Rico Lewis has revealed Pep Guardiola ‘would have a bit of a go’ at him if he played at left-back for Manchester City as he did in England’s win over Finland.
The 19-year-old again demonstrated his versatility as he made just his second Three Lions appearance after being given the nod to start at full-back by interim manager Lee Carsley.
Lewis impressed as he often drifted into midfield when England went on the attack and during one move showed his passing prowess by switching play to Trent Alexander-Arnold on the opposite wing.
At City, Lewis has played more minutes as a teenager under Guardiola than any other youngster in the Spaniard’s elite managerial career and Lewis has warned he won’t be given the same positional freedom when he returns to Premier League action.
The talented teen is often called on by Guardiola either in midfield or as an emergency left-back where he is largely tasked with playing a more defensive role than what England fans witnessed at Wembley.
Rico Lewis made just his second senior England appearance in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Finland
Lewis was deployed at full-back and was given licence to roam against Finland at Wembley
Lewis has now revealed what City boss Pep Guardiola (right) would likely say about his England role
Lewis played the entirety of England’s convincing UEFA Nations League victory over Finland and explained how Guardiola likes his stars to play with more control in opposition to the Three Lions.Â
‘No, I think Pep would have a bit of a go at me if I did that, because he obviously wants to be so controlled,’ said Lewis.Â
‘It was just in the moment. You can always trust your teammates on the other side to deal with it if something happens.’Â
Meanwhile, Lewis’ rise through the England ranks has been carefully aided by Carsley who the City academy graduate starred under in the U21 youth side before being promoted into the senior squad.
Carsley is currently fulfilling the role of England head coach on a temporary basis while the FA continue to assess candidates who will act as Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor.
Lewis was trusted to start against Finland by interim England boss Lee Carsley (right)
However, England’s dominant wins over both Ireland and Finland have further backed Carsley’s claim to take the role on full-time and Lewis has been full of praise for the stand-in coach.
‘He [Carsley] wants us to be as good as we can. He does his best to get the best out of all of us.Â
‘It’s a lot of freedom, but it’s not just freedom — there’s a lot of structure to it as well.Â
‘We’ve got the balance right, and everyone is enjoying their football,’ he added.