Ruben Dias could be the future of Manchester City if he continues to be as passionate and committed to personal development as he has been since he joined the Premier League club during the 2020 summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old Portuguese center-back joined Manchester City on September 29, 2020, from Benfica, for a transfer fee worth €68 million. Since he arrived at Manchester City, he has established himself as one of the most important players so far this season.
This season, Ruben Dias and John Stones have formed a strong partnership at the center of Manchester City’s defense. The Portuguese defender has played a total of 13 league games for City and has played a total of 22 games in all competitions for both Benfica and City in the 2020-2021 season.
Due to the amount of passion Ruben Dias has shown since he joined the Premier League side, the club’s coach Pep Guardiola has described him as an “incredible player”. The Spanish tactician said the club was lucky to get a player like Dias who might continue to be available for City for six to seven years.
The coach cited the amount of professionalism and consistency the defender put into his game which has made him outstanding. Guardiola noted that Ruben Dias does not play with his training routines and spends quality time at the gym to keep fit.
Ruben Dias who is seen as a replacement for the club’s former defender, Vincent Kompany, is believed to be one of the reasons Manchester City have conceded the fewest amount of goals (13) so far in the league.
“When you buy a player you think they will help the squad but you never really know how much. But his abilities and understanding of the game are incredible – he wants to learn and all of us are impressed with his body and mind”, Pep Guardiola said, ahead of City’s FA Cup game against Birmingham.
“He’s a guy who can play every three days and his recovery is immediate, when you have a player like that it is a sign of how important he is for a team.
“When you have a player who is injured every two or three weeks that is not good for the team or the club itself.
“At the age of 23, I can ensure you we have signed one incredible player for the next five, six, seven years which is not always easy to find so we are so fortunate and lucky and hopefully he will continue to develop.”
The combination of Ruben Dias and John Stones at the center of Manchester City’s defense has helped the club to win 8 league matches, drawn 5, and record just two defeats in 15 league games. The club is currently occupying the 5th spot despite having two games in hand.
Coach Pep Guardiola and his boys are expected to cruise through Championship side Birmingham at the Etihad on Sunday, January 10, at 14:30 during the club’s FA Cup third round game.
