“We are building a structure for the future, not just a team of all-stars.”
Those were the words written to supporters by HH Sheik Mansour upon his completed takeover of Manchester City in 2008.
Immediately the mission statement from the Club’s new owners laid down a marker, stating our intent to create a first-class environment which wouldn’t just lead to senior success but breed excellent players from our academy system.
Since then, our youth set-up has welcomed, nurtured and developed a swathe of future stars who have either broken into our first-team or forged successful careers away from the Etihad Stadium.
Here, members of City’s Academy Alumni reveal what makes the City Football Academy an elite school for the names of tomorrow.
‘The football version of Disneyland’
An ecosystem of a first-class academy can’t thrive without strong foundations.
For City, these were laid when installing quality facilities which players have had at their disposal at any time, ever since the CFA opened in December 2014.
Southampton’s Sam Edozie, who progressed through the Club’s youth ranks between 2019 and 2022, was in awe of the centre when he arrived in Manchester from Millwall.
“Just seeing the campus, I was kind of in shock,” the skilful winger explained.
“You look at it as a place where you’d struggle not to do well, so it’s like a really attractive place for young players to want to learn.
“I think everyone there wants to win. It’s a demanding atmosphere, but it gets the best out of you. You train with top players, you play in England and other countries as well.
“You’ve got to be at the top of your game in training to make sure you’re competing amongst them.”
Edozie’s arrival at St Mary’s Stadium in the summer of 2022 followed the same path trodden by Gavin Bazunu who signed for the Saints shortly before.
The Republic of Ireland goalkeeper enjoyed a successful period in our youth ranks before impressing during loans at Rochdale and Portsmouth where he caught the eye of Pompey’s arch rivals who elected Bazunu as their new number one.
From humble beginnings in Dublin where he played for Shamrock Rovers before signing for City in 2019, he backed the notion that City’s youth facilities can push players to become the best versions of themselves.
Bazunu said: “The biggest eye-opening moment was seeing the level of the facilities, things like that.
“Obviously, from where I was in Shamrock Rovers in Ireland, to see the difference in the training facilities, the gym, the physio area and everything you had access to was probably the biggest surprise to me.
“I think it’s just having access to everything you need. Whenever you feel like you might want to improve your game whether that is on or off the pitch – you’ve got access to it.
“One of the funny descriptions that was given to the training ground was it was ‘the football version of Disneyland’. It’s like you go in the gates and you have access to everything.
“That was probably the biggest thing that helped me, going in there and feeling like I can work on and improve my game in so many different areas.”
It was a similar story for Esme Morgan, who joined City at the age of 14 and would go on to represent the team she’s supported her entire life at senior level between 2017 and 2024.
Her rise from Under-16s to the Development Squad (Under-23s) and then the first team was rapid, but the defender feels the CFA equipped her with the necessary skills and experience to navigate the twists and turns that elite football can throw at a young star.
Now at Washington Spirit having left the Club at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Morgan reflects: “I remember being completely overawed when I first got there by the scale of the CFA and seeing the facilities.
“Being a City fan and seeing pictures of my heroes on the walls was really cool coming in.
“It was a big step up in intensity with the level of the players and the attention to detail. As I got close to the first team it was building on your football knowledge, refining things that were going to put you on the level to move up.
“When I did [move up to the first team] that was another big stepping stone.
“At first you feel a little bit out of your depth but by being surrounded by better players and world class internationals, it forces you to raise your level.
“I progressed so quickly through that time and definitely think having access to different elements of the Club, not just on the pitch but analysis as well was something that was new to me.
“Doing video reviews, watching clips, I still find it to be a really helpful and important part of trying to get better and improve myself. That was new and having access to that was really exciting as well as the gym and things like that.
“It was all a new whirlwind of things being thrown at me that I hadn’t had before. It just allowed me to progress so quickly in all facets of my game.”
Although the fantastic resources are readily available at the CFA, the onus is still on the players within our ranks to best utilise them outside of training sessions
But Joel Latibeaudiere says the culture of winning at the Club stemming from Pep Guardiola’s excellent, record-breaking first-team provides all the motivation needed to give everything every day.
The versatile defender arrived at the Club in 2013 and captained our Under-18s to the Premier League North title before a switch to Swansea in 2020 and Coventry in 2023, where he remains to this day.
He declared: “They’ve got state of the art facilities and the best coaches in the country. That obviously helps.
