Manchester City had a lot of players feature in the recent 2024 European Championship.
Specifically, 14 members from Pep Guardiola’s squad were picked to represent their countries in the tournament, which is more than any other Premier League side had.
Now though, one player who waved goodbye to the Etihad Stadium in recent memory after a successful spell with City has found himself being praised for his performances in the recent international competition.
Phil Thompson impressed by Aymeric Laporte after Spain’s Euro 2024 victory
Speaking in a recent video shared on the talkSPORT YouTube channel, Phil Thompson had this to say about Aymeric Laporte and his efforts for Spain throughout the Euros.
He said: “Laporte as well. I am looking at him at centre-back and I am thinking, nah, he used to be good, but now all these players [such as Marc Cucurella] absolutely surprised me.”
Laporte showed his class in the Euros
During his time at City, the defender made 180 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with 12 goals, four assists and winning numerous trophies in the process.
The 30-year-old, who shared a post with himself and Rodri after the final in Berlin, brought an end to his time at the Manchester club in the previous summer transfer window when he joined Al Nassr.
At the Euros, Laporte featured in six of Spain’s seven matches, leaving only two outfield players with more minutes than him in the squad.
In addition to making more passes into the final third of the pitch than any other Spanish player, the centre-back made more clearances (27), showing how useful he can be on and off the ball.
This shows how vital the former City star was for his country in their latest international victory and why Thompson was so impressed by what he saw from him.
