Rico Lewis watched the European Championship final alone at home. His girlfriend was away in Spain and friends fancied a rowdier setting. Lewis was left with only his two maltipoos for company on the sofa, seeing if an England squad he almost made could squeeze over the line.
‘All my mates wanted to go to one of those places where they chuck beer when we score,’ the teenager said. ‘I just thought, “I’m not going.” I don’t think I can watch football for enjoyment anymore – with England or Manchester City, I’d always watch from a tactical point of view, where you see little things.’
That is why the chances of Lewis becoming a success at the highest level are considerable. The level of maturity, and the ease in understanding patterns and instructions, have set him apart from his peers. Pep Guardiola has afforded him a half-century of appearances already and Gareth Southgate gave the versatile youngster a first senior cap last season.
Guardiola won’t be around for ever though and Southgate’s already gone, with Lewis already studying how best he can impact club and country over the next decade. Coming through a right back, he is now looking further forward.
‘In my head I want to be more of a No 8,’ he said. ‘A bit more attacking. You have to make a decision about what kind of player you want to be. Maybe it’s an age thing wanting to be more involved in assisting and scoring. Games are mostly won and lost in midfield.’
Rico Lewis has revealed he envisions himself playing in a more attacking role as he continues to develop
The Manchester City star made 16 Premier League appearances last season as Pep Guardiola’s side retained their title
He will have seen England’s difficulties in the central area of the pitch, a disjointed midfield which couldn’t progress the ball quickly enough. Lewis isn’t the tallest or quickest but he can move possession as fast as anybody and it is noticeable how his intelligence always buys him a yard. There is a case to be made for the private tuition by Rodri, whom Lewis believes should win the Ballon d’Or, aiding that side of his game. ‘He takes you away and tells you what he sees – nine times out of 10 he’s right,’ Lewis added.
And he hasn’t plucked this midfield idea from thin air. Twelve months ago, on City’s pre-season tour of Asia, he ran a game against Bayern Munich as a high midfielder. Slightly deeper, he was superb at Crystal Palace alongside Rodri in a must-win game during the run-in.
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Rico Lewis insists England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley is the man to replace Gareth Southgate
One of his finest displays last term was while operating high alongside Phil Foden against RB Leipzig in the Champions League. The pair of them have discussed what City might look like in five or six years’ time when they are the elder statesmen. ‘Phil was saying how amazing it’ll be,’ he said. ‘It’s exciting to look forward to but we don’t want to be that old yet!’
Lewis’ next challenge is more games. His path followed Foden’s in a way, bursting to prominence initially and then being withdrawn a little more by Guardiola. He maintained that he learns as much sat on the sidelines than in games, analysing those picked ahead of him.
There are always a host of clubs across Europe asking City about a loan but the academy product is staying put and desperate to force a way in on a more consistent basis. That then has a bearing on England, with Adam Wharton taken to Germany ahead of him by virtue of games under his belt for Palace.
‘When you get a taste of England you just want more,’ Lewis said. ‘Seeing them do so well in the Euros, you want to be a part of it. It’s definitely a catalyst for me to do better and work even harder. I’ve got more than enough time to get to the point where I want to be in terms of being a leader or starting most of the games.’
The City academy graduate was rewarded for his performances with a first senior England cap in November
Lewis has also appeared regularly for England’s Young Lions, and backed Lee Carsley to step up and take the vacant senior job
Lewis is in a small group of English footballers who bounce between the Under 21s and seniors, which can’t be a particularly easy thing to navigate. He’s only actually made five Under-21 appearances under Lee Carsley but has seen enough to back the ex-Everton midfielder as a perfect replacement for Southgate.
‘He’s a great coach, especially with his man managing,’ Lewis said. ‘What he says, every time I go with them, is that he wants to play that exciting football.
‘Progressive football, where we score lots of goals while defending really well as a unit. In a way it’s similar to City – we want to have the ball and score as many goals as we can. That’ll be a big benefit if he does go up to the seniors.
‘Similar to Gareth when he took over, he’s going to be somebody that if he goes up to the first team then he’s used to that environment already. I think that will massively benefit him in terms of knowing the players.’