“You’ve got access to everything when you want it, however you want it – it’s there for you, you’ve just got to use it.
“Being around a club that is at the top of its game. They did the Treble [in 2022/23], so everything is about winning, and you see it day in day out.
“The demands are very high, and you’ve got Pep and the first team at the top of the tree that you’re trying to climb.
“I think it always gives you that extra nudge to say ‘if you’re going to get into this team then you’ve got to work even harder’.”
Shouldering responsibility
When asked who had the biggest impact on his time growing in City’s Academy, Barcelona defender Eric Garcia was in no doubt.
The Spain international was quick to explain how current Women’s Head Coach Gareth Taylor helped him after arriving from Catalonia in 2018 – grinning as he described their on-field relationship in our Under-18s.
Part of the reason was the duties the Taylor bestowed onto a young Garcia which helped him settle quickly in a new environment.
“I think I had a great connection with Gareth [Taylor] and he gave me the responsibility which was really important for me,” he said.
“I think we had a great team with such great players who you can see are now playing in the Premier League or Championship and in other leagues.
“It was a really important moment for me.
“Gaz for me was really important, now he is coaching the Women’s first-team, he was a really important person for when I first came because the league is different than in Spain.
“In England it’s more physical and I needed my time to get used to it and he helped me a lot through that time.”
“It was more tactical things which, in England, are probably different than in Spain. Trying to change a little bit because it’s more physical even at 16/17.”
Not only have previous coaches in our academy provided deep education to our youngsters on and off the field, but they have also become mentors who are on hand to offer expertise long after they or players have departed the Club.
Current England Under-21s head coach and recent interim manager of the Three Lions Lee Carsley led our Under-18s between 2016 and 2017 where he made a huge impact on Latibeaudiere.
Following the same theme of Garcia being handed the armband for our youth team, the Jamaica international was also given the responsibility of captaining the side.
The lessons learned under the former Everton midfielder still resonate today and as a result, the Coventry man still holds Carsley in hard regard.
Latibeaudiere revealed: “Lee Carsley’s one of the best coaches I’ve worked under. In terms of man to man managing and on the pitch stuff as well.
“When you’re at a club like City, you have the best of the best. It’s great from top to bottom.
“I would say Lee [had] the most [impact], definitely.
“He was always pushing me. He made me captain, but he was always pushing me to try and get in the Under-23s and the first team.
“I loved working with him. I still keep in touch with him now to this day. Just more day-to-day. ‘How’s your life going? How’s the family?’.
“We don’t really talk about football to be honest, just try to catch up day-to-day. We had a great relationship.”
Top Gunner
City continued to develop on and off the field – but signing the likes of Patrick Vieira in 2010 helped the Club establish a ruthless winning mentality.
Although approaching the final chapter of his illustrious career, the French midfielder played an important role in our march to the 2011 FA Cup before hanging up his boots.
However, he would continue his footballing story with City when becoming an ambassador, before spells in our Academy ahead of his appointment as Elite Development Squad head coach.
And the effect Vieira had on the career of now-Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Aleix Garcia, who advanced through our ranks between 2015 and 2020, can’t be understated.
The Spain international arrived at the Club as an attacking midfielder before the Frenchman moulded him into a classy deep-lying playmaker, who could create and defend from deep.
Garcia said: “It was nice because Patrick was a very big player in his moment with Arsenal and other teams.
“I learned a lot from him because he wanted me to play as a number six – at Villarreal I played always as a number 10 or eight – maybe as a winger to come inside.
“With him I changed everything. I played in the beginning as a number six and I learned a lot. I was a player who was good with the ball but sometimes without the ball I needed to improve.
“He made me stronger and that’s why I think [Manuel] Pellegrini chose me to play that game against Chelsea in the FA Cup [Garcia’s City debut].
“Patrick was a key person to make me increase the defensive things.”
It wasn’t just in the engine room where Vieira made a huge impact, as goalkeeper Angus Gunn explained.
“When I look back, the one that springs to mind the [coach with the] most [influence] was probably Patrick Viera.
“When I got into the Development Team (Under-21s), he was the manager there and he was probably the first that pushed me, demanded more out of me and believed that I could get better and better.
“It was amazing. You see the first team around the place but being coached by someone of his stature and what he’s done in the game as well.
“At first, it was quite daunting and a little bit scary, but when you get to know people and you find out they are just normal, it makes it much easier.
