The centre-back has started 24 of Manchester City’s 27 Premier League games so far this season, and has been rock at back for his team since coming to England from Portuguese giants Benfica last summer.
Dias has become a standout performer for the Manchester outfit despite plying his trade outside his home country for the first time and his contributions to the Mancunians go beyond clean sheets, according to his boss Guardiola.
The Spaniard revealed that Dias’ biggest quality is that in addition to stepping up his own game, he makes sure everybody around him in the backline and in the holding midfield role all raise their game as well, with him also helping them out on the pitch.
Guardiola added that the 23-year-old is a born leader and gives maximum effort from the first whistle until the last on the pitch.
Asked what he thinks is Dias’ biggest quality, Guardiola told BT Sport: “The biggest one is he is central defender who likes to lead the or lead the others.
“He takes good decisions on his own but also help others take good decisions and that is when you become an incredible central-defender.
“He does not play thinking my area, my player, he is looking right or left, what you have to do right or left depending on what happens.
“And this is a talent, it is a skill.
“There are incredible players that think about their own business, but he cares about the business of other players, not just the back four even the holding midfielders.
“[He] does not stop communicating, you see his body language during 90 minutes he is living the game like it is the last minute.
“And he makes his partner better, he makes his partner better and this is so difficult to find in the world of football.”
Manchester City will be determined to extend their 21-game win streak across all competitions on Sunday when they host Manchester United in the top flight and Guardiola will be banking on Dias’ leadership again to lead them to another win at home.
