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Meet the 'Stalybridge Silva' - Man City's latest academy game-changer raised at the CFA

Dan Batty celebrates his winning goal in Manchester City's FA Youth Cup win vs Crystal Palace.

One week it's Reigan Heskey. The next it's Divine Mukasa. Often it's Matty Warhurst.

And when it isn't any of those usual suspects, there are plenty ready to come off the bench for Manchester City to score big goals for the youth team.

Ryan McAidoo turned nerves into calm with a quickfire hat-trick as a substitute last week in the UEFA Youth League. On Friday, in a game that looked destined for extra time, Dan Batty entered the game and fired City into the next round of the FA Youth Cup.

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A drop of the shoulder, some neat footwork, and a cool finish. It was the spark City needed to break the deadlock in a tight game where Storm Darragh disrupted any chances of a free-flowing battle.

"It was a bit cold, watching from the bench. I'm thinking obviously I want to come on, do what I can," he told MEN Sport after his matchwinning turn. "I wanted to impact the game as much as possible. Help our team by trying to score but also doing the defensive work. It's a really good feeling."

Normally the final words from his coach before entering the fray would be encouragement to 'go and get the goal'. But under-18 head coach Oliver Reiss insists he put no pressure on the 18-year-old from Stalybridge.

"Everyone knows his quality, we knows his quality. We tried to have him in the pocket, dangerous to the goal," Reiss explained. "We know he can do this. Together with Dante [Headley] on the right side we wanted to have deep runs and one-v-ones. This was the situation, the quality of the players was the solution for us.

"It's not always easy to find the solution against a deep defending team. We did well on the ball, had a lot of possession but where are the gaps? Where are the overloads? The creativity of the players - this is the solution at the end. Well done at the end, especially the goal - a good combination on the right between three players."

Batty has three goals this season for the under-18s, and can operate in the middle and out wide. He is one of many examples of a player who joined the club as a child and has risen through the ranks to the youth team.

With his position, build and even his love for defending, it's no surprise that Batty looks up to one particular player in the City first team squad. His goal had more than a few shades of that player, too.

"I'm quite sharp, like to play fast. I'm trying to constantly make the right decisions in the right places," he said. "I try to get goals and assists, impact the game as much as possible. I like watching Bernardo Silva, obviously at City, he's one of the best players similar to me.

"I was here for ten years, a long time now. It's a good feeling being able to come through and still be here as an 18 year old. It can be a good pathway to the first team. Even if my pathway isn't here at City, anywhere I go it will be good to play football [with this education]."

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