Manchester: After patching up his differences with Manchester City, a rejuvenated Carlos Tevez declared his intention on Monday to remain at the club and repay the faith shown in him by owner Sheikh Mansour, in a remarkable turnaround for a player who was an outcast only months ago.
The Argentina striker recently returned to action for the Premier League title-chasers following a breakdown in relations with manager Roberto Mancini that was sparked by his refusal to warm up when a substitute during a Champions League match in September.
Tevez has demonstrated his importance to City by scoring four goals in his last three games to revive the team's title hopes, and he doesn't see this season being his last at the Etihad Stadium.
"This club has been building something special for the last few years," Tevez told the Manchester Evening News ahead of Monday's derby with Manchester United that could determine the Premier League champions. "It was the project and the dream that made me come to City in the first place."
"I've been here since the start of that project and I share the same vision as Sheikh Mansour. He has always been brilliant with me and I want to repay his faith and stay here as long as it takes to make the project a success."
Despite a public apology for his insubordination, it was widely expected Tevez would still be leaving City at the end of the season, having failed to secure a move to AC Milan or Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window.
Tevez, who returned to Manchester in February after an unauthorised three-month absence in Argentina, reappeared in the starting line-up this month after apologising and being integrated back into the first-team squad.
However, despite previous outbursts about his unhappiness at living in Manchester for personal reasons, the striker and his family appear ready to make another go of it in the northwest city, with City aiming to overtake United either this season or in the coming years.
"My relationship with the manager is totally fine, he's been as good as gold with me and there have been absolutely no problems." the former United player said.
"I am an ambitious person. I want to work hard and win things with City," added Tevez, who acknowledged in an interview with the club's website that he had "thrown away" the last six months of his career. "That's all that matters to me, as a player and a person."
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