Few players’ rise to the top of the English game has been as graciously welcomed as that of Manchester City keeper Joe Hart. For decades, England have been plagued by their lack of an assured presence between the sticks, the regularity of crosses flapped at and shots spilled in high profile international matches as much a trope of the national game as brass bands, bulldog spirit and penalty shoot-out misery.

But Hart’s emergence has brought about a fresh optimism. Not since Peter Shilton has England had such a commanding, agile shot stopper at their disposal, and with his performances growing in spectacle and assurance each week for the Premier League champions, there’s a genuine sense that Hart may be the man to return England to the world-beaters they once were.

At club level, he has proven himself to be up there with the very best. When Manchester City claimed their first title in 44 years in the dying seconds of last season, it was Sergio Aguero who scored the goal but Joe Hart the cameras panned to. The irony was rife – for all the billions of pounds spent turning Roberto Mancini’s squad into one of the best in Europe, the man who had driven them to a much sought after Premier League trophy was bought for just £600,000.

Hart made 20 clean sheets in 2011/12 (a feat made all the more remarkable by the fact his defence are considered the weak link in Mancini’s team) to put the Blues on their way to glory, pulling off stunning save after stunning save to deny opponents. But it was more than his performances that made him the face of Manchester City’s most glorious campaign. In a glitzy, star-studded squad during a season marred by Carlos Tevez’s petulance and the outlandishness of one Mario Balotelli, Hart was its likeable counterpoint: consistent, dedicated, professional. To the Eastlands crowd, that title-clinching goal belonged to him as much as it did Aguero.

That the 25-year-old, who started his career for Shrewsbury Town while still studying for his GCSEs, was recently chosen to appear on the cover of the latest in EA’s popular run of football games, FIFA 13, is further proof of his currency – usually the honour is bestowed to goalscorers and forward-drifting midfield maestros. Maybe it helps that Hart is not without his own attacking acumen – in addition to his astonishing athleticism and agility in goal, he’s regularly seen chasing the game in the opposition’s box, running up for corners and causing havoc.

A determined performer and a born leader, he is as well rounded a keeper as the world has seen. “Iker Casillas is regarded by many as being the best in Europe, if not the world,” says Hart’s England predecessor David James, “bur Joe Hart kicks a better ball than him, fills his area better than him and can produce any save that Casillas makes. Everything about him is superb.”

A more surprising admirer, though just as full of praise, is Sir Alex Ferguson. The Manchester United manager isn’t famed for dishing out compliments to opposition players, let alone those from his fiercest rivals, but admitted last year that missing the opportunity to sign Hart was one of the biggest regrets of his career. “I could have bought Joe Hart for £100,000 so we all make mistakes," said Ferguson.  "If you look at the England goalkeeper situation for the last 20 years, I would think he's easily the best."

At this summer’s Euro 2012 he left that beyond any doubt, arriving at his first international tournament in the number 1 jersey with the confidence of a World Cup veteran.

His organisational presence was felt as England looked a transformed side, their discipline in wins against Ukraine and Sweden a world apart from the shambolic performances in South Africa two years previous, engineered on the pitch by the City keeper. Roy Hodgson’s team of course eventually went out on penalties to an impressive Italy team, but that Hart and co. were able to keep the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Antonio Di Natale at bay for 120 minutes was an achievement in itself.

So talismanic was Hart during those matches that people have begun to whisper. Steven Gerrard, the current England captain, is 32 now and his inclusion in the 2014 World Cup is not guaranteed. Might the Manchester City man take the captain’s armband? Time will tell. In the meantime, if the Sky Blues wish to retain their Premier League crown, they’ll be relying on Hart to produce the same incredible feats in goal that brought frustration to strikers and crowds to their feet last season.

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Sunday sees the 161st Manchester derby take place at Old Trafford, with reigning Premier League Champions Manchester United looking to take three points and leapfrog their noisy neighbours into top spot. The Manchester derby has thrown up some iconic moments over the years, and having already recalled five great City moments, we turn our attentions to United.

