Nigel De Jong

A product of Ajax’s famous youth system and nicknamed ‘The Terrier’ he made his first team debut for the Amsterdam club as a raw17-year-old in October 2002.

Right-footed and able to operate in both midfield and defence, Nigel made a big impact and was selected for the national side 18 months later for a friendly against France.

A knee injury prevented him from playing in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, having by then left Ajax for German side Hamburg.

He continued to impress and became a regular pick in the Dutch national side. He played three out of their four games in Euro 2008, which ended at the quarter finals stage through an extra-time defeat to Russia.

Nigel played against City in a friendly in July 2008 at the HSV Nordbank Arena and obviously caught the eye as the Blues bought him the following January.

Used almost exclusively in a holding midfield role he was a regular in the Premier League team when fit but missed out on the Uefa Cup campaign. He helped Holland qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, scoring his first goal at that level against Iceland on June 6, 2009.

Nigel continued to make excellent progress in 2009-10, cementing his place as a fans' favourite as well as being one of new manager Roberto Mancini's first picks as midfield enforcer as the team narrowly missed out on a Champions League berth.