Cole Palmer left Manchester City for £42 million and has been a revelation since, with 52 goals or assists in just 58 games, including a crucial goal in the European Championship final. Liam Delap has adapted quickly to Premier League life as a strong goalscorer, while James McAtee, following a successful stint with Sheffield United, has earned a spot in Pep Guardiola’s first team. Together, Delap and McAtee were the academy’s top scorers in 2021 and 2022, while Carlos Borges claimed that title in 2023. Palmer had an impressive 33 goal contributions in just 25 academy games, and these four academy graduates have collectively earned City £79 million in transfer fees, all now making waves in the Premier League.
With these successes, attention naturally turns to the next big talent emerging from the academy, as City’s youth goalscorers have increasingly translated their talent into significant transfer fees. Right now, another prolific forward is gaining attention.
Players like Delap and Borges didn’t just excel at the U21 level; they were goal machines from the U18s, too. Although a strong U18 season doesn’t guarantee success, it sets players up for the U21s, where they can prove themselves and attract interest from top clubs. Micah Hamilton and Dire Mebude are examples of U18 scorers who moved to senior football, adding to City’s revenue, though not yet on the same scale as Palmer or Delap.
City coaches emphasize that each player must remain grounded, meeting coaches’ expectations without letting success get to their heads. This is especially true for 16-year-old Reigan Heskey, who has started the season with remarkable form.
Heskey’s stats speak for themselves: 12 goals and six assists in just 14 games, giving him a better goal-per-game and goal-per-minute ratio than even Erling Haaland this season. He has netted goals at the U18, U19, and U21 levels, even against senior players twice his age in the EFL Trophy. A quick, skillful winger with a sharp eye for goal, Heskey shares traits with Carlos Borges, appearing more striker-like with his movement and finishing, even as he operates as a winger.
Playing alongside his brother Jaden, Reigan benefits from a family legacy in football, with father Emile Heskey well-aware of the dedication required to make it at the top level. City is confident that both brothers have the right approach to the critical stages of their academy development, showing the form that has yielded lucrative returns for City in recent years.
Talented youngsters like Palmer, Borges, McAtee, and Delap showed they were simply too good for their age group, earning them chances in first-team football, either at the Etihad or elsewhere. With numbers like Heskey’s, he may soon be ready to step up to an older age group for similar opportunities.
