This Sunday, at around 4pm, Pep Guardiola will lead his Manchester City side out for the 593rd and final time as he brings the curtain down on an illustrious decade that has placed him among the greatest managers the league has ever seen. It was on August 13 2016 when he first took charge of City, a decade and 20 trophies ago, in a 2-1 victory over Sunderland on the opening day of the season. Countless players, coaches, teams, and competitions have passed since, but Guardiola remained until now. City finished third that year, before the Spaniard guided them to six Premier League titles in total. Six it will remain, after they fell short against Arsenal this season. Daily Mail Sport takes a deeper dive into the players from his first ever squad.
Willy Caballero
Caballero was controversially selected ahead of long-serving goalkeeper Joe Hart, but never truly became more than a number two at City. He later played for Chelsea and Southampton before retiring. After hanging up his boots, he joined Enzo Maresca as assistant manager at Leicester, helping them win the Championship in 2024. When Maresca moved to Chelsea, Caballero followed and added a Club World Cup win to his CV. He left the Blues with Maresca and has been inactive since, but that is about to change. With Maresca set to take over from Guardiola at City, Caballero is expected to make a sensational return as assistant manager, bringing his relationship with the Citizens full circle.
Bacary Sagna
Most Premier League fans associate Sagna with his seven-year spell at Arsenal, but he joined City in 2014 and spent three years at the Etihad before leaving at the end of Guardiola's first season. Sagna went on to play for Benevento and Montreal Impact before retiring in 2019, and now lives in Dubai. He carries out media duties and has his own football app, Ladisfaction, which helps grassroots players connect with professional clubs. He is also an ambassador for the Dubai Sports Council and follows the career of his son, Elias, who plays for Al-Jazira in the UAE.
John Stones
Stones is the only player from Guardiola's first matchday squad still at the club, but not for long; he will depart this summer after a decade at City, in the same fashion as Guardiola. The centre-back arrived for £50 million, the biggest fee for an English player at the time. He was raw but developed into one of the best centre-backs of his generation, winning 20 trophies with City and international success with England, reaching two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final. Stones will leave as a free agent this summer, his next steps unknown.
Aleksandar Kolarov
Primarily a left-back, Kolarov was used at centre-back by Guardiola in his first game. The former Serbia international was part of City's first Premier League title win in 2012 but was shipped out after one year of Guardiola's reign. After spells at Roma and Inter Milan, the now-40-year-old retired in 2022 and began a coaching career, briefly serving as sporting director at Serie B club Pisa. He managed Serbia's Under-21 side from 2024 to 2025 before becoming assistant manager at Inter under Cristian Chivu, helping them regain the Serie A title. Kolarov is also the owner of Bor Retail Park in Bor, Serbia.
Gael Clichy
Another former Arsenal full-back, Clichy departed City after one year under Guardiola. He won the league with City in 2011 and 2013 but left for Istanbul Basaksehir, retiring in 2023 after three years with Servette. The now-40-year-old does punditry but focuses on coaching, first as assistant to Thierry Henry with France's U21 and Olympic teams. In 2025, he got his first senior manager job at Championnat National club Caen, helping them to an eighth-place finish this season.
Fernandinho
Defensive midfielder Fernandinho is a Manchester City legend, playing from 2013 to 2022, captaining the side in his final two years. In 383 appearances, he won five league titles, the FA Cup, and six League Cups, and was captain when they finished runners-up in the 2021 Champions League. He left to join former club Athletico Paranaense in Brazil before retiring in 2025. He is taking a break from football, spending time with family, but has hinted at a potential City return, telling Daily Mail Sport: 'Rumours are rumours. I'm starting to enjoy my life. Not planning coaching yet, not planning to go back to the UK yet. But you never know.'
