Pundit and former Manchester City player Michael Brown has shared how impressed he’s been with Rico Lewis’ first-team performances.
The 18-year-old made a name for himself in the senior City side last season and even scored his first goal for the first team in their 3-1 win over Sevilla in the group stage of the Champions League at the Etihad Stadium.
Now though, with the Citizens now knowing their group for the upcoming European tournament, which they ended up winning for the first time last season, one pundit has shared his thoughts on the youngster and his emergence in the City team.
Brown praises Lewis
Speaking in a recent live stream on the club’s official YouTube channel ahead of Thursday’s Champions League group draw, Brown had this to say about Lewis and his efforts in the senior team.
He said: “I just can’t believe how calm and cultured he’s been since he’s got in the team. So mature in big games and continues in different positions, he’s been a credit, hasn’t he? Not just for what he’s done but the way he’s handled it as well.”
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Last season saw the right-back make 23 senior appearances for the Manchester club in all competitions, starting 16 of them.
As Brown mentioned, the youngster ended up featuring in a variety of different defensive and midfield positions, showcasing his versatility and intelligence.
In fact, after seeing Lewis’ performance in City’s 2-1 win over Bayern Munich during their pre-season tour of Asia, Guardiola described the Englishman as an “intelligent” and “reliable” player.
With all of that in mind, it’s no surprise that the club offered the defender a significant long-term contract last month, which he signed to keep him at the Etihad until 2028.
Moving forward, it’ll be interesting to see what this season will hold for the youngster and how his game will develop under Guardiola.