Cancelo now understands his true role at Blues

JOAO Cancelo says he is finally starting to reap the benefits of learning the role Pep Guardiola had in mind for him when he first joined City.

The Portuguese arrived in 2019, replacing Danilo who moved to Juventus. However, with Cancelo apparently the full-back chosen to offer cover on both sides of defence, his start to life with the Blues was tough.

It even got to the stage when Guardiola refused to assure the player he wouldn’t be sold in the

January transfer window last season, and he was regularly linked with swaps deals in the summer.

Towards the end of last season, he showed his qualities at left-back, ending the season ahead of Benjamin Mendy in that position, and he continued that form into this season. With City starting slowly, in part due to a lot of injuries and absences, Cancelo kept his place and in recent months has excelled in the inverted fullback role.

Now he says his current role is the one Guardiola had in mind when he signed, and only this season has everything come together.

“The mister had a lot of influence on my role now here at City,” Cancelo explained, reflecting on his difficult first season.

“And I was still not very convinced of that, because it’s much more difficult than doing what I used to do, which is playing on the right side, I was always very used from a very young age, and now it’s different because I often play with my back to the opposing goal and I think I’m a better player.

“I got here and thought I was going to come and would fit in soon. Because I believe a lot in myself and a lot in my talent, and I think that’s not being convinced, it’s believing in myself. And I came here with great players, like Kyle Walker, like Mendy, like Alex Zinchenko. And that’s it, I had to work more and more.”