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Manchester City are a modern day footballing juggernaut. A torrid spell across the nineties and aughts saw them drop as far as the third division of English football.
However, they've since rewritten their history to become the most successful English club over the last decade. The credit for a large part of that success can be attributed to the substantial investment in the club by the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).
Since then, players such as Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany have established themselves as legends at the Etihad.
The times at the old Maine Road stadium, however, were considerably different, with mid-table mediocrity and relegation battles being the club's identity as the "noisy neighbors."
Nevertheless, they produced several endearing players who were loved and still remembered by the City faithful. Here's a look at five iconic Manchester City players before the ADUG takeover:
#5 Richard Dunne
Irishman Richard Dunne was the team captain at the time of the ADUG takeover and was at the heart and soul of the blue collar club. The centre-back was Manchester City's official Player of the Year for four consecutive seasons and an indispensable figure between 2004 and 2008.
During his nine-year spell with the Cityzens, Dunne notched up 351 appearances. He was also a fan favorite for his grit and commanding physical ability. Despite his role as club captain, his player profile did not suit the "superclub" project, with the new management reluctant to build the club around the Irishman. He was let go in 2009.
#4 Shaun Goater
Shaun Goater was an unlikely deadline-day signing in 1998 who went on to become one of the most prolific Manchester City goalscorers of the modern era.
The Bermudian forward had to undergo great adversity in his youth to carve a professional career in football. He got off to a shaky start at Manchester City but quickly turned things around. Goater soon became their talisman for the new millennium, netting a remarkable 105 goals in five years in just 186 appearances.
For four seasons in a row, he was the club's top goalscorer as they ping-ponged between the top three divisions of English football. Powered by Goater's goals, the Sky Blues found themselves back in the Premier League in 2002-03.
Goater's 100th goal for the club came in the 2001-02 derby against Manchester United. Following his tireless effort to hunt down Gary Neville, he was rewarded with an Eyal Berkovic pass which he chipped over Fabian Barthez, as City went on to shock their bitter rivals.
#3 Georgi Kinkladze
In 1995, Manchester City signed a relatively unknown Georgi Kinkladze from Dinamo Tbilisi for a £2 million fee. He went on to become a prodigious footballer and one of the few bright spots during City's fall to the English third division in the late nineties.
The Georgia native was a mercurial talent with a razor-sharp ability to glide past players. The man the fans called "Kinky" had a natural talent to glue the ball to his feet and make mesmerizing runs with his left foot, like a modern-day Dimitri Payet or Adel Taarabt.
Kinkladze was a beloved and celebrated fan favorite and a stand-out player during a poor era for Manchester City. His adoration was backed by two consecutive Player of the Year awards in his 119 appearances for the club.
#2 Bert Trautmann
German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann is the unlikeliest of cult heroes for any English club. He arrived on British shores as a German prisoner of war after the second World War, having served as a Nazi Paratrooper. Having turned down repatriation following his release in 1948, he settled in Lancashire as a farmer and played as a goalkeeper for St Helens Town.
His performances for the non-league team saw Manchester City take a gamble on him in the first division of English football. Despite initial anti-German sentiment, his performances and heroics soon won the fans over.
Trautmann went on to spend 15 years at the club as a bonafide legend, with 508 appearances. The most memorable of those came in the 1956 FA Cup final. Playing with a broken neck, he helped Manchester City secure a 3-1 victory over Birmingham City.
#1 Colin Bell
Colin Bell was a Manchester City superstar throughout the late sixties and early seventies. The creative midfielder formed a deadly trio with Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee, scoring an outstanding 117 goals in 394 professional appearances. That's a ratio of almost one goal in three games, for a midfielder!
At the peak of his prowess, the club enjoyed its most successful era ever. They won both the first and second division league titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and a European Cup Winners cup.
The midfield maestro was nicknamed "Nijinsky" after a famous racehorse, due to his athletic ability and stamina. He was also known as the "King of the Kippax", referring to Maine Road's Kippax Street terraced stand.
Bell was at Manchester City for 13 years, from 1966-1979. For his personal contribution to City's original heyday, he is widely regarded as one of their greatest midfielders, up there with Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva.
