Stefan Ortega was the hero of the hour for Manchester City against Tottenham Hotspur – but an interesting claim has been made about when he first joined the club.
The plaudits have been plentiful for Ortega since Tuesday, after he came on as a substitute for Manchester City during their 2-0 with Spurs.
Ederson had taken a whack from Cristian Romero and had to go off.
And Ortega produced an amazing cameo, making two massive saves, first from Dejan Kulusevski and then from Heung-min Son. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said that he was ‘absolutely magnificent’, and he’s also had praise from his manager and teammates.
Ortega just seems to shine every time he takes to the field for City. It is actually something of a travesty that he doesn’t get to play more considering his quality.
It is interesting then, to learn that Ortega actually had concerns about his move to the club after just one training session…
Stefan Ortega phoned his agent after first Man City training session fearing his move was a mistake
Ortega, in many people’s eyes, is now the best number two in football.
When he comes in for Ederson, City barely notice the difference. Sure, he is a little slower on the ball than the Brazilian. But Ortega also has a fantastic passing range just like his teammate, and is a very good shot-stopper.
And of course, as we saw on Tuesday, he’s great in one-vs-one situations. Kyle Walker said after the game that he reminds him of Manuel Neuer with the way he spread himself.
£55,000-a-week star Ortega is a brilliant goalkeeper, so it will surprise some people to know that he actually struggled so much in his first training session at City, that he phoned his agent expressing his concerns about the transfer he had just made.
The Daily Mail have reported that Ortega ‘never really pulled up any trees and on his first day’. Apparently, the ‘frightening quality led him to call his agent and complain that this had all been a massive mistake’.
It is stated that even the defenders were managing to score past him with ease.
A surprising claim
It is really interesting to learn that Ortega actually got on the phone to his agent, expressing his fears about the move he had just made.
It is remarkable to consider that now, when City fans have seen him turn in so many excellent performances for the club.
If anything, these comments just show how high the standards are at City. When new players arrive at the club, it totally different compared to where they have been before.
Thankfully, Ortega – who arrived as a free agent after being relegated with German club Arminia Bielefeld – managed to get used to life at City pretty quickly, and we are now at the point where many fans would be devastated if he left the club in the summer.
That is a real possibility, because Ortega knows he’ll have plenty of other clubs willing to offer him the position of a regular number one goalkeeper.