De Jong hails Tevez Man City impact on and off pitch

Nigel de Jong insists Manchester City did not turn boring under manager Roberto Mancini - they were just missing Carlos Tevez.

De Jong feels that the huge difference in the 4-2 win at Chelsea was the return from compassionate leave of Tevez, who missed the FA Cup defeat at Stoke and the goalless draw with Liverpool to be at the bedside of his premature baby daughter.

"Sometimes you need that spark to give you something extra, and it was good to have Carlos back against Chelsea to give us that," midfielder De Jong told the Manchester Evening News.

"And sometimes in certain games you need a different kind of system but that's for the manager, not the players.

"If you see the results from the last couple of games, it is a fact that Carlos is the spark we need in the squad. With his attitude and attacking skills he gives us an edge in difficult games. We have a lot of quality players, but he gives us an extra boost sometimes."

But it is not just on the pitch that Tevez is a positive influence says de Jong.

"Off the pitch he is one of the boys - he doesn't see himself as a superstar at all. He loves football, and has that South American temper in him which everyone loves," said De Jong, who was at Eastlands meeting schoolchildren in his role as the club's enterprise ambassador encouraging pupils to learn about business.

"I identify with that side of Carlos, because I am a fighter as well, so I love to see him play."