Nedum Onuoha has lavished praise on to Nathan Ake after the sensational season he had for Manchester City.
Speaking on City’s official YouTube channel, the well-liked pundit reacted to the news about the £40 million (BBC Sport) extending his contract with the club until 2027.
Nedum Onuoha was buzzing about this development, as he lauded Nathan Ake and how influential he was to Manchester City last season.
Nedum Onuoha raves about Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake
Branded as ‘almost perfect’ by Jamie Carragher, the 28-year-old especially had a brilliant campaign due to how well he adapted his game in an unnatural position at left-back.
Joao Cancelo’s absence was simply not felt by Pep Guardiola, as the Dutchman’s elite 1v1 defending and crisp passing made him the perfect defensive full-back in his adapted setup.
As a result, all Nedum Onuoha could do is praise Nathan Ake.
“Last season, the turning point for me was the [Manchester] derby game, 6-3. He [Pep Guardiola] started with Ake and [Manuel] Akanji at centre-back. And on the bench, we had [Aymeric] Laporte and [Ruben] Dias, and that’s a big vote of confidence by Pep in what is such a big game for everyone associated with the football club.”
Nedum Onuoha went on to elaborate on the brilliance of Nathan Ake, saying, “And they were excellent in that game. And then from there, the season progressed and Ake, after [Joao] Cancelo left, people said, ‘the sky’s fallen, everything’s going wrong! They’re not going to be able to survive. But they were better in that second half of the season with him in there, to the point where when he went down injured at some point, people started to panic. ‘How will we replace Nathan Ake?’
Nedum Onuoha concluded his appreciation for Nathan Ake by saying, “Which is not something you thought would’ve been said, say two seasons prior. So, yeah, he’s been exceptional, he’s been so consistent, he’s been reliable, he’s chipped in with a few goals as well and yeah, he’s a big part of why City had their most historic season in their history.”
It’s safe to say that the treble-winner merits the plaudits.
