No.4 Germany and Bert Trautmann

At number four in my top ten viewers is Germany and the player I have chosen for them is Bert Trautmann OBE.

Bernhard Carl Trautmann is a true example of a legend.

Bert signed for City in 1949 and played for the blues until 1964.

Bert's life in England started after being captured by an English soldier during the second World War. When Bert was finally allowed to return home he declined and decided to stay on in England where he worked on a farm and played football for St Helens Town. After some impressive displays for St Helens he attracted the interest of several sides but City won the race for his signature and that's when his legacy began.

When I hear about Bert Trautmann's talent it always makes me feel gutted that I didn't get to see him play. Those who did see him play hold him in such high regard and with good reason.

A lot of people, especially the younger generation instantly link Bert's name to the 1956 Cup Final in which he played part of the game with a broken neck, although it was not only this occasion Bert performed heroics for City, week in week out Bert's great displays were earning him World wide acclaim.

Classed by some as the best goalkeeper they have ever seen, Bert Trautmann's name will never be forgotten at City or in football.

All my knowledge on Bert is of course researched or things that I have been told, I have given a quick run down on him rather than blatantly steal someone else's hard work, I suggest you read his wikipedia page because it makes great reading and gives you the full story of his extraordinary life. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Trautmann

No.5 France and Nicolas Anelka

At number five in my top ten viewers is France and the player I have chosen for them is Nicolas Anelka.

Anelka was signed by Kevin Keegan from Paris Saint-Germain in 2002 for a club record fee of £13 million, the deal also saw Alioune Toure leave City for PSG.

The signing of Anelka was massive to City fans, I remember the excitement like it was yesterday. After a few very unsteady years all of a sudden we had signed a striker that was known and respected around the World, at the time it was a dream.

Anelka did not disappoint us either, he was everything we expected. He was World class, his pace, his vision, his movement and his finishing were exceptional and had City fans brimming.

Unfortunately Anelka's possible departure from City was always being mentioned and it was very unsettling, to be honest looking back and opening my eyes, I dare say a lot of it was engineered by Anelka because as soon as the chance came to leave he was gone.

When he did leave City for Fenerbache in January 2005 I took it as a direct insult to City, to leave a club playing in the best League in the World where he was playing well, to go to the Turkish League I thought was strange to say the least.

His reasons were all to do with playing Champions League football, to me that meant putting himself in the spotlight to big European Clubs. A player like Anelka would never normally want to play for Fenerbache but it seemed if it got him out of Manchester then it would do for him.

I certainly think it was a shame that Anelka couldn't settle at City, I think considering he was doing well at the club and the fact that was loved by the fans that it would have been a good decision on his part, but it wasn't to be.

Anelka has a place in City's history forever because he scored the first City goal ever at Eastlands, it is a real shame he wont be remembered for is commitment to the club.

No.6 Italy and Rolando Bianchi

At number six in my top ten viewers is Italy and the player I have chosen for them is Rolando Bianchi.

Bianchi signed for City in 2007 on the back of a great goalscoring campaign in Serie A, unfortunately his goal scoring exploits came to a halt when he came to the Premier League.

Although Bianchi was popular with the City fans he was not able to settle in England and returned to Serie A in January when he signed for Lazio on loan. Lazio did not sign Bianchi on a permanent deal and he instead signed for his current club Torino on a five year deal.

It is a shame that Bianchi could not settle, I think we were all waiting for him to get used to the pace of the Prem but it never came. Although he is currently playing in Serie B, Bianchi is doing good at Torino and is extremely popular there.

No.7 Australia and Danny Tiatto

At number seven in my top ten viewers is Australia and the player I have chosen for them is Danny Tiatto.

Danny Tiatto is a player I remember well and to be honest I used to love him when I was a kid.

Danny spent six years at City and I for one enjoyed all six of them. Tiatto always kept me on edge because you just did not know what he was going to do, would he go on a breath taking run that would amaze you or was he going to karate kick someone in mid air which would equally amaze you.

To be honest Danny is normally remembered for his wreckless approach that he had at times, but he was a very capable footballer. I used to really enjoy watching Danny in full flow, his pace and skill excited me as a lad, as did his tough tackling no nonsense style of play.

I don't think City fans will easily forget Tiatto, I certainly know that I won't and can definitely see him being a player that will come up in years to come when I am boring my kids with the players I used to watch as a lad.

Danny still plays at the age of 37 for Melbourne Knights and no, since leaving City he has not changed his style of play or his attitude on the pitch one little bit.

I struggled to find videos of Danny playing for City, his great goal that never was is on the second video.

No.8 Poland and Kazimierz Deyna

At number eight in my top ten viewers is Poland and the player I have chosen for them is Kazimierz Deyna.

Obviously I only know about Kazimierz Deyna through what I have been told and from watching videos of him.

Kazimierz Deyna was a midfielder signed in 1978 from Legia Warsaw, he made his City debut in November of that year. Unfortunately his time at City was blighted by injury and he had only made 38 appearances for City by the time he left in 1981.

Regardless of his lack of playing time Deyna was loved by the City fans who could see his class when he did play. I must say he is someone I like to watch when I get my Dads VHS tapes out and it is easy to see why he would have been loved in the days when special players really were special players.

I struggled to find decent videos of him online which was a shame so if anyone can find a good one please do post the link.
Kazimierz Deyna (23 October 1947 – 1 September 1989)