MCCARTHY ON PUTSCHE; KANTE

◆ “He’s Austrian, that’s why he’s a highly professional footballer. In Austria, they grow up with the German way of thinking about the game. He is just a joy to have in the team. He puts his head down and gets the job done. He’s a good leader; he leads by example and he has a great work ethic. He can also score some crackers too.”

◆ At City, Thabo Nodada is nicknamed “Kante”, after France and Chelsea central midfielder N’Golo Kante. The moniker is a testament to the manner in which Nodada approaches his work: industrious, combative and competitive. In fact, such are his lung-busting performances in the heart of the City midfield, during last year’s MTN8 final Nodada covered an astonishing 15.6km during the match.