New City goalkeeper Ederson: 'I have the skill to play outside the box'

Ederson feels he is comfortable with the ball at his feet after completing his move to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Published : Jun 08, 2017 18:00 IST

New Manchester City signing Ederson insists he has the skill to play outside the box and help Manchester City with more than just his traditional goalkeeping skills.

Ederson's €40million move from Benfica was completed on Thursday, one week after the Portuguese champions confirmed a deal had been agreed.

City have had problems at the goalkeeping position since Pep Guardiola's arrival, the manager opting to send Joe Hart on loan to Torino last season and replace him with Claudio Bravo from Barcelona.

But Bravo struggled and lost his status as number one to Willy Caballero, who has now left the club at the end of his contract.

Guardiola's preference for goalkeepers who are comfortable with the ball at their feet reportedly led to Hart's departure, and Ederson insists he is comfortable with that side of the game.

"To be a goalkeeper you must be a little bit crazy!" Ederson told City's website when asked about his playing style.

"We have the courage to put our head where the players put their feet. I have that, of course. I'm a quiet goalkeeper and I always try to transmit confidence and calm to my team-mates. That skill I have helps a lot."

"At Benfica I also played a little bit more advanced and I was involved a lot in the game. I think that revolution in the way goalkeepers get involved in the game was very important. I already had that skill to play outside the box."

"When I played for a team lower down, I didn't have the chance to play far from the goal, I had to stay close to it. But when I went to Benfica, I was able to improve what I knew and play further out getting more involved in the games, being more active. I have been developing that since."

"I have even scored not once but twice! They were very peculiar and unique moments. I've seen one in the Premier League but mine was different. I scored mine from my own box when I took a goal kick. The intention was never to score but I was lucky on that day."

"The second goal was when the midfielder passed it to me and I just kicked it long."

Ederson, who had spells at Ribeirao and Rio Ave before re-joining Benfica having initially been part of the club's youth system, is City's second big-money arrival of the close-season after Bernardo Silva joined from Monaco last month for a reported initial fee of €50m.

Silva is a player the keeper previously encountered at Benfica, while he also knows Gabriel Jesus and Fernandinho.

"I have already had the chance to play with Fernandinho in the national team," he said. 

"I also have played alongside Gabriel Jesus; I knew him from the team that went to the Olympics. Them being here is going to be very important for my adaptation. They will help me settle."

"I also played with Bernardo Silva when he was at Benfica. He already stood out and he was a great player, a born number 10. Unfortunately, he didn't have the chance to play in the first team and ended up following his own path. I'm very happy for everything he's done and for being my new team-mate."

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