Eleven players who defined Guardiola's Man City era

ByCiara Fleming

BBC Sport journalist

After a decade of unprecedented success, Pep Guardiola is about to bid farewell to Manchester City.

Since arriving in 2016, the Catalan has turned the club into a footballing superpower, winning 19 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.

While records have continuously tumbled in the face of his ruthless, possession-based style, it is his shaping of some of the best footballers in the world that leaves an indelible mark.

From reinventing positions and formations, spotting potential in the academy, to cultivating a Ballon d'Or winner, Guardiola has made careers. Many who starred during his tenure have departed not only as club legends but global stars.

Here, BBC Sport compiles a list of 11 players who defined Guardiola's decade in charge.

Raheem Sterling joined Manchester City from Liverpool in the summer of 2015 in a £49m deal - a record fee for an English player at the time.

He arrived as a gifted winger but questions remained over his end product and goalscoring ability.

Under Guardiola he matured, repaying his manager's faith with 131 goals during his seven-year stint at the Etihad, scoring 20-plus goals in three consecutive campaigns.

Ilkay Gundogan was Pep Guardiola's first signing as Manchester City manager, joining from German club Borussia Dortmund in 2016.

The midfielder quickly became a pivotal player during his seven seasons in Manchester, bringing composure, balance and precision to the heart of midfield. The ultimate unsung hero.

The German led from the front as captain in 2023 as Guardiola's side won the Treble, signing off with a stunning volley against rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final before lifting the Champions League trophy.

The £45m fee Manchester City paid to acquire full-back Kyle Walker from Tottenham in 2017 raised many an eyebrow, though the England international would go on to be a stalwart of the Guardiola era.

His trademark speedy runs from right-back added an extra dimension in attack while his lightning-quick recovery pace proved key in quelling danger at the back.

Another leader in the dressing room for all six Premier League title wins under Guardiola, Walker wore the armband as the side clinched a record-breaking fourth consecutive crown in 2024.

Fresh off the back of winning the 2010 World Cup with Spain, David Silva swapped Valencia for Manchester, becoming the club's biggest statement signing since the 2008 takeover.

He spent a decade at City, first under Roberto Mancini, then Manuel Pellegrini, before playing the role of creative spark for Pep Guardiola in his final four seasons, during which his manager hailed him as "one of the greats".

Silva recorded 93 assists during his stay in the Premier League, more than anybody else across that time, and seventh on the all-time charts.

Regarded by fans as the greatest to ever play for the club, 'El Mago' or 'the magician' is one of three modern greats to have a statue marking his contributions outside Etihad Stadium.

Shortly after arriving in Manchester, Pep Guardiola made headlines when he replaced England number one Joe Hart with Claudio Bravo. His reason? He wanted a goalkeeper who was good with his feet.

While Bravo was not a success, Guardiola got it right second time around when he signed Ederson from Benfica the following summer.

The Brazilian's ball playing ability transformed the team's style, inviting opponents to press high to create space for attackers to thrive higher up the pitch. He even notched a record seven Premier League assists.

His high-risk approach was adopted by keepers the world over, helping to usher in a modern style of goalkeeping to the game.

Kevin de Bruyne returned to the Premier League with Manchester City in 2015 under Manuel Pellegrini, having previously struggled to find his feet during a two-year spell at Chelsea.

More mature and confident second time round, the Belgian evolved from wide attacker under Pellegrini into a commanding central midfielder for Guardiola.

"One of the greatest midfielders to ever play in this country" according to Guardiola, De Bruyne became the first City midfielder since the great Colin Bell to surpass the 100-goal mark during his spell in sky blue.

The Portuguese fast became Guardiola's most trusted lieutenant, deployed in several positions over the years, including a few times at full-back, with his endless energy proving vital to keeping the City winning machine rolling along smoothly.

Most remarkable of all has been Silva's durability, missing only a handful of games through injury during a near 10-year stay in east Manchester.

Centurions, domestic quadruple, the Treble, four in a row, Silva was a mainstay for them all. A true club and Premier League great.

Midfield metronome Rodri joined Manchester City in the summer of 2019, initially to bolster Guardiola's midfield options for the season ahead.

Heir apparent to Fernandinho, he struggled at first with the pace of the Premier League, but thorough tutelage under Guardiola took his game, and Manchester City's performances, to new heights.

The Spaniard wrote himself into folklore in 2023, scoring the winner in the Champions League final to complete a Treble triumph.

In 2024 he won the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first-ever Manchester City player to do so, and the first Premier League-based player to win it since 2008.

What an impact Erling Haaland has had at Manchester City since he arrived in a £55m move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022.

The Norway striker scored 36 goals, 52 all in competitions, in his first season at the Etihad, earning him the European Golden Shoe, Uefa Player of the Year, PFA Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the season.

In his first campaign, he helped City to the Treble, including their elusive first Champions League title.

That was followed by 38 goals, including 27 in the league, the following campaign as City won the Premier League for a fourth successive time, with a further 34 goals in 2024-25.

Boyhood blue Phil Foden was handed his first-team debut as a 17-year-old by Guardiola in 2019.

While countless voices called for the promising prospect to go out on loan, Guardiola insisted the young Englishman stay and learn from the very best in-house, and Foden has since earned 367 appearances.

In 2023-24, Foden stepped into the gargantuan shoes of injured Ballon d'Or winner Rodri to deliver a campaign that earned the Player of the Year award. He notched a career-best 19 goals and eight assists from midfield as City claimed a record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title.

While the midfielder has struggled to repeat such heroics since, he remains a viable option for Guardiola, cemented by a new four-year contract agreed in May.

One of the hallmarks of Pep Guardiola's tenure was a tendency to tinker with his backline, with four centre-halves, wing-backs, and inverted full-backs all tried and tested as he strove for perfection.

John Stones was the one exception. His ball-playing ability, versatility, composure and technique made him an automatic pick at the heart of defence.

He also notably excelled as a surprise holding midfielder in the 2023 Champions League final, the "best player by far" that night , externalaccording to Guardiola.