Ian Brightwell

Brother of David and son of British Olympic athletes Robbie Brightwell and Ann Packer, Ian was a product of Manchester City’s talented youth scheme in the mid 1980s. He played almost 400 games for the Blues before joining City on a free transfer in the summer of 1998. A versatile defender who could play in any of the back four positions he played just once for the Sky Blues, in the 0-2 League Cup disaster at Luton. After leaving Highfield Road in 2000 he played for Walsall, Stoke, Port Vale and Macclesfield Town and was appointed manager of the Silkmen in succession to Paul Ince in the summer of 2007.