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The Wayne Rooney bicycle kick

Prior to this wonder strike in February last season, Rooney had only managed five goals for United since August. Questions were being asked of United's talisman, but what a way to prove the old adage that while form is temporary, class is permanent. The scores were level at 1-1 in the 77^th minute when Nani's floated cross sparked this magical moment of inspiration from Rooney. It was named Goal of the Season, and sent United eight points clear at the top of the table on their way to the title.

3-2 comeback at Maine Road

Brian Horton's City side were cruising at half-time in November 1993, 2-0 up courtesy of a Niall Quinn brace, but United's Eric Cantona-inspired second-half comeback made for one of the most remarkable derbies in memory. Sir Alex's side have developed something of a penchant for a dramatic comeback, and this ranks among their very best. Roy Keane's winner came right at the death, and judging by his celebration, he rather enjoyed it.

5-0 revenge at Old Trafford

In 1994, five years after the painful 'Demolition Derby' 5-1 defeat at Maine Road, Sir Alex and United exacted this sweet revenge. Ukranian Andrei Kanchelskis stole the show with a hat-trick, but Cantona's opener was superb too, as was Mark Hughes's finish at 1.30. This thrashing came at a time when United were completely dominant over City, who failed to record a single derby win during the nineties.

Michael Owen's 96^th minute winner

Old Trafford explodes at Michael Owen's notorious 96^th minute winner in September 2009. In one of the most gripping Manchester derby's of all time, City's Craig Bellamy looked to have snatched a point for the Citizens when he made it 3-3 in the dying minutes, but up popped substitute Michael Owen in the depths of Fergie time...

Gary Neville shuns Schmeichel

Ok, so it's not exactly Keane v Vieira, but here Gary Neville makes it abundantly clear to United legend Peter Schmeichel how he feels about his decision to join rivals City in 2002. Talk to the hand, Peter!

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With 22 points from a possible 24 so far this season, Roberto Mancini's Manchester City are enjoying their best start to a league season since 1897. The Sky Blues are top of the table and two points clear of Manchester United, but this Sunday's titanic clash at Old Trafford will put their ambitions to the test. With Sheikh Mansour's billions taking City to another level, the Manchester derby is more competitive than ever, and to honour this momentous footballing occasion, we've dug out five of City's best ever Manchester derby moments.

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The 2011 FA Cup Semi-final

We'll start with City's most recent highlight. A landmark 1-0 victory over United at Wembley sent the Citizens on their way to their first trophy in 35 years. Yaya Toure's winner (at 3.24) was the obvious highlight of their afternoon, but City fans might enjoy another viewing of Dimitar Berbatov's remarkable miss from three yards (0.40), and Paul Scholes' late sending off (5.15). All in all, not a bad day at the office for Roberto Mancini's side. 

The 1989 'Demolition Derby'

Events at Maine Road on 23^rd September 1989 stunned English football. Newly-promoted City had won only one of their first six First Division matches, but that day they defied the odds to thump Sir Alex Ferguson's United 5-1. Fighting between rival fans spilled onto the pitch and delayed kick-off by ten minutes, but the result remains City's greatest ever derby win. Having spent large sums of money to bolster the United squad that summer, Ferguson was deemed fortunate to avoid the sack.

Denis Law's backheel

"I was inconsolable. I did not want to score the goal that sent United down," reflected Denis Law on the backheeled goal that (sort of) relegated his old club in 1974. After joining United in 1962, the Scot fired his way to legendary status at Old Trafford with 237 goals in 11 illustrious years. But after moving to City for one final season before his retirement, Law's return to Old Trafford turned out to be the ultimate heartbreaker... For him, that is. For City fans it was quite the opposite. Results elsewhere meant that United would have been relegated regardless, but for Blues it was the perfect way to see their rivals go down.

Gary Neville feeds the Goat

November 2002, and with the scores level at 1-1 in the final Manchester derby to be played at Maine Road, this awful blunder from Gary Neville - United captain for the day - gifted City's Shaun Goater a goal. City went on to win 3-1, and Neville's gaffe was immortalized in poem: "Derby day, the scores were level, then the Goat was fed by Neville".

