The first three months were hard, I wasn't getting on the pitch, but I felt ready to help the team. Then I made a few appearances and started scoring some goals' James McAtee on the challenge of breaking into the Man City first-team

"They gave me another chance, and I was grateful for that, he tells FourFourTwo. The first three months were hard, I wasn't getting on the pitch, but I felt ready to help the team. Then I made a few appearances and started scoring some goals."

"Playing in the Champions League is something you dream of since you were seven or eight. I didn't think I was going to get on, but we went 3-0 up and I was like, Oh, I might come on now'. Then to score was special."

"During the game, I didn't think I was doing too well, but once I scored the first goal I got more confidence, and everything I touched was going in."

James McAtee joined Manchester City at age ten in 2013 and rose through the academy to make a senior debut in September 2021 in a League Cup win over Wycombe Wanderers. He made his Premier League debut two months later as a substitute against Everton. With a crowded first-team squad, he spent two seasons on loan at Sheffield United, helping them win promotion and gaining Premier League experience. At 21 he returned to Manchester City, became a regular squad member, scored his first City goal in the Champions League, added Premier League goals and an FA Cup hat-trick, and has 24 England U21 caps.

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