This Sunday, at around 4pm, Pep Guardiola will lead his Manchester City side out for the 593rd and final time as he brings the curtain down on an illustrious 10 years that have put him at the table with the greatest managers the league has ever seen.
It was on August 13 2016 when he led City for the first time. Ten years and 20 trophies ago, to be exact, in a 2-1 win over Sunderland on the opening day of the season.
Countless players have passed since. Coaches, teams, competitions. But Pep has remained – until now.
City would go on to finish third that year, before Guardiola would lead them to six Premier League titles in total. And six it will remain, after the Spaniard and his side ultimately fell short at the hands of Arsenal this time around.
But where are the players from Pep’s first ever team now? What are the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling up to these days?
Daily Mail Sport takes a deeper dive.
Pep Guardiola took charge of his first Manchester City game 10 years ago, but is now set to leave the club
But where are the players from his first City squad now? Daily Mail Sport takes a closer look
Willy Caballero
Was controversially selected ahead of long-serving shot stopper Joe Hart, but never really anything other than a No2 after joining City – just ask Kepa Arrizabalaga. He would go on to feature for Chelsea and Southampton before retiring.
When he did call time on his playing career, Caballero would link up with Enzo Maresca as assistant manager at Leicester, helping guide them to the Championship title in 2024.
Then, when Maresca moved to Chelsea, Caballero followed him and added a Club World Cup win to his CV. He left the Blues with Maresca and hasn’t been up to much since, but that is all set to change.
With Maresca to take over from Guardiola at City, Caballero is expected to make a sensational return to the club as assistant manager, taking his relationship with the Citizens full circle.
Bacary Sagna
Most Premier League fans may associate Sagna with his seven-year spell at Arsenal, but he joined City in 2014 and would spend three years at the Etihad before leaving at the end of Guardiola’s first season.
Sagna went on to play for Benevento and Montreal Impact before his retirement in 2019, and he is now living it large in Dubai.
The Frenchman carries out some media duties, but also has his own football app named Ladisfaction which is aimed at helping grassroots players connect with professional clubs.
Elsewhere, he is an ambassador for the Dubai Sports Council, and follows the career of his son, Elias, who plays for Al-Jazira in the UAE, closely.
John Stones
The one man from Pep’s first match day squad that is still at the club. Not for long, mind – he will depart this summer after a 10-year spell in the same fashion as Guardiola.
Centre back Stones arrived for big money as one of Guardiola’s first signings at City, joining for £50million – the biggest fee for an English player at the time. He was still raw, but developed into one of the best centre backs of his generation.
Since that day, he has too won 20 trophies with the club, while enjoying international success with England, which has seen him reach the final of two European Championships and the semi-final of a World Cup.
Johnny, Johnny Stones will leave as a free agent this summer – his next steps unknown.
John Stones is the only player from Guardiola’s first game in charge that remains at the club
Aleksandar Kolarov
Primarily a left back, Kolarov was used at centre back by Guardiola in his first game in charge of the club.
The former Serbia international is a bit part of City’s history, having been a part of the side that won their first Premier League title under Roberto Mancini in 2012, but was another who was shipped out after one year of Guardiola’s time in charge.
After time at Roma and Inter Milan, the now-40-year-old called it a day in terms of his playing career in 2022, and would start a career in coaching – after a brief spell as sporting director at Serie B club Pisa.
He was briefly manager of Serbia’s Under-21 side from 2024 to 2025, but would depart after being offered the assistant manager’s job at Inter. He now works under Cristian Chivu, and has just helped the club regain the Serie A title.
Kolarov is also understood to be the owner of and an investor in Bor Retail Park in Bor, Serbia.
Gael Clichy
Another full back who previously played for Arsenal, and another player who would depart City after one year of Guardiola’s reign.
Clichy also won the league with City in 2012 and 2014, but wasn’t fancied by Pep and left for Istanbul Basaksehir, before retiring in 2023 after three years with Servette in Switzerland.
The now-40-year-old also does some punditry, but his main focus is coaching, with his first job as assistant manager to Thierry Henry at the France U21 side and the France Olympic team.
In 2025, though, he got his first senior job as manager of Championnat National club Caen in France. He helped them to an eighth-place finish this season.
Fernandinho
Defensive midfielder Fernandinho is widely regarded as a Manchester City legend, having played for the club between 2013 and 2022, and as captain for the last two years of his stay.
In his 383 appearances at City, he won five league titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup six times, while he was captain of the team that came runners-up to Chelsea in the Champions League in 2021.
He would leave and join former club Club Athletico Paranaense in his native Brazil before retiring in 2025.
It’s understood he’s taking a break from football and spending time with his family in Brazil. He has, in the past, hinted at a potential City return, telling Daily Mail Sport last month: ‘Rumours are rumours. I’m starting to enjoy my life. So not planning coaching yet, not planning to go back to the UK yet.
‘But you never know the future, what can happen. I’m so happy living here in Brazil with my family. We’ll see next year, next season, what’s happening.’
Fernandinho was made Guardiola’s captain in 2021 and made 383 appearances for the club
David Silva
Guardiola’s first captain, standing in for the injured Vincent Kompany on the day. Known as one of the best players of the Pep Guardiola era, Silva was a City player from 2010 through to 2020, when he would leave for Real Sociedad in his native Spain.
