Manchester City have and have had some top-class defenders in their squad.
One defender aiming to potentially breakthrough into Pep Guardiola’s first team this season is Luke Mbete.
After spending last season on loan at Dutch club FC Den Bosch, the 20-year-old is currently in the middle of City’s pre-season tour of America ahead of the new campaign.
Now though, having worked his way through the Manchester club’s academy, Mbete has shed some light on what other players at the Etihad Stadium have told him about how to improve his game, with one fellow defender getting a special mention.
Luke Mbete says Ruben Dias has helped him a lot at Man City
When asked in a recent interview with the Daily Mail which players at City have helped him develop his game and guided him the most, Mbete said this in response.
He said: “Ruben Dias is someone who has offered me a lot of advice. But, not just him, all the players have.
“I think the key thing they always say to me is [to] remember the basics. It’s the basics that will win or lose you a game.
“They also remind me to be humble and just be willing to work hard. Be willing to do the extra work that others won’t be doing.
“They’ve helped me massively. Not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well.”
Dias has been a top signing for City
Back in the 2020 summer transfer window, City shelled out £65m to sign Dias from Benfica.
Since then, the 27-year-old has made 178 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, playing a key role in their recent successes on the domestic and European stages.
In his previous Premier League season, the Portuguese international ended the campaign with more clearances (77) and interceptions (30) than any other player in the City squad.
He even got through the whole league campaign without making an error that led to an opponent having a shot at City’s goal, which shows why Bernardo Silva highlighted how reliable he is on the pitch back in May.
This shows how much of a top defender he is and why he has the credentials to give some useful guidance to a young centre-back like Mbete.
