Father Ruben

[Nick]

Can someone explain the father reference please

He is all our Fathers.

Its from the alternative commentary.

Ah ok. Must come from somewhere though ha

[PeterParker]

After a superb 1-0 win away at Chelsea, there are likely to be a lot of Manchester City fans that are going to have a new lock screen photo on their phones.

Leading his teammates over to the travelling City support, who had been typically brilliant all game, Ruben Dias did the most Vincent Kompany of Vincent Kompany things.

Roaring with delight he took off his shirt and threw it into the away end, veins and muscles throbbing, fists clenched and pumping the air.

Like Kompany, to Dias winning football matches just means more. In the absence of Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan in the starting line-up, Dias wore the captain's armband for only the second time in his year at the club. With it clinging to his exposed bicep as he celebrated the win, he looked like he never wanted to take it off.

Dias is many things. He is a superb defender, an underrated ballplayer and an inspirational leader. It's almost a year to the day since the Portuguese centre-back joined City from Benfica, but it feels like he has been at the club forever.

In that short period of time, Dias has quickly become irreplaceable in Pep Guardiola's plans. The Portugal international has played every single minute of City's Premier League campaign so far, a feat matched only by Ederson and compatriot Joao Cancelo.

As he showed in victory over Chelsea, he is a rock, a one-man barricade more than comfortable in Guardiola's intricate passing system, but most at home when his back is up against the wall and City need a leader.

In six Premier League matches this season he has made nine blocks, more than any other City player, indicating his dedication to the cause and desire to get stuck in. Just as it looked like Chelsea might nick a late and undeserved goal on Saturday, Dias flung himself in-front of a Kai Havertz shot to save the day, as he has done many times before.

What he's brought to City is a perfect blend of style and substance, rough and smooth, impeccable technical ability and good old-fashioned strength and determination. He has also brought a sense of leadership City sorely lacked after Kompany's 2019 departure.

Of course, Kompany should not be compared to anyone. He is a one-off, a living legend whose importance to City is forever woven into the very fabric of the club, not just acknowledged by a statue outside the Etihad Stadium.

But when Dias led his side out before kick-off, it felt eerily similar to Vinny's best days.

We all know what to expect from Ruben. He's only 24 years old and he's barely been in the building five minutes, but his demeanour and attitude belongs to a defender 10 years his senior.

When someone makes an important tackle, he is their cheerleader. When someone plays a ball they shouldn't, he is their critic. When things go wrong, like in the Champions League final, Dias is the one to console and pick up the pieces. There are plenty of elite central defenders out there, but not many have such leadership qualities that you cannot teach.

City knew what they were getting when they paid £61m for Dias - one of the best defenders in the world with the ability to meet Guardiola's high ball-playing standards. What they perhaps didn't expect was to be signing their future captain.

Like Kompany, Dias brings far more to this City team than just being good at football; he brings leadership, responsibility and humility. You could not ask for a better ambassador for City and representative of the fans. Not since Vinny have we been able to say that.