Manchester City first-team coach David Platt has praised Matija Nastasic for the speedy way the Serbian defender has acclimatised to English football, describing him as "an old head on young shoulders".
Nastasic, 19, arrived from Fiorentina on transfer deadline day in August and was given a debut in September's Champions League trip to Real Madrid.
He has gone on to displace Joleon Lescott from manager Roberto Mancini's first-choice XI, starting City's last five Premier League games.
The Premier League champions have kept three clean sheets in that time and Nastasic has looked increasingly at home.