FLUSHED I’M WITH SUCCESS

Mendy lifts the, er, lid on his special relationship with City fans: I go to the toilet just like them!

BENJAMIN MENDY is delighted to be back and able to join Manchester City’s title party with the fans.

Mendy returned from seven months out with a ruptured cruciate ligament in the 5-0 thrashing of Swansea and joined them on the Etihad pitch as they celebrated after the game on Sunday.

The France defender, who won the Ligue 1 title with Monaco last season, is hugely popular with the fans because of his antics on social media and he loved sharing the special moment with them. “All the time I am laughing with the fans on social media,” he said. “I am the same as the fans. I go to the toilet and everything, so I am the same! The atmosphere has been amazing. I was waiting to come back onto the pitch. “I have never had a welcome like that, it was the best in the world,” said Mendy, who won a lot of likes from fans earlier this season with his “Bullet header” tweet after Brighton’s Lewis Dunk nodded an own goal for City (below).

“It was amazing to be back. I knew with this injury we had to wait and work, but seven months on I am strong.”

Mendy managed just five appearances following his £52million summer switch before he was crocked in September, but says he is not disappointed he has missed so much of City’s brilliant campaign. “I have never been sad,” said the left-back, who can look forward to the World Cup finals. “We have been very strong, and all the time I have been happy.”

d.anderson@trinitymirror.com