Mario Balotelli told police he 'robbed the bank' after famous Manchester derby

Shaun Wright-Phillips has revealed that Mario Balotelli once told Manchester police he'd "robbed a bank" after scoring twice to help City beat United 6-1 in the derby . The Italian striker spent two-and-a-half seasons with Manchester City and was notorious for his on and off-field antics , which frequently landed him in hot water.

City fans will always fondly remember Balotelli's performance in one particular derby, where reigning Premier League champions Manchester United were humiliated 6-1 at Old Trafford. Balotelli scored twice and famously lifted his shirt to reveal an undershirt that read 'Why Always Me?' , a nod to the constant scrutiny he faced while playing in England.

Wright-Phillips, who had two spells with City spanning seven seasons, appeared on BBC Sport's YouTube channel to discuss the upcoming derby this weekend and reminisced about his time during these intense matches.

Speaking about Balotelli, Wright-Phillips said: "He was like a 12-year-old in almost like an adult's body. Like the things he would do, you'd expect from a 12 or 13-year-old, like the fireworks in his bathroom. Like, who would think of that when you've got a garden? Why would you light fireworks in your bathroom?"

The 43-year-old recounted a hilarious incident involving Balotelli after the notorious 6-1 match, where the Italian striker found himself in hot water with the police.

"He said to me one time when he came to training, he's like, 'Shaun, you'll never guess what happened to me yesterday,'" Wright-Phillips said.

"So he said to me, 'After the game, I decided I'm just going to drive through Alderley Edge with my roof down and sing Manchester City songs because we beat United.' And then he said he got pulled over.

"He's obviously got cash on him because he's going somewhere. Police have asked him why he's got cash. He's turned around, he said to me, 'I told them I robbed the bank.

"I was just like, 'Why would you like think of that?' That's just his personality. Like he said, it's just his character. I bet some player he could've been, and some player he was at the time."

Balotelli spent almost three seasons with City, scoring 30 goals and providing six assists in 80 appearances for the club. His time in Manchester was marred by injuries and suspensions, as the young forward also struggled to keep his on-pitch antics in check.

Throughout his entire City career, the now-35 year old was yellow carded 21 times, two of which led to second offences and a sending off, and two straight red cards as well.

Despite his notorious behaviour, Balotelli will forever be etched in memory for his legendary celebration during the once uncommon City victory in the Manchester derby. Regrettably for United, Pep Guardiola's squad now frequently secure the three points in this fierce game.

But now, Ruben Amorim is planning to carry forward the momentum from United's 3-2 triumph over Burnley prior to this month's international break, as the two long-standing rivals prepare to clash once more at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

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