Despite being one of the most successful teams in English soccer over the past few years, Manchester City is still regarded by some as a team that lacks history.
This is actually an incredibly naive statement to make though, as the ‘Citizens’ have a long and storied past that contains a plethora of great players.
Today we will be going for a trip to the blue side of Manchester, taking a look at the best Manchester City players of all time. The Blue Moon has risen in the past decade, but in truth, it has always been there.
Here are the 25 greatest Manchester City players ever.
25. Tommy Booth
Embed from Getty Images
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 487 | 36 | N/A |
Before the glory days of the 2010’s, there was a great period of success during the late 1960’s and early 70’s. One of the key figures during this time was central defender Tommy Booth.
Booth was a product of the clubs youth academy and graduated into the first team in 1967, he would go onto play for the team until 1981.
He is widely regarded as an ‘unsung hero’ by Manchester City fans but having made over 400 appearances for the club he clearly has a place in its history.
24. Fred Tilson
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 276 | 132 | N/A |
In 24th place on our list, is Yorkshire born forward Fred Tilson. Tilson played for the club in its early years, starring for them between 1928 and 1938 and made 276 appearances for the Citizens.
Tilson’s goal scoring record is one of the most impressive in this list, with him registering 132 goals in his decade with the club. Tilson is one of the key members of the First Division and FA Cup winning sides from the 1930’s. Tilson also has a street named after him in the Moss Side area of Manchester.
23. Billy Meredith
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 394 | 152 | N/A |
Perhaps more well known for his time in the red half of Manchester, Billy Meredith appeared for Manchester City twice (before and after his spell at Old Trafford). Meredith made a total of 394 appearances for the club during his two stays at Maine Road.
The Welsh forward first joined City in the late 1890’s, back when Soccer was a very different sport and had the physical stature to back it up. His goal tally of 152 strikes is a very good record.
22. Joe Hart
| Games | Goals conceded | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|
| 348 | 347 | 137 |
22nd place goes to the best City goalkeeper of the 21st century, Joe Hart. The former England number one joined the club in 2006 after impressing at his local team Shrewsbury Town, it took some time for him to break into the first team but eventually he became a vital component of the most successful City team ever.
Hart would win a plethora of trophies for the club and made 348 appearances during his lengthy spell in Manchester. Hart has become a journeyman ever since and currently plays for Celtic.
21. Dennis Tueart
Embed from Getty Images
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 265 | 109 | N/A |
21st place goes to left sided winger Dennis Tuert. The Newcastle born man joined the club in 1974 after a successful spell with Sunderland.
Tuert is most well-known amongst City fans for his role in the 1976 League Cup Final victory, the winger scored a memorable overhead kick that is still regarded as one of the best cup Final goals in the teams history.
20. Fernandinho
Embed from Getty Images
- Position: Defensive Midfield
As we reach the top 20 players in our list, one of the teams most impressive midfielders of recent years takes 20th spot. Brazilian defensive midfielder Fernandinho joined Manchester City in 2013 after a lengthy spell with Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk.
Fernandinho would become a real anchor in the City midfield and won five Premier League titles with the club, in his nine years at the Etihad Stadium he made 264 appearances and scored 20 goals.
19. Eric Brook
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 493 | 177 | N/A |
Another of the warriors from Manchester City’s glorious 1930’s era, Eric Brook was a phenomenal left sided player that had one of the most deadly shots in the history of English Soccer. Brook was known for his stocky build, resembling Roberto Carlos for a modern comparison.
Brook stayed with City for the majority of his career and made exactly 450 appearances in over a decade with the club, he also scored 158 goals during this period. A truly exceptional player from his time.
18. Pablo Zabaleta
Embed from Getty Images
Another of the early signings that City made following their takeover in the late 2000’s, Argentinian right back Pablo Zabaleta takes 18th place on our list. Zabaleta was initially brought in as cover for Englishman Micah Richards, but quickly asserted his dominance in the position.
