Former Manchester City defender has revealed the emotional toll of his departure from the club, admitting he broke down in tears when he was told he had to leave.
Nedum Onuoha, now 39, had deep roots in Manchester, having moved to the city as a child and grown up supporting City.
His journey through the club began at the age of 10, rising steadily through the academy ranks before making his senior debut in 2004.
What followed was close to a decade as part of the first-team setup, during a transformative era for the club.
Emotional departure from boyhood club
Despite his long-standing connection, Onuoha found himself out of favour under then-manager Roberto Mancini.
As pre-season unfolded in 2010, it became increasingly clear that his future lay away from the Etihad Stadium, leading to a loan move to Sunderland AFC.
Speaking on In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet and reported by Manchester Evening News, Onuoha described the moment he realised he would have to leave.
“This offer came in and they said I needed to take it. I remember at the time I cried because I never wanted to leave City.”
For a player who had never considered playing elsewhere, the decision was difficult to process.
“Throughout my career up to that point, I’d never even thought about leaving. Because it was my club and my city and my friends [were there].”
The sudden transition left him disoriented as he made the journey to Wearside.
“The next thing I’m travelling up towards Sunderland, and I’m baffled.”
However, what began as a painful exit soon turned into a formative experience. Living by the North Sea in a property once owned by Paul Gascoigne, Onuoha found himself adapting to a new chapter both professionally and personally.
“But it ended up being one of my favourite seasons. I lived by the North Sea in what was Paul Gascoigne’s old house.”
That campaign proved successful for Sunderland, as they secured a top-10 finish in the Premier League on the final day.
“I felt like I grew up there because I got a taste of something else. The aim was to finish in the top 10, and we achieved that on the last day of the season. It was a top, brilliant season.”
Yet, even amid personal growth and team achievement, his emotional ties to Manchester City remained strong. Watching from afar as his former club celebrated success only deepened his longing.
“But I remember the week before the season ended, I was in that house watching City lift the FA Cup, thinking to myself, ‘I want to be back there.’ That feeling is different.”
He acknowledged that while Sunderland’s achievements were commendable, they did not replicate the sense of belonging he felt at City.
“For us to be mid-table in the Premier League was great, but it didn’t feel the same as it did at City.”
Onuoha also spoke candidly about his relationship with Mancini during that period.
“But I didn’t like him [Mancini]. He knew I didn’t like him. He was taking me for an idiot, basically.”
Shirt number request and life after City
As he prepared to leave Manchester City, Onuoha encountered a moment that would later take on symbolic significance. Vincent Kompany approached him regarding his squad number.
“My first number when I signed was 16, but as I was leaving, it was four,” he added.
Kompany, who would go on to become one of City’s most iconic figures, had his eye on that number even before cementing his legacy.
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“As I’m leaving, Vincent Kompany wants the number four. But he’d been in defensive midfield.”
Onuoha obliged without hesitation: “It was like, ‘Of course you can have my number, Vinny…’ That sort of thing.”
In hindsight, the number would become synonymous with Kompany’s achievements at the club, including multiple Premier League titles.
Following his loan spell, Onuoha briefly returned to Manchester City before completing a permanent move to Queens Park Rangers in 2012. He spent six years in west London, establishing himself as a key figure in the squad.
Later in his career, he made the move to Major League Soccer, joining Real Salt Lake in 2018. He retired from professional football two years later, bringing an end to a career that began in the youth ranks of his boyhood club.
