Nico says he’s improved a lot under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.
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The Spanish midfielder joined City in February and has since played 27 times across all competitions.
Primarily starting in a holding role, Nico is well placed to learn from Guardiola, who also played as a defensive midfielder.
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Having developed the likes of Sergio Busquets and Rodri during his iconic coaching career, our boss also has extensive experience of passing his knowledge of the role on.
Guardiola often praises Nico for his attitude and willingness to take on new information.
Still just 23, Nico says he’s taking every opportunity he can to learn from Guardiola.
“It’s really nice but it’s hard. You have to improve, he wants the best from everyone. That’s why he is the best,” he said in our pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Villarreal.
“That’s been good for me. I have improved a lot. And that’s why I play football, to be the best I can and I think I am doing a good job.
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“He is really intense and he tries to show you what you have to do better. But then after he explains everything, you keep thinking about everything and how you can improve. And even now I still think about them when I go to the pitch.
“What he asks, I was asked before. I played at Barcelona and it is similar. But there are details and you are looking for improvement.
“The main idea, I think I already understood before coming here and that helped me to get used to playing here.”
Asked for specifics on what Guardiola tries to advise the No.14 on, Nico said: “Many things. For example, when to move.
“As a midfielder you have to run a lot but do it in the right moment. That is what I have been working on with him. That’s maybe the most important thing.
“When I talk to him, he says I can keep the ball and play but the moment I move it is important too.”
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With Rodri having won the Ballon d’Or while playing at the base of midfield, Nico is surrounded by experts on the position.
“Every game,” said Nico when asked if he ever goes to Rodri for tips.
“The last game at half-time he gave me advice about what he saw. He knows a lot about what I should do in that position.
“He is one of the captains and that is a really important role. He tries to guide us, especially the young players.
“He tries to help us understand better the way we want to play.”
Villarreal v City App coverage
Our official app allows you to follow all of the action from our Champions League clash against Villarreal in one place.
Minute-by-minute text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre two hours before kick-off, while our Matchday Live show will begin at around 18:45 (UK).
Scott Carson and Nedum Onuoha will be the guests on the latest Matchday Live show alongside presenter Natalie Pike, offering their expert insight before, during and after the action.
During the game you can also listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann and Steve Howey while our text commentary continues.
Make sure to have push notifications turned on as well, so you can be alerted to key moments in the action, including goals, red cards and the team news.
We’ll have a quick-hit 2-minute highlights package available at midnight (UK) on Tuesday and following the next day globally, while you can sign-in to watch a free 8-minute edit globally the next day too.
On CITY+ meanwhile, there’ll be our popular full-match replay as well as our new extended highlights offering which features the best 20 minutes of action from the game. Both are also available at Midnight (UK) on Thursday and 23:00 (Global) on Friday.
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