“If I knew Pep Guardiola is going to turn me into a bench warmer I wouldn’t have signed for Manchester City”- Manchester City £20 Million Star regrets signing for Manchester City last season
“I wouldn’t have joined Manchester City,” says 30-year-old goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, revealing that he had reservations about signing with the club if he wasn’t going to be the first-choice goalkeeper. Ortega expressed this sentiment during an interview with 11 Freunde Magazine, shedding light on his outlook while at the Etihad Stadium.
It’s evident that Stefan Ortega isn’t content with merely being the backup to Ederson at Manchester City. His recent rare start against Brighton & Hove Albion served as a platform for him to voice his desire for more consistent playing time with the team.
Since his arrival at the Sky Blues last summer, Ortega has made a significant impact, effectively establishing himself as one of the club’s best-ever second-choice goalkeepers. However, it’s now apparent that Ortega has set his sights on securing the top spot as Manchester City’s No. 1.
In his own words, Ortega made his intentions clear, stating, “I want to be the number one at Manchester City; otherwise, I wouldn’t have come at all.”
While Stefan Ortega possesses the skill and talent to be the starting goalkeeper for most Premier League and European teams, Ederson’s indispensable role in the Manchester City squad presents a considerable challenge. Even when Ortega has been called upon, he might match Ederson in shot-stopping abilities, but their distribution of the ball is where the contrast becomes evident.
Ederson is renowned as one of the best in the world in terms of ball distribution, an attribute highly valued in Pep Guardiola’s system. In a team managed by Guardiola, a goalkeeper’s capacity for precise and effective distribution is paramount.
Considering Ederson’s all-around abilities and his improvement as a shot-stopper in recent seasons, it appears that Ortega’s opportunities as a starter with Manchester City may be more viable elsewhere.
