The seeds of the Manchester City academy are beginning to flower. It has been a gradual process but the treble winners are now beginning to see players from their famed academy start to feature for the City first team.
The success of the Manchester City academy
The success of Phil Foden and Rico Lewis is well known. Foden is the poster boy for Manchester City’s Elite Development System. He has risen from the academy to become a vital part of Pep Guardiola’s winning machine. Rico Lewis has made a similar rise and is now a vital part of the treble winner’s squad. His versatility and immense talent have seen him become a crucial part of the world champions’ set-up.
Oscar Bobb has also risen through the Manchester City academy to become a first-team member. The future appears bright for the immensely talented winger. His form for the City youth sides earned him a place in Pep Guardiola’s squad for this season. He has seized his opportunity with both hands and appears set for a strong career at the champions.
The City first team is seeing more academy prospects
The trio of Foden, Lewis and Bobb have become integral pieces of Pep Guardiola’s squad. But others are starting to break into the first-team equation. During the weekend’s win over Huddersfield Town, there were 5 academy players on the pitch. Joining Foden, Lewis and Bobb were Jacob Wright and Micah Hamilton. It was a fantastic moment for the Manchester City academy and highlighted the fact that the treble winners are starting to see the fruits of their labour with the academy set up.
Five Academy graduates were on the pitch today 🎓🌟
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 7, 2024
Micah Hamilton made his mark by scoring on his first-team debut in the UEFA Champions League in City’s 3-2 win over Red Star Belgrade. He again showed snippets of his quality during his brief cameo at the weekend.
Jacob Wright made his first team debut during Pep Guardiola’s side’s emphatic win. The youngster has progressed through the City academy system and showed he belonged at the level. The young midfielder completed 21/23 of his passes and looks like another promising player. With his calmness, ability and composure he has drawn comparisons with former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho. The quality is there with Wright and now the path to the City first team is there for the elite young talent if they can earn it.
Summary
Manchester City are now beginning to see the seeds of their academy beginning to flower. Other clubs have benefitted from City’s elite development system. Players like Cole Palmer, James Trafford, Romeo Lavia and others have all made an impact since departing City.
But an often overlooked part of this season has been the impact of the academy on Manchester City’s first team. Young players are now beginning to force their way into Pep Guardiola’s squad which shows just how strong City’s youth system is.
