Sylvain Distin
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After a brief spell on loan at Newcastle United, Sylvain Distin made the permanent switch to England when he joined Manchester City in 2002.
At the time of his £4m arrival, Distin was the most expensive defender in the club's history, and he quickly set about proving that it was money well spent.
The French centre-back was named the club's player of the year in his debut season and by the time the following campaign began he had been named captain.
Distin's time at City came before their recent success and so there was no silverware for him to lift as captain, but he left the club having made more than 200 appearances across all competitions, 178 of which came in the Premier League.
