Playing full-back has always been fun for Rico Lewis.
A position that used to be one of the most fashionable in the XI was already undergoing its popularity makeover when he joined the Manchester City academy at Under-9s level, with Dani Alves leading the charge to show how exciting the role can be on a global stage and, closer to home, Pablo Zabaleta taking over from Micah Richards bombing down the flank.
After drawing the best out of Alves at Barcelona and Philipp Lahm and David Alaba at Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola has made the Etihad a go-to destination for world-class full-backs. Many scoffed at the £50m paid for Kyle Walker in 2017 but City were laughing at the end of the season when they had won the Premier League with 100 points, and Joao Cancelo has proven to be a perfect complement for Walker over the last two seasons.