Joe Hart is really, REALLY fast

Injury time at Eastlands in November 2008, and with City trailing 1-0, goalkeeper Joe Hart comes forward for a corner. He may look a little lost in the opposition's box, but when United launch a counter attack he knows exactly where he needs to be. Not only does he make up the entire length of the pitch at the speed of a 100-meter sprinter, he somehow manages to claw Wayne Rooney's 60-yard lob round the post. Incredible.

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As Roberto Mancini and his star-studded squad look to usher in a glorious new era for Manchester City, they could do a lot worse than look to Mike Summerbee for inspiration.

Summerbee, Icons Legend of the Week #15, was the star of the show for City during the late sixties and early seventies, the most successful period in the club's history. In three seasons from 1967-70 Summerbee and City won four trophies under the fabled managerial partnership of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison. The 1967/68 First Division title was followed by the 1969 FA Cup, and a League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup double in 1970.

Some 41 years later, with owner Sheikh Mansour's billions pumping through the club, Manchester City looks an altogether different landscape. A return to their former glories looks a realistic possibility now, and with Summerbee as Club Ambassador, City retain an important link to their glory years.

Occupying City's right flank, Summerbee combined brilliant wing play and tireless running with a fiery temperament and tough tackling that ensured he was rarely far from the spotlight. His antics often enraged away fans, but he built up a great rapport with the City faithful, and was known for chatting to supporters as he sped up and down the wing during matches. 

Off the pitch he was George Best's closest friend (pictured together above), and during the swinging sixties the riotous pair were notorious for the extravagant party lifestyle they enjoyed in Manchester. They even started up their own clothing business together, although Best was frank in admitting that the shop's main purpose was to attract female attention.

Back on the field, while Best was dazzling at Manchester United, Summerbee was busy shaping his own legacy at City, making 357 league appearances between 1965-75, and scoring 47 goals.

Summerbee was born in Preston in December 1942, and began his professional career at Swindon Town, for whom he made his debut as a 16-year-old in 1959. After over 200 appearances for the Wiltshire club, City manager Joe Mercer forked out £35,000 to take him to Manchester. Summerbee made an instant impact at City, and in his first season he was the only player at the club to start every single match.

Summerbee's talent was combined with that of Colin Bell and Francis Lee, and together the trio formed the backbone of the most entertaining and successful City side there has ever been. While Summerbee sparkled on the wing, Bell elegantly controlled the middle of the park and Lee banged the goals in up front. City became the team to beat, and Summerbee embodied their exciting and entertaining brand of football.

Summerbee made his debut for England in 1968 and went on to win eight caps in total, scoring once. He left City in 1975, and in the years that followed the club began a long period of decline. Summerbee - whose son Nicky also played for City during the nineties - is a Manchester City man, and he would love to see the club return to former glories, albeit watching from the stands this time.

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"The boy's a freak. Never did I see a less likely football prospect - weak, puny and bespectacled."

- Andy Beattie, Huddersfield Town manager 1952-56

Beattie's assessment of a 16-year-old Denis Law may have been slightly harsh, but when he first showed up at Huddersfield in 1955 few could have predicted that he would go on to illuminate British football.

Between 1962 and 1973 Denis Law (pictured right) formed part of Manchester United's 'Holy Trinity' with George Best and Bobby Charlton (left). They were the heartbeat of United's finest ever team. Tenacious, skillful and prolific; with 237 goals in 404 games Law was a true United legend. He remains the second-highest scorer in their history behind Charlton, but the road to Old Trafford was long and winding for the Aberdeen-born striker.

After four years at Huddersfield Town, Law moved to United's bitter rivals Manchester City for a British record transfer fee of £55,000 in 1960. United manager Matt Busby had previously had a £10,000 offer rejected, while Bill Shankly, Law's manager at Huddersfiled from 1957-59, had also failed in a bid to take him to Liverpool.

