Manchester City full-back Benjamin Mendy has heeded the advice of his manager Pep Guardiola and dialled back his social media usage.
The Frenchman, who won the World Cup this summer in Russia, has built up a massive following across his Twitter and Instagram accounts, where he posts light-hearted content that has endeared him to the fans of the Blues since his arrival from Monaco.
But his manager has seemed somewhat miffed by the level of his output on those platforms. Speaking after his side’s Community Shield victory over Arsenal, Guardiola said: “Sometimes we want to kill him,” speaking figuratively. “Hopefully we can convince him to forget a little bit the social media and improve a few things.”
And it seems that the player has taken that advice to heart. In the aftermath of a resounding 6-1 win over Huddersfield Town at the Etihad, the City man claimed to have revamped his behaviour.
“I know the fans love it, but the manager is the chief of the team, so when he says something I have to listen to him," he told reporters. "Every player understands this.”
“In the dressing room, everywhere, I don't pick up my phone.
"Every time I am with my phone I am on Instagram or Twitter and just now I need to be careful. When I am at the training centre, the CFA, I don't use my phone but instead I listen to the manager.
"Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. I trust him, he has more experience of the players. I go without my phone.
"I don't change but in the dressing room I don't use my phone at all. It's better.
“So I keep low, and on the pitch I give everything for the team and the fans."
The 23-year-old has secured three assists in his two games this term, giving the Blues a more potent attacking threat than the replacement Fabian Delph did when shoehorned in there after the Frenchman suffered injury last term.
Should he continue to produce at the same rate and let his left foot do the talking rather than his fingers, his boss will be more than happy.
