Manchester City midfielder Rico Lewis has spoken about how his Christian faith reshaped his outlook on life — and spurred him to take action against homelessness in the city he calls home.

Lewis, who recently announced his marriage to Ameliia, told BBC Sport that his journey to faith began through curiosity. "I've always loved history and one day something clicked," he said. "I thought, why don't I learn about Jesus? Why don't I find out about the Bible? I started reading from a place of curiosity, and as soon as I did, I think God touched my heart. It changed my life."

His wife had grown up with Christian beliefs, but Lewis says their shared faith has deepened their relationship. "Leaning on each other, with the same end goal, is all that matters," he said. "It has helped us a lot in our life and in our relationship."

Awareness on the streets of Manchester

Lewis's newfound faith drew his attention to the struggles of those around him. Walking through Manchester, he became acutely aware of the city's homelessness crisis. According to a December report by the charity Shelter, nearly 10,000 people in Manchester are homeless and living in temporary accommodation — roughly one in every 61 residents.

"Since I've become a man of faith, I've become more conscious of people's suffering," Lewis said. "It's impossible to know why each person is in the situation they're in, but I've always wanted to help those who are helpless."

A tournament with purpose

Rather than simply making a donation, Lewis partnered with local rapper Nemzzz to organise a seven-a-side football tournament on 28 June at Manchester's National Speedway Stadium, raising funds for local homelessness charities.

"Bringing both together, uniting people in Manchester, and raising awareness — as well as raising money — felt the best way to accomplish our goal," Lewis said.

The event drew an impressive array of talent. Manchester City and England midfielder Phil Foden captained a side that bowed out in the semi-finals. Southampton midfielder Shea Charles and his brother Pierce Charles — both former Manchester City academy players and Northern Ireland internationals — competed, reaching the final before losing on penalties. Kaden Braithwaite, who helped Manchester City Under-18s lift the FA Youth Cup this season, also took part.

Manchester United prospect Shea Lacey earned praise from spectators for his dribbling and ball-striking, while Lewis's younger sister Sacha — a promising defender in the Manchester City women's set-up — made the event a family affair. The tournament was hosted by Faraaz Ghaffur, a City fan, Twitch streamer, and club presenter known online as FG.

"When Rico told me he was doing an event like this, it didn't surprise me at all," Ghaffur said. "He has no ego, he does it for the right reasons. He's a loving person that recognises he's in a very fortunate position because of the city he grew up in."

A vision for the future

Lewis sees Saturday's event as the first chapter of something larger. "Manchester is the best city in the world and it means a lot to me to be able to do things that can help this city," he said. "You can't change things overnight, but you can change it over years, and ideally I want to do this every year, upscale it and make the donations bigger."