Andy Scott has many famous works, including 'The Kelpies' outside Falkirk in Scotland
Scottish artist Scott has many famous works, including 'The Kelpies' outside Falkirk in Scotland Image Credit: Supplied
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Manchester City have revealed that award-winning sculptor Andy Scott was the artist who won the commission to create permanent statues of club legends Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero. The appointment followed an exhaustive selection process that began in March 2020.

Born and raised in Glasgow and a graduate of the city’s School of Art, Scott is one of the most respected sculptors of his generation and is known for his large-scale figurative pieces, which he creates by blending traditional craftsmanship with modern fabrication techniques. His portfolio of more than 80 contemporary projects can be found both in the UK and in many corners of the world.

Now creating from his studio in Philadelphia, Andy works frequently in galvanised steel and counts ‘The Kelpies’ and ‘Beacon Of Hope’ among some of his most celebrated work.

Uniquely, the Kompany and Silva projects have been conducted entirely remotely from Scott’s securing the commission in June 2020, through to creation, completion and transportation of the pieces, which arrived on schedule in Manchester from Philadelphia this month.

The statues of Kompany and Silva are to be installed outside the club’s Etihad Stadium ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Arsenal, with Aguero’s tribute to follow in 2022, after his departure from the club this summer.

The legacy project was announced by Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak following the departure in 2019 of Vincent Kompany, the club’s most successful captain in their 127-year history. The decision to honour the three players was based on their unparalleled contribution to the club’s transformation over their combined 31 years at the club. Al Mubarak has since indicated that further work is being undertaken to ensure the legends of earlier eras are appropriately celebrated.

“On hearing that I had secured the commission to bring Vincent, David and now Sergio to life in sculpture form, I was absolutely thrilled,” said Scott. “It’s an unbelievable honour to work on something that will be visited by hundreds of thousands of fans as they remember and celebrate the achievements of their footballing heroes.

“I have always been struck by how sportsmen and women move and perform, and in the case of football specifically, how they anticipate the ball, how they combine with their teammates, and sometimes simply how they stand. Reflecting these elements was always going to be challenging, but it was particularly so during a global pandemic as we were only able to meet with Vincent and David virtually. But with their insights and extensive research of film and photographic footage, I have tried to capture their unique physical characteristics and their distinctive movements in a way which I hope does justice to both of these phenomenal footballers.

“It’s been such a pleasure to work on this prestigious project and I can’t wait to finally get to meet the team in person as we set about the final installations at the Etihad Stadium this week.”

Manchester City’s Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak added: “We are delighted with our choice of Andy to bring this project to life. His portfolio speaks to his expertise, and his contemporary approach, together with his chosen medium of industrial materials, made him the perfect fit to create artwork for Manchester City.”