Manchester City star embracing greater dressing room role after new contract | OneFootball

Manchester City defender Rico Lewis has shouldered greater responsibility at international level upon signing a new deal at the Etihad Stadium in August.

Lewis penned a long-term deal at the Etihad Stadium last month that will keep the England international at Manchester City till the end of the 2029-30 season, with an option to extend for another 12 months.

Since his emergence into the senior squad midway through Manchester City’s historic 2022-23 season, Lewis has been a fundamental part of the first-team and has drawn huge praise from Pep Guardiola for his versatility and maturity.

The 20-year-old’s rise was a pivotal factor in Joao Cancelo leaving City to join Bayern Munich on loan in the 2023 January transfer window, with Lewis establishing himself as a regular feature in the starting XI since the fall of 2022.

Lewis is one of many academy graduates entrusted by Guardiola in the senior squad this term as Manchester City navigate a period of transition on and off the pitch in the backdrop of a major revamp of the first-team squad.

After a worrying start to the 2025-26 season, the Blues have turned a corner and have avoided defeat since August to climb up to fifth place in the Premier League and make a strong start to their UEFA Champions League group-phase campaign.

Guardiola is leaning on his most trusted confidantes to help his new signings adapt to life at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City look to forego their underwhelming 2024-25 season and challenge on all fronts this time round.

Having penned a new long-term deal at his boyhood club in August, Lewis is now embracing the task of helping newcomers in the England U21 squad. Speaking whilst on international duty over the weekend, he said: “With Manchester City, I’m probably one of the younger ones, I listen to older players, use them as a guide.

“But when you come here (England U21), I have to put myself in a different pair of shoes and see there are players that look up to me.

“I’m more experienced in games and bigger games. So it’s nice and something I think will help me in future to flip into that role as I get older.”

Lewis is expected to feature for Manchester City in their return to Premier League action against Everton at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, with Jack Grealish set for an emotional return to his parent club three months on from joining Everton on a season-long loan.

Guardiola and officials at the Etihad Stadium will be delighted with tying down one of their best academy products to a long-term contract, with Nico O’Reilly also putting pen to paper a few weeks ago and committing his future to the Blues.