He won four Premier League titles and two FA Cups with City, and had spent three years with Sociedad before retiring in 2023, just after he had torn his ACL.
Now, he is a wine maker and businessman in Gran Canaria, running a successful vineyard Bodegas Tameran, which produces premium wines and distributes them globally. Fancy.
Wine aficionado David Silva runs a successful winery in Gran Canaria after retiring from his playing career
Raheem Sterling
It’s easy to forget, given his downfall in recent years, how important Raheem Sterling was in the early days of the Pep Guardiola era.
All in all, the former England winger made 339 appearances for City, winning four Premier League titles and the FA Cup with the club before departing in 2022 for Chelsea. In truth, he had four miserable years with the Blues, becoming part of their bomb squad under Enzo Maresca, and a failed loan at Arsenal was sprinkled in too.
In February, he had his £325,000-a-week Stamford Bridge contract ripped up and signed for Robin van Persie’s Feyenoord in the Netherlands. After just seven appearances, however, he is expected to leave the club this summer and be a free agent again.
Kevin De Bruyne
Arguably the player of the Pep Guardiola era. De Bruyne was a mainstay of every Pep team up until the end of last season, when the club opted not to offer him a new contract and he departed. One wonders if he would have made a difference in the title race this year.
The Belgian signed for Napoli in Italy, where has has played under Antonio Conte 20 times this season. After winning Serie A last term, the club surrendered their championship to Inter Milan, finishing second, but 13 points behind the champions.
De Bruyne has been battling a serious hamstring injury this season, and, at 34, his best days are behind him. Still, he has another year left on his Napoli deal, and will be heading to the World Cup with Belgium this summer.
Kevin De Bruyen (centre) was arguably the best player of the Guardola era, leaving last year
Nolito
Forward Nolito spent just one year at City, joining in 2016 and leaving 12 months later. He played 30 games, scoring six goals, before departing because his family were unsettled in England.
He would move back to Spain with Sevilla, and also play for Celta Vigo and Ibiza before his retirement in 2023.
In his retirement, the Spaniard has been involved in coaching in youth football, while he is no stranger to the podcast scene, and is a well-known media personality in Spain.
Nolito left Manchester unhappy with the English weather and has since developed a media presence in Spain
Sergio Aguero
One of the best strikers the league has ever seen, Aguero scored 260 goals in 390 appearances for Man City. He wasn’t always favoured by Guardiola – some suggested he tried to push the Argentine out when Gabriel Jesus joined in 2017 – but he stuck around until 2021, when he signed for Barcelona.
Fans will remember Guardiola crying upon Aguero’s departure, uttering ‘we cannot replace him’ live on tele. Erling Haaland was the man tasked with doing that.
Unfortunately for Aguero, he retired just three months after joining Barca upon medical advice due to issues with his heart.
Now, he has his fingers in a few pies – including a bit of punditry and media work, as well as racing. In March, he got behind the wheel of a Formula E car and competed against the likes of Brooklyn Beckham, and has been reported to be exploring the possibility of starting his own Formula E team.
Guardiola famously cried when Aguero left the club – the Argentine was forced to retire just months after departing
Subs
Joe Hart
Long-serving City goalkeeper and fan favourite Hart was controversially pushed out by Guardiola because he wanted a goalkeeper who was better with his feet.
Now retired, and his stock is rising as a pundit with the likes of TNT Sports and Match of the Day.
Pablo Zabaleta
Another member of City’s first title win in 2012, Zabaleta too left City after one year of Guardiola’s reign and spent three years with West Ham before retiring.
Now, he is a coach, and has served as the assistant manager of Albania since 2023 – but failed to help them qualify for the World Cup this summer.
Nicolas Otamendi
Otamendi was at City until 2020, winning three Premier League titles and the FA Cup with the club.
He left for Benfica, and, at 38, is still a regular in their side, playing 281 times for the club in all competitions to date. And, having represented Argentina since 2009, he is expected to once again head to the World Cup this summer to help his country try and defend their title.
Fan favourite Joe Hart (left) was famously dropped by Guardiola in favour of goalkeepers with better passing ability
Fernando
Yet another player who left the club just a year after Guardiola took the reins. He spent three years with City in total, forming half of the famous Fernandinho – Fernando pivot, and played 102 times for the club.
He retired in 2025 after a knee injury, and isn’t up to much right now. He has made it known he wants to stay in football, though, and has been undertaking his coaching badges.
Fabian Delph
Delph controversially joined City in 2015 from Aston Villa and would remain their player until 2019, playing 89 times for the club.
He joined Everton when he departed and retired in 2022. Now, he makes the odd media appearance, including with City’s social channels, but generally keeps a low profile.
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Jesus Navas
A winger in his City days, but a full back in his later career. After leaving the Etihad in 2017, Navas would return to Sevilla and tally up a staggering 705 appearances for the Spanish club in total.
Since retiring last year, he remains an ambassador for Sevilla, regularly attending training sessions and media events.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Just 19 at the time of Pep’s arrival, there were high hopes for the forward and he enjoyed success with Leicester after leaving the Etihad.
He didn’t quite reach the highs many had expected, but, still only 29, is now playing for Celtic and had quite the say in the recent Scottish Premiership title race.
