Stuart Pearce believes Vincent Kompany will return to Manchester City in some capacity in the future.
Despite City making numerous offers to keep their club captain, who made 360 appearances for the club, winning four Premier League titles, four EFL Cups and two FA Cups, it was announced on Sunday morning that he would be leaving when his contract expires this summer.
The defender is to become the new player-manager of Anderlecht.
The move will bring an end to the 33-year-old's 11-year association with the club, with his final act as a City player coming on Saturday evening when he lifted the FA Cup.
City's 6-0 win over Watford at Wembley, helped the Blues to become the first men's side in English football to complete a domestic treble, and Pearce, speaking on talkSPORT , believes the split between the pair would have been amicable.
“When I was watching Manchester City train pre-Pep, you could see influence Vincent had on the training pitch.
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“One thing I said yesterday was the best signing of the summer could be Vincent Kompany – to keep him at the club, keep his influence and hang on to leaders within the group.
“I’d be very interested to hear how that conversation went between Vincent and the club. You’d bet it would have been very amicable.
“But it’s where he goes from here, is it retirement or is it to play football elsewhere or is there a management opportunity?
“Vincent’s been, arguably over last ten years, the best captain and best leader there’s been in the Premier League.”
But despite having signed a three-deal with the Belgium side, Pearce, a former City player, believes the defender will return to the Etihad in the future.
He said: “If you’re going to bow out with Manchester City there’s probably no better season to do it than here and now with what they’ve achieved this year.
“He’ll have a connection with Manchester City in the future, whether that’s coaching, managing or as a statesman at the club, he’ll certainly have a future at City.”
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