Aymeric Laporte loves football so much, you could say it’s in his blood. Want to know what John Stones recommends on Netflix? Read on to find out how our athletes are keeping it together while eagerly waiting to get back on the pitch! In this week’s Know Your Players, we’re bringing you some fun facts on three more Manchester City defenders – Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Megan Campbell.
Aymeric Laporte
A French national of Basque descent, Aymeric Laporte signed to City in January 2018 and had a fantastic starting year. After sustaining an injury in August of last year, he’d been away from the action for five months before making a comeback in January. Having seen his performance on the field, we cannot wait for more from this ace defender when the League resumes.
Fun Facts:
- A day after confirming his transfer, our Blues won 3-0 against West Brom – and he wrapped up his debut season with Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Community Shield wins.
- He started playing football at five years old! Growing up in Agen, France, his father was a rugby and football player, and his mother a footballer as well. His brother, Julien Laporte, plays for FC Laurient.
- On 21 January, he came back for a match vs. Sheffield United after nearly five months out and made a colossal difference to the game. City finished with a goal from Agüero, while the defence kept a clean sheet.
- In his six years with Athletic Bilbao, he became an essential starting player. He made a total of 222 appearances and helped the club win the 2015 Supercopa de España , their first in 31 years.
- Earlier this May, the Premier League had a conference call to discuss ‘Project Restart’ and how to best conclude the 2019-2020 season. Speaking with Sky Sports, Laporte said, “We are waiting for news on what the experts say about that, and this is the most important thing. They are the best at doing this job, and they will try to make the best decision for everyone.”
John Stones
Playing at Number 5, Man City has described John Stones as “a classy, intelligent defender.” He’s the teammate you didn’t know you need, with many teammates and coaches recognising his technical skills, calm and vision for the game.
Fun Facts:
- Optimism is the only way to go! Our athletes use this time to focus on improving themselves and come back strong and ready. Looking on the bright side, Stones told CityTV, “[the isolation] has given me the time and space to train every day.” And besides training, the documentary Tiger King on Netflix, of course.
- Speaking to the Daily Mail on the Premier League and City, former Inter Milan player Iván Córdoba commended Stones, “A very strong defender. He is a complete defender in everything he does. I think he is one of the best in the world.”
- During a Reddit Q&A, fellow Cityzen David Silva named Stones and Kyle Walker as the funniest players in the team.
- Since joining City, this defender has made 158 League appearances, 190 interceptions, 574 accurate long balls and 132 successful tackles.
- In January 2018’s Premier League final at the Etihad, he made a much-needed goal clearance which helped City defeat Liverpool.
Megan Campbell
Lastly is Number 5 in Manchester City Women’s Team, defender Megan Campbell! A dedicated and hard-working player who won’t hesitate to go in for the tackle, the Ireland international joined City in March 2016 and has kept her spirits high through the lockdown.
Fun Facts:
- While studying for her bachelor’s in social science at Florida State University in the USA, Campbell also had a career in college football with the Seminoles. During her stay, she made 31 crucial assists which helped them win three consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference titles.
- She’s a left-footed player, and is best known for her fantastic throw-ins. In an interview with Beats and Rhymes FC in 2017, she said that she’d first discovered this speciality while playing with the U-12 boys.
- Representing Ireland at an international level, she’s earned over 30 caps in her career to date. In 2010, as a member of Ireland’s U-17 squad, she scored twice during the UEFA championship (once in a 2-1 victory vs. Sweden, another in a 1-0 victory vs. Germany!) and made the starting goal in the 3-0 victory against Ghana at the World Cup.
Stay tuned for a special edition of Know Your Players next week!