Homegrown Bristol City star made Robins £6 million and achieved hero status at Ashton Gate: View | OneFootball

Not many players get to breakthrough at their local club, but former Bristol City full-back Joe Bryan was one of the lucky ones, and what a star he was for the Robins.

Born just outside the South West city, Bryan spent much of his younger days playing football with his dad and brothers in their garden rather than watching his local side.

But, when offered a contract by the club in 2011, he duly signed it and, in seven years at his team, accrued over 200 appearances and earned them a handsome fee when he left in 2018.

Joe Bryan's early Bristol City career

His early spell in Bs3 was a familiar path that many took at Ashton Gate. Loan spells at affiliated clubs such as Bath City and Plymouth Argyle allowed the at-the-time a young Bryan to learn his trade and in the second half of the 2012/13 season he got his chance.

Despite starting nine games, his club would be relegated and faced a tricky following season in League One.

A 12th-placed finish and an underwhelming 21 appearances in 2013-14 at the club would be asymptomatic of what was a brilliant spell for Bryan.

The subsequent season, he put his wrongs right and played over 3000 minutes for the Robins, providing 16 goal contributions as they were promoted back to the Championship with 99 points. This campaign is where Bryan really began to showcase his talent and his impressive eye for goal with a beautiful strike against rivals Swindon, the standout finish.

Bryan shows his talent on the big stage

The step up to the second tier was by no means going to be an easy change for the Robins but Bryan especially took the challenge in his stride, appearing 39 times for his local team in the 2015/16 season and continuing to add to his tally for the side with another three goals from left-back.

The young full-back continued to be a regular for Bristol City, but the night of 20th of December 2017 is the one City fans will remember him for.

Having helped his side get to the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, Bryan and his compatriots were rewarded with a home tie against Premier League giants, Manchester United.

In a feisty first half, the Robins were saved from going behind by the post, as Zlatan Ibrahimović and Marcus Rashford both struck the woodwork. But, in the second half, they came alive, and Joe Bryan gave his side the lead as he struck a wonderful finish into the top-right corner past Sergi Romero from an acute angle on the edge of the box.

Ibrahimović brilliantly leveled from a free-kick, but in the second minute of added time, Korey Smith struck the winner and secured one of the most famous nights ever at Ashton Gate.

For Bryan, he was now part of another bit of Robins folklore, not only for his goal but for his man of the match performance, as he dominated the left side of the pitch against some of the world's best.

Fulham come in for Bryan

Joe Bryan is in talks with Millwall, according to reports

The 2018/19 season would bring an end to Bryan's Bristol City career, as a final appearance against Nottingham Forest concluded a wonderful seven-year tenure.

The £6 million they received from free-spending Fulham for a player with one year left on his deal was a superb bit of business and represented just how much he meant to the Robins.

In his spell in London, he showcased his big game ability once again as he scored two brilliant goals against Brentford in the play-off final to send them back to the Premier League.

A lackluster couple of years followed, however, he showed his love of scoring against the Red Devils again when he bagged a late equaliser for the Cottagers in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Joe Bryan: A Bristol City legend

Now playing at fellow Championship side Millwall, Bryan's career has slowed down but one place he will always be cherished is Ashton Gate.

From his goal against José Mourinho's Man United to his years of dedicated service under the likes of Lee Johnson and Steve Cotterill, Bryan has always been an honest player and love for him from the Robins fans is something that comes as no surprise.