Who are City’s Academy players on tour? | OneFootball

Several of City’s most recent Academy graduates are set to travel to the United States with Pep Guardiola’s squad this summer.

City face Celtic, AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea as part of our preparations for the 2024/25 campaign.

The team flew out to North Carolina on Friday afternoon to begin the tour, with further stops scheduled in New York, Orlando and Columbus.

As we’ve seen on previous tours, pre-season friendlies provide some of our younger stars with an opportunity to impress Pep Guardiola in a senior environment.

Below are some of our Elite Development Squad and Under-18s stars to look out for this summer…

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

Centre-half Simpson-Pusey became a key figure for our Elite Development Squad in his first season at that level in 2023/24.

An Under-18 Premier League winner the season prior, the 18-year-old signed scholarship terms in July 2022 and has enjoyed a rapid development over the following two seasons.

That’s included captaining City on several occasions, including in the UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup.

Indeed, Simpson-Pusey led our youngsters to victory in the FA Youth Cup final over Leeds United in May 2024, with Ben Wilkinson’s side running out 4-0 winners at the Etihad Stadium.

Reflecting on the occasion, he said it was a moment in his career that he’ll always remember, but the defender’s upward trajectory suggests it won’t be his last major milestone in the coming years.

A commanding presence in the heart of defence, Simpson-Pusey’s impressive physical attributes are complemented by an eye-catching composure on the ball.

Comfortable picking up play in dangerous areas, he’s demonstrated that he has the maturity and confidence to spark attacks from deep.

Jadel Katongo

Like Simpson-Pusey, fellow centre-back Katongo has enjoyed success at both Under-18s and EDS level during his time in City’s Academy ranks.

First making the step up to the U18s under current first team assistant coach Carlos Vicens, the 19-year-old was the youngest member of our 2020/21 title-winning team, before becoming a more regular fixture as we retained the crown the following season.

During 2021/22 he also first made the step up to EDS level, where he became a regular in the final two of our three successive Premier League 2 triumphs.

Katongo has played under Guardiola before, during our post-World Cup friendly against Girona at the Joie Stadium in December 2022, but is yet to make a competitive first team appearance.

He does however boast plenty of senior experience having enjoyed a hugely successful loan spell at Peterborough United across the 2023/24 League One season.

While the Posh missed out on promotion after a play-off semi-final defeat to Oxford United, Katongo did help Darren Ferguson’s side to EFL Trophy glory at Wembley Stadium.

He started at right-back in that 2-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers, a position where his impressive technical quality has thrived in the past.

Joel Ndala

An exciting winger, Ndala joined the Club in 2017 and progressed up to our Under-18s as a 15-year-old in 2021.

He was the youngest member of our U18 title-winning squad in 2021/22, playing ten times while also making his EDS debut as both sides went on to claim domestic titles.

Ndala continued to impress for our Under-18s the following season, hitting double figures for goals while also enjoying a particular standout performance against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Youth League, grabbing a goal and assist in stoppage time to secure a 3-2 win.

And in November 2023, that quality translated onto an international setting, with the winger one of the standout players at the U17 World Cup, despite England’s early exit.

Indeed, in just four appearances Ndala grabbed three goals and two assists before the Three Lions’ Round of 16 exit.

He’d already progressed to our EDS by that point, where he would continue to be a regular for Brian Barry-Murphy’s side over the 2023/24 campaign.

Ndala was another of our young starlets to play a key role in May’s FA Youth Cup final triumph over Leeds at the Etihad Stadium.

Tom Galvez

While Galvez is yet to feature for Guardiola’s men, he’s another member of our exciting young crop of talent in the US to already have senior experience under his belt.

Born in London, the full-back is eligible to represent Finland through his mother’s side, and made his international debut for them against neighbours Sweden in January 2023.

Galvez has gone on to earn three full caps for his adoptive nation, even being named Young Player of the Year in 2023 having made his competitive debut in a Euro 2024 qualifier against San Marino in November of that year.

The 19-year-old provided an assist in that game, a 2-1 win over San Marino, demonstrating his ability to unlock defences from out wide.

Having joined the Club in 2021 from Watford, Galvez soon became a regular for our Under-18s the following season under Ben Wilkinson.

A gradual transition into our EDS followed, with the defender becoming a regular at left-back for Brian Barry-Murphy’s side over 2023/24.

