Manchester City centre-back Manuel Akanji has admitted that he has taken some inspiration from club legend Vincent Kompany in his career to date.
Akanji arrived at the Etihad Stadium from Borussia Dortmund in the summer transfer window, with the 27-year-old having made 12 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side so far this season. The defender has impressed for the Blues and has also been utilised as a right-back at times in the absence of Kyle Walker.
With Aymeric Laporte having suffered from injury troubles this term, Akanji has partnered both John Stones and Ruben Dias on several occasions at the heart of defence. The defender, who has made eight Premier League starts, will line-up against City teammate Dias when Switzerland face off against Portugal in the Round of 16 at the World Cup.
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Akanji has quickly become a fan-favourite at the Etihad, with supporters praising him for his strong start to life in Manchester. The Switzerland international recently took part in a Q and A with fans, where he was asked a variety of questions on a number of different topics.
Asked if club legend Kompany was an inspiration for him, Akanji replied: "I watched Vincent Kompany play a lot when he was at Manchester City, he was one of the best defenders around at the time, maybe even the best defender in the world in his prime.
"He was really good and I have tried to do some stuff like he did when he was here. I watch a lot of football and there's not really one player that I really see as a role model, I look at a lot of games and I see players, things, what they do and I try to do it sometimes, but other times I think I can do it in a little bit of a better way."
Kompany won four Premier League titles, two FA Cup titles and four EFL Cups during his time at City, with the Belgian making over 350 appearances for the Blues.
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