As Manchester City aim to bounce back from the draw with Tottenham Hotspur which ended in Video Assistant Referee (VAR) controversy last weekend, the Premier League champions can look back on this day in football with fondness after signing Bundesliga star, Vincent Kompany.
Kompany joined the Citizens from Hamburg on this day in 2008 for an undisclosed fee reportedly worth £8 million, and the Belgian defender would go on to establish himself as a club legend over the following 11 seasons at the Etihad Stadium.
His last goal for Man. City came in the closing stages of the 2018/19 Premier League season, firing in a fierce shot from long range to help the club claim a hard-fought 1-0 win over Leicester City and remain a point ahead of Liverpool in a keenly contested title race.
#OnThisDay we signed the one and only @VincentKompany ?
The perfect excuse to watch this goal over and over again! ?
? #mancity pic.twitter.com/tDNj7TK5g3
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 21, 2019
The respected defender had to wait three years before tasting glory at City with the 2011 FA Cup title, though, playing all 90 minutes as Yaya Toure’s second half goal earned Roberto Mancini’s side a 1-0 win over Stoke City at Wembley Stadium.
It was the first of 12 major titles Kompany won with City, making 360 appearances in all competitions and scoring 20 goals to help the club claim four Premier League titles, two FA Cup wins, and four more League Cup triumphs.
During his time at City, Kompany was Players’ Player of the Season at the club in 2011, Premier League Player of the Season in 2012, and made the PFA Team of the Year three times in 2011, 2012 and 2014.
Kompany shares the day in football with another Premier League legend, Wayne Rooney, who became only the second player in English top-flight history to score 200 league goals with his effort for Everton in his second spell at the Toffees after 13 seasons at Manchester United.
Rooney’s landmark goal came in a league meeting against Manchester City which ended in a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium and came nine days after making his second Everton debut in the English top-flight, also scoring to earn his boyhood club a 1-0 at home to Stoke City.
Writing of landmark goals, Chelsea fans also have cause to look back on this day in football with fondness as it was Roberto di Matteo score his first goal for the Blues in 1996.
Di Matteo, who eventually became Chelsea manager and won the Champions League title in 2012, joined the Blues from SS Lazio and scored on his home debut against Middlesbrough, with the goal turning out to be the match winner.
Share your favourite memories from this day in football with us in the comment section.