Ilkay Gundogan made his own fairytale finish at Manchester City after an alternative ending that threatened to be short on the sentiment he had earned.
Gundogan will always be loved at the club and in Manchester for what he has done over the last seven years, from helping out those who are less fortunate in the city without a fuss to scoring the goals to rescue one Premier League title and then captaining Pep Guardiola's side to the Treble. As moments go, it was always going to be hard to top lifting the Champions League for the first time in the country of his parents' birth to write his name further into the record books.
Perhaps it would always have been the point for Gundogan to depart, but his decision was made easier by the reluctance of City to offer what he wanted in the first place. Despite the deep admiration for him as a player and skipper, there was no sign of that in the contract proposed with just a one-year deal with a salary limit imposed to reflect the fact that the German is 32 in an offer that was described as 'pragmatic'.
It was entirely in keeping with the club policy and mirrored what they had done with Fernandinho when he extended for another year in 2021 and other ageing players before that, yet the circumstances felt different. While Gundogan may be the eighth City legend to have departed in as many years, his is easily the smallest step down as he joins a revitalised giant that are La Liga champions again and out to re-establish themselves in the Champions League under a talented, homegrown coach.
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Perhaps when stripped of sentimentality, Gundogan will unfortunately show why he wasn't offered a longer deal at City and the fact the bulk of his goals came in a spell of the final two months adds a recency bias. However, only two outfield players were used more by Guardiola all season and there was plenty of evidence in his final year at the club that pointed towards him being one of the fittest in the squad and backed up his belief that he has more than one year left at the top.
After suffering three terrible injuries in four years, including a spine injury that almost ended his career, Gundogan has taken more care in every aspect of his life to ensure his fitness is the best it can be. From sticking to the same warmup routines on the pitch to limiting his mobile phone use before sleep, the former Dortmund star has been meticulous with his professionalism.
Sources close to the player said he felt more like 25 in the final months of the campaign as he scored braces against Leeds, Everton, and - most memorably, in the FA Cup final - United to propel the team towards a Treble. When teammates asked for a rest after punishing games in Munich or Madrid, Gundogan put his hand up again and again as he started 11 out of 13 between the March international break and the Premier League title being won.
Guardiola always wanted his neighbour to stay but had made his peace with the board's decision, yet every match-winning turn from his captain made it more difficult for the manager to turn up to press conferences and answer questions on why the club were letting such a player leave. As the German transformed into what his teammates called 'Prime Zidane' in the latter months of the season the manager told his bosses to do everything possible to keep Gundogan; an option of another year was proposed but there would be no budging on wages, making it too late and not enough to sway Gundogan from joining a Barcelona side that have coveted him for three years and offered him the security of a three-year deal if all goes well.
Barcelona offering a lengthier deal gives more security to Gundogan and his wife and young family and nobody can begrudge him that even if the fans would have given him a much bigger farewell if they had known he was going. As important to him, Gundogan is ready for a big new challenge that can test him in the latter years of his career rather than trying to wind down, with a European Championships held in Germany next year that he is targeting with the dream of it matching his feeling of lifting the Champions League in Istanbul.
Gundogan will always be a Blue, as he put it in his farewell message, and the club too can never forget his impact with an enormous hand in at least four of the five Premier League titles they have won during his time in Manchester and a captain's innings to make more history with the Treble. From Mr Whippy to Silky Ilkay to Prime Zidane, City have been treated to what Barcelona trumpeted in their welcome to him as 'basically one of the world's best midfielders of the last decade'.
City will miss at every level of the club their Ilkay who made the Scousers cry. He was described by one teammate as the best he had ever played with in possession, while also making a serious impact on the academy whether as part of his UEFA coaching courses or at a pre-season camp in Croatia last year.
The club certainly have enough iconic imagery if they want to honour Gundogan at the stadium or training ground for his seven memorable years, and they will hope it is not the last of him at the Etihad. Guardiola has already suggested he would make an excellent manager and the City Football Group are always on the lookout for homegrown talent in that regard.
As both sides move on while keeping an eye on each other's progress, they will always have the Villa goals, the United volley, and - of course - the Treble in Istanbul.
