Manchester Cityโs website anounced that captain Vincent Kompany will be leaving the club at the end of the season and that the 6-0 thrashing of Watford to capture the FA Cup was his final game.
If this really is to be Vincent Kompanyโs last competitive game in a Manchester City shirt, it will be a fitting end but letting go of all this will not be easy for either party. They have simply invested too much in each other. The greatest bonds, after all, are always the hardest to break.
My captain, my captain ๐@VincentKompany leaves Manchester City
๐ต #mancity https://t.co/4lbs8eubxX
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 19, 2019
Kompany, 33, joined Manchester City back in 2008 from Hamburg and has gone on to make 360 appearances for the club, finding the net 20 times. He has often popped up with important goals, none more so than his stunning winner against Leicester City in the final weeks of the season as the title race went down to the wire.
kompany's goal with the avengers theme is something we all need in our lives pic.twitter.com/M7JzlY9E9x
— Jon (@jmcfc23) May 13, 2019
Naturally, for a man as recognized for his leadership as he is for his on-field contributions, the praise was effusive from Manchester Cityย chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
โThere have been many important contributors to Manchester Cityโs renaissance, but arguably none are more important than Vincent Kompany,โ he said.
.@VincentKompany's trophy haul as a City player ๐
Premier League ๐๐๐๐
League Cup ๐๐๐๐
FA Cup ๐๐
Community Shield ๐๐๐ต #mancity pic.twitter.com/qnt4nBFoaF
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 18, 2019
โHe defines the essence of the club. For a decade he has been the lifeblood, the soul, and beating heart of a supremely talented squad. A booming voice in the dressing room yet a quiet and measured ambassador off it, Vincent can be as proud of himself as we are of him.โ
โIโm probably the most prepared player in the world for my after-career,โ Kompany said over the weekend. He is not wrong.
Fluent in four languages, in 2017 he graduated with a Masters in Global Business and his interests include media and property development. He will keep lacing those boots for a while yet, though. If he stays at City, it will not be out of sentiment on his clubโs part.