Willy Caballero enjoying new life at Manchester City

Before Joe Hart became a useless player and was shipped to Italy by Pep Guardiola, Willy Caballero was almost forgotten at Manchester City. The Argentine goalkeeper was viewed as a poor backup in the position, and he didn't get any love from Sky Blue fans.

Fortunes changed a little bit for Willy when he became a hero at Wembley by saving three penalties in the decisive shootout and winning the League Cup against Liverpool, but he was still a backup even when Hart left and Claudio Bravo joined the club.

We all know that Bravo hasn't gotten off to the best of starts at City, so Caballero has taken over as the number one keeper in the last three matches, keeping two clean sheets in the process. Willy seems to be gaining the trust of everyone at City, including the fans, and this is something the Argentine has never experienced.

It's a new life, and Caballero is loving it.

"It's fantastic," he said in an interview with Sky Sports. "I started the season playing but when Claudio arrived I thought he was going to be No 1. He played a lot good games. Before the game with West Ham I had a meeting with the manager and he told me he put me in the starting XI."

Caballero hasn't been out of the starting lineup since, which clearly shows that Pep Guardiola is satisfied with Willy's work as a keeper. To be a Guardiola keeper you need to be good with your feet and play out from the back, which was not something Willy was known for. He's still adapting to the job, but he's enjoying the challenge.

"When I started playing as a kid the center-back would pass to me and I couldn't catch it. Now we are in a constant state of evolution; we have to catch crosses, play well with feet and try to build our situation. That is fantastic.

"It's both exciting and scary, I feel my heart and skin when I receive a ball. Of course I'm excited and scared but those emotions make me feel alive."

Source: Sky Sports

Caballero will most likely be the starting goalkeeper again when City play on Monday night against AFC Bournemouth away from home, and he'll hope to continue his run of games as number one and enjoy his new life at the club.