Samba impressed as Erling Haaland’s replacement and scored twice on debut in Man City’s 5-0 Carabao Cup triumph over Norwich
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Floyd Samba starred in Man City’s big Carabao Cup winopen image in gallery
Floyd Samba starred in Man City’s big Carabao Cup win (AP)
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Floyd Samba savoured a “mind-blowing” debut for Manchester City after scoring twice against Norwich City – and is convinced he has a “big career” to come.
The 17-year-old son of former Blackburn, QPR and Aston Villa defender Christopher Samba marked his first senior appearance with a brace in City’s 5-0 Carabao Cup win.
Samba, a midfielder in City’s academy, was chosen as a striker with Erling Haaland rested and made a spectacular start to life in the first team.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “To get a debut like that is mind-blowing. I couldn’t believe it myself but that’s just the beginning, I’ve got a big career ahead of me. It was a great debut.
“I couldn’t be happier right now, being my senior debut, you have to expect everything to go well, the intensity, the level of players, everything goes up and you have to be able to match it and cope with it, and I think I did well with that.”
Samba was told on Wednesday that he would be involved and manager Enzo Maresca admitted that the teenager is not a centre-forward, but was pleased with how he did.
Floyd Samba scored twice on his Manchester City debutopen image in gallery
Floyd Samba scored twice on his Manchester City debut (PA Wire)
He said: “It was satisfying not just for the two goals but for the entire performance. He didn’t play many games as a nine, we tried in the last few days. He is very good at the finishing action so it was a very good game for him.
“In the last three or four days when I decide to play him as a [No] 9, I ask him if he played there in the past and he said he never did. He’s not a [No] 9 for sure but he was good.
“He’s young, full of energy, strong, he can finish, he can set. In the first half, he made some good decisions in terms of assists that he made but they are young and we need to go slowly.”