City had only narrowly escaped relegation from the First Division in the season prior to Law's signing, and after a single season at the club, Law, who made his Scotland debut as an 18-year-old in 1958, resolved to move to a more successful club. He signed for Italian side Torino in the summer of 1961. Law failed to settle in Italy, however, as his playing style clashed with the ultra-defensive Italian approach, and in 1962 he finally moved to United for £115,000, breaking the British transfer record once again.

Law was an instant success at Old Trafford, scoring just seven minutes into his debut against West Bromwich Albion. United were still recovering from the devastating effects of the 1958 Munich air crash, however, and it wasn't until 1963 that he won his first piece of silverware, the FA Cup. Law had scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against his old club Huddersfiled, and he scored again in the final as United upset favourites Leicester City with a 3-1 victory.

Law top scored with 28 league goals the following season and was named European Footballer of the Year as United secured the First Division title for the first time since Munich. More success was to follow, as United won the league again in 1967 and the European Cup the following year, albeit without the injured Law for the semi-final or final.

When Matt Busby resigned in 1969, United's strength began to wane. Law continued to be a prolific presence for the Red Devils, but was unable to add any more silverware to his collection and he moved back to City (pictured below) for one final season before retiring in 1974. 

Law scored 30 times for Scotland in 55 appearances, making him their joint-highest top scorer together with Kenny Dalglish. It is at Old Trafford, however, that he is most treasured. His statue stands on the concourse of Old Trafford's Stretford End, and is a fitting tribute to one of the finest players ever to pull on a Manchester United shirt.

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Take a look at Icons signed Denis Law Manchester United shirt here.

Sergio Aguero has taken to Premier League football without so much as a break in his stride. Arriving at a cost of £38m, a lot was expected of the 23-year-old Argentinian, but even the most optimistic of Manchester City fans could not have predicted quite such an emphatic impact.

The former Atletico Madrid forward has made an incredible start to life at City, scoring eight goals in five games, from which City - genuine title contenders at last - have taken an impressive 13 points. Aguero - nicknamed 'Kun' since childhood - is the brightest of City's glut of gifted forwards, and possesses the kind of superstar quality that the club's billionaire owners have been looking for. His intricate link-up play with David Silva, Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko has been glorious to watch, and his finishing has been lethal.

Aguero is characterised by acceleration and strength. He is stocky and resilient and is a predatory finisher and an intelligent and creative presence in and around the box. The Diego Maradona comparisons that have been attached to numerous talented Argentinian forwards are especially pertinent in Aguero's case. He is, after all, Diego's son-in-law, having married his daughter Giannina. Man City boss Roberto Mancini, however, reckons he's more similar to Brazil legend Romario. On current form he is more than a match for both.

When he made his professional bow at the age of 15 and 35 days for Independiente, Aguero became the youngest player to debut in the Argentinian first division. Fittingly, it was Maradona who previously held the record. Four years later in May 2006, Atletico Madrid broke their transfer record for the young prodigy, paying in excess of £18m to take him to the Spanish capital.

Aguero was Atletico's talisman and one of La Liga's star performers. During five seasons in Spain he was ever-present for Atletico, scoring 102 goals in 234 games, and winning the Europa League in 2010. He featured at three FIFA World Youth Championships for Argentina as a teenager, but his move to Spain allowed him to make the step up to the full international side. He made his debut in September 2006 in a friendly against Brazil played at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, and he has gone on to score 13 times in 32 games, including goals at the 2010 World Cup and the 2011 Copa America.

He signed a new contract with Atletico in January of this year, but he was outgrowing the club, and announced his desire to leave the Vicente Calderon just four months later. By July Aguero was a Manchester City player, brought in as a replacement for disillusioned countryman Carlos Tevez. Rather than a replacement, however, Aguero looks like an upgrade.

