It's exactly seven years ago to the day since Bristol City appointed former midfielder Lee Johnson as their first-team manager. He had cut his cloth at Oldham Athletic and later Barnsley, and was tasked with keeping the Robins up.
He did just that, and guided them to safety with an 18th-placed finish, but a year later despite the tremendous form of Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham, they had a finish of 17th, and confirmed their place in the Championship in the penultimate game of the season.
Johnson revolutionised City however, and after being allowed to spend a club record fee of £5.3m on Famara Diedhiou, the clubs fortunes improved with an 11th-placed finish. Players from abroad would continue to be recruited, whilst also scouring the lower league for the best young talent around. It was a campaign that was best remembered for reaching the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, famously knocking out Jose Mourinho's Manchester United in front of a sold-out Ashton Gate. It would take eventual winners Manchester City to knock them out, with Pep Guardiola complimentary of Johnson's side.
A season later, Johnson, nearly matched the efforts of his father, who remains the closest to delivering the Premier League club to the West Country. He earned an eighth-place finish in 2018/2019, missing out by just four points to Frank Lampard's Derby County.
Unfortunately that would be the closest that City would get as the following season they finished 12th, and it would turn out to be Johnson's last at the club. He was sacked after suffering a Severnside Derby defeat to Cardiff City in the COVID-19 era, and later replaced by his assistant Dean Holden.
Since then, the club has changed with Nigel Pearson now at the helm, and a lot of the players Johnson brought in are no longer here. Several remain and are an integral part of the first-team picture whilst others are just hanging on. Here we take a look at those who came and went during Johnson's tenure in charge of City.
9. Denis Begovic
Bosnian goalkeeper Denis Begovic joined from German side Hoffenheim and is the brother of Asmir Begovic. He is now 23-years-old and moved to Shaw University in the USA. | Getty Images Photo: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
10. Hordur Magnusson
Joined in 2016 from Italian giants Juventus for an undisclosed fee, and spent two years at the Gate. Magnusso now plays in the Greek Super League with Panathinaikos. | AFP via Getty Images Photo: Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images
11. Callum O’Dowda
Joined from Oxford United and spent six years as a player at the club. O’Dowda now plays for Severnside rivals Cardiff City, who are struggling in the Championship. | Getty Images Photo: Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images
12. Ivan Lucic
Lucic joined Bristol City in 2016 and made two appearances in two-years. He is now a goalkeeper for Hadjuk Split in Croatia. | Getty Images Photo: Paul Gilham/Getty Images