Joleon Lescott keen to pen new contract at Manchester City - but insists there will be no hard feelings if he is no longer wanted
Joleon Lescott keen to pen new contract at Manchester City - but insists
there will be no hard feelings if he is no longer wanted
The defender is enjoying life at the Etihad and hopes to secure a contract extension before his current deal expires next summer
Keen to stay: the defender hopes to secure a new deal at City
Clive Brunskill
Joleon Lescott wants to stay and fight for his place at Manchester
City but claims he won't be bitter if they don’t offer him a new deal.
Lescott’s contract expires next summer and the England defender would love to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
However the centre-half will be 32 then and knows the club may not want to keep him on.
“I
want to stay and be part of the future,” said Lescott. “But I
understand there’s the business side of it and if it’s not to be, I will
walk away from the club with my head held high and no regrets.
“Nothing
would please me more than to sign an extension. If that negotiation
ever happens, I will be there with my pen ready to sign.”
Lescott,
who cost £22million from Everton in 2009, has capitalised on the
injuries to Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic to start City’s first
three league games.
Yet he knows he faces a new battle to hang on to his place after Manuel Pellegrini signed the experienced Martin Demichelis. Sticking around: Lescott hopes to sign a contract extension at the Etihad
Michael Steele
Lescott is up for the fight and said: “It’s no different to
any other time. Most of my City career has been with pressure being put
on, by myself, by speculation of club buying a centre-half.
“It may be a little bit more due to the fact it’s my last year, but I’m using it as a challenge and an exciting one at that.
“Losing
Vinny is a blow because he’s a massive player for us, but it’s down to
us as individuals to show he’s not needed as much. We need to take a bit
more responsibility on ourselves.”
Lescott admits he was
disappointed that starting the season for City did not earn him a place
in Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against
Moldova and Ukraine.
Although his priority is doing well with the Blues, he still believes he can force his way back into Hodgson’s thinking.
“My focus has to be Manchester City,” he said. “I was disappointed not to be involved in the squad.
“If
I’m playing well for City, we’re top of the league and competing for
trophies, I’m sure I won’t be too far away from the England squad.”
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