With two goals and an assist in just over 30 minutes, his City debut was a sign of things to come. The Sky Blues were only 1-0 up when Aguero emerged from the bench in the 59^th minute of their season-opener against newly-promoted Swansea City at the Etihad Stadium. Although widely tipped to require a period of adaptation to the Premier League, Aguero scored their second nine minutes after coming on, before teeing up David Silva for their third and adding their fourth in stoppage time. Purring with confidence and completely undaunted by his unfamiliar surroundings, the Argentinian has not let up.

The Premier League has a new superstar.

The UEFA Champions League group stage gets underway this week. Read on for Icons preview of the four English team's groups, as well as Barcelona and Real Madrid's. Will Barca reclaim their title? We can't wait to find out!

Barcelona – Group H – AC Milan, BATE Borisov, Viktoria Plzen

Holders Barcelona kick off their Champions League defence against reigning Serie A champions AC Milan in the standout fixture of the group stages. No side has achieved back to back Champions League wins since Milan in 1990, but this year Barcelona are huge favourites to replicate that feat.

Seven-times Champions League winners Milan have outstanding European pedigree, and with Zlatan Ibrahimovic making a return to his old club, the battle for top spot in Group H promises to be an interesting one.

Two minnows make up the rest of the group. Serbia striker Mateja Kezman, formerly of Chelsea, is the biggest name on the books at BATE Borisov, whose home ground holds just 4,500. The Belarusian side reached the group stage in 2008/09, but this is completely unknown territory for Viktoria Plzen. The Czechs saw off Rosenborg and FC Copenhagen in qualifying, however, and could push BATE for 3^rd-place Europa League qualification.

 

Manchester United – Group C – Benfica, Basel, Otelul Galati

Sir Alex Ferguson will have been pleased with this draw. With key players David Luiz and Fabio Coentrao recently departed to Chelsea and Real Madrid respectively, Benfica are not as strong as in recent seasons. Paraguayan striker Oscar Cardozo remains a threat for the Portuguese runners-up, but a rampant Manchester United, with 18 goals in their last four games and Wayne Rooney in irrepressible form, will be confident of overpowering them.

United new boys Ashley Young and Phil Jones will be making their Champions League bows, but Sir Alex's new look young team still has enough experience in its ranks to ensure that the transition is easy.

Swiss Champions Basel are the group's pot three representative, and unknown Romanians Otelul Galati make their debut appearance in the competition having won their first Romanian title last season.

 

Real Madrid – Group D – Lyon, Ajax, Dinamo Zagreb

Jose Mourinho was brought to the Bernabeu to overhaul Barcelona both domestically and in Europe. It's a tough ask, but Real Madrid's group draw shouldn't give him too much to worry about.

Although the summer passed without a marquee signing, Real Madrid have the resources to win this group without too much difficulty. Lyon have proved a testing opponent in the past, but depsite being unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season, they may not prove as dangerous as they once were. Eredivisie champions Ajax are capable of playing attractive football and, like Lyon, they will fancy their chances of finishing second in the group. Dinamo Zagreb - the club from which Spurs' Luka Modric and ex-Arsenal man Eduardo da Silva emerged - will be hostile hosts in Croatia, but they would do well to threaten the top two.

 

Chelsea – Group E – Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, KCR Genk

In Group E Michael Ballack will make a return to Stamford Bridge with Bayer Leverkusen. Chelsea, who have won seven out of nine Champions League openers, will be hoping Fernando Torres can continue to build on his improved form this season, despite being dropped for their game against Sunderland at the weekend.

Unai Emery's Valencia will be their toughest opponent. The Spaniards have started strongly this term, taking six points from their opening two La Liga games. Their biggest threat is former Getafe striker Roberto Soldado, who scored 24 goals in his first season with Valencia. He has notched four in two games this time around, including an opening day hat-trick against Racing Santander. Juan Mata, meanwhile, will be returning to the Mestalla just weeks after departing for West London. Belgian side Genk are the fourth side in the group, meaning Chelsea have avoided any long distance away trips.

