The brightest young English talent plays for Manchester City and it’s becoming an obvious fact | OneFootball

As Manchester City picked up their second win of the Premier League season with a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town there were several storylines to emerge from the game. Erling Haaland scored a hat trick to steal all of the headlines. Ilkay Gundogan made his return to the pitch for the champions and received a hero’s welcome. But another storyline is becoming obvious. Rico Lewis is the brightest young English talent in the game. That fact is obvious after the first two games of the 24/25 season.

Heading into Manchester City’s first two games of the season there was an opening at right-back for the world champions. Kyle Walker began his pre-season late after a busy summer with England. That allowed Rico Lewis to start at right-back for City’s first two games of the season. It’s an opportunity that Lewis has seized with both hands. In the process, he has shown that he is arguably the brightest young English talent in the game.

Rico Lewis has a maturity to his game that is well beyond his young age. He fully understands the concepts that Pep Guardiola is attempting to implement on the pitch. That is no easy feat for a more mature player let alone for a player that is only 19 years of age. But on top of that Lewis has the technical ability to more than belong on the pitch for Manchester City. Those two attributes combined mean that Lewis is arguably the brightest young English talent in the game.

Other players get the headlines that Rico Lewis is so deserving of. Players such as Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United are often regarded as one of England’s brightest young talents. But Rico Lewis is on a par with him if not a more rounded player. It isn’t a stretch to make that claim. The performances of Lewis since he burst onto the scene during the 22/23 season justify that status. The time will come when Lewis gets the plaudits his play and talent deserves. But at Manchester City he is already highly regarded and has come in for special praise from Pep Guardiola.

Speaking after his team’s win Guardiola was full of praise for the performance of Rico Lewis against Ipswich Town. Speaking with Bein Sports after City’s win he had this to say about the performance of Rico Lewis: “In the second half, with Gundogan, he knows perfectly the patterns and Rico [Lewis]… you know, he always has the ability to be alone. I don’t know how [he does it], but he is always alone, and we can always find him. He is an exceptional player. He is an exceptional player, offensively and defensively. He can play in different positions, he helps us to play.”

Rico Lewis is fast becoming the brightest young English talent in the game. If he continues his strong form from Manchester City’s first two games of the season it won’t be long before that fact is accepted by all. He is that good and it is apparent every time he steps onto the pitch for Manchester City.