Nedum Onuoha says Manchester City have someone who is one of the most vocal players he’s ever seen on the pitch.
With 188 Premier League appearances under his belt for City, Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland, the former defender knows what it takes to be an important player in the top-flight of English football.
Now though, the 37-year-old has been sharing his thoughts on some other defensive figures that have made names for themselves in the Premier League and beyond, with one current City player getting a special mention.
Onuoha says City star is so vocal on the pitch
In a recent video shared on the EPSN UK TikTok channel, Onuoha was asked to build his ultimate defender by picking one past or present player based on certain attributes.
When asked to pick a defender who he thinks is the best communicator on the pitch, Onuoha picked Ruben Dias.
During the 2020 summer transfer window, City paid £62m to sign the centre-back from Benfica.
Since then, the Portuguese international has gone on to make 175 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, chipping in with four goals and five assists.
Ruben Dias has been a vital leader for Man City
With the Manchester club winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League since the 26-year-old joined the team, this shows what his presence on and off the pitch has contributed to.
In terms of being a vocal leader on the pitch, Onuoha isn’t the only person who has praised Dias for the way he pushes his side forward, as Pep Guardiola said this about him back in March last year.
He said: “Body language, gestures, these kinds of things are so important in football. Since day one they have been there. He is always positive.”
Taking that into account, it comes as no surprise that Onuoha has picked the City star for his communication as part of his ultimate defender challenge.