David Silva
Guardiola's first captain, standing in for the injured Vincent Kompany, Silva is regarded as one of the best players of the Guardiola era. He played for City from 2010 to 2020, winning four Premier League titles and two FA Cups, before leaving for Real Sociedad. He spent three years there before retiring in 2023 after tearing his ACL. Now, he is a winemaker and businessman in Gran Canaria, running Bodegas Tameran, a successful vineyard producing premium wines distributed globally.
Raheem Sterling
It is easy to forget how important Sterling was in the early Guardiola era. The former England winger made 339 appearances for City, winning four Premier League titles and the FA Cup before departing for Chelsea in 2022. He had four miserable years at Chelsea, becoming part of their bomb squad under Enzo Maresca, and a failed loan at Arsenal followed. In February, his £325,000-a-week contract was ripped up, and he signed for Robin van Persie's Feyenoord in the Netherlands. After just seven appearances, he is expected to leave this summer and become a free agent again.
Kevin De Bruyne
Arguably the player of the Guardiola era, De Bruyne was a mainstay until last season, when the club opted not to offer him a new contract. He signed for Napoli in Italy, playing under Antonio Conte 20 times this season. After winning Serie A last term, Napoli surrendered the title to Inter Milan, finishing 13 points behind. De Bruyne has battled a serious hamstring injury this season, and at 34, his best days are behind him. He has another year left on his Napoli deal and will head to the World Cup with Belgium this summer.
Nolito
Forward Nolito spent just one year at City, joining in 2016 and leaving 12 months later. He played 30 games, scoring six goals, before departing because his family was unsettled in England. He moved back to Spain with Sevilla, also playing for Celta Vigo and Ibiza before retiring in 2023. In retirement, he has been involved in youth coaching and is a well-known media personality in Spain, appearing on podcasts and other shows.
Sergio Aguero
One of the best strikers the league has ever seen, Aguero scored 260 goals in 390 appearances for City. He was not always favoured by Guardiola, who reportedly tried to push him out when Gabriel Jesus joined in 2017, but he stayed until 2021, signing for Barcelona. Guardiola famously cried upon Aguero's departure, saying 'we cannot replace him.' Erling Haaland was tasked with doing that. Aguero retired three months after joining Barca due to heart issues. Now, he does punditry and media work, as well as racing. In March, he drove a Formula E car against the likes of Brooklyn Beckham and has explored starting his own Formula E team.
Substitutes
Joe Hart
Long-serving City goalkeeper and fan favourite Hart was controversially pushed out by Guardiola, who wanted a goalkeeper better with his feet. Now retired, Hart's stock is rising as a pundit for TNT Sports and Match of the Day.
Pablo Zabaleta
Another member of City's first title win in 2012, Zabaleta left City after one year under Guardiola and spent three years with West Ham before retiring. He is now assistant manager of Albania since 2023 but failed to help them qualify for the World Cup.
Nicolas Otamendi
Otamendi was at City until 2020, winning three Premier League titles and the FA Cup. He left for Benfica and, at 38, remains a regular, playing 281 times for the club. Having represented Argentina since 2009, he is expected to head to the World Cup this summer to help defend their title.
Fernando
Fernando left City a year after Guardiola took over, spending three years at the club and playing 102 times. He retired in 2025 after a knee injury and is currently undertaking his coaching badges, aiming to stay in football.
Fabian Delph
Delph joined City from Aston Villa in 2015 and played 89 times until 2019. He joined Everton and retired in 2022. He makes occasional media appearances, including with City's social channels, but generally keeps a low profile.
Jesus Navas
A winger in his City days, Navas became a full-back later. After leaving in 2017, he returned to Sevilla and made a staggering 705 appearances for the club. Since retiring last year, he remains an ambassador for Sevilla, attending training sessions and media events.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Just 19 at the time of Pep's arrival, Iheanacho had high hopes but didn't reach the expected heights. He enjoyed success with Leicester after leaving City. Now 29, he plays for Celtic and had a significant impact on the recent Scottish Premiership title race.
