Manuel Akanji revelling in role as Manchester City’s ‘Mr Versatile’

Manuel Akanji says he is happy to be Manchester City's 'Mr Versatile' and will play any position manager Pep Guardiola asks him to.

The fixtures are coming thick and fast as City aim for a repeat of last season's treble. They are currently in a three-way battle with Liverpool and Arsenal to retain their Premier League crown, face Chelsea for a place in the FA Cup final and are all-square with Real Madrid as they go head-to-head in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final next week.

City are well used to playing every three to four days at the business end of the season and have used the 28-year-old Swiss international Akanji in central defence, left and right-back, and even as a holding midfielder.

But you won’t hear any complaints from the player.

“Now I don’t have a real position,” he told the official Manchester City podcast. “When I came here I was a centre-back who had played full-back a couple of times. I knew I could do it but it wasn’t my best position.

“Here it is so different. The way you play full-back is different. Sometimes you are a third centre-back or in some games you are more in midfield so a lot of things come with this position, it’s never the same. I’m just trying to learn the roles.

“I enjoy the adaptability. I have never played three games in a row in the same position. Maximum two. Normally I change every game. In the beginning it was a little bit difficult because you need confidence about what you are doing, especially in midfield where I had never played before.

“Suddenly opponents are behind your back when normally they are in front of you. So the more I played the more confident I got and now it doesn’t really matter where I play. I’m happy being on the pitch and helping the