The Swiss international joined City in the summer of 2022 and went on to lift the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in his first season before adding the UEFA Super Cup in August.
As part of an upcoming video to mark Black History Month, the defender sat down with Nathan Ake to discuss their lives and how they came to be crucial players in our Treble winning squad.
Black History Month celebrates and recognises the contribution of Black individuals across all fields and industries throughout the calendar month
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While Akanji acknowledges the hard work on his part it has taken to reach the summit of the game, he insists it’s the people he keeps close that lift him up.
“The best advice I’ve received was to keep the right people around you like family and friends that you feel good around,” he said.
“They are always going to be honest with you, even if you do something bad they are going to tell you.
“They will keep you on the floor, tell you if you did good or bad things. That’s the most important thing.”
Born in Switzerland to a Swiss mother and Nigerian father, Akanji says it was his dad’s love of the game that first sparked his interest.
However, it wasn’t until his natural ability had seen him picked up by local professional club FC Winterthur that he began to sense the opportunity to play professionally.
As with all players who make it professionally, it required the support of people all around him for Akanji to flourish.
“I saw my father playing football and I wanted to do the same thing,” he recalled.
“It was the first coaches at Under-11 level at my first professional club that helped me channel that energy. They were really good to me, taught me a lot about football and had a lot of impact.
“When I was older, my Under-18 coaches at the same club were brilliant because that was when I was getting bigger and faster and closer to playing adult football. I learned a lot of things at that time that helped me.”
While it takes the input of experts to get the best out of a young footballer, a lot comes down to a player’s home life with his family.
Akanji was never pushed into the game, instead believing his parents’ unconditional support may have played a role in him having the confidence to chase his dream.
“Nobody actually really encouraged me to play football, they just told me I can do what I want as long as I am happy,” he said.
“In the end I chose football and they were happy with it but I had to finish my education first, that was the most important thing for my parents.
“They support whatever I do even if I stop with football tomorrow, that’s the most important thing for me.”
