Often at clubs that are succesful, there are some players who rarely get spoken about who are still every bit as important as the others – and this is no different at Manchester City.
Manchester City have been a dominant force in English football for a while now.
The club have won four straight Premier League titles, and finally ended their wait for a Champions League trophy in 2023.
Under Pep Guardiola, City have been incredible.
But the manager has been extremely well supported by his superiors, who have brought some wonderful talents to the football club during his tenure.
A lot of cash has been splashed, of course.
But on this day five years ago, City made a signing who cost nothing in terms of a fee, and has turned out to be a vital part of the dressing room, despite him rarely playing.
Man City signing Scott Carson was a masterstroke
Scott Carson is the envy of many a football fan.
The 38-year-old is City’s third-choice goalkeeper at the Etihad Stadium behind Ederson and Stefan Ortega, and has only made two competitive appearances for City since he first signed for the club.
Carson came in from Derby County on loan initially, and turned his loan move permanent in the summer of 2021.
Despite only ever playing twice for City, it is safe to say that Carson has been a wonderful addition
You need only look at what other players at City have said about him during his time at the club, to know that he has been absolutely crucial to all the recent success.
As much as it is about getting things right on the pitch, successful clubs are successful in part because they create the right culture. Carson is a big personality. He is a character, and someone all the players love and respect. There is a fantastic team spirit at City and Carson is central to that team cohesion.
Ederson said of Carson in an interview with Four Four Two last year: “Scott is the most loved player in our squad and probably the one who spreads the most joy in our dressing room.”
His importance is not lost on Guardiola either, who has said (via MEN): “When he talks everybody listens. We have him in the locker room and with the staff. You cannot believe the impact, we are very pleased to have him.”
And Carson isn’t just good vibes, he’s also someone who can help others see perspective. Just today, quotes were published from Ortega, who revealed that the veteran helped him decide to stay at City, because ‘the grass isn’t always greener’.
Every dressing room needs a Carson
Carson may not be a superstar player in his prime.
He is quite obviously at the end of his career, and earns a relatively modest £30,000 per week at City, which makes him one of the lowest-paid players in the first-team.
But he is every bit as important as the others. He is a cult hero at the Etihad, a little bit like former defender Glauber, who only ever played six minutes for City but was still hugely popular with the fans.
Every dressing room needs a Scott Carson. His role is to, first and foremost, help to push Ederson and Ortega to be the best they can possibly be. He is then tasked with essentially being the hype man in the dressing room.
But he is a key individual, and his contributions – while not necessarily obvious to fans – have been paramount to City’s recent success.
