The final part of Steven McInerney's series looks at Jason Denayer and Kelechi Iheanacho amongst others
And finally, part 3. After covering twelve players so far, with Garcia, Barker, Unal, Zuculini, Humphreys, Glendon, Evans, Gunn, Maffeo, Horsfield, Lopes and Pozo all featured, we're down to the final six. And as ever, it's a list brimming with ability and promise. A lot of it actually - and I genuinely find it a little overwhelming. I had something of a realisation when I was writing this just how lucky we are at the moment. It hit me just how good some of our players are. Admittedly I'm naturally a positive person, and I even wondered to myself if I'm perhaps getting a little carried away. But I don't think I am. I'm really not - this is an incredibly exciting time to be a City fan and i'm not sure if enough of us actually realise this. We have arguably the greatest training facility in football freshly built, an incredible and constantly improving stadium and we're absolutely blessed with top-class footballers signing for us, with bucketfuls of players coming through the the academy ranks who could genuinely make it at the highest levels. And this is only the beginning.
Imagine what it'll be like in five years time? Something simply has to give - you can't possibly hold such a good thing down. There's genuinely more players than you could count on your hands that could go on to be top class footballers, all equally capable of excelling and starring for City. And that's just looking through the players out on tour with the first team. It doesn't include Jack Byrne or Angelino, both out on loan, or even other brilliant young prospects like Kean Bryan, Thierry Ambrose, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marcus Wood and Denzeil Boadu who aren't over here. The first year scholars too from last season - players such as Fernandes, Patching, Tattum, Buckley and Oliver who improved as the season progressed.
Then you look at the u15s and the u16s and the talent pool just gets wider and wider. Rafael Camacho, Tyrese Campbell, Lukas Nmecha, Luke Bolton, the much-hyped Brahim Diaz and Phil Foden, or the incredibly promising Myles Beerman. Ash Kigbu and Sadou Diallo too. And reports have emerged that we've just signed another alleged next big thing, Taylor Richards, a impossibly skilful prodigy, closely following on from last season's capture of Jadon Sancho who promptly went on to claim the MVP in his first tournament appearance for City. The young keepers and Joe Hilton and Curt Anderson are both excellent and then you consider that City have just signed two promising young french players, David Faupala and Ismael Bennacer. The strength in depth we through the ranks is mind-boggling. And I've most likely missed out a whole host of hugely promising names too.
It's formidable. It really is. We're a lucky bunch and you can't help but feel that we're sat on the cusp of something very special. This season should be fantastic in one way or another. And on that note, and ahead of the friendly tomorrow morning against Melbourne, here's the final six...
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