch where he will be missed even more.
Nathan was polite, had time for everybody and was one of the humblest people you could meet.
All in all, a terrific servant for Manchester City, a true gentleman and a gentle man.
Our fans may not have had the chance to say thank you to Nathan, but he will be afforded the warmest of welcomes when he does eventually return.
Perhaps we should leave the final words to our former boss, Pep Guardiola.
In 2024, he said, “As a manager, you want to look for the person behind a player as well as the players. I have that with Nathan. I am extremely happy with him.
“I don’t think you can ever find a single teammate of his who has anything bad to say about him. Both at his clubs and with the Dutch national team.
“He’s very competitive and I wish he could play a season without injuries, but sometimes you run into those kinds of things. I adore him as a person and as a player.”
Good luck Nathan on your next chapter – from everyone at Manchester City.
