Even the most optimistic figure at Manchester City won't have predicted the impact Ruben Dias has had since joining the club.
Thursday marks two years to the day when City ended their long-term hunt for a new centre-back and signed Dias from Benfica, and he could make his 100th club appearance in Sunday's derby against Manchester United.
While some players take a season or more to adapt to City's system, Dias stepped straight in and played a key role in the 2020/21 Premier League title success.
Dias has proven so important to City, he has featured in 99 of their 126 fixtures since he signed or 78 per cent of games. Of those, only five have come off the bench, meaning he's started 74 per cent of games since his debut at Leeds in 2020. ALSO READ: Julian Alvarez sends message to Man City and Erling Haaland with incredible 26-pass goal Players normally get rotated in Pep Guardiola's system, but Dias's influence has seen him be the first choice centre-back for the best part of two seasons now.
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