Micah Richards has claimed that Manchester City sold a player in 2018 who was just remarkably complete.
Over the years, City have had several players, both who are currently playing for them and who they have sold who have been known for being very well-rounded.
One of them was Sergio Aguero.
The Argentine legend dazzled Manchester City fans around the world for a decade as he was both a tremendous finisher and a joy to watch with the ball at his feet, which is a rarity among goalscorers nowadays.
Much like several South American strikers of the past, Aguero’s technique was of the highest order, which made him a devastating striker in his heyday.
Speaking of goalscorers from the same continent, Carlos Tevez also comes to mind.
Micah Richards says City sold a player in 2018 who was very complete
Whether it be at West Ham, Manchester United, Manchester City or Juventus, Tevez was a force to be reckoned with.
A pitbull of a number nine, who was capable of getting stuck into challenges and chasing every loose ball while also dancing past defenders and scoring outrageous goals for fun; making him a box-office striker.
Unsurprisingly, Tevez was a success at whichever club he played for.
However, even in defence, Vincent Kompany’s well-roundedness can be likened to legendary defenders like John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Virgil van Dijk.
Kompany had virtually no limitations to his game from a defensive point of view, as he could keep opponents at bay in the centre of defence and wider positions; a trait not many centre-backs had.
In possession, the Belgian would break lines and carry the ball at will, which is another reason why he was the best centre-half in the Premier League for years.
However, when Micah Richards was asked who he thought of as the most “complete player” in the sense of picking 11 of the same star in a team, he named Yaya Toure.
“Yaya Toure”, he said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“He’s played centre-back, he’s played midfield and he’s played number 10, so, he could do everything.”
Micah Richards is right about Yaya Toure
In our view, Micah Richards made a smart decision by picking Yaya Toure.
Toure was undeniably complete and as Richards pointed out, he has experience of playing in multiple positions on the pitch.
The Ivorian played as a centre-back in the 2009 Champions League final against a legendary Manchester City side, despite being a defensive midfielder during his spell at Barcelona.
As Micah Richards pinpointed, Yaya Toure played as a number 10 for Manchester City at times, while being a central midfielder for the majority of his spell at the club.
With how technically and physically gifted Toure was, he would perhaps be capable of doing a job in every outfield position at least.
