Rico Lewis is hoping to become a permanent fixture in the Manchester City midfield.

Lewis came through the City academy playing full-back but made his breakthrough under Pep Guardiola last year in the hybrid role that combined defence with midfield. Guardiola credited Lewis with showing John Stones and others how to do an innovative job that Stones made his own as the Blues won an historic Treble.

More opportunities have come this season for Lewis at right, left-back and in midfield as his versatility has proven useful to the City manager. He was preferred to Kalvin Phillips in midfield as Guardiola tried to replace Rodri for the crunch Premier League game at Arsenal at the beginning of October, and earned his first senior England call and cap later that month.

With a new contract signed in August keeping him at the club until 2028, Lewis has unquestionably committed his long-term future to the club he has supported since he was a boy. As he looks to grow in the team, the 19-year-old has also expressed a preference for midfield when he does settle into a role.

“Here at City, it’s probably better to be more versatile because of the formations we play and the different positions I can play in and for me at the moment I can get more minutes on the pitch playing in different positions,” he told The National. “But at some point I hope to settle into a position and I do like playing midfield the most.”

Lewis could feature in the FA Cup on Friday as City face a tricky test at Tottenham. The youngster was at the centre of events when the teams met last January, with Guardiola incensed that City players were not helping their teammate out as he was targeted with some rough tackles.

That changed as the season went on, and the team found their rhythm at the right time to enjoy success in three competitions. Spurs away is a serious test of their aspirations to retain their titles, but the squad are feeling confident as they return from a warm-weather break in Abu Dhabi.

“Obviously, every season is different but I feel the same again,” said Lewis. “With the players we’ve got, there’s no reason why we don’t aim to try to win everything all over again. It’s not good enough at Manchester City just to win something once and I think we can do it again.”