Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola expressed his admiration for Rico Lewis’ impressive start to the new season.
Lewis made his Man City debut in 2022 and initially served as one of the fringe players in Guardiola’s setup.
However, as the 2023 season progressed, Kyle Walker’s age and a series of injuries within the squad opened the door for Lewis to become a regular in the first team, showcasing his ability to adapt to various positions.
So far this season, Lewis has started every match for Manchester City and is expected to continue his run against Arsenal.
At just 19 years old, he has primarily taken on the role of defensive midfielder under Guardiola, but he also demonstrated his flexibility by performing as a full-back in the recent game against Brentford.
The Spanish coach has not hesitated to commend the England international for his versatility and contributions to the team.
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.
Guardiola added: “Yeah, I would like him to be a bit taller, but his mum and dad didn’t give these attributes.
“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.”
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