Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott has hit out at the critics of Mario Balotelli.

Lescott feels the player's youth should be taken into account.

"I think it's a bit harsh to solely blame Mario," Lescott told Sky Sports News. "He's a young player and he's going to make mistakes - we all did at that age.

"Obviously he's disappointed what happened with Arsenal but hopefully he's learnt from that."