Lloyd is fondly remembered for her brief spell at City back in 2017 where she made an instant impact for Nick Cushing’s side, including a goal in our 4-1 FA Cup final victory over Birmingham.
The American is already regarded as one of the finest players of her generation but, should she feature in Saturday’s friendly against Sweden, she will become one of only three footballers to reach 300 international appearances.
Mewis believes the landmark is just rewards for Lloyd, who has left a lasting impression on many of her teammates throughout her career so far.
CITY+ | WATCH FULL-MATCH REPLAYS OF EVERY CITY GAME
She said: “I’ve looked up to Carli for a long time.
“As a young player coming on this team, she set such a good example of how to take care of yourself and how to be a true professional.
“Getting 300 caps is an unbelievable accomplishment and something that’s so rare, she’s someone who could never be replaced or replicated in any way.
“She’s one of a kind and so deserving of this feat. She’s been a great role model for all of us and I’m really excited for her.”
To win two World Cups, two Olympic gold medals and four SheBelieves Cups, Lloyd has had to demonstrate an exceptional professionalism, drive and will to win.
But Mewis was also quick to emphasise the former City loanee’s sense of humour as a major skill in her arsenal, and the general impact she has had away from the field.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE OFFICIAL Man City PODCAST
“Carli is really funny and I feel like I have a good relationship with her,” she revealed.
“Sometimes we do make fun of each other and she’s such a good sport about it.
“We were just laughing the other day about this one time on the bus when we were stuck in traffic.
“All the kids were being loud at the back of the bus and Carli got so annoyed at us.
“We were joking around and saying ‘Carli if you could walk home from here but it’d take you 24 hours would you rather do that than stay on the bus with us?’
“I love having Carli here, she’s a good friend and she’s funny so it’s great to have that kind of joking around with her.”
While Saturday’s match in Stockholm is a friendly, it comes at a crucial time as preparations ramp up for this summer’s Olympics.
The pair met in the last eight of Rio 2016, with Sweden coming out on top after to a penalty shootout, before eventually losing to Germany in the final.
Mewis believes the Swedes will once again offer the United States a stern test but insists it can only benefit their development ahead of this summer’s tournament in Tokyo.
“I’m definitely expecting it to be a challenge,” she remarked.
“I think right now we’re focused on facing all of our challenges with the idea that we want to learn as much as we can and grow.
“We know there’s an Olympics coming up, so any opportunity to play against a quality team, we’re excited about.
“And I definitely think Sweden is a great team who we’ve had lots of good games against in the past. We’re looking forward to the opportunity.”