“Being there in the bright lights, being around so many legends of the game and getting to know them as people and learning from them is really, really inspiring.”
Setbacks
Almost every top-level footballer has experienced difficult moments in their careers. Esme Morgan’s nadir came on 12 September 2021 when City faced Tottenham Hotspur at the Joie Stadium.
Colliding with Spurs’ Ashleigh Neville, Morgan had suffered a lower leg fracture, and the prognosis was bleak.
The defender, just 20 at the time, had established herself as a regular for the Blues and had even recently received her first England call-up, but a length spell on the sidelines beckoned.
In typically buoyant fashion, Morgan dove headfirst into her rehabilitation and would ultimately come back stronger, wearing the captain’s armband for City for the first time in November 2022 a few weeks after that long-awaited Lionesses debut.
The England international says the facilities and expertise of the medical staff at the CFA played a crucial role in her successful recovery process.
“The facilities that we had were so crucial at different stages,” she recalls.
“At the beginning when it was really painful for me to be weight bearing, even just being able to walk on the underwater treadmill in the pool and try and get my walking gait back right was great.
“I wasn’t walking correctly because it was painful, so being able to use the underwater treadmill and learn to walk again seems something so simple but without that it probably would’ve taken a lot longer for me to get back to normality with such a simple action.
“Having access to things like that was so invaluable and things like game readies which I could take home, but the gym had absolutely everything you could possibly need.”
While the CFA resources were vital, so was the support – both professionally and personally – that Morgan received from the medical team.
She believes her recovery was managed brilliantly by the Club, ensuring that she stayed on track without over-exerting herself and risking further injury.
The defender adds: “At first, I was just doing really basic exercises but as I gradually built up there was never an issue where we needed something that wasn’t there.
“And the alter-g, similar to the underwater treadmill once I was ready to be running, I was able to start that at 50% bodyweight and gradually build up.
“I always felt throughout that Harry [Reddick, Head of Physiotherapy] was researching everything he possibly could to try and give me the best support and progress me in exactly the way I needed.
“They drew on the expertise of the surgeon, and everyone really worked to make sure I was taking the right steps in the right order and in the right moments; making sure I wasn’t pushing things too far or taking things too easy.”
“I felt like the right balance was managed every single day, checking in with me on how I was feeling, how I’d responded to things the day before and just being really adaptable when needed.”
Opportunity
One of the key considerations for any aspiring footballer is juggling training with education.
Not every aspiring young player is lucky enough to fulfil their dream, so striking that balance and earning qualifications is essential.
Morgan was one who did succeed in turning professional, but gaining a good education has been – and remains – a key focus.
The defender received eight A*s, one A and one B at GCSE level – just days before making her senior debut for City as a 16-year-old - but her academic career is far from over.
Indeed, the England international is currently studying for a Sports Science degree at Manchester Metropolitan University; a course she’s continuing remotely after moving to the United States.
Once again, Morgan is quick to emphasise the vital role City’s academy system and personnel have had in her academic successes to date.
The defender’s conviction is clear: the CFA develops people, not just players.
She adds: “When I did move up to the first team the Club were so helpful in organising my whole college schedule, getting tutors for me outside of college to be able to catch up on things I’d missed through being at training.
“They really took care of me and made sure that my education didn’t suffer because I was training full time with the first team, so away from the pitch I was extremely well looked after.
“[I was also] being educated around the other important elements of your game like gym-based work, nutrition, everything like that. It gave me such a well-rounded experience.
“I was absorbing so much information that was new to me that it allowed me to progress so quickly. I think the Club really gave me the right opportunities in the right moments.
“Even after two seasons when I had a really good base with the first team but needed more minutes, allowing me to go on loan to Everton so I could get that game time and develop that way. Everything was managed perfectly for me to be able to come back and be a regular in the first team.
“I’m really grateful for all of the support the staff gave me on the way both on and off the pitch.
“I definitely wouldn’t be the player I am had I not had access to people which such knowledge at the CFA and obviously be able to use all the amazing facilities that it brings. I feel very lucky to have had that opportunity.”
Environment
A consistent and impressive figure across the past eight Premier League seasons has been Brentford defender Ben Mee.
Equally articulate on and off the playing field, the centre-back was a member of Sean Dyche’s gritty Burnley team between 2012 and 2022 and helped the Clarets to the top-flight in 2016 where they stayed for six years.
He then departed for the capital and has since delivered assured performances as the Bees continue to compete in the Premier League.