In his nine years with the club, Zabaleta played 230 times and scored 9 goals. It was a sad time when any of the players from this era left the club, but since leaving the Argentinian spent time at West Ham United before retirement.
17. Tommy Johnson
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 354 | 166 | N/A |
In 17th place we have a man that actually scored in the very first game played at the legendary Maine Road Stadium that City played at before moving to the Etihad Stadium. Tommy Johnson spent 11 years with the club and is another famous goal scorer from the early 1900’s.
During his time at City, Johnson became their top scorer for a while with 166 to his name in 354 appearances. He also holds the record for most League goals for City in one Season, with 38.
16. Frank Swift
| Games | Goals conceded | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|
| 375 | N/A | 102 |
One of the finest Pre-War goalkeepers in English Soccer, Frank Swift was only 20 when he first broke into the Manchester City team. Swift was a large man, known for having hands the size of shovels, making him the perfect man between the posts.
When war broke out, Swift continued playing the club in the Wartime League, where he made over 100 appearances in this period. If the war hadn’t have stopped traditional Soccer competitions, Swift would have been higher in this list.
15. Mike Doyle
Embed from Getty Images
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 563 | 41 | N/A |
Before there was Vincent Kompany, there was Mike Doyle, and he takes 15th place today. The outspoken defender was at the very heart of the greatest Manchester City defence there may have ever been.
Doyle stayed with the club until 1978 and made over 500 appearances for them during this time. City fans are also fond of his hatred of Manchester United, something he was never afraid to mention during his career.
14. Yaya Toure
- Position: Central Midfield
One of the best midfielders of his generation, the indefatigable Yaya Toure is in 14th place. The physical midfielder was renowned for his strength, speed, and power that him one of the most tenacious opponents a player could face.
He may have been past his best when he joined City, but he still delivered a series of top performances and helped them on their way to a number of successful campaigns. A player that is loved around the world, regardless of a fans team allegiance.
13. Glyn Pardoe
Embed from Getty Images
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 305 | 17 | N/A |
The youngest ever player to start a game for Manchester City, Glyn Pardoe was just 15 years old when he first shot onto the scene. Initially used as a forward, it soon became apparent that Pardoe’s talents lay elsewhere on the field, and he became a left back.
In this role, he would got onto become a stalwart in the City defence that had excellent ball control and retained an eye for goal. Pardoe made 305 appearance for the club that he never left; he was a loyal servant to the club that made him.
12. Tony Book
Embed from Getty Images
Pardoe may have made his debut at the age of 15, but the 12th placed man on our list had to wait until his 30’s to first pull on the blue shirt. Tony Book was 32 when he joined the club from Plymouth Argyle (at the time this was considered very old to sign a player).
Book impressed though and became the clubs captain and leader in no time, he also won the very first player of the year award. Book also managed the club for a period and won the 1976 League Cup during this time.
11. Carlos Tevez
When Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez traded red for blue, there was a media frenzy that followed. Many called Tevez a traitor, with City openly mocking their rivals with a now famous ‘Welcome to Manchester’ sign with the strikers face blazoned across it.
Tevez was a good signing though, as he scored nearly 30 goals in his first season with the club.
10. Richard Dunne
Embed from Getty Images
Some may mock the man with the most Premier League own goals of all time, but Richard Dunne was worth far more than that to Manchester City. The Irishman joined the club in 2000 and spent nine years with them before departing for Aston Villa.
Dunne was known for his never say die attitude and always put him body on the line when it mattered. He may be a joke to some English fans, but not in Manchester.
9. Raheem Sterling
Embed from Getty Images
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 339 | 131 | 95 |
Now plying his trade with Chelsea, the 9th best Manchester City player of all time is Raheem Sterling.
The English winger is one of the most underappreciated players of his time, with him being a near constant in the City team for many years and helping them to a number of Premier League titles.
Sterling joined the club from Northwest rival Liverpool and would go on to make 339 appearances, scoring 131 goals during his 7-year stint at the Etihad Stadium.
