Pablo Zabaleta will forever be a legend at Manchester City. But there’s far more to the Argentinian than his on field performances and here City season ticket holder, journalist and long time mate, SCOTT LONEY reveals how Zaba will forever be remembered by the City fans  and his personal delight at his performances following his move to the Irons.

By Scott Loney

Earlier this summer Pablo Zabaleta was spotted coming out of Fosters’ Fish n’ Chip shop in Didsbury- a smart suburb of Manchester on the South side of the city.inhabited by teachers, lecturers, real ale drinkers and certainly scarce on Manchester United shirts

‘Zabba’ was back in town catching up with old friends and tucking into his old favourite of cod and chips  – word word quickly got around.

All the punters drinking nearby outside The Royal Oak rose as one ‘Oh Pablo Zabaleta, he is the F***ing man, he is an Argentinean, he’s harder than Jaap Stam, He plays in blue and white, for Pellegrini’s men, and when we win the league, we’ll sing this song again.’ 

Situated roughly three miles from Manchester City’s old Maine Road ground in Moss Side, Didsbury is where Pablo Zabaleta made home, well away from the upmarket WAG Cheshire set, when he first arrived from Espanyol for £6m back in 2008 .

A few days later Sheikh Mansour bought our club, we struck it rich TWICE that week.

When it first emerged Pablo would be leaving us nine years later for the Irons, there was a genuine outpouring of love for a man who literally spilt blood for the blue cause, time and again, never took a backward step in a City shirt, never conducted himself with anything but class.

He might have preferred drinking his little flask of stinking Mate tea which all his compatriots curiously swear by, but he also drank in every bit of Manchester, never distanced himself away from the people, whether it be supporting local charities, waiting for his fried fish or talking to fans about football.

To be honest, it started to become a little uncomfortable watching Pablo in his final season under Pep Guardiola, when it was clear the team was evolving and his lung-bursting overlaps down the right wing were becoming less and less frequent.

However, there’s a reason a banner still hangs at the Etihad Stadium which proclaims ‘Corazon de Leon’  – which translates into Heart of a Lion.

All lions want to sit in the shade eventually, some just roar longer than others  – seeing Zabba’s displays for West Ham this season – he’s still feeding.

He’s smart you see, experienced, a wily campaigner, no longer showing opponents down the line, indulging in energy-sapping foot races he can’t win. You can also see he is standing a little more square-on and relying on his sheer intensity and timing to win the ball.

His run and delivery for Felipe Anderson’s opener in the brilliant win over Manchester United was vintage Zabba and brought the house down with watching City fans inside Mary D’s pub, prior to our game against Brighton.

It also showed he is conserving his energy levels for the moments that now matter to a man who turns 33 this coming January.

He’s bruised, and yes, certainly battered, but Pablo shows no signs of cashing his chips in just yet!