The defender became a key part of our historic Treble-winning side after working his way through the youth ranks to make his senior debut in August 2022.
Still just 18, Lewis has already put in several eye-catching performances in 2023/24, including being named Man of the Match in City’s 3-1 UEFA Champions League win over Young Boys in midweek.
Despite his tender years, the defender has regularly been trusted to move into central areas to support City’s build-up play from a more advanced position.
And Guardiola has highlighted the importance of that versatility in helping to combat both a busy fixture schedule and the different demands placed on City by our opponents.
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Asked about Rico Lewis’ quality, and the value of other hungry young players coming through the ranks, the boss said: “So important. That helps us to have a bigger and a longer squad.
“We have players like Bernardo and Phil who can play in three or four different positions if we need it.
“If Rico does it, it’s because he’s so intelligent. He got Man of the Match [against Young Boys] and in Leipzig he deserved to win it too.
“His position in the centre is really good in the short spaces.
“We figured out on the artificial pitch [against Young Boys], we needed short passes because of the bounce of the ball.
“That’s why we needed players who can keep the ball in short passes. That’s what Rodri with Rico helped us to do, to create this type of game.”
Manchester United v City app coverage
Our official app allows you to follow all of the action from one place.
Minute-by-minute text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre two hours before kick-off, while our Matchday Live show will begin at 14:30 (UK).
We will have guests on the latest Matchday Live show, offering their expert insight before, during and after the action.
They will also answer viewer questions throughout the broadcast, with audience participation actively encouraged on Matchday Live. To get in touch, send a WhatsApp to: +447537186538.
During the game you can also listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann while our text commentary continues.
Make sure to have push notifications turned on as well, so you can be alerted to key moments in the action, including goals, red cards and the team news.
Highlights will follow, as well as a full-match replay [available on CITY+] which can be accessed from midnight.
