Wilfried Bony is determined to prove his worth to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but concedes his future at the Etihad Stadium is out of his hands.

The Ivory Coast striker joined City in a deal reported to be worth £28-million from Swansea City in January 2015.

However, Bony struggled to assert himself in the starting XI in Manchester and scored just six Premier League goals for the club, before being shipped out on loan to Stoke City last term.

It proved an unhappy spell for the 28-year-old, though, and he scored just twice in ten league outings for the Potters.

With Gabriel Jesus having arrived in January and Alexis Sanchez an apparent target, it appears unlikely that City boss Guardiola will include him in his plans, but Bony is focused on knuckling down and proving his worth.

‘I love the club, the fans. I want to show that Wilfried Bony is still the same player. I’ve been through a difficult time,’ he told Sky Sports.

‘Leading the goal-scoring two years ago, it’s still me, nothing has changed, just a difficult time. I just want to show them I can do more than that, so I just need to get myself ready.

‘Manchester City have to decide how many players [they want].

‘I’m a Manchester City player. I’m just getting myself ready for the pre-season on 10 July.

‘It didn’t work the way we wanted [at Stoke], but I thank the coach, the fans, because we really enjoyed the time there. I’m looking forward now, that’s the past for me. I wish them well next season.’

– This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za