Manchester City players will run out at Old Trafford on Wednesday night wearing retro shirts with a Number 8 on their back to mark the passing of club legend Colin Bell.
Bell, 74, who passed away peacefully on Tuesday afternoon, is widely regarded as the greatest player to have pulled on a City shirt and is adored at the club whose stadium bears his name on one of its stands.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak led the tributes to Bell when news of his death was announced while Raheem Sterling, Aymeric Laporte and David Silva were among the players past and present to pay their respects.
“Colin Bell will always be remembered as one of Manchester City’s greatest players and the very sad news today of his passing will affect everybody connected to our club," said the chairman.
Bell was a standout figure in what was a golden age not just for City but for Manchester football as a whole, with the two terrific teams making the city the centre of the game in that period. Pep Guardiola and his squad will be able to give him a fitting tribute when they take on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup semi-final with the team wearing the 1960s-style shirts bearing Bell's number ahead of kick-off.
There are also plans to mark the club great at Sunday's home game with Birmingham City in the FA Cup, with more details expected later in the week.
