“The bond we built goes far beyond football” – Manchester City midfielder issues emotional farewell statement

Mahamadou Susoho bid an emotional farewell to Manchester City as he left the club to join Turkish top-flight side Kocaelispor on a permanent deal.

The Spanish midfielder made one senior appearance for the Etihad Stadium club in the final 15 minutes of Manchester City’s final Champions League group stage game against Red Star Belgrade in December 2023.

With the Cityzens having guaranteed themselves top spot in the group heading into the match, Pep Guardiola opted to rest a number of experienced heads and a very youthful group made the trip to the intimidating Stadion Rajko Mitić.

Guardiola started two of these names in Oscar Bobb and Micah Hamilton, both of whom scored. Hamilton would go on to join Middlesbrough in 2024, while Bobb left City this month in a £27 million exit to Premier League rivals Fulham.

While the 15-minute cameo Susoho had in Europe was his only senior appearance, he was also included in the squad for the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup. Additionally, the midfielder was part of two Premier League 2-winning teams during his time at the City Football Academy.

In the summer of 2024, Mahamadou Susoho left on loan to gain regular game time in senior football, but his time at Peterborough United did not quite go to plan through 17 appearances, 650 minutes of action, and a serious muscle injury.

At the beginning of this campaign, Susoho once again went out on loan, this time to Livingston in the Scottish Premier League. He played regularly in the Scottish top tier and was one of the better players in an incredibly poor side.

But Susoho has announced that his time in Manchester has now come to an end in a statement, “After ten unforgettable years, it’s incredibly hard to put into words what this club means to me.”

The midfielder said on his Instagram account, “From the moment I arrived, Manchester City became more than just a team it became a home. I want to say thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey.

“To the managers and coaching staff, thank you for believing in me, pushing me every day, and helping me grow not only as a player, but as a person. Your guidance, trust, and standards shaped my career and my character in ways I will carry with me forever.

“To my teammates, past and present, it’s been an honour to share the pitch and the dressing room with you. The hard work, the battles, the trophies, the tough moments, and the celebrations are memories I’ll cherish for life. The bond we built goes far beyond football. Thank you @mancity”

Mahamadou Susoho has followed in the footsteps of long-time teammate Jadel Katongo, who was also on loan with the Posh last season and has since moved to Turkey on a permanent agreement.

Newly-promoted Kocaelispor are having a good season thus far, sitting in ninth place in the league, and Susoho will have fellow former English football talent in Daniel Agyei to help him settle in at the club.