Elano admits he's been bowled over by the talent of Manchester City's young players.

The midfielder wanted assurances about big-money signings before committing to City in August, but now he is rethinking his approach.

"Before I said yes to City, I asked if the club was hiring more players and if the intention was to build a team that would be equal to Liverpool, Man United and Chelsea," he told the Daily Mail. "When they said that they were, then I accepted. We have the chance to have an excellent team here and I think we have players with enormous potential.

"Look at Michael Johnson, Micah Richards and Stephen Ireland. They are living the biggest moments of their careers right now and I think they will go very far. Richards, in particular, is amazing. He is without doubt one of the best defenders in the League. But the danger is that they may become attractive to other clubs.

"These kids are integral to our success and we must make sure that we keep them. My own mission at Manchester City is to work and to help the club. I have not come here to be a hero. I scored a nice free-kick against Newcastle but I'm not David Beckham!

"Having said that, I have noticed the way that the people have reacted to me. That is sensational for me. The fans are enthusiastic with me and stop me in the street for photographs and signatures. But they are respectful. That is the difference between here and Brazil.

"For a Brazilian who has lived in Ukraine when it was minus 15, Manchester is beautiful. It is a very calm city and better than Donetsk. In all the aspects. Everything has gone even better than I thought and I think these could be some of the best years of my professional career."