Manuel Akanji has had an impact in more ways than one since joining Manchester City in 2022.
The Swiss defender has established himself as a key cog in Pep Guardiola‘s team who have won six trophies in two years, and he certainly seems to have left his mark on his teammates too.
With Akanji one of many in the City dressing room set to turn into rivals at Euro 2024, he has been revealed to have been among the most vocal in the war of words between club teammates.
Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, popular England star Jack Grealish pointed to the 28-year-old when asked which of the Citizens’ European stars had been getting ‘lippy’ with the pre-tournament banter.
Grealish admitted: “Probably me and Kyle [Walker]!
“Actually, do you know what, Manuel Akanji. He likes to give it out a little bit!”
The centre-back’s sharp tongue may not have come as a surprise to those who know him however, as he is known to be remarkably quick in other areas too.
In addition to his impressive speed on the pitch, Akanji is also a maths genius who can solve complex mental arithmetic problems in a matter of seconds.
The star’s extraordinary talent was first revealed in 2018, whilst playing for Borussia Dortmund, during an appearance on German-language entertainment show titled “Wetten dass…?”
On the show, he was asked by a member of the audience to multiply various random numbers between 11 and 99, whilst the presenter used a calculator to work out the answer.
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Incredibly, Akanji immediately gave the correct response each time, as he offered a rapid answer of “1,800,” when quizzed: “What is 24 x 75?”
The 58-cap Switzerland international, who is set to feature in his fourth major tournament this summer, then shared how he honed his maths skills after first discovering his prowess.
He explained: “[I developed through] A lot of training. I was interested in numbers at school already. My teacher organised a lot of competitions. I won pretty much every time.
“I did mathematical calculations also with licence plates. Don’t ask me why. So I know a few calculations by heart.”
After swapping Dortmund for Manchester in the summer 2022 transfer window, it was not long before word spread of Akanji’s impressive talent.
The defender was once again put through his paces in a challenge on Sky Sports’ YouTube channel, where he was tasked with multiplying different numbers of significance to both his career and City’s history.
He continued his flawless record there too, as one sum led him to correctly calculate the exact number of seconds it took Sergio Aguero to score his iconic Premier League winning goal in 2012.
Having lifted his second league title in as many seasons, Akanji will be hoping his winning mentality and clear mental sharpness can help him to have the last laugh over his club teammates as he looks to inspire Switzerland to a best ever Euros finish in Germany.