Tevez wants to repay Sheikh

In a shock derby day U-turn, Carlos Tevez has declared his intention to stick around at City until the "project" is a success.

The striker's statement will shock some and puzzle many more after his behaviour this season, but the former Old Trafford star has certainly breathed fresh life into City's title challenge since his return from self-imposed exile in Argentina. Tevez looked destined for the Blues' exit door in January after effectively going on strike following his apparent refusal to warm-up prior to a Champions League tie in Munich last September. However, when his desired AC Milan switch failed to materialise in January, he decided to apologise and return. Tevez is expected to start Monday night's crucial Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, and he wants to be around a lot longer. "This club has been building something special for the last few years," he told the Manchester Evening News. "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. I am an ambitious person. I want to work hard and win things with City. That's all that matters to me, as a player and a person."