The remarkable numbers behind Ruben Dias' rise and rise at Man City
29.09.2022 - 08:45
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Even the most optimistic figure at Manchester City won't have predicted the impact Ruben Dias has had since joining the club.
Thursday marks two years to the day when City ended their long-term hunt for a new centre-back and signed Dias from Benfica, and he could make his 100th club appearance in Sunday's derby against Manchester United. While some players take a season or more to adapt to City's system, Dias stepped straight in and played a key role in the 2020/21 Premier League title success.
Dias has proven so important to City, he has featured in 99 of their 126 fixtures since he signed or 78 per cent of games. Of those, only five have come off the bench, meaning he's started 74 per cent of games since his debut at Leeds in 2020.
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Players normally get rotated in Pep Guardiola's system, but Dias's influence has seen him be the first choice centre-back for the best part of two seasons now. He has started key Premier League games in both of his full campaigns, as well as playing all but 20 minutes of City's run to the 2021 Champions League final. He helped City win the 2021 Carabao Cup, and has featured in FA Cup and Champions League semi-finals, too.
When fit, Dias is City's go-to defender to lead the back line, and was voted into the club's captaincy group after just a year at the club. He also earned a new contract after just one year, extending his deal to 2027 from 2026.
He has spoken of his high personal standards that he also expects of his teammates, with the tone set immediately after his debut at Elland Road where he told club media that a draw at Leeds was not good enough. City lacked a leader at the back after