 

Manchester City – Group A – Bayern Munich, Villarreal, Napoli

With four wins from four in the Premier League and a debut Champions League campaign in the offing; these are exciting times for Manchester City. What's more, with six goals for his new club already, £38m signing Sergio Aguero has taken no time at all to settle in. As newcomers to the Champions League, however, they were placed in pot three for the draw, meaning a tricky group was always on the cards.

2009/2010 runners-up Bayern Munich have started the season under new manager Jupp Heynckes in unstoppable form, and their 7-0 demolition of Freiburg at the weekend made it four wins in a row for them too. Towering striker Mario Gomez has smashed an incredible seven goals in his last two games.

Villarreal and Napoli are the other teams in Group A, meaning there will be no easy games for City. For Spanish side Villarreal, former Manchester United striker Guiseppe Rossi continues to attract interest from Europe's top clubs with his excellent scoring record. Napoli's main threat, meanwhile, is Uruguay striker Edison Cavani.

 

Arsenal – Group F – Marseille, Olympiakos, Borussia Dortmund

For all the negativity that currently surrounds Arsenal, it should be noted that this is their 14^th year in a row in the Champions League group stage. Only Real Madrid and Manchester United boast better records.

Group F provides some tricky away games for Arsenal's young squad, but with new signings Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker adding some experience and know-how, the Gunners will be confident of progressing to the knock-out stages.

Arsenal travel to Bundesliga champions Dortmund for their first game, where 19-year-old German prodigy Mario Goetze pulls the strings in midfield, and Neven Subotic and Mads Hummels keep it tight at the back. Didier Deschamps' Marseille will be another difficult away test. The Velodrome is renowned as one of Europe's most intimidating grounds, but as a connoisseur of French football, Arsene Wenger will be aware of the threat posed by L'OM. Greek champions Olympiakos, despite being drawn in pot three, are the weakest team in Group F.

Robbie Fowler is a name synonymous with Liverpool Football Club. Known as 'God' by adoring Kopites, his contribution to English football will live long in the memory.

Fowler, who recently signed for Thai side Muangthong United aged 36, has enjoyed one of football's more colourful careers.

At the tender age of 18, the kid from Toxteth announced his arrival on the scene in spectacular fashion. The Liverpool trainee made a scoring debut in a League Cup tie against Fulham in September 1993, and in the return leg at Anfield two weeks later he scored all five. He went on to score his first league hat-trick against Southampton in only his fifth league game. The Kop was witnessing the birth of a Liverpool legend.

A gifted goal-poacher with an unerring eye for goal, Fowler – a boyhood Everton fan who converted at the age of 11 - went on to finish that season as Liverpool's top scorer with 18 goals.

Forging a formidable partnership with Steve McManaman, Fowler surpassed the 30 goal mark in each of the three seasons that followed, winning PFA Young Player of the Year in 1995 and 1996, and earning his first England call-up in the process.

The Toxteth Terror has left a significant mark on English football. His four minute and 33 second hat-trick against Arsenal in 1995 remains the fastest ever in the Premier League. His remarkable record of 116 goals in his first three and a half seasons at Liverpool remains unbeaten, and with a total of 169, he is still the fourth highest goal-scorer in Premier League history.

Between 1993 and 2001, and not forgetting his return to Anfield for the 2006/07 season, Robbie Fowler scored a total of 183 goals in 369 games.

Throughout his career Fowler has certainly been no stranger to controversy. As well as the goals, it is the notorious line-sniffing goal celebration against Everton in April 1999, and the taunting of Graeme le Saux in a game at Chelsea for which he will be remembered.

Fowler left Liverpool in 2001, eight whirlwind years after making his bow. Finding himself sidelined due to manager Gerard Houllier's preference for pairing Michael Owen and Emile Heskey up front, the iconic number nine signed for Leeds United in a £12m deal.

After 33 appearances and 14 goals over the course of a season and a half, Fowler moved to Manchester City in the middle of the 2002/03 season. During his time at Elland Road, Fowler had struggled with injury and fitness, and by the time he was transferred to City, his market value had diminished significantly. Injury problems continued as Fowler struggled to recapture the electric form of his time at Liverpool.

