Vincent Kompany would have enjoyed a text message after his stunning strike against Leicester from one of the men who brought the Belgian to Manchester City in the dark days before Sheikh Mansour.
Former City assistant Mark Bowen has kept in touch with Etihad icon Kompany since his 2009 departure with manager Mark Hughes.
Bowen said: “As soon as he scored that goal against Leicester City, I texted him saying, ‘71 minutes gone, Manchester City need a miracle. Up steps the captain to create one’.
“When the goal went in, I was bouncing up and down. Despite what happened to Mark and me, you never lose a feeling for a club that employed you. It’s nice to bask in some reflected glory that we were the ones who brought him to the club, although, obviously, no one knew it would turn out the way it has.”
Rewind to August 2008 and, under then-owner Thaksin Shinawatra, the City landscape was a complete contrast to the present day.
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“We’d only been there a few weeks and we were told that we would have to sell players immediately, no messing around. Money needed to come in,” Bowen recalled. “We didn’t really want to do anything because we knew the squad would be weakened.
“We discovered they had agreed a fee for Vedran Corluka to go to Spurs and also wanted another player sold. Mark said he'd only agree to that if we could push the button on one or two he wanted to bring in.
"The two players were Pablo Zabaleta [who cost £6.45m from Espanyol, made over 300 appearances and helped win three titles, as many League Cups and an FA Cup] and Vinny Kompany.”
Kompany, snatched from German club Hamburg for £6million, made an immediate impression.
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“Straight away you could see he was a leader, a fantastic professional. He was a man’s man and, although he was a Belgian who had arrived from Germany, he spoke fluent English,” added Bowen. “He came across as a proper person, level-headed, someone who would immediately improve the club.
“We had explained to him what we were trying to achieve — don’t forget, at this time no one had heard of Sheikh Mansour.
“We started him off playing at the back, but he kept knocking on Mark’s door saying that he wanted to play central midfield. In fairness, he had the attributes, but Mark told him he saw him as a future captain playing in the defence.”
Hughes has no doubts about Kompany's status after almost 11 years treading the City boards as a defensive colossus.
“It’s probably the best fee Manchester City have ever spent on a player,” he said. “In terms of pound for pound, the deal has to be up there with the best in football.”
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Bowen agreed: “He’s an absolute bargain.
"I text him and still speak to him, but, after everything that has gone on there, after everything he has achieved, he still has no airs and graces. He is still exactly the same person who first came into the club. I’m certain some people would have got a bit ahead of themselves after all the adulation. He is still the level-headed guy he has always been.
“It was great seeing him on the pitch after the Leicester game with his family. He seems to have everything.
"He has achieved virtually everything in the game. He’s been fortunate that he has remained at a time when Manchester City have chucked fortunes at the team and everything else. To get another league title in succession would be the icing on the cake.
“I know there is the disappointment of not having landed the Champions League yet, but Vinny and City won’t be thinking of that if they retain the title at Brighton.”
Now Bowen believes it’s important to tie Kompany, who turned 33 last month, down to another contract.
“He is one of those players you don’t want to ever see leave,” he added. “Hopefully, you could see him carrying on a bit longer and maybe do a bit of coaching. He'd be a great ambassador for the club — although that’s not imminent, he seems to have a few more years in the tank yet as an influential player.
“It would be a shame if he did leave. It’s up to him. He might fancy MLS, who knows? But, even now, he would be a sad loss.
“He’s an immense presence. It’s not always what goes on in front of you on the pitch, it’s what happens in the dressing room which is just as important and Vinny more than plays his part. You can see him being a calming influence right across the club.
"I think it’s safe to say he has a prominent place in Manchester City folklore.”
