Steph Houghton says it’s an honour to be among esteemed company after the City legend’s mosaic was unveiled at the City Football Academy.
Presented by Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak on Sunday 23 August, the special tribute was officially unfurled at our state-of-the-art Women’s First Team facility in dedication to the former captain’s distinguished contribution to the Club from 2014 to 2024.
It is the latest in a series of honours to City legends including Yaya Toure, Joe Hart, David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and John Stones.
Speaking at the Etihad Stadium ahead of City’s opening Premier League victory over Bournemouth, Houghton said being immortalised by City is a truly special moment for her.
“It was very overwhelming for me,” she explained.
“Everyone knows how much this club means to me and my family. To be alongside the likes of [Kevin] De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Vincent Kompany, I’m really grateful and thankful.
“To be amongst those players and to be given such an accolade, to be rewarded like that is a really special moment.”
After joining the Club in 2014, Houghton went on to become our record appearance holder while being the leader and driving force behind a decade of success for City.
During her illustrious time with the Blues, the defender won eight major honours, including the 2016 Barclays Women’s Super League title, three FA Cups and four League Cups.
And the ex-England international described her 10-year City spell as a privilege of a lifetime.
She added: “The welcome I’ve had today is also really special. I always wanted to be here as long as possible but I didn’t envisage the success we’ve had.
Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlaySkip backward 5 secondsSkip forward 10 secondsMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently behind liveLIVERemaining Time -0:001xPlayback RateChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio TrackPicture-in-PictureFullscreenCast to ChromecastThis is a modal window. This video is restricted from playing on your current domain Error Code: PLAYER_ERR_DOMAIN_RESTRICTED Session ID: 2026-08-24:1dea68972b028d26925ebd08Player Element ID: js-premium-player-6ed0e512-2e2b-4352-a092-7dbe5b2cdc98 OK Close Modal DialogBeginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanOpacityOpaqueSemi-TransparentText BackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanOpacityOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentCaption Area BackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanOpacityTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop shadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsResetDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
“It was the best 10 or 11 years of my life at this Club. Without a doubt [one of the most special moments ever].
“I’ve loved every single minute and to be an ambassador for such an amazing Club, I know how lucky I am and I give it my all every day.
“We have the best fans in the world.”
Five soccer players in light blue jerseys and white shorts gather on a field. Two players, numbered 2 and 6, are interacting. The setting suggests a team practice or match preparation.
A Manchester City player in focus during a match, wearing the team's light blue jersey and kicking a football on the field.
A large replica of the UEFA Champions League trophy set outdoors against a backdrop of historic architecture.