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There will not be a dry eye in the house when Pablo Zabaleta says a fond farewell to Manchester City and his adoring fans on Tuesday night.

The tough, amiable Argentinian has become an icon among the supporters, and they have taken him to their hearts like few others in the club's history.

Maybe it was the fact that a man who was signed on the eve of Sheikh Mansour's takeover he has literally given blood for the cause, as well as gallons of sweat and tons of attitude.

Maybe it was the fact that he remained a normal man, untrammelled by the trappings of stardom, as he lived in a Didsbury flat and visited his local chippy from time to time.

And maybe it was the fact that, when City have performed badly, when they fell below expectations, Zabaleta has always refused to shy away from speaking to the fans, via the media.

There are players who queue up to give their thoughts on glorious trophy wins, or 5-0 whippings, but it takes a real man to speak up and be honest when the team has been poor.

Zabaleta is one of only two players signed before the 2008 takeover to have survived the complete transformation of the club, the other being the equally iconic Vincent Kompany.

Zabaleta actually only signed the day before Sheikh Mansour's takeover, but he was joining a mid-table team – he was not being tempted by mega-money or the chance of glory.

He has that in common with those fans who sing his name at every game, whether he plays or not, and who will continue to sing it long after he has gone.

Zabaleta will be on the pitch to say his farewells to the fans after the game against West Brom whether he plays or not, after telling the club that it is time to move on.

There may be others who will play at the Etihad Stadium for the final time on Tuesday as well – including Yaya Toure - but their futures have not been decided as yet, so the club is not planning to parade them.

Zaba will take some replacing, and not just as a stubborn, clever, aggressive player with a technical ability which is often underestimated.

The fact that he was bought for a mid-table team and yet has played 332 times for a club which very quickly became one of the Engish elite, speaks of his ability as well as his character.

He is also a lovely man, as anyone fortunate enough to have met him away from football will testify – he is a classic City warrior, laying his body on the line on the field, and yet gentle and with an easy smile off it.

These are the reasons City fans have taken them to their hearts, and the sight of his blood-stained, stitched head, or the thigh studded by Paul Scholes' boot at Wembley, or the black eye from Marouane Fellaini's stray elbow, will remain as his testament.

That and, of course, a couple of Premier League winner's medals, two League Cups and an FA Cup.

It will be emotional on Tuesday, so farewell Zaba. As the song goes, “You are the ****ing man.”