'The main thing' - Lewis has followed his own advice to overtake Walker for Man City and England

Speaking in a hotel conference room in North Carolina, Rico Lewis offered his full support for Lee Carsley to get the chance to lead England after Gareth Southgate.

Carsley hadn't been appointed when UK media sat down with Manchester City defender Lewis in the summer. But the England under-21 coach was a firm contender for the vacant Three Lions job and was the logical choice to get the interim gig for the September internationals.

Lewis earned his five U21 caps under Carsley and was called up on two other occasions before getting promoted to the senior squad. Like at City, his raw talent effectively saw him fast-tracked from under-18 to senior squad, but his time with Carsley left a lasting impression.

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"He’s a great coach, especially with his man managing. He’s a really good person and knows a lot of the players, the younger ones," Lewis said. "Similar to Gareth [Southgate] when he took over, he’s going to be somebody that if he goes up to the first team then he’s used to that environment already.

"I think that will massively benefit him in terms of knowing the players. He already knows the elite players who are already there. It all depends what he is like with the players at the end of the day. You can have all the experience but if you don’t know how to work with a certain group then it all goes out of the window."

Carsley has given his first squad selection a very youthful feel, with a number of under-21 regulars called up. Lewis, brilliant in his opening appearances for City this season, would surely have been selected whoever was in charge. He has the City number two spot ahead of Kyle Walker at the start of the campaign and has now bumped his club captain out of the national team squad.

Walker, who hasn't played any football since the Euros final, is not in Carsley's first squad. He must now focus on wrestling his place back from Lewis at the Etihad before reclaiming his spot for his country. But Lewis has a not-so-secret weapon behind him. Carsley.

"What he says, every time I go with them, is that he wants to play that exciting football," Lewis continued in the US. "Progressive football, where we score lots of goals while defending really well as a unit. In a way it’s similar to City – we want to have the ball and score as many goals as we can. That’ll be a big benefit if he does go up to the seniors.

“When you get a taste of it [international football] you just want more – but seeing them do so well in the Euros, you want to be a part of it. It’s definitely a catalyst for me to do better and work even harder."

Lewis declared his ambition to play as an attacking midfielder at the start of pre-season but absences dictated he was needed at full-back. He's progressed his inverted role that forced Joao Cancelo away and Walker could well be the next senior player to fall victim to Lewis' remarkable rise.

The teenager watched the Euros final at home alone and admitted he can't watch football for enjoyment anymore. He is only focussed on what he can improve, and he has followed his own advice to get back into the England squad and build on his sole senior cap.

"If you’re watching England or City, I’d always watch it from a tactical point of view, where you see little things," he said. "If you go out and watch you just know if your team score or concede but if you watch from a tactical perspective, it’s not the same.

"To be honest I need to continue what I'm doing. The main thing is to be patient and wait for the chances to come. They might not come often but when they do come you need to take them. The manager doesn't just not play you for no reason, if he sees you doing well and benefitting the team, he'll play you.

"I need to do what I can do and play as well as I can. I don't need to do anything amazing or special. Just stick to the basics I've always done and make sure I'm fit for every game."

In the seven games since that interview, Lewis has followed his own advice and is reaping the rewards. With Carsley in his corner and a head-start on the more experienced players more in tune with Southgate's approach, it would be foolish to bet against Lewis grabbing his latest chance with both hands with England.