Galvez is every bit the City full-back, intelligent enough on the ball to move into central areas and support the midfield, or bomb on down the flank to stretch the play and get the opposition facing their own goal.

Boasting a sharp turn of pace, excellent vision and dribbling ability, the Finland international provides a real threat at the top end, while also never shirking his defensive responsibilities.

WATCH: Watch: How the FA Youth Cup was won

Nico O’Reilly

Attacking midfielder O’Reilly prepares for his first pre-season experience having won our Academy’s Goal of the Season award for 2023/24.

The 19-year-old’s audacious lob from the halfway line against Nottingham Forest exemplifies his eye for the spectacular in a season where he recovered from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Just 12 months before, O’Reilly had grabbed two equally stunning goals for our Under-18s in the space of a week, the first a match-winning, stoppage time scorpion kick against Middlesbrough.

One week later and he added a brace against Manchester United to his showreel, the first a ferocious finish from a tight angle, the second a 40-yard lob in a 3-1 win.

Those moments of brilliance capped off an excellent campaign for the midfielder, who was named Players’ Player of the Year after captaining our Under-18s to a third successive national title.

O’Reilly has already had a brief taste of senior experience having been part of our Abu Dhabi warm weather training camp in December 2022 before an inclusion in the matchday squad for our Premier League win at Brighton in April 2024.

But now, fresh from yet another standout campaign at Academy level, the 19-year-old will be keen to showcase his potent blend of pace, power and technical quality on a senior stage.

WATCH: Highlights: Middlesbrough 1-2 City Under-18s

Stephen Mfuni

Still just 16 years old, Mfuni is the youngest member of the squad travelling to the United States this summer.

But his young age belies the quality he’s shown for City’s Under-18s across the 2023/24 campaign.

A dependable left-footed defender, capable of operating either at centre-half or full-back, Mfuni combines his impressive physical prowess with excellent vision on the ball.

The youngster grabbed a goal on his EDS debut in February 2024 against Manchester United and repeated the trick in the U18 Premier League Cup final two months later, despite City being edged out 2-1 in both fixtures.

And he capped off an excellent individual campaign with another goal, adding our third in that 4-0 FA Youth Cup final triumph over Leeds at the Etihad Stadium.

Could the youngster add another goal to his collection during our pre-season tour of the United States?

JUSTIN OBOAVWODUO

The scorer of our first goal in the 2024 FA Youth Cup final triumph over Leeds, Justin Oboavwoduo is a skilful, dynamic forward.

He broke the deadlock in the 4-0 success after he weaved his way into the box before latching onto his rebounded effort to poke home.

It was the latest highlight in his sparkling Academy career which saw him seamlessly progress through the ranks and into our Elite Development squad.

The FA Youth Cup is clearly a competition he enjoys after he bagged an impressive hat-trick in a victory against Fleetwood the season before as his maturity on the pitch grew.

Clinical in front of goal with fantastic trickery and composure in tight areas, Oboavwoduo is not only deadly inside the box, but can also lead the press expertly.

JADEN HESKEY

Jaden Heskey enjoyed a fantastic 2023/24 campaign in which he was tasked with captaining the Under-18s and in turn earned him a clean sweep of awards at our annual Academy End of Season Awards.

Heskey is an extremely versatile and hard-working player. Capable of playing as a nine, in the heart of midfield or tasked with playing on the wing, the 18-year-old oozes confidence when the ball is at his feet.

The striker was at the centre of our FA Youth Cup triumph and also helped us to the knockout stages of the UEFA Youth League.

He was on the scoresheet in the Youth Cup final win over Leeds, bagging the second of the evening at the Etihad Stadium.

The forward even held the distinction of playing alongside his younger brother Reigan in a 3-0 win over Young Boys in November 2023.

His sparkling performances were rewarded with another clean sweep of awards, claiming the U18 Scholar of the Season, Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season prizes.

His inclusion in Pep Guardiola's squad represents his first inclusion on a senior pre-season tour and he'll be looking to continue his strong form last season in the United States.

LAKYLE SAMUEL

Lakyle Samuel first joined our Academy aged eight and had developed into a classy, composed defender who can operate at centre-back or right-back.

After signing his scholarship in July 2022, he helped our Under-18s retain the Under-18 Premier League North and national title in 2022/23.

He was then promoted to the Elite Development Squad ahead of last term and captained our Under-21s on a number of occasions in both the Premier League 2 and UEFA Youth League.

This highlighted his leadership and dependability which he will bring to the tour of the United States.