Rico Lewis' rise into Manchester City's senior squad has been meteoric, and Pep Guardiola can't help but shower praise on the versatile youngster.
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Guardiola praises Lewis' versatilityLewis becoming a starter for Man CityStarted all six matches this seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty WHAT HAPPENED?
Lewis made his Manchester City debut in 2022 and had been one of the fringe players for Guardiola, the same continued at the start of last season. However, with Kyle Walker ageing and a number of injuries hitting City's squad towards the end of the season, Lewis became a regular in the first team having played in a number of positions.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
So far this season, Lewis has started all of Manchester City's games and is likely to do so again against Arsenal as well. The 19-year-old has mainly played as a defensive midfielder for Guardiola but also fulfilled the duties of a full-back during their last game against Brentford. The Spanish coach has not shied away from praising the England international for his versatility.
Getty Images SportWHAT GUARDIOLA SAID
Speaking to the media, Guardiola said: “He can play in all positions.
“I see sometimes when players are asked, they say ‘yeah I’m a holding midfielder’ or ‘I am a winger’ – Rico can play football and you put him in a position, and he knows exactly what he has to do.
“All the games he has played so far, he has been really, really good and that’s why he’s deserved the minutes he has had so far.
“He’s so good in so many aspects – he always wins the ball, he’s so intelligent defensively and so aggressive one vs one.
“He played against one of the best wingers in Europe and of course he can come in midfield and play, or centrally and arrive in the final third with intelligence and do many things, but he’s a really, really good defender.”
WHAT NEXT FOR LEWIS?
The 19-year-old is likely to be a starter yet again for Guardiola when Manchester City take on Arsenal on Sunday evening as they look to extend their lead atop the Premier League.