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Sat, Oct 12, 2024 | Rabi al-Thani 9, 1446 | DXB
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Exclusive: Others cannot emulate what Sheikh Mansour has done for Man City, says England star
Joleon Lescott, two-time Premier League winner, says he is grateful to have been a part of the glorious Man City project
The President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Court, and owner of Manchester City football club, during the Champions League final in Istanbul. — AFP file
Joleon Lescott, the former England defender, was one of the prominent early signings at Manchester City after Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Court, bought the English club in 2008.
Lescott left Everton in 2009 to be a part of an ambitious City project under the visionary leadership of Sheikh Mansour.
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It was a decision that proved right as Lescott went on to write his name in the history books as a key member of the City team that ended the club’s 44-year wait for the English league title in 2012.
For a team accustomed to vying for mid-table positions, City eventually became an English giant that also ended United’s reign as the most powerful club in Manchester.
Now under Pep Guardiola, Man City have gone from strength to strength, winning five league titles in the past six seasons.
But City’s crowning glory came last season when they finally ended their wait for the Champions League title with victory over Inter Milan in the final in June.
Guardiola’s team also became only the second English club to complete the treble (Premier League, FA Cup and the Champions League titles in the same season) after Man United in 1999.
Lescott, who retired from the game last year, was in the UAE last week on Manchester City’s treble trophy tour.
During an interview with the Khaleej Times, the two-time Premier League winner revealed why Sheikh Mansour’s impact at Man City is bigger than the trophies the club have won.
Former England defender Joleon Lescott poses with the trophies won by Man City last season. — Photo by Neeraj Murali
Q. It's a wonderful collection of trophies, the historic treble. You being a City legend yourself, how does it feel to be on this trophy tour here in the UAE?
It's amazing. The fan base here has grown over the last 10 years now, it’s aiding the growth of the club. So it's always a special place to come. Obviously, I recognise the fans here don't get access to the trophies as regularly as they would anticipate or hope to. So yeah, I'm pleased to be a part of this tour.
Q. Having waited for so long for the Champions League trophy, last season was truly remarkable as the club not only ended the European drought, but also completed the historic treble. But do you think that this can be repeated because City have a high-quality team, they are coached by Pep Guardiola, who is one of the best managers in history. City not only play captivating football, but they are also a very resilient side, capable of bouncing back from a string of not-so-good performances as we saw last season…
Yeah, I don't think it should be taken for granted what this team and what this manager achieved in the time he's been in charge at the club. Never mind last season, I think just to assume there's going to be another treble in a second season after winning the first is slightly ambitious. The long wait for the Champions League, then to win your first and make it a treble-winning season is special and like you said, it's historic. This team and this club have become iconic.
Q. After winning the treble, Pep acknowledged that the club would have never seen this kind of success without the vision and ambition of Sheikh Mansour. You moved to City from Everton in 2009, one year after Sheikh Mansour took over the club. You were right in the thick of things, a key part in the transformation of the club. How does it feel now to see the club become a global giant?
It's amazing to be a part of that. We were told about the vision of the club, the owners and the chairman had for the club. And like you said, I'm grateful to have been a part of it and to recognise that they have shown an enormous amount of patience and vision to actually put things into place that other teams aren't able to emulate. Yeah, we see the success of the team, but behind the scenes, they've developed Manchester as well. So they have done a lot more for the English game and Manchester City as a club than just winning these trophies.
Q. We can talk about the treble all day long and the amazing success of the team, especially in the last four to five years. But we can't let you go without talking about that unforgettable day in 2012 when City won the Premier League title on the last day of the league in the most dramatic fashion with Sergio Aguero’s stunning goal deep into the injury time. It was a goal that ended City’s 44-year wait for the league title. You probably still get goosebumps when you look back on that iconic match against QPR. What were the celebrations like that night?
Manchester City players celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2012 Premier League title, the club’s first league title since 1968. — AFP file
Yeah, it wasn't just that night. We celebrated probably a week, and rightly so, winning the first title was huge. In regards to the kind of memories of that, yeah, it was something we were assembled for, something we wanted to achieve. And luckily enough for me and the club, we did achieve that. It was a humongous achievement to do that. And the circumstances obviously helped that we beat Manchester United (in the title race on the last day). So yeah, I'm sure all the fans recognise that the first title was a huge moment in the club's history.
Q. Erling Haaland may not have scored in a few games, but what a player he has been for City since he joined them from Dortmund. Scored an incredible amount of goals last season. He is still so young and he is already the most feared striker in the world. What kind of future do you see for him? Is there a limit to what he can achieve as a footballer?
Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland celebrates scoring a goal. — Reuters
I'm not sure players like that have a limit. I think they continue to raise the bar and set new standards for themselves and for us to compete with and I don't think we should try to put a cap on what he can achieve and set new goals for him. I think what he achieved last season and already in his career is special. So if he just continues at that rate, it's going to be a huge achievement. If he manages to score the same level of goals for City this season, it’s going to be great. Hopefully, he will be at City for most of his career.
Q. Talking about strikers you played alongside Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero — two of the greatest strikers of this century — at City. It must have been so easy to be on their side, but what was it like facing them and trying to stop them from scoring against you in training?
A statue of former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero outside the stadium. — Reuters
Training probably was not their strongest quality, they kind of waited for the matches to give their maximum effort. We all accepted their method because we knew in matches, they wanted to win more than most. They were difficult (to defend against) in training, but nothing compared to games. Having played against Carlos before (in the Premier League), I was aware of how difficult it was to mark a guy like him. They are both greats of the game, especially Sergio who is an iconic figure for Manchester City.
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Rituraj Borkakoty
Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com 
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