Rico Lewis must naturally be a role-model for several of the young players in Manchester City’s academy.
Ever since breaking through into the first-team at City, Rico Lewis has not looked back.
The Englishman has managed to establish himself as an integral player in Manchester City’s senior team while having the treble followed by another Premier League title last season.
Lewis was grateful towards Pep Guardiola as he is starting regularly for City this season.
Considering the Bury-born defender is still just 19 goes to show how remarkable a career he has had at such a young age.
Pep Guardiola was left speechless by Lewis’ displays this season after he played a starring role in Manchester City’s 4-0 win against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League.
- READ MORE: Who is Rico Lewis? The Man City prodigy who is one of the best Pep Guardiola has ever trained
Rico Lewis reveals doing Muay Thai growing up helped his footballing rise
The youngster’s continued starts suggest that he will continue to play a crucial role for City this campaign.
| RICO LEWIS FOR MAN CITY THIS SEASON | |
| COMPETITION | STARTS |
| PREMIER LEAGUE | 8 |
| CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | 4 |
| CARABAO CUP | 2 |
Only against Arsenal and Bournemouth in the league this season has the highly-rated right-back failed to start for his boyhood club.
Lewis told England Football’s official website that doing Muay Thai from a young age played a key role in his footballing career.
The teenager revealed: “But it was another part of life in the gym that has been a big help in my football career. I was doing Muay Thai a lot when I was growing up and I think that helped me with my agility and my balance, which is really important to the way I play.”
“I love sports in general but I used to combine the two all the time until I had to pick football when I was about nine or 10.”
Lewis went on to reveal that it is due to doing Muay Thai that he developed a mental toughness that helped him be able to handle the physicality of senior football.
“I’m smaller than most players around me and I think doing the Muay Thai helped me develop a mentality where I knew I could hold my own. I’m fouled a lot and sometimes I’m targeted because I’m smaller but in my head, I take it as a compliment, which might be due to the discipline I’ve learned. I don’t react to things in negative ways.”
“It’s still something I enjoy doing now. I think it’s even more disciplined than football and you can also take the same values into football. You train as if you’re playing a game. I’m lucky I was in the gym as a young kid and I was always there while my dad was teaching it.”
Lewis’ father was famously a two-time British Muay Thai champion and even runs his own gym in Whitefield in Bury, Manchester.
Pep Guardiola said Lewis can play in “all positions” on the pitch
Earlier this season, Pep Guardiola revealed that the Manchester City academt graduate is well and truly capable of playing in every position on the pitch.
Guardiola said via Manchester City’s official website: “I see sometimes when players are asked, they say ‘yeah I’m a holding midfielder’ or ‘I am a winger’, Rico can play football and you put him in a position, and he knows exactly what he has to do.”
Coming from the Catalan tactician, such a claim is perhaps the ultimate compliment for a player like Lewis who can play as a right-back as well as in midfield.
Aside from his footballing intelligence, the way that the decorated wonderkid is able to compete against some of the strongest players in Europe and remain unfazed is an impressive trait about his mentality.
Having done Muay Thai since he was a child is a key reason behind Lewis’ grit and bravery on the pitch.
Pep Guardiola must particularly admire the Manchester City defender’s tough mentality.
