Kiki Musampa
Signed on loan from Atletico Madrid in the middle of 2004/05 season, ‘The Dreadlock Master” was one of the few positives in Stuart Pearce’s reign in charge. Musampa was technically a very good footballer and was impressive in his relatively short stint in the Premier League. He was a big hit with City fans, who even developed a chant dedicated to the former Dutch youth international, to the tune of Bob Marley’s ‘Buffalo Solider’.
Best moment: Scoring a quite sublime goal in a home match against Liverpool; a goal which gave Stuart Pearce’s first win as City boss. The goal is sure to feature in a discussion regarding Manchester City’s best ever goals.
Where are they now? The Congo-born man had spells with Trabzonspor, AZ Alkmaar, FC Seoul and Willem II following on from his time in Manchester and retired in 2009.
Glauber Berti
Brazilian Berti is well-remembered from his time as a City player, but not for the right reasons. Glauber signed a 1-year deal with the Blues in August 2008; the same summer that Sheikh Mansour began his mission to bring Manchester City to unimaginable heights. In contrast to his compatriot Robinho, who was also signed that summer – Glauber never made any mark whatsoever in his only season in the Premier League. He made just a single appearance in a blue shirt, which was on the final game of the 2008/09 season against Bolton.
Best moment: Making a short, but memorable cameo at the Etihad against Bolton. The defender comically received an ovation every time he touched the ball; something which City fans in attendance for that game, will always recall. To some City supporters he is seen as some sort of ‘cult hero’; with a few fans referring to the substitute’s bench as “The Berti”.
Where are they now? The 31-year old is now plying his trade in the MLS with Columbus Crew, having also had spells with Sao Caetano and Rapid Bucuresti. Unsurprisingly, he has played more frequently than he did under Mark Hughes’ management, yet is probably still bewildered as to why City fans greeted him with such loud cheers in a short cameo.
Christian Negouai
Not really a household name with City fans, but Christian Negouai arrived in Manchester with a lot of promise. Taking on the number 30 shirt, Kevin Keegan labelled the Frenchman as “the most exciting player” he’d ever signed. Sadly there was no real evidence to back up Mr Keegan’s claims. Negouai wasn’t very good at football, to be fair. Plus, he was seemingly always on the treatment table with re-occurring knee injuries – quite simply put, it never really got going for him at City. Although he was a success in the reserve league, utilised as a striker as opposed to his usual role in midfield – Keegan’s star-studded addition did not impress on first-team duty. Red cards and injuries to both knees can possibly be considered amongst his highlights. He left City having started just four times in four years.
Best moment: Scoring on his debut in a Division 1 fixture with Rotherham, by punching the ball in the net from a corner. He provided City fans with their own ‘Hand of God’ moment. Another notable moment: Missing a drugs test and being hit with nothing more than a £2,000 fine.
Where are they now? The 36-year old is no longer playing, but did gain success in some form, after his nightmare spell with City. Negouai struck a goal just 11 seconds into a Belgian League match for Standard Liege, which at the time was the fastest goal in the Belgium top flight.
Michael Johnson
Of all the players featured in this piece, undoubtedly it was Michael Johnson who was the most talented. Local lad Johnson joined City in 2002 and immediately his talent was clear. In an academy featuring the likes of Joey Barton, Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge, Johnson was mightily impressive and was tipped for big things. A regular in the City side which reached the FA youth cup final in 2006, Johnson was handed his debut by Stuart Pearce and showed great promise. He was comfortable on the ball, with great pace and power mixed with intelligence and understanding of the game. Dietmar Hamann spoke highly of him, saying: “He was a fine passer with vision and an eye for goal. But what really marked him out was this innate understanding of the game. I had never seen that before in such a young player.” Whenever selected, the youngster impressed, performing brilliantly as a box-to-box player. Sven Goran-Eriksson saw a lot in him and utilised him as a key member of his side. In all honesty, Johnson was a unique player who should have gone on to be an England international. But his constant struggle with injuries disrupted his career hugely, and he witnessed quite a fall from grace. A great shame.
Best moment: Hitting home a truly wonderful goal at home to Derby County in 2007/08 season. A lovely move orchestrated by Johnson, finished by the player himself. It was the sort of goal that defined him as a player. If only things had gone differently, we may have been treated to more of the same.
Where are they now? It’s no secret that Johnson’s career capitulated and he has had quite a downfall since he burst onto the scene at City. His frequent injuries affected his development greatly and he never recovered. The 26-year old suffered dreadfully from mental health issues and was released by City in December 2012. The last time he was pictured, he was shockingly overweight and unfit. His demise represents a big loss for both City and England.
