COOK'S 18 CITY 94 AMBITIOUS RECIPE

SAM SHEPPEY LOOKS AT THE ROLE OF GARRY COOK IN THE RISE OF MAN CITY AND HIS NEXT STEPS

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WHEN the then-CEO of Manchester City, Garry Cook, told a fans’ forum in Mad Hatter Saloon in New York in 2010 that they would replace Manchester United as the biggest club in the world, many laughed.

In the last 11 years, however, City have won seven Premier League titles and one Champions League title, while United have won zero.

Cook was a signifi cant fi gure in the early rise of City. An often braggadocious character in the eyes of some, he raised the profi le of the blue side of Manchester by grabbing any attention he could.

With a PT Barnum-like approach at times, Cook promised the greatest show in Manchester, long before United became a circus.

He grabbed more headlines at the start of 2025 when he stepped down as CEO of his boyhood club, Birmingham City, due to personal reasons. He was a key fi gure in improving the Blues’ brand and profi le off the pitch. However, to understand Cook’s character and career, let’s take a look back:

ARRIVING IN MANCHESTER

Cook started working in America for sportswear brand Nike in 1996, climbing his way up the hierarchy before becoming head of the Nike project ‘Brand Jordan’, where he worked closely with basketball star Michael Jordan.

In May 2008, the owner of Manchester City, Thaksin Shinawatra, appointed Cook as CEO on a reported salary of £1.5m.

Cook’s first task was to fi nd a new manager after Sven-Goran Eriksson left, and he targeted Mark Hughes of Blackburn Rovers. Hughes signed a three-year deal with the club, with Cook labelling him as ‘the brightest young manager in the game and our number one target’.

The new CEO got his man and wanted to overhaul the playing staff. While looking at the squad, Cook commented on captain Richard Dunne, who had won the fan-voted player of the year for the previous four seasons.