Lewis: The more positions I can play, the more games I can play | OneFootball

Rico Lewis says he is happy to be able to cover as many positions as possible as it gives him more opportunities to play!

The Manchester City youngster has featured in 11 of our 12 games already this season and will be part of the squad for our Champions League clash against Sparta Prague on Wednesday which kicks off at 20:00 (UK).

His flexibility means he has started at right-back, left-back and in midfield, but Lewis is grateful to have the confidence of manager to Pep Guardiola to take on any role.

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“I’ve not really given too much thought to nailing down a position. I think the more positions I can play the bigger chance it gives me of playing,” he said.

“If I had one position, I wouldn’t have had played as much this season. There’s both ways to think about it. But I’m thinking about playing as well as I can and working as hard as I can.”

Asked about being more trusted by the City boss, he said: “Definitely, because I'm playing on the pitch, but that’s not to say he didn’t trust me when I wasn’t playing.

“We have so many good players that can play in so many positions that it’s difficult to fit everyone in at once. For my confidence, it’s massive, to have a manager who feels he can play you in most games is amazing for me.”

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Since joining the Academy, Lewis has taken on various positions and he believes that moving around the pitch has helped to improve his all-round game.

“At first, I was a midfielder but after about two weeks they put me at right-back because I wasn’t as good as everyone else,” he added.

“Since then I’ve played everywhere, left-back, right-back and a season at centre-back when I was younger. That’s definitely helped me in terms of now and knowing other people’s positions.

“I’m enjoying my football right now and the more positions I can play, the more games I can play and that’s what I want.”

The 19-year-old is one of a number of Academy players that are heavily involved in  Guardiola’s squad for the 2024/25 season.

Phil Foden has already been a regular for many years while James McAtee and Nico O’Reilly are pushing for minutes as will Oscar Bobb when he returns from injury.

And Lewis says the training they have received through the age groups has them prepared for the step-up to the first team.

“Its difficult coming from the Academy to first team but the values of [Pep] have been instilled in the Academy,” he said.

“When we moved here especially, that’s when we felt it, the patterns we did in the youth team we try to mirror the first team.

“Obviously you can’t do it exactly, but just the little details and learning from being young massively helps understand what he wants as well.”