For all of the luxury players in the Manchester City squad there is one man I would value more than any other in my side, Pablo Zabaleta.
All the goals Sergio Aguero can score for you, all the saves Joe Hart might make or all the trouble Mario Balotelli might get himself in to it is Pablo Zabaleta that stands out with an unnoticed importance to me.
The Argentinean utility player arrived in Manchester in 2008 from Spanish side Espanyol for a fee of around £7 million. Zabaleta joined City before the club were bought by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group, which means he can never be seen as going to City for the money particularly after saying “the offer of Manchester City is impossible to reject”.
For me the appeal of Zabaleta is his ability to play wherever the manager needs, equally adept as playing at full back, predominantly on the right, or as a midfielder, usually in the defensive role, giving Roberto Mancini another spot in his squad for another big money star to join the growing galaxy at The Etihad.
Amongst all his combative and determined characteristics it is Pablo Zabaleta’s heart and commitment to the cause that I admire most of all. Besides all the coin throwing and pitch intrusion at last Sunday’s Manchester Derby one of the most poignant images was Zabaleta leaning on the post distraught following Robin Van Persie’s injury time winner.
Sam Jewell