Jack, congratulations on signing for City, we're all delighted that you're here.
How are you feeling now that everything's sorted, done and dusted?
No I'm over the moon.
You know to come and play for a club like Man City
is obviously massive, for me personally.
It was obviously a difficult, a difficult few months
because you know I've obviously been at Aston Villa for my whole life.
You know, when I spoke to the manager here
and you see what type of players that they've got here...
in the end it was something that I couldn't say no to.
And yeah I'm absolutely delighted to be here.
So you're leaving Villa after nineteen years, that's a very long time
so how important is it for you to be joining a club where
you've got some familiar faces from the England setup?
Yeah, yeah that helps massively.
We speak anyway when we're away at England
about our own clubs and stuff.
The likes of Stonesy, Raz, Phil, and Walks
you know had nothing but good words to say
whenever it's been mentioned.
But yeah obviously I'll get to know everyone
I've obviously played against City a lot.
I've never really been successful!
You know I've had a few pumpings by them.
So you know it'll be nice to be playing with them
rather than against them.
City are the most successful club in England over the last 10 years.
I think we've won 10 trophies in the last 4 seasons alone.
For you, is that the main reason to come here?
To have that opportunity to win, not just the odd trophy but
you know, win the biggest prizes in the game?
Yeah of course, that's the main reason.
There's obviously a lot of reasons you know why
I decided to come here, obviously you know the manager
being a massive factor in that.
You know playing for, playing under the best manager in the world
was something that I couldn't really turn down
Obviously the players that you've got here
I think everyone knows how much I admire Kevin
it's gonna be a dream come true to play alongside him.
But yeah you know, competing for trophies
for major trophies
is something that I've wanted to do and
like I said it was something that, in the end, I couldn't turn down
and let's hope you know, it's a successful one.
You mentioned the manager there.
I think a lot of people feel that your style of play
will fit quite nicely
into the way that Pep sets the team up.
Was that another consideration of yours
you wanna play for a team that's
kind of suited to your game?
Yeah of course.
When I came here this morning
I had a long chat with him, you know about
about positions and stuff like that.
All football, and you know it was such a
such a positive chat, and it just you know
it just shows why I wanna play under him.
I've heard nothing but good words about him
from the lads at England.
And I just can't wait to get started really.
Like I said you know there was quite a few factors
of why I wanted to come, like we just mentioned
competing for trophies
playing in the Champions League was a massive
massive thing for me, I haven't done that yet.
And that's what, you know when I'm sitting there
on a Tuesday, Wednesday night last year
it was just what I wanted to do.
And to be able to do it with this club
is gonna be a dream.
We tend to play 4-3-3 formation here
now, you could probably play in the middle of that
in the central midfield 3 positions, or
somewhere along the front line
where do you see yourself
and what do you think your best position is?
It's a difficult one you know.
People always ask me this, what do I think my best position is
I prefer other people to answer it for me!
I just love being on the pitch you know, just playing.
I think, the way
the way this team's set up to play
suits me down to a tee.
The way the manager likes to play suits me
I've spoke to the manager like I said already about positions
and stuff and personally I think I could
play you know as one of the 8's
if the manager ever plays a 10
either wing, or even you know as a false 9
like you've seen Kevin or Phil do last season
Raz has done it as well so.
I feel like I can play in a lot of positions
one thing that I can say is when
when I do get on the pitch I'll be giving it my all
wherever I'm playing.
You've got a very distinctive style
for those who don't know, some of the City fans might not know this
just explain why you wear children's shinpads and why
your socks are a little bit lower than perhaps the average sock would be.
Do you know what there's like a few stories
a few different ones.
Some where I think, who's said that?
Because I haven't!
So what it was, I'm not actually a superstitious person
but...
when I was about fifteen or sixteen
I think I was fifteen.
I was playing for the under 18's
and that year we were sponsored by
Macron I think it was.
And the socks just kept shrinking!
You weren't really a first team player
so you couldn't really go in and be like
"Give me a new pair of socks" every day!
So I just kept wearing them, and then
they wouldn't come over my calves
within about two months into the season!
And that season I probably had my season where
I took off and starting kicking on!
So I started wearing them in games and stuff and
It was just one of them where I just thought , you know what?
I'm gonna keep this!
So I kept it and you know...
I don't know
I can't say it's worked ever since but
you know, I think it's my style now
and it's something that I do and I'm gonna keep.
You made your Villa debut at the Etihad.
You came on for the last couple minutes of the game
where Yaya Toure scored
Don't remind me.
I could not catch him.
It's probably the most Yaya Toure goal I think he ever scored.
But what are your memories of that night and playing against City here?
And making your debut?
No it was unbelievable
I remember on the Saturday I was actually playing for Notts County
on the last game of the season, and went back to Villa
on the Monday to train and got told that I was
gonna be in the squad.
I never really thought that I was gonna come on.
When I did get the call to come on I was absolutely
absolutely over the moon.
It was obviously a brilliant night, something that I'll remember forever.
But yeah I'll also remember obviously just seeing
the back of Yaya Toure and just not being able to catch him!
He was absolutely unplayable that night
I actually wrote something about it on Twitter
not long ago and he replied to it
so yeah that was nice.
Yeah that was his best season he ever had for City that's for sure.
You mentioned before you've played against City many times
just try and give us an opponents perspective then
so what do we do well?
