Micah Richards has rated Carlos Tevez as a better all-round player than Sergio Aguero in an assessment not all Manchester City fans would agree with.
The popular right-back played with both strikers during his time at City and conceded that Aguero's record and finishing ability was incomparable.
However, speaking on the Match of the Day Top Ten podcast, Richards says the impact Tevez gave City following his move from Manchester United in 2009 allowed players like Aguero to take them to the next level.
Comparing the best South American players in the Premier League with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, Richards said: "All round game he was better than Aguero. His touch and technique.
"Aguero was a better finisher. It's all round game vs goals.
"Tevez in training used to do things I've never seen before. He was lazy in training, but in the game. When he came from Manchester United he transformed us to go and challenge for things.
"Not lazy, just laidback. In five-a-side you want him because he'll score, but if you've got to stay with your man, he's not chasing back. His stats on the weekend were the best in terms of running were the best, he just downplayed it in the week.
"When he come from United he wasn't playing as much as he wanted so we accepted him with open arms. He was the missing piece to our winning. Aguero when he came was the goals but Tevez put us on the map to be better and people started to take notice.
"On the way up, Tevez came 09-10, Sergio came the year we won the league. Tevez propelled us onto a different level, even the way we played. Aguero always gets the credit but Tevez started it."
Richards added that Tevez was often separate from the rest of the squad, but was close with Aguero when the latter arrived from Atletico Madrid.
"He didn't speak to anyone," Richards continued.
"He came with a big group, like seven of his family and five of his boys living with him. They watched training, he had lunch and went home. He didn't speak to anybody.
"He could speak English, I think he was pretending. [Pablo] Zabaleta stuck together a bit, when Aguero came they were good mates together. Tevez was the one."
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