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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We are delighted to see our Icons making up nine of the 23-man shortlist for the prestigious Ballon d'Or. Barcelona and Argentina's Leo Messi is the overwhelming favourite, and will match Michel Platini's record of three consecutive Ballon d'Ors if he is triumphant. Last year there were five Icons on the shortlist. This year we have grown. Let us know who you would like to see next on the site by getting in touch on Twitter or Facebook.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman to have been nominated, and is one of only five players connected to the Premier League on the shortlist. Of those five, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero only played half of 2011 in England, while ex-Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas now plays for Barcelona. In Spain, Barcelona lead the way with an incredible eight nominees, while rivals Real Madrid boast five.

Which Icon will be crowned World Player of the Year? Here is the complete shortlist:

Eric Abidal (France), Barcelona

Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Manchester City

Karim Benzema (France), Real Madrid

Iker Casillas (Spain), Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Real Madrid

Dani Alves (Brazil), Barcelona

Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Anzhi Makhachkala

Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Barcelona

Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Inter Milan

Andres Iniesta (Spain), Barcelona

Leo Messi (Argentina), Barcelona

Thomas Muller (Germany), Bayern Munich

Nani (Portugal), Manchester United

Neymar (Brazil), Santos

Mesut Ozil (Germany), Real Madrid

Gerard Pique (Spain), Barcelona

Wayne Rooney (England), Manchester United

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Bayern Munich

Wesley Sneijder (Holland), Inter Milan

Luis Suarez (Uruguay), Liverpool

David Villa (Spain), Barcelona

Xabi Alonso (Spain), Real Madrid

Xavi (Spain), Barcelona

After a career punctuated by ill-discpline and controversy, Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka seems to have finally found his feet in West London and put his stormy past behind him. On Saturday the Frenchman will line up against Arsenal, the club where it all began.

It was in February 1997 that Anelka first arrived on English shores. Newly appointed Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger paid £500,000 to take the highly rated 17-year-old from Paris Saint-Germain to North London, and it proved a typically shrewd acquisition.

Anelka made his first team breakthrough during Arsenal's double-winning 1997/98 season (pictured below) following an injury to Ian Wright. He became an important first team player, scoring his most important goal for the Gunners in their 2-0 FA Cup final victory against Newcastle United. The following season Anelka continued to excel, scoring 17 Premier League goals and winning the PFA Young Player of the Year Award. 

Arsenal failed to secure any silverware that year, however, and as Anelka sought a move to a bigger club, the fans turned against him, nicknaming him "Le Sulk" for his perceived lack of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, in the years that followed, Anelka would prove that this ill-discipline was far from a one-off.

So it was in the summer of 1999 that Anelka moved to Spanish giants Real Madrid for a huge £22.3m fee. Precociously talented, the Frenchman looked to have the world at his feet, but despite a bright start at the Bernabeu, his fiery temperament and bad attitude proved his undoing. He left Madrid for old club PSG for £20m after just one season, having fallen out with teammates, fans and new coach Vicente del Bosque. Once banned for 45 days for refusing to train, Anelka was deemed surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu despite playing a crucial role in Real Madrid's successful 1999/00 Champions League campaign.

Anelka made a return to the Premier League in 2002 when he joined Gerard Houllier's Liverpool on a short-term loan, but when Houllier opted against signing him at the end of the season, he ended up at Manchester City for another large fee, this time £13m. Anelka settled in at Maine Road nicely, top scoring for the club with 14 goals in his first season. He bettered that total the following year, but in 2005 the nomadic striker moved to Turkish side Fenerbache for £7m.

After Fenerbache it was Bolton Wanderers. Anelka signed for the Trotters for £8m in 2006, but after a season and a half and an impressive 23 goals, Chelsea came in for him with a £15m bid and Anelka joined his eighth different club, and his fifth in the Premier League.

Anelka took time to settle in at Stamford Bridge, but in 2008/09 he impressed with a total of 25 goals. He has gone on to become an important player for the Blues, and in the 2009/10 season he formed a devastating partnership with Didier Drogba, firing the West Londoners to a Premier League and FA Cup double, his first since his Arsenal days.

Anelka made his France debut way back in 1998 and scored 14 goals in 69 caps, but it is not an international career that will be remembered fondly. Anelka caused a storm of controversy at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa when he was sent home for verbally abusing coach Raymond Domenech. He received an 18-game international ban for his actions, but claimed he had already made his decision to retire before his ban was announced.

In total, seven different clubs have paid a total of £86.8m for Anelka since 1997. His controversial past does not mask his wonderful talent, and the 32-year-old is no longer the trouble-maker he once was. The argument that he could have made more of his career is a strong one, but Anelka has still proved himself to be one of the most dangerous strikers in Europe. When he takes to the field against Arsenal this Saturday, he will have another opportunity to prove his doubters wrong. 

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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.

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.