Manchester City got back to winning ways in the Champions League on Wednesday night, beating RB Leipzig 3-1 with two late winners and while praise will obviously be heaped on the goalscorers, manager Pep Guardiola focused more on one man in his post-match press conference: Rico Lewis.
Lewis is still only 18 years old but is already starting to become a more regular first-team player for Pep at fullback and after assisting another lad in Phil Foden for the opener against the German side, his coach had nothing but glowing words for his performance.
Answering media questions after the hard-fought victory, when asked about the Bury-born defender’s display, Guardiola simply began “What a player, what a player. 18 years old.
“I have been a manager for 14, 15 years, training unbelievable players. To find a player like him playing in the pockets, how he has to move in holding midfield, full-back coming inside moving in the spaces – he is one of the best I ever trained by far.”
"He didn't play much but he's going to play a lot"
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola hailed Rico Lewis as one of the best young players he's ever coached, after their 3-1 win at Leipzig.#ManCity#MCFC#bbcfootball
Pep says Rico Lewis is up there with the best has ever trained.
“He is a humble guy, doesn’t talk much”, added Pep but insisted that he “has the appreciation of all his mates.”
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“He didn’t play much this season [still managed six appearances in less than a dozen games into the season]… last season he was a key point and helped us understand what we should do in our build-up. Today was proof again… he hasn’t played as much [yet] but he is going to play a lot.”
The Catalan coach went on to say that “his composure from day one is always surprising” detailing how assistant coach Carlos Vicens suggested bringing him because he can play on either flank.
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“Then he played against Bayern Munich at right-back and I thought this guy is good!”, continued the 52-year-old, explaining how Lewis then began training with the first team and suddenly realised, “Oh, this guy is good!”. Speaking to a TNT Sport reporter after full-time on, he had a similarly amazing reaction:
"Everyone was perfect!" 👌
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was in a great mood after securing all three points at RB Leipzig… with some hilarious praise for Rico Lewis 😅#UCL | @archiert1pic.twitter.com/v8EI5rjwWM
While he may have joked that the academy product might not be the most physical of players when it comes to his stature just yet, he reiterated that he is an “amazing, outstanding player” and to stumble across a player that moves so well in the middle whilst still be so good at defending is “difficult to find”.
Adding that he can also “play in four or five different positions” and is “not scared” on the pitch, he summed things up by saying the youngster pretty much “has everything”. High praise indeed.
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Although the City boss himself held his hands up for possibly overexaggerating in his similarly hyping up new signing Matheus Nunes’ ability last month, Pep insisted that Lewis “deserves all the praise from ourselves and the media”.
You can watch the highlights of City’s 3-1 win over RB Leipzig below:
Featured Image — Manchester City/Rico Lewis (via Instagram)
Sport
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
The Hundred is calling for up-and-coming presenters to co-host this year’s tournament
Danny Jones
The Hundred 2025 is fast approaching and cricket’s fastest-growing tournament is once again asking for aspiring presenters to join their roster of co-hosts and help cover the action.
The fast-paced 100-ball format is entering its fifth year and next to T20, you find a more accessible and thrilling form of cricket, so it’s no wonder the competition is gaining a greater audience each year.
With that in mind, the need for a top-notch broadcast team is more crucial than ever but just like those who backed The Hundred in its infancy, they’re looking to invest in future creatives and on-screen talent.
Are you someone looking to get into presenting or know someone who is? Keep reading.
For the fifth year in a row, we want you to be part of #TheHundredRising! 🎤
So how does it work? Well, it’s pretty straightforward: The Hundred is looking for eight up-and-coming presenters to join their team of main venue hosts up and down the country.
Tasked with guiding and talking fans through an action-packed five weeks across all host cities, successful applicants will be responsible for building excitement and atmosphere inside the seven cricket grounds on each match day.
From player and pundit interviews to crowd engagement and interactive other activations with partnered brands, not to mention members of this year’s live music lineup, you’ll be a key part of putting out the top-quality sports and entertainment product they promise every year.
The best part of all is that no prior hosting experience is necessary – this is all about platforming you and The Hundred as a whole.
Successful applicants will be mentored by the main hosts at their respective venues and will attend a two-day workshop with special guests to get them ready to hit the stage this summer.
The ‘Rising Hosts’ scheme has been set up in tandem with their dedicated event production agency, Progress Productions, which will be in charge throughout the application and selection process.
Shortlisted applicants will then have their details shared with the ECB (English Cricket Board) who will be involved when it comes to making their final decisions.
It goes without saying that even if you just love sports or just want to find a way into the industry, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Danny Jones -
5th October 2023 
