Photo: Hameltion / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Rico Lewis has welcomed the return of Enzo Maresca as Manchester City head coach, saying the Italian has already brought clarity and a clear playing identity to the squad.
Maresca previously worked at City as one of Pep Guardiola's assistants during the 2022/23 Treble-winning campaign, when Lewis was establishing himself in senior football for the first time.
"When he was with us in the Treble season, most of the time after sessions he would take me to do individual sessions which I really appreciated," Lewis said. "We had a good relationship but it wasn't too long because he was only there for that season. It's good to have him back."
Lewis, 21, has already made 116 appearances for City and contributed to nine major honours despite his age. Born in Radcliffe, he has been deployed at both full-back and in midfield under Guardiola, who frequently praised his movement in tight spaces, passing range and tenacity.
The young defender was one of only two players to complete the full 90 minutes in City's pre-season opener against Inter last Saturday, starting at full-back before moving into midfield in the second half.
"We've not spoken about the position I'll play yet but I played full-back and midfield the other day, so that gives me an idea of what he's thinking," Lewis said. "I will speak to him but I just want to play. That's the main thing for me, I just want to be playing football and helping the team."
Lewis credited a disciplined pre-season training programme for his ability to last the full game. "I didn't feel too bad after the game and I was surprised because I didn't think I'd be able to play 90 minutes," he said. "I worked hard and did some training in summer and I feel like that paid off."
City continue their pre-season tour of Asia with a fixture against a K League All-Stars side in Seoul on 5 August, followed by a meeting with Atletico Madrid on 9 August.