By WILL GRIFFEE
Published: 15:57 EST, 7 January 2026 | Updated: 15:58 EST, 7 January 2026
Max Alleyne, son of former England cricket star Mark Alleyne, was given a surprise Man City debut against Brighton on Wednesday night.
The youngster, 20, was brought in to start by Pep Guardiola after injuries suffered by Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.
Max was the club's Under-21 player of the year last term and was recalled from his loan at Watford to deal with the current defensive crisis.
His father, Mark, was an all-rounder for the England cricket team and played for Gloucestershire for nearly 20 years.
He played 10 one-day internationals for his country across 1999 and 2000, racking up almost 15,000 first-class runs in his career.
Max was signed for the City academy from Southampton in 2021 and had previously been an unused substitute for the senior squad seven times.
Max Alleyne (right) made his debut for Manchester City against Brighton on Wednesday night
Max Alleyne's father, Mark (above) played cricket for England and Gloucestershire
He then made 17 appearances for Watford in the Championship before City decided to trigger the option of recalling him.
Before the loan he signed a new long-term contract extension until 2030.
On Wednesday evening, the 6ft 1in centre-back was picked to start against the Seagulls alongside Abdukodir Khusanov at the heart of defence.
Prior to the game, Guardiola said: 'Khusa and Nathan are back as central defenders, Max came back from the loan. I appreciate what Watford have done for the young lad.'
Dias is out for four to six weeks with a hamstring injury, meaning Alleyne could be in line to play more games.
Gvardiol is sidelined for even longer having broken his leg in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea at the Etihad.
He faces a race against time to be fit again by the end of the season and World Cup in the United States.
'This is a hard moment but it will never define me,' the centre-back said. 'I know who I am and where I come from. To the Cityzens, thank you for your endless support. I love you, and I'll fight every day to return stronger, as a City warrior.
'My heart beats for Croatia. Always! I will rise again, better than ever! For my club. For my brothers at club and national level. For my people. For Croatia.'