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Vincent Kompany has ended his 11-year association with Manchester City and been appointed player-manager of Belgian side Anderlecht.<\/p>\nVincent Kompany has ended his 11-year association with Manchester City and been appointed player-manager of Belgian side Anderlecht.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old joined the Brussels club at the age of six, and his career has now come full circle after a trophy-laden stint at City.<\/p>\n
He announced on his Facebook page: \u201cI choose to be grateful for the past but remain ambitious and driven for the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the next three years, I will take up the role of player-manager of Anderlecht. Belgium\u2019s finest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis may come as a surprise to you. It\u2019s the most passionate yet rational decision I\u2019ve ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kompany revealed that he had met with Anderlecht chairman Marc Coucke and sporting director Michael Verschueren last summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI shared my thoughts and listened to their vision for the future: ambitious, courageous and determined to get back to number one,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cI offered my help, no strings attached, should they need it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kompany says he was then offered the player-manager job in the last few weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to share my knowledge with the next purple generations,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith that, I will also put a bit of Manchester in the heart of Belgium. This is no goodbye. It\u2019s a see you later.\u201d<\/p>\n
The central defender was signed by Mark Hughes from German club Hamburg in the summer of 2008, days before the Sheikh Mansour takeover.<\/p>\n
He became a key figure in the success which followed, and leaves City having won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups.<\/p>\n
Kompany said: \u201cAs overwhelming as it is, the time has come for me to go. And what a season to bow out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel nothing but gratefulness. I am grateful to all those who supported me on a special journey, at a very special club.\u201d<\/p>\n