'I gave myself until 18 to make it' - Man City's Lewis

Meeting Rico Lewis, nan first point that strikes you is conscionable really normal and down to world he is. This is simply a young man who won nan Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble pinch Manchester City earlier he turned 19.

Some players spell their full careers without experiencing anyplace adjacent that level of occurrence truthful to do it aged 18, successful your first afloat play pinch nan first team, yet clasp a consciousness of position and humility speaks volumes.

To understand wherever this Bury teenager's qualities travel from, you person to spell backmost to wherever his sporting travel began.

Lewis' begetter Rick is simply a two-time Muay Thai (Thai boxing) champion. He established nan Phoenix Muay Thai Gym successful Bury backmost successful 2001 and from arsenic early arsenic 2 years aged Rico would beryllium a acquainted show for those training nether Rick’s supervision.

Martial arts tin thief create confidence, footwork, co-ordination and equilibrium - each adjuvant attributes for immoderate aspiring footballer - but Lewis says nan astir captious traits developed astatine nan gym were self-discipline and humility.

"I deliberation nan main 1 is conscionable being humble. From watching boxing and watching fights you cognize there's truthful galore times that there's a cocky boxer that does get humbled," Lewis said.

"I deliberation that's thing you tin return into life. You've sewage thing until you don't have. You cognize successful a 2nd it tin beryllium taken distant from you."

Despite being a prodigiously talented fighter, who idolised Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather Jr, pinch nan imaginable to travel successful his father’s footsteps, Lewis chose to pursuit his shot dream, joining City's academy astir nan property of eight.

That way into master football, particularly astatine nan very elite Premier League clubs, is good documented for its difficulty.

For City academy prospects, nan roadworthy to nan first squad is 1 wherever only nan astir talented and dedicated succeed.

But moreover they tin person doubts.

"Before I signed my scholarship, I was talking to my dada successful nan car connected nan measurement and, evidently it sounds stupid now, but I was saying to him if by nan clip I'm 18 if I'm not training pinch nan first squad past I'll beryllium looking astatine different options," Lewis said.

City's pre-season circuit of nan United States earlier nan 2022-23 run brought his breakthrough - wherever he sewage his chance to play alongside established starssuch arsenic Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker.

"You've almost sewage to enactment arsenic if it's conscionable a normal point but astatine nan clip it's benignant of crazy to effort and familiarise yourself pinch these players," he said.

"I deliberation it's thing that you conscionable person to benignant of return successful your stride and if you're meant to beryllium successful that environment, you will do."

Fortunately, he had a team-mate successful Phil Foden who had already made nan aforesaid travel from section academy starlet to first-team regular.

“He's knowledgeable it each earlier maine and he's nan champion subordinate that's travel retired of nan academy to spell into nan first squad truthful there's not really anyone other I should beryllium listening to much successful position of integrating into nan first team," said Lewis.

Already approaching 50 appearances for Manchester City, Lewis is pursuing successful Foden's footsteps. He doesn't yet consciousness "established", but says his "most comfortable" position astatine nan infinitesimal is arsenic an inverted full-back moving into midfield.

Lewis says nan attacking midfielder domiciled is "in my ain head, successful my ain world, wherever I want to beryllium playing for nan mostly of my career", adding: "This is nan cleanable spot to effort it, because we person truthful overmuch of nan shot and truthful galore games we’re successful control."

Lewis knows precisely nan demands that travel from being successful Pep Guardiola's side.

"It's decidedly intense. It's astir apt 10 times much aggravated than you deliberation coming from nan outside," Lewis said.

"That strength doesn't travel from nowhere. He's truthful difficult working, he's truthful obsessed pinch winning and that's a in installments to his characteristic because he's won truthful overmuch everyplace he's been.

"It's portion of being astatine Man City. Two Premier Leagues successful a statement wasn't enough, 3 isn't enough, 4 won't beryllium enough, adjacent play he will beryllium wanting moreover more."

Before thoughts move to adjacent season, City person to spot disconnected nan threat of a hugely awesome Arsenal side. The Gunners apical nan array but Lewis and institution person games successful manus and nan acquisition that comes pinch winning titles.

"They're showing really dedicated they are arsenic good to effort and return nan crown disconnected america but if thing that's fixed america much of a logic to not fto them," he said.

"With nan acquisition nan team's sewage successful these past stages of nan play and nan value of players that we've got, I deliberation there's nary logic why we can’t."

“Rico arsenic a kid was amazing," his begetter Rick told BBC Sport. "Very talented. We knew from nan commencement that he was going to beryllium something. Everything he did, he excelled at.

“He’s shown that a section lad tin spell from conscionable being normal to being a superstar. He inspires truthful galore people. He inspires maine each nan time.”

“I deliberation we thief him enactment grounded because we speak to him arsenic conscionable Rico, not arsenic Rico Lewis nan Manchester City star. He still does his day-to-day stuff. He still rings us, he's still our child."