Liam Delap reacts to ‘great’ message from Man City star Rico Lewis
Ipswich star Liam Delap has reacted to a message from Man City defender Rico Lewis on social media.
The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout season last year for City, but has often been left out of key clashes this season, including in the Champions League match against Club Brugge when Pep Guardiola favoured Matheus Nunes at the right-back position.
A lack of regular playing time led to speculation Lewis was looking to leave the Etihad in January, but no move materialised.
The City academy graduate is now looking to prove himself to Guardiola and his performances for England’s U21 side will certainly have caught his club manager’s eye.
Rico Lewis impresses on international duty with England U21
Despite having made five senior appearances for England‘s national side, Lewis was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s first squad as manager of the Three Lions.
Instead, the City defender joined up with Lee Carsley’s U21 side, starting in the 5-3 loss to France and appearing off the bench in the 4-2 win over Portugal.
In spite of his team conceding five against France, Lewis was effective in shutting down French right-winger Maghnes Akliouche.
Following the win over Portugal, the young right-back posted a series of images on Instagram, captioned: “Great time away with the boys”.
Newcastle target Liam Delap, a former teammate of Lewis’ in City’s academy, liked the post, showing support for the 20-year-old.
Rico Lewis at a crossroads in Man City career under Pep Guardiola
Football Insider Verdict
Following his promotion to the senior side in the 2022/23 season, much was expected of the youngster.
His ability to seamlessly transition from fullback to central-midfield as his side attacked, before returning to defence in a moments notice if the ball was lost, made Lewis a valuable player to City.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Lewis |
| Appearances | 23 |
| Starts | 19 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Minutes | 1,701 |
Guardiola has enjoyed using midfielders in wide defensive positions for their ball retention abilities and Lewis seemed to be a hybrid between the two.
However, after a successful campaign in the 2023/24 season, the academy graduate has started less frequently under the Spaniard, especially in important European fixtures, even after the departure of Kyle Walker to AC Milan.
Lewis appears to now be faced with proposition of convincing Guardiola he can be trusted to be the successor City’s former captain, or move on in search of more regular first-team football.