And why do we make it hard for the opposition?
What is it about us?
I'm not even just saying this
just, everything. Everything.
I remember after the game in
was it April?
I think it was, I was injured at the time.
And I actually said to- it was funny because
I walked down to the tunnel after to go and see the lads.
And the manager here Pep, was speaking to the manager at Villa
Dean Smith and, I just went and spoke with them.
And me and Dean Smith both said to Pep
we said that was the best performance I've actually ever seen
at Villa Park, and even though it was only 2-1
it was just frightening.
I think Stonesy got sent off and you were down to 10 men
for a while.
The way you know they just dominated
dominated the game, moved the ball, it was just
Yeah it was frightening.
Obviously there's so much, I could go on all day
about how good
how good City are as a team
and that's one of the main factors as well
why I wanted to come here you know because it just
it just drags you in and it's something you wanna be a part of.
That's one of the main reasons why I came here.
Micah Richards is a really important Manchester City figure.
Both as a past player, and as a person now.
Obviously you were teammates at Villa, he's a very very big fan of yours
he kind of tries to promote you at every turn.
Have you spoken to him? Since you've made the decision and if so
what did he say to you?
Do you know what? I actually haven't.
I'm surprised actually, because
I get on well with him and Joleon Lescott
who obviously had a successful-
-well both of them had a successful time here.
But yeah no I haven't spoke to either of them
I don't know if they didn't wanna
act like they were trying to get information or something!
But yeah, to be honest I don't really-
Micah would obviously have nothing but good words to say about the club but...
I know what the club's like you know,
I've been here now for...
for you know 24 hours and
the whole club has been unbelievable for me and my family.
You can tell it's...
it just feels like a family club,
just even when I'm at the training ground, when I'm here.
It seems like a proper football club
that's going in the right direction
challenging for titles
for you know the Champions League and stuff like that
and that's what I've come here to be a part of.
And I can't actually say anything but good words.
You've obviously played with Phil Foden at England level
We obviously love Phil, we rate him incredibly highly
but as somebody who's trained with him, played with him
played against him, just give us an insight to how good you think he is
and how excited you are to play with him regularly now.
Yeah no he's unbelievable, I don't think...
I don't think anyone needs to be told that
I think everyone knows you know how good he actually is.
He's got the best first touch I've ever seen. Ever.
Whether the ball's coming out of the sky
whether it's been rapped into him, he's just so smooth.
The way he dribbles with the ball
he's actually much quicker than people give him credit for!
And yeah when we're away with England I get on so well with him
he, you know he makes me laugh.
He's like a little brother!
But we get on so well, at England.
You know it's one of them I just can't wait to play with him
you know like you say regularly, week in week out because...
I feel like sometimes you know when you have a connection
with someone off the pitch
you can transfer that onto the pitch as well.
And that's what me and Phil used to do in training
when we were at England you know we'd look for each other
we'd play one-twos and stuff
I can't wait to be doing that with him here.
You mentioned your admiration for Kevin
Kevin De Bruyne before
who for most of us is probably the best midfielder in the game at the moment.
What is it about him that you love and how
excited are you to be playing with him?
Yeah no I've spoke about him obviously
a good few times.
I've always said he's, apart from Ronaldo and Messi
I think he's the best, the best in the world
I think he's just got absolutely everything.
And he's another one where I don't think people give him
credit for how fast he is you know
you know when he knocks the ball by defenders and stuff.
His final balls are obviously unbelievable
and that's something that, the season before
I think I got 6 assists and I sat down with the manager
sat down with the manager and I was watching clips of
of Kevin De Bruyne, when I was at Villa
and, I said this is what I wanna do
I want my end ball to be like this!
and you know that's something that I practiced on
and then, last season I ended up getting
10 assists I think in 25 or 26 games.
Which is obviously a good return
that's what I based it off, you know the way he plays
and the way he's just always finding that perfect final ball.
But no I've obviously never played alongside him
I've played against him
I've played against him a few times, got his shirt.
But that's one that I cannot wait honestly, I cannot wait to play alongside him.
We've got a squad packed with talent here
I mean, that must excite you
what do you think that level of competition
can do for your game? Raise it even further do you feel?
Yeah of course that's what you need you know
that's something that I thrive off you know
I think everyone needs to be kept on their toes
for competition for places there's just so much talent here.
And I just can't wait to get in and amongst it you know
and speak with the guys because I still think
you know I'm still youngish, I'm only 25 so
I can still learn off all these people as well.
And I can't wait to do that I can't wait
to play and train with them and just you know
just being around them
and like I said you can learn off these people.
But yeah no I can't wait to get started
and obviously get playing.
Finally then, from me
during the summer, when you were playing for England,
there was this real excitement and clamor
to see you play.
There just seemed to be real excitement across the nation for you personally
how did that feel and do you enjoy that kind of pressure?
Yeah no I love it.
It was something that you know
well it's something that I thrive off.
You know I felt like over the summer I had such a good
such a good connection with all the England fans
and you know it made me happy really, to see
to see the amount of support that I had
I've already seen you know the amount of support I’ve had off of City fans
so that's obviously something that's really nice
I hope I can have the same connection with them
I think there's only one way I can repay them
and that’s to perform and score goals
and bring back trophies.
Brilliant, Jack congratulations once again
we’re all absolutely delighted and we wish you the best for your time here.
Thank you.