Lescott: Real omission hurt

Having established himself as such a regular in the City team over the years, it would be fair to say that there were several surprised faces when Joleon Lescott was left out of the team that started against Real Madrid last week. The former Everton defender claims that he was just as shocked as anyone at his omission, although claims that he is completely happy at the club and is more than willing to fight for his place.

Lescott, who joined for approximately £22m from the Toffees back in 2009, has been one of the key players in City’s rise over the past couple of years and that made his omission extremely surprising. Moreover, the fact that he did enough to feature in England’s recent games also suggested that he has at least performed well this term, although Roberto Mancini obviously thought differently.

When questioned about the omission, Lescott made no secret of the fact that he was disappointed not to start at the Bernabeu. He said, “Obviously it hurt but the manager picked the team and I wasn’t in it. But I just have to work hard. It’s happened before over the last couple of seasons. I’ve played, been left out. It’s happened before during my career and I’m ready for the fight. I know where I’ve come from. A few years ago I was playing away at Plymouth on Tuesday nights. Now Tuesday evenings mean Champions League. I’m grateful for what I have now. So I won’t rock the boat.”

However, the 30-year-old provided Mancini with the perfect response following the Madrid game, after getting on the score sheet during the 1-1 draw with Arsenal. Still, after being part of the team that succumbed to Aston Villa in 4-2 fashion on Tuesday evening, it remains to be seen if he keeps his place for the game at the weekend.

Add a Comment