The son of a Thai boxing champion, Manchester City’s new wonderkid Rico Lewis packs a punch

Rico Lewis was right back to work on Thursday morning, with his head in the books as part of Manchester City’s education program for their scholars.

He could be forgiven for looking out the classroom window because life had changed a few hours earlier. Not only a first professional start – in the Champions League no less – but also a first senior goal. A prolonged standing ovation on replacement, lavish praise from Pep Guardiola. There have been worse nights.

For those around City’s academy, this stretch – even at just 17 – is no real surprise. He has captained teams throughout his journey, starting with choosing City over Bolton Wanderers at the Under-9 level after striking out with Prestwich Pythons near home in Radcliffe.

Rico Lewis scored his first goal for Manchester City on Wednesday in his debut against Sevilla

So perhaps Lewis should be expected to look completely like the City – he’s learned the nuances of what Guardiola expects since the Catalan took over in 2016, taking them all in maturely. Lewis now moves like a clone of Guardiola, shifting into central midfield exactly when needed and effortlessly recycling possession.

It’s no wonder Bayern Munich have been watching closely, or other Bundesliga clubs were already interested in a January loan deal before his appearance against Sevilla.

City will start to talk about a new contract in the coming months and Guardiola, who hadn’t seen him play before the summer tour of America, is already talking about impressive reliability.

‘He’s versatile. He suits Pep and the academy also let him play as a winger or midfielder,” said a source at City. “Honestly, this is said about a lot of young people, but this boy really wants to be a player. He has that mentality.’

Lewis has learned the nuances of what Guardiola expects since the Catalan took over

Kevin De Bruyne noticed this in 2019. The Belgian finances an Under-15 tournament to his name in Drongen every summer and saw a small defender in City blue three years ago.

Lewis had missed a penalty in a game against Club Brugge before standing up to convert in the ensuing shootout.

De Bruyne later approvingly pulled a city worker aside and said, “Look at his character.”

It was partly built at the Phoenix Muay Thai gym in Whitefield, owned by his father Rick Lewis, a two-time British Thai boxing champion.

The defender spent a lot of time in that environment and his loved ones believe his agility and low center of gravity can be traced back to his boxing background. The same can be said of his sister, Sacha, a winger who just signed to the City Academy.

Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne noticed Lewis’ quality during a tournament in 2019

People around the club talk about a grounded family. His mother, Steph, accompanied Lewis to tournaments abroad and remains a respected parent on the training ground among relatives of other players. Rick was recently invited to lecture to parents under 9 on managing their children’s expectations and the support needed to guide them through the academy system.

“My father didn’t force me into things, but pushed me in (certain) directions to get myself there,” Lewis said.

“He showed me a lot of clips of Muhammad Ali. He showed me his story and I learned a lot from him.’

Lewis may seem small, quick in tight spaces, but he’s also deceptively strong, hitting the pads with Rick to work on extra toughness from a young age. It has been noted with City’s first team that despite his size, Lewis can more than hold his own in challenges. He has no qualms about going through someone in a tackle.

Lewis is now a mainstay in first team sessions and no longer plays for the Under 23s

“Defensively, he’s aggressive enough. He will make mistakes, he has a lot of margin to improve, but he is so good,” said Guardiola.

“He proves every day that he can be with us. Sometimes you think you have to buy, but we have someone who is a backup for Kyle (Walker) and Joao (Cancelo) that we can rely on. It’s a dream come true and good for the economy.’

The transition to Guardiola’s group – Lewis is now a mainstay in sessions, in the team picture and no longer playing for the Under 23s – has been seamless. Phil Foden has provided significant guidance and support, with the pair sitting side by side in the locker room and on the team coach.

Foden knows the importance of a senior player’s help during the first few months with the superstars. It is premature to suggest that another may have arrived, but Lewis has made a strong start.