Ruben Dias: “I’m really happy to be here and to have the opportunity to play in this competition for a team like City.”

Ruben Dias has offically arrived with Manchester City. He has hit the ground running providing solid defense and even leadership in the backline. It’s been great to see. So, let’s see what he had to say prior to the first game of a new Champions League campaign for him and City.

‘I’m really happy to be here and to have the opportunity to play in this competition for a team like City. It was obviously also one of the reasons I came here, because of the club, the way they play and the way they play to win, especially in this competition.’

‘Obviously, City are in a big group of top teams who can win. Some are close, some are a little bit further away but every year it starts from zero. It’s a new year, new players in the team.’

‘We will make the reset. All the things we have done well up to know, we will try to keep getting better and better.’

‘I have not been here for a long time, but every day’s a new opportunity. We haven’t been having much time for training. It is more play, train, rest, play again. Of course, you can start to feel the influence of the manager and of the players. It has been good.’

‘The one thing I would say is my mentality is to be as complete as I can be in every part of the game. I have been doing my best since now. I will keep doing it. Obviously it is a big part of the deal to have good people around you to learn and to learn the right way.’

‘The team received me very well. On the matter of leadership, I have always considered in a team that every single player needs to be a leader of himself. There is a leader of the team but first of all you need to be a leader of yourself.’

‘I have worked my entire life to be a leader of myself, to discipline myself, to work to where I want to be. Everything else comes naturally with my personality. I will keep working the way I am. The rest will come naturally.’

‘Pep is a friend now. Last season we were unfortunate. That’s part of football. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. That’s why it will be just another game.’

‘You definitely feel the different context - the competitiveness of the league, the huge quality of the squad. Unfortunately, COVID doesn’t allow you to feel the atmosphere of the stadium, but undoubtedly you do feel the difference.’

‘I haven’t seen any rivalry between myself and Porto. They are a strong team. They know what they need to do on the pitch, they are very good at dead balls. We know we have a difficult game ahead of us and we need to be strong in our game to get the win.’

Very refreshing to hear some unbridled confidence. Dias is a player Man CIty have needed since Vincent Kompany left and he has fit the bill all the way.