Signing for Man City was a dream move but two years later I was telling people not to do it

Say the name Jack Rodwell to some football fans and their first thought will be 'Netflix'. Rodwell became famous all over again when he was an unwitting star of Sunderland 'Till I Die, the streaming series that stumbled across a ratings winner as it followed the Black Cats' rapid demise.

Rodwell's cameo in it saw chief executive Martin Bain trying to get him to terminate his contract and the footage made him an enemy of Sunderland fans. But for a time, Rodwell was one of the most highly-rated young players in English football.

At the age of 16 he was in the Everton team and quickly settled into all-action midfield role, playng 109 games for the club and scoring eight times. It was inevitable he would attract interest from bigger clubs and in August 2021, Manchester City came calling, signing the 21-year-old for £12m, rising to £17m in add-ons.

"Man City are a massive club, the league champions, so it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's a dream come true," Rodwell said.

It wouldn't take long for the dream to fizzle out.

Rodwell had been away with Everton on a pre-season training camp in Spain when he found out City were interested and the deal was done quickly. He admitted it was "bittersweet" leaving his boyhood club, but he was enthused about the chance of challenging for titles.

“I remember Yaya Toure, Silva, Aguero…big players. It was a good opportunity for me; great club and great people and the football opportunity was unreal," he told The Athletic in 2021.

“In training, Silva stood out the most. But then Yaya too. If we needed a big performance and someone to change a game he could go from third gear to sixth gear and win the game for you with sheer power.”

Rodwell made 16 appearances under Roberto Mancini,