Laporte reveals the man behind his tremendous success at Manchester City

Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte has thanked Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa for his role in the defender’s development.

The 24-year-old has revealed how instrumental the 64-year-old was to his general increment, as he accredits his successful career so far to the man, who gave him a chance to utilize his maximum potentials.

"Without him, I might not be where I am today," Laporte told the Times.
"It was Bielsa who gave me my first steps in the [Spanish] top flight, and so I owe him a lot. I’m very grateful to him and very aware of exactly what he did for me.

Bielsa led Bilbao to the Champions League during his spell at the club between 2011-2013, which saw him give Laporte his debut in the league.

The 24-year-old, later joined City in January from Athletic Bilbao after the Cityzens were made to pay £57m to trigger his release clause following a string of impressive performances in La Liga.

"Bielsa’s different in lots of ways, his character, his personality. You only have to talk to him to realise he’s not cut from the usual cloth.

"But he’s also a really hard worker: he never stops watching matches, he has an extraordinary knowledge of football, he knows everything about the game."

Laporte has caught the eye this season, proving himself to be a shrewd piece of business despite his hefty price tag. He has formed a formidable partnership with England’s John Stones at heart of the defence, despite competition from Nicolas Otamendi and Vincent Kompany and looks to continue his excellent displays for the Cityzens for chase honours at the biggest top flight competitions in Europe.