Manchester City’s defensive leader shows why he should one day be City’s captain | OneFootball

With the international break now the focus of attention Manchester City’s players have the opportunity to rest and recover from an assortment of injuries and fatigue. The international break arguably came at the right time for Pep Guardiola’s squad. When domestic football returns, the world champions will be looking to end their four-game losing streak. Manchester City’s defensive leader, Ruben Dias, explained how the champions will turn their form around. In the process, his words showed why he should become Manchester City’s next captain.

In an interview outside the British Parliament’s House of Lords as part of an anti-bullying campaign, which was relayed by ESPN, Ruben Dias explained that Manchester City have faced spells like this before. He explained how Pep Guardiola’s squad usually get their way out of early season lapses. He explained: “Last season we had a tough period around the same time before Christmas … even the treble season. I think when we did the treble, we even called it [as a joke] the dark January. We had a tough period over then. Always what matters is how you bounce back from these moments, and that’s why our team has won so much because in moments of difficulty, the characters come up and we stay together. We don’t find people to kill. We find people to bring into the cause and fight together and that’s what we need to do once again.”

What Ruben Dias said next shows why he should be Manchester City’s next captain.

Manchester City’s defensive leader further explained that now isn’t the time for his team to sit back and marvel at their remarkable achievements. That time will come when the players retire. Dias added: “It’s our legacy at stake. Even though we’ve won so much, it’s very easy to choose to relax and just accept it. Accept the fact that we’ve done enough. But you’ve only done enough when you’re finished, and we’re all very aware of it, and we all want to keep pushing.”

What Ruben Dias said about Manchester City not resting on their laurels shows why he should be City’s next captain. Currently, Kyle Walker is Manchester City’s captain for this season. But it is clear from what Ruben Dias that he will only accept the best. Sitting back and marvelling at past accomplishments isn’t acceptable to Manchester City’s defensive leader.

Dias helps maintain Pep Guardiola’s high standards on the pitch. The City manager can only lay the template for his team to follow. Once on the pitch, it is up to Manchester City’s leaders and players to follow and execute that plan. The Portuguese international is a crucial component of that. Through his play and his leadership, Ruben Dias is an inspirational figure for his team. His presence has been missed while he’s been injured.

But based on his recent comments it is clear that Ruben Dias should be Manchester City’s next captain. It is clear from his words that City’s current losing run isn’t acceptable to Manchester City’s defensive leader. When he returns to the pitch there is no doubt that he will be doing all he can to overturn City’s fortunes. That is exactly what a captain would do and that is the role Ruben Dias seems destined to one day perform for Manchester City.