8. Kevin De Bruyne
- Position: Attacking Midfield
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 349 | 95 | 148 |
Arguably the best midfielder in the world right now, silky Belgian Kevin De Bruyne certainly has the capacity to go even higher in this list in the years to come.
De Bruyne joined the club in 2015 and was often called a waste of money by the English media after disappointing with Chelsea in the past.
Since then, the Belgian has become a global star and has made 349 appearances for the club in his 7 years with them. He has also become known for his range of passes and 95 goals that he has scored so far.
7. Mike Summerbee
Embed from Getty Images
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 449 | 67 | N/A |
Under legendary manager Joe Mercer, Mike Summerbee established himself as one of the best wingers that England has ever seen. The man known as ‘Buzzer’ to fans around the world, Summerbee scored 67 goals during his stay at Maine Road.
Summerbee was the City equivalent to George Best, with the two being firm friends and sharing a lavish lifestyle. Had it not been for this friendship, Summerbee would likely have been an even better player though.
6. Bert Trautmann
| Games | Goals conceded | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|
| 545 | N/A | 98 |
German legend Bert Trautmann takes 6th place, and I would be remiss to not include the story that is intrinsically linked to his City career.
As a former Axis paratrooper in WW2, Trautmann faced a lot of backlash when he signed for the club in 1949. He soon won over the fans and went onto make over 500 appearances for the club.
The most famous day in his City career came in the 1956 FA Cup Final though, as he played the final few minutes of the game with a broken neck that could have killed him. Due to no substitutes being allowed, the German carried on playing and went onto win the cup.
5. Vincent Kompany
The greatest Belgian defender in history takes 5th spot in our list, Vincent Kompany is known to City fans around the world as ‘Captain Fantastic’ due to his many years of service and trophy winning prowess.
Kompany spent nearly a decade with the club, where he led them to four Premier League titles and two FA Cups, the UEFA Champions League always eluded him though.
A battler in every sense of the word, with a statue of the clubs greatest central defender being erected in 2024.
4. Francis Lee
Embed from Getty Images
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 330 | 148 | N/A |
A stocky striker that always delivered for the club, Francis Lee was brought in by Joe Mercer to be the final piece of his title challenging jigsaw. This would be exactly the case, with Lee scoring some of the most vital goals in the 1970’s.
Lee is also one of the best penalty takers in the history of Soccer, with him scoring a sensational 15 of them in the 1971/79 season (he scored 35 goals that season in total).
3. David Silva
- Position: Attacking Midfield
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 436 | 77 | 140 |
Alongside Vincent Kompany, silky Spanish midfielder David Silva is another of the clubs ‘modern’ legends to have a statue erected in his honour. Silva joined the club in 2010 and would stay there for a decade, becoming one of the finest attacking midfielders in history.
Over the course of his spell with the Citizens, Silva provided some amazing assists and sublime goals. The Spaniard scored 60 times in 309 games for Manchester City before moving back home to Spain in 2024.
2. Colin Bell
Embed from Getty Images
- Position: Attacking Midfield
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 501 | 150 | N/A |
The only man on our list to have a stand at the Etihad Stadium named after him, for many years there was nobody close to the legend of Colin Bell. The Englishman spent over a decade with the Citizens and is loved by everyone connected to the club.
An excellent goal scoring midfielder, Bell notched over 150 times in 501 appearances for the club. Bell was also a top-quality dribbler and could beat a man with ease, clips of his talent are well worth a watch.
1. Sergio Aguero
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 390 | 260 | 73 |
The best Manchester City player of all time could only be Sergio Aguero, the Argentinian striker has a legendary status that not many players can match. He is also widely viewed as one of the best Premier League strikers of all time.
Aguero is most famous for his last-minute goal against QPR in 2012 that won the club the Premier League title and denied cross-city rivals Manchester United. In total Aguero scored 260 goals in 390 appearances for the club.