Liverpool fans were overjoyed when Fowler re-signed for the club on a free transfer in 2006. Supporters marked his debut against Birmingham City with a banner reading 'God – number eleven, welcome back to heaven'.

After leaving Liverpool for the second time in 2007, Fowler endured unsuccessful stints at Cardiff City and then Blackburn before electing to leave British shores.

In February 2009, he signed for Australia A-League side North Queensland Fury, and later Perth Glory. After two years in the A-League, and not quite ready to hang up his boots, Fowler signed a one-year contract with Muangthong United in Thailand.

Where he ends up next is anyone's guess, but Robbie Fowler will always be God on Merseyside.

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Take a look at our awesome collection of signed Robbie Fowler memorabilia here.

This year's Community Shield pits the two Manchester giants against each other, and if their recent meetings are anything to go by, it could be a slightly tastier encounter than usual.

The Community Shield is traditionally little more than a fitness-building exercise and curtain-raiser for the new season, but with local bragging rights at stake, a competitive contest is on the cards on Sunday.

Wembley has not been a happy hunting ground for Manchester United of late, having suffered two devastating losses there at the end of last season. They were first beaten 1-0 by Manchester City in an ill-tempered FA Cup semi-final, before a Leo Messi-inspired Barcelona put them to the sword with a 3-1 victory in the Champions League final.

But after a successful preseason tour of the US, including a 2-1 victory over Barcelona, and with Wayne Rooney firing on all cylinders, the Premier League Champions will be hoping to gain a psychological edge over their title-rivals at Wembley.

United will be without the injured Javier Hernandez, Michael Carrick and Rafael. There is better news, however, regarding Darren Fletcher and Antonio Valencia, both of whom are back in training and will challenge for a first-team place. With Paul Scholes and Edwin van der Sar now retired, United fans will be clamouring to see some of their side's £50m trio of new signings. Ashley Young, Phil Jones and goalkeeper David de Gea will all be hoping to feature.

Manchester City's pre-season has been dominated by Carlos Tevez's very public desire to leave the club, while Mario Balotelli has also confessed to being unhappy in Manchester. Icons favourite Sergio Aguero has arrived from Atletico Madrid to ease City's worries, however, and Gael Clichy and Stefan Savic have also come in to bolster the defence.

City boss Roberto Mancini has confirmed that the £38m Aguero will be given time to adjust to life in England, and will start on the bench at Wembley. Want-away Tevez, meanwhile, will not return to training with City until next week, so goalscoring responsibilities will fall to Balotelli and the Bosnian Edin Dzeko.

With the Premier League kick-off just over a week away, let's hope Sunday's Community Shield proves a worthy introduction.

We predicted that Sergio Aguero was going to be one of the biggest names in world football when we did a signing with him way back in April 2010. Icons, as ever, was first, undertaking signings with the best players in the world.

We did Lionel Messi when he was 18 before he'd play 30 times for Barcelona...

...we did Cristiano Ronaldo when he was 20 and had just arrived from Portugal...

..and we did the first signing with Fernando Torres as soon as he arrived in England.

As each of these players has grown into a global superstar they've regularly signed with Icons, partly out of a sense of loyalty to a company that showed faith in them from an early age.

As for Sergio and his arrival in England, probably the best parallel we can draw is with his predecessor at Atletico, Fernando Torres. Before El Nino arrived, he was well-known in Spanish football but not that well-known in world terms. Within a year or so he was biggest Premier League shirt seller in the world. Aguero has the package to do the same: he plays the beautiful game in his own unique way - think Zola, mixed with Dalglish and a hint of Romario - and with his movie-star looks, Japanese nickname and Diego Maradona as a father-in-law, he is going to be a sensation over here.

We have Argentina and Atletico shirts and photos as well as Nike boots which can be framed with a Manchester City background for any fan of the Citizens. Sign up to the icons newsletter too as we're sure to make an announcement of his first UK signing soon.

Icons, signed by the world's best, spotted early by the world's best signed football site.