Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Fabian Delph after the 29-year-old slotted seamlessly into the side for their win over West Ham on Saturday.
Stepping in at left back in place of Benjamin Mendy for his first Premier League start since September, Delph was calmness personified as he helped City record their 8th clean sheet of the season in a thumping 4-0 victory.
With Mendy ruled out for three months after undergoing knee surgery, City fans will be seeing a lot more of Delph over the busy festive period, but his consistency means that Guardiola is not concerned.
"The reason he can do all these things and play in different positions is because he is a nice guy," said the City boss, quoted by the Express.
"You cannot be the England captain and help the team if you are not a good guy. Fabian is an important player for us. Last season he helped us by playing in that position when Mendy was injured, and he did well.
"It is not easy when you play in different positions but he has. There is always room for the team to improve, but Fabian is always a banker for us – and the other players know it."
As Guardiola alluded to, Delph captained England in a friendly against the United States during the last international break, the first time he has done so.
City have conceded just twice in the 452 minutes Delph has been on the field this season, both of which came against Lyon, who City face again in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Source : 90min