Mee was educated in City’s Academy and went on to sign a professional contract with the Blues in 2007.
After HH Sheik Mansour’s takeover of the Club, he believes the knowledgeable staff immediately implemented a winning environment.
“The environment, the standards that were set. We had loads of top people within football and they created a strong environment within that,” he said.
“They developed a lot of players, and I think that set City up and have gone on with a change of structure and the ways they work since then, but the foundations [were built] there and really good people who worked there.”
Mee witnessed wholesale changes to playing personnel, which he says raised his own personal standards and set him up for a fantastic Premier League career.
Although defending against players such as Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez may seem a daunting task – the 34-year-old recalls the baptism of fire handed to him instead by Craig Bellamy.
He added: “David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez were around and defending against them and being in a team with the likes of Vincent Kompany and his effect on the squad, his leadership skills were evident from the get-go.
“Pros like James Milner, being around it as well. Gareth Barry, Patrick Vieira, there were a lot of players to look up to.
“Craig Bellamy shouting at me all the time to make sure I’m on it and not slacking but having that encouragement sometimes.
“He thought I was a good player so he would be on at me all the time. Sometimes it didn’t help because I didn’t know what he meant but looking back on it, I do.”
Another Mancunian who inherited City’s lessons in our youth system was Southampton’s Shea Charles.
Before his switch to Russell Martin’s side, he lifted back-to-back Premier League 2 titles in 2022 and 2023 after joining the Club at Under-9s level.
He expressed his pride in advancing through the ranks of the Club he supports and says the lessons learned equip any player moving to pastures new.
Charles declared: “I’m a City fan, growing up. I was buzzing [to progress through the Academy], at such a young age as well it was a very proud moment for me and my family. Everyone was very happy at the time.
“To go all the way through, it was amazing.
“I would probably say the coaching [has the most impact]. It’s a good mixture of the strictness of it and a bit of leniency, treating us like young adults.
“I felt that was very good for us. I’d say even the standards off the pitch, we held ourselves to really high standards and that really helped us going on and moving to new clubs.”
Senior football
After progressing through City’s Academy, the beginning of Mee’s storied career in professional football began under the lights at the Hawthorns.
The now 34-year-old started and played the full 90 minutes against West Bromwich Albion as we fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat in the League Cup.
Regardless of the result, the centre-back says his solitary appearance for the Club still means a lot.
He explained: “There were a lot of lads who got their opportunity on that day, and I remember being on the pitch up against [Roman] Bednar. We had a really good battle with me trying to prove myself.
“On the pitch, we got beat that day, but I enjoyed it and I played with some great players as well. Patrick Vieira, David Silva came off the bench and I think [James] Milner came off the bench, too.
“Being in and around it, I’d been training with the first team, but to get my debut and actually play for Manchester City was a great moment.
“I didn’t get to play too much for the Club, but even getting that one appearance is special.”
Due to the education and opportunities afforded to youth team players at the City Football Academy, often they’re ready to step up when called upon in high-pressure moments.
A perfect example of this is when Lukas Nmecha made his senior Blues bow in a 1-1 draw with Leicester in an August 2017 League Cup tie.
Having led through Bernardo Silva’s first-half finish, Jamie Vardy’s 97th minute penalty forced extra time, before City won the resultant shootout 4-3.
Most players would be disappointed to be denied a win in 90 minutes on debut, but Nmecha expressed his pleasure in being afforded an additional 30 minutes to showcase his talent before stepping up and converting from 12-yards.
“I remember coming on, I don’t think I had a great game. I played alright,” he said.
“I remember when they scored it would mean I would play a few more minutes in extra-time so I was like ‘yes, I get to play and show my qualities’.
“When it went to penalties I took one. My hand was straight up and everyone was a bit like ‘what are you doing?’.
“For me, I always feel it a little bit [nervous] before, then afterwards I’m like ‘alright, it’s done’. I often just go into taking penalties with the mindset of ‘if I miss, I miss’. I can deal with it sort of thing.
“I’d taken a lot of penalties, so I didn’t think of missing.”
When asking a player who followed the same path as Mee and Nmecha in what it meant to play for City, Charles echoes both of the above’s’ sentiments.
The defensive midfielder played our final Premier League match of 2022/23 – a 1-0 defeat to the Bees – which Charles admitted he still finds time to watch back.
