Man City whiz Finley Burns recalls big money move from Southend | OneFootball

Finley Burns is pleased with his progress at Manchester City.

He made headlines in national papers when he was just 13 and City paid Southend a record sum of £175,000 to sign him. Now 18, Burns has already made his City debut.

Recalling his original move, Burns told the Manchester Evening News: "The coach I had at the time was just trying to tell me to stay focused on football. I was young as well so the last thing I needed was to be worrying about what other people are thinking of just because of the price tag.

"I just had to stay focused on football and prove to everyone why I had been signed for that much.

"City is miles away [from Southend] in terms of football, not just the distance. It was a massive step when I was 13 going from one end of the spectrum to the other. They showed me around and showed me where they think I'm going to be in the future and laid out my pathway.

"If someone shows you what they think you can achieve and where they reckon you can get to, you've got to put your trust in them and believe that they can see it through with you. My parents thankfully moved up with me because that's a massive help for me. I need them off the pitch to help me stay focused."