'He strives for perfection - he wants us to do the same' - Lewis
- Published
Rico Lewis has credited Pep Guardiola's "values" for shaping him into the footballer he is today.
The 18-year-old has come through the Manchester City ranks to become a regular feature over the past 12 months, playing in various positions.
He received his first-call-up to the England squad on Monday and, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, reflected on his development so far.
"Most of the values Pep has brought in have been throughout the whole academy, so all my coaches have had a massive impact on forming who I am and the kind of player I am today," Lewis said.
"I’ve always been able to play in the middle in different positions. The majority of the time in the academy I was playing as a full-back and then last year especially it has progressed more into having this role as a full back and then coming inside.
"It is down to the manager's tactics and realising what can effect the opposition we come up against. I think especially now it has shifted to playing a lot higher up and I’ve just got to show I can play those positions and nail one down."
The City youngster has become accustomed to Guardiola's management style and added: "He's got a lot of pressure on his shoulders and I think he is such a perfectionist that he doesn't waste a second.
"Any detail he sees that needs to be improved upon or if he wants to give an idea or if something isn't good enough then he doesn't waste a second to let it happen. He tells you straight what needs to be changed. He strives for perfection and he wants us to do the same."
