Nedum Onuoha has claimed that Ruben Dias and his presence on the pitch makes his fellow Manchester City defenders better.
The centre-back ended his third season at the Manchester club by winning his third Premier League title as well as his first FA Cup and Champions League.
Having played a big role in seeing Pep Guardiola’s side win their three titles last term, one former City player has shared his view on the 26-year-old.
Onuoha says Dias makes City’s defenders better
Speaking in the latest episode of the Official Man City Podcast, Onuoha had this to say about Dias and the impact he has on the pitch.
He said: “I think he’s a very calming presence on the field but in a way which actually quite intense.
“He’s constantly drilling people saying ‘come on, be here, be there, do this, do that,’ organising those around him and then the stuff he says is justified.
“I think he leads by example, if someone makes a block and is passionate about something, it’s then easier for the next person to do it, because that’s the standard that’s being set. Whereas sometimes if it’s not to that high level of intensity then sometimes it’s easier for everyone to stay at the same level.
“He’ll always put his body at the ball, he’ll make sure that if someone’s under pressure he’ll give them an angle to receive the ball.
“As a defender sometimes, when a game is getting end to end, you know you’re supposed to squeeze up but you just run that little bit slower to squeeze up because you’re a bit tired, but for him, everything’s like, ‘let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,’ and he drags everyone up with him.
“It’s not to say that the other players don’t do that, but that’s who he is. He strives to be the best that he can be and try and help those around him be the best as well.”
Since joining the Citizens back in 2020 in a deal worth £65m, the centre-back has made 134 appearances, with 43 of them coming across all competitions last season.
In terms of his defensive ability, the Portuguese international made more clearances (56) than any other City player throughout their previous Premier League campaign.
Out of the 12 league games that Dias didn’t play in last season, the Citizens dropped points in six of them and conceded 12 goals in total, which shows how defensively weaker they are when he’s not in the team.
This shows why Onuoha has highlighted how significant the defender is for City and the impact he has on the players around him when he is on the pitch.
Moving forward, if the centre-half can play as often as possible throughout the upcoming campaign, he’ll surely give the club another great chance of getting their hands on some silverware again.
