Joleon Lescott has claimed that one of his former Manchester City teammates failed to fulfil his potential and become one of the best players in the world.
The defender spent five years at the Manchester club between 2009 and 2014, winning four trophies and playing alongside a significant number of players in the process.
Now though, the 41-year-old has shared some behind-the-scenes details about one particular former City teammate, who a lot of supporters will have memories of.
Lescott says former City star could have been one of the best in the world
Speaking in the latest edition of Football’s Greatest, Lescott had this to say about what Mario Balotelli was like to play with and be around in the City dressing room.
He said: “Good fun and again, fairly judged because I don’t think people realised he was 20, 21 and he was moving country for a lot of money and to a club that would be scrutinised for various reasons.
“I must have been a lot for him to deal with as a personality, as an individual, but in terms of talent, I think he would admit now that he didn’t fulfil his potential and the talent level he had because there were days, in games as well, but more so training that we’re like ‘Mario, why are you not doing this every week? Because if you do, then no one can handle you.’
When asked if Balotelli had the talent to be one of the best players in the world during his time at City, Lescott said this.
He said: “He would be very close, but what people don’t appreciate is the mentality that super-talented players have is not just to do it once or twice in a couple of games out of 10. It’s like every time it’s needed, every big occasion, they want to be the guy and want to be the player.
“I think there was that aspect of it and having seen him and spoken to him since that, he’s aware that he could have lent on more senior pros to do that, but with less talent and just pick their brains and say, well, how do you maintain your level, regardless of what that talent level is, but how do you maintain your standards?
“Again, we have to consider that he was 20, 21, and you’re still learning yourself, never mind going to a different country and a language.”
Imagine if Mario Balotelli fulfilled his potential at Man City
Back in the 2010 summer transfer window, City signed Balotelli from Inter Milan in a deal worth £24m.
During his two-and-a-half-year spell at the Etihad Stadium between August 2010 and January 2013, the striker scored 30 goals in 80 appearances across all competitions.
The Italian also delivered several assists for the Blues, one of which was for Sergio Aguero’s title-winning goals against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011/12 season.
When he signed for the Citizens, Roberto Mancini labelled Balotelli as “one of the best players of his age in Europe.”
However, after numerous issues away from the pitch, the striker was sold to AC Milan in the 2013 January transfer window in a deal worth £19m.
Now that Lescott, who played in 52 games with Balotelli at City, has highlighted not only how much potential the striker had when he joined the Citizens but how he has since acknowledged how he could have done more to develop that potential and flourish into the sort of world-beating player he could have been, this will leave a lot of City supporters wondering what if.