With no football in Manchester until this weekend, The Mirror chose to run a feature on the positive impact of the City Football Academy in developing young talent to be ready for the first team.
Simon Mullock writes: “Welcome to Manchester City’s Football Factory.
“The City Football Academy – to coin its official title – is a £200million state-of-the-art complex in which Pep Guardiola’s squad hone their expertise alongside more than 450 young hopefuls keen to snatch the sky-blue shirts from the stars’ backs.
“In the 21 months since it opened, players such as Kelechi Iheanacho, Manu Garcia, Besant Celina, Angelino, Cameron Humphreys, Aleix Garcia, Tosin Adarabioyo, David Faupala, Brandon Barker, Pablo Maffeo and Brahim Diaz have all made their first-team debuts.
Over the coming years, City expect that trickle of talent to become a torrent.
Jason Wilcox, promoted to head of Academy coaching when Guardiola drafted Rodolfo Borrell into his backroom staff, isn’t prone to exaggeration.
“I’m not someone who gets carried away, but I have never seen anything like the talent we have at this Academy,” said Wilcox.
“We have got kids here who are at a level that is just mind-blowing. It makes me hope that I am working here for the next 10 years.
“We want Pep Guardiola to be spoilt for choice – and we are getting there.”
Elsewhere, City’s John Stones has been speaking about new England boss Gareth Southgate ahead of their trip to Slovenia tomorrow night.
Paul Brown in the Daily Star writes: “Stones says Southgate leads with an air of calm authority which is helping them to play with more freedom.
“He said: “I’ve worked with him before and it’s been seamless for him to come and work with us.
“I think he’s always got a calmness. He’s clear in what he wants from us and that gets us all on the same page.”
Finally, as always, there’s some transfer gossip.
The Sun believe City are in competition with Liverpool and Arsenal over Fulham teenager Matt O’Riley.
Matt Haughton writes: “O’Riley, 15, is regarded as one of the best youngsters in the country and his performances for the Championship side’s Under 18’s have alerted the Premier League big boys.”
That’s all for today’s media round-up. There will be more throughout the day and the full round-up will be back here on mancity.com tomorrow morning!
