In his second season he broke through to the first team and quickly became one of City’s best and most popular players. He has a phenomenal appetite for the game of football and despite his diminutive stature is a tigerish player on the pitch.

He won his first international cap in England’s friendly against the Ukraine when he scored with a dramatic strike in the second half.

The City wideman followed that up with a goal for the Blues in the 4-0 win over Charlton. He scored with his left foot in the win over Aston Villa but the goal that had everyone talking was his strike at Highbury. The England man caught the ball with the outside of his right foot and from twenty yards found the top left hand corner of the net.

The midfielder had played every minute of every game in City’s 2004-5 campaign when injury struck. He tore a cartilage in his right knee in the win at Norwich at the end of February. He underwent an operation on the knee and was ruled out for eight weeks but had done enough to catch several people’s eye, including Jose Mourinho’s.

The big money transfer to Chelsea went through on 18th July when he signed a 5 year deal and looks set to be a huge hit at Stamford Bridge.