At Manchester City, they always suspected Patrick Vieira was destined for great things post-retirement. It was just a matter of where he would make his mark.
Vieira spent the final 18 months of his illustrious playing career at the Etihad and they quickly realised he possessed a manner and knowledge of the game that made him somebody they wanted to retain within the City Group.
Brian Marwood, now CFG's managing director of global football, was instrumental in converting a figure so closely linked to Arsenal into a City man.
'He strongly believed I had something to give back to football,' Vieira said of 'mentor' Marwood.