“Being a City fan coming all the way through – I always felt I had to make my debut at some point. Being the last league game of the season, I felt it was a very good chance,” the Southampton man revealed.
“It was such a good feeling. To be honest, I look back at the clips from the game quite a lot with it being my only game for City.
“I think I played well and obviously we lost the game but personally I feel like I played well, and it was high intensity.
“As I was coming on the Brentford crowd was picking up so it wasn’t easy, but I felt I played well.
“I’d say so [playing during the Treble season makes it more special].
“Having that small contribution to such a talented group of players, I would say is very special.”
London Calling
Reaching an FA Cup quarter-final is an impressive feat for any club - but City’s last-eight trip to Chelsea in February 2016 was a particularly proud day in our Academy’s history.
With Manuel Pellegrini’s side navigating an action-packed schedule, our visit to Stamford Bridge came just days before a crucial Champions League trip to Dynamo Kyiv in the last-16.
As a result, the Chilean handed five youth team players their full City debuts in the capital in a highly rotated squad.
After Diego Costa gave Chelsea the lead, David Faupala equalised before the hosts’ quality prevailed in an eventual 5-1 defeat for City.
Tosin Adarabioyo was one of the quintet making their senior bow and earned the Blues’ Man of the Match award.
He then enjoyed loan spells at West Brom and Blackburn ahead of permanent switches to Fulham and then Chelsea – signing for Enzo Maresca’s side in the summer of 2024.
He recalled: “We got battered to be honest. They were obviously Premier League champions at the time, they won the league the previous season.
“We fielded quite a young team, and we had quite a few young players alongside some experienced players, too.
“It was a tough game, they lined up probably their strongest team. But I do recall coming out as City’s Man of the Match which was another proud moment for me on my debut.”
Joining Adarabioyo on the field that day was Aleix Garcia who says it was a special day for him and the Academy regardless of the result.
“The debut was a special day,” he declared.
“The result wasn’t big for us, we lost 5-1 but we played many players from the youth team. I enjoyed [it] and I think I played a great match without pressure. We played against big Chelsea with big players like us.
“It was a big experience to play against these players in this stadium and I think I did a great match, but the result was not the best.”
“Of course we knew that we played because in three days the first-team played [in the Champions League].
“We were realistic, and we knew that we played this game because they played an important game. It was easier to play because we knew each other on the pitch.
“We competed for the first 20 minutes, but after it was a tough game.”
“Having that small contribution to such a talented group of players, I would say is very special.”
Impact
From the case studies examined through the words of City Academy graduates, it’s clear to see the education received at the Joie Stadium has set them up for strong futures in the game.
Not only do players receive first class lessons on the pitch, but it’s the skills acquired off the pitch too which Latibeaudiere says allow players to thrive once they’ve flown the sky blue nest.
The Coventry defender explained: “I just think how professional it was, whether that’s going into the gym an hour before training, going into the gym after training, eating the right sort of stuff.
“We always had workshops on the benefits to sleep, what you do in the afternoon, when you train and stuff like that.
“All that stuff has helped me through my career. Even stuff like cooking classes. Lifestyle stuff, so it was really good.”
However, Nmecha highlighted the importance of the tactical ethos inherited at City which has helped him star for Wolfsburg since signing permanently for the German outfit in 2021.
“Mainly technically we are very trained in that part, tactically as well. I think a lot of academies aren’t as developed tactically,” he expressed.
“A lot of people that I’ve been at say the academy tend to suss out things pretty quickly so it’s a good place to develop 100%, but it’s just what’s happening at the back end.
“Where you go from there, so for me, I’m at Wolfsburg now which is a good Bundesliga team. It’s definitely a good system [at City].”
Another factor which has helped numerous fledgling players in their careers away from the Etihad is seeing and aspiring to break into Guardiola’s senior team.
By establishing a clear pathway into a world class squad, players are hungrier to improve and push on once they’re invited to train with our men’s squad.
Aleix Garcia describes how being coached by the Catalan and competing with senior midfielders set him up for a strong career so far.
He said: “As you can imagine, Pep for me is one of the biggest coaches in the world. The history and he played in my position.
“I knew it was difficult to play because I had many big players in front of me, but he gave me some chances to play.
“I learned a lot. It was all the time shouting, all the time correcting me on the pitch and training ground. Also, big players like Fernandinho, [Kevin] De Bruyne, they were big players and I learned a lot from them.”
Words: Sam Cox & George Kelsey
Design: James Wright
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