The Manchester City Project

Greg Cunningham signs a new four year contact at City and relinquishes his squad number to Balotelli. The 19 year old left back impressed in a number of pre-season friendlies and was rewarded with a confidence boosting contract.


“I’m delighted to have signed a new deal with City,” Greg told mcfc.co.uk. “Now I need to impress the manager as much as I can and get as much game time as I can, too. “To play at any level for Ireland is an honour but to play a full game against Algeria and then another 30 minutes against Argentina recently is a dream come true.”

According to most ill informed anti-city fanatics, City’s prided youth policy went out of the door with the arrival of big-money signings. However Greg’s deal is yet another statement from the club that youth will not be forsaken in the quest for silverware.

Greg vowed to continue learning from the current recognised left backs at the club Aleksander Kolarov and Wayne Bridge; “They are two fantastic full-backs and hopefully I can learn as much as I can from them in the coming months and years and then put that into practice on the pitch.”

Greg’s new contract comes after he swapped squad numbers with City’s new young striker Mario Balotelli. Balotelli who is in line to make his Premiership debut at home to Liverpool next Monday wanted to take the number 45 shirt that he wore at Inter. Balotelli is attached to the number physically and mentally since it is tattooed on his arm.

“I have worn the number all my football life and wanted to carry on here at City,” Mario informed the official website. “Gregg was kind enough to swap numbers and I thank him.”

Greg had no problem swapping numbers and is now number 22 in the squad, the same number his fellow Irishman Richard Dunne held during his time at City. “I had no real attachment to it except that I made my debut wearing it, I was asked if I minded changing shirt numbers and I didn’t have any problem with that at all. I’ve taken on No.22 now, which is Richard Dunne’s old shirt number, so I’ve big boots to fill!”