Shortly after the turn of the millennium, Manchester City had an academy with a reasonable reputation. Under the tutelage of experienced Academy boss Jim Cassell, City churned out a number of first-team players from the youth system; most notably Shaun Wright-Phillips, Micah Richards and Joey Barton, who all went on to gain full International caps for England. Indeed, since the clubs academy gained FA approval, 15 players have gone on to gain full International caps for their respective nations. An ability to nurture talent capable of playing at various levels has always been there.
Naturally, since the takeover in 2008 the Academy system has taken somewhat of a backseat. Ambitious ownership and management set about enabling City to compete with the elite of the game. Along came World Class talents like David Silva, Yaya Touré and Sergio Agüero over the forthcoming years. With the introduction of FFP looming ever larger, spending was accelerated as City looked to slip inside the door that was fast slamming shut; the time was simply not there to develop top class talent. Two league titles later, and with the creation of revolutionary training and academy facilities at the CFA, the time is there now. Suitably established among the top clubs in the English and European game, there is no time like the present for City to restart the conveyor belt from the Academy to the First Team. This time though, it will be at a different level.
The scale of investment in the CFA by Sheikh Mansour indicates just how serious the club are about producing World Class players and bringing them through the ranks. That investment is about to start reaping dividends. 2015/16 could prove to be a pivotal year in the history of the CFA – the year that it took off. Jason Denayer, Marcos Lopes and Kelechi Iheanacho are 3 players that are arguably ready to take the leap. Having all impressed during pre-season, and Denayer and Lopes during loan spells last season, they offer a viable option for Manuel Pellegrini as City look to re-energise the squad and regain the title. Undoubtedly the addition of Sterling improves the team, as would Kevin de Bruyne, should he make the move too, but moving forward, the answer could potentially be a little closer to home. Should any one of Denayer, Kelechi or Lopes make the step to the first-team on a permanent basis, it would signify the start of an important stage in the growth of Manchester City Football Club. The CFA is ready for lift off.
