Vincent KompanyThe big Belgian defender, favourite to be named the Blues’ player of the season, will sit down to discuss a new, improved contract in the summer.
But he told M.E.N. Sport that he feels part of the fabric at City and see himself remaining at the club for “a long time”.
Kompany has been made captain in the absence of the injured Carlos Tevez, and there have been calls for that appointment to be made permanent, especially with doubt surrounding Tevez’s future.
But Kompany has already said he will be happy to hand the armband back, and simply get on with the job of landing Champions League football and the FA Cup.
The City hero has been in magnificent form this season, and is a major reason why the Blues stand on the brink of achieving their twin aims.
Embraced
And he says he has immersed himself fully in the culture of the club.
“I have never been embraced as well as I have been by the fans here, and by the country in general,” said the 25-year-old.
“I feel really, really comfortable here and am proud to be part of what is happening.
“The key is not to take anything for granted. I work hard for it every day and when it happens we can consider ourselves lucky to have been part of such a beautiful story.”
Asked about his future, Kompany sets a few minds at rest. Europe’s top clubs are bound to be eyeing up a player who made it into the PFA’s Premier League team of the season, but the urbane star feels he could be at the heart of defence for years to come.
“I am happy and when you are happy somewhere it’s easy to see yourself there for a long time,” he said.
“I have made a lot of progress here and feel like I have a lot more to show and to bring to this club. I am definitely looking to the future and long-term.”
Kompany was a key player in the FA Cup semi-final victory over United, on and off the field.
As skipper, he asked manager Roberto Mancini and the rest of the staff to leave the players alone in the dressing room for a few minutes leading up to kick- off, which they did.
Kompany says that what went on will remain a secret, but made it plain that several players had their say.
“It definitely has to stay between the players,” he said. “That’s the reason we did it. It wasn’t a solitary initiative, there were a few people who wanted to speak.
“It was not about hammering anyone, just to inspire. A few people wanted to step up and speak.”
That win gave City their first FA Cup final appearance for 30 years, but the fact that they can now secure fourth place with four points from the next two games – at Everton and at home to Spurs – has focused minds back on the vital issue of reaching the Champions League.
A win at Goodison Park would mean City only needing a point when Harry Redknapp’s side visit Eastlands next Tuesday.
Kompany has challenged his teammates to shake off the recent jinx which the Merseysiders appear to have on the Blues, by winning on Saturday.
“We have had three victories in a row, two in the league, one in the FA Cup, so how great would it be to finish the season in a good fashion?” he said.
“Let’s try to win this one at Everton and then see how many more we can win by the end of the season. Let’s challenge ourselves to keep winning and not look at the table any more.
“We know what we are up against. Everton are always a team that seems to gain in strength in the second half of the season so you would suppose they are now at their best.
“These are challenging games and we know what we are playing for so it would be brilliant to get a result there.
“We are on course for what we want to achieve. We have gone a tremendously long way since the takeover three years ago.
Success
“It is a completely different club but with the same fundamentals, and we are definitely looking forward now.
“It would be a great way to start the success story of City by achieving Champions League football and winning the FA Cup.
“That’s our target and it becomes more important than ever now.”
Everton have already won at Eastlands this season, City’s only home defeat in 19 matches, and also beat the Blues twice last season – the only team to do the league double over City during Mancini’s reign.
But Kompany says that now is a good time to put a stop to that dismal sequence of results.
“Every run is doomed to end at some stage, so it will happen some time – if not this week, it will happen soon,” he said.
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