Manchester City faced Southampton in the Premier League 2 play-off final having won the regular season before beating Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United.
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: Charlie Gray of Manchester City during the Premier League 2 match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Joie Stadium on February 28, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Charlie Gray of Manchester City during the Premier League 2 match against Chelsea
(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
He's the latest in a line of impressive number sixes at Manchester City, looking to make his mark in the most difficult position of all.
It shouldn't be a surprise that City keep producing defensive midfielders capable of running the show and pulling the strings - it's a key position for the style of play that pulses through the City Football Academy.
The likes of Romeo Lavia, Tommy Doyle, and Shea Charles have raised millions as home grown number sixes with a few more bubbling under the surface in the academy this season.
Step forward Charlie Gray - the Players' Player of the Year at under-21 level and one of the standouts in their successful run to seal the title of Premier League 2 champions. (They had already topped the 26-team league but had to win the play-off system to call themselves champions.)
Gray played every minute of the successful play-off campaign and was particularly impressive in the semi-final win over Manchester United to add to his match-winning assist against Arsenal in the quarter-final. When Southampton were the final obstacle in Thursday's final, Gray intercepted a rogue pass out in the opening stages to tee up Divin Mubama for another goal - his sixth of the post-season tournament.
Having started City's successful FA Youth Cup final last season, Gray has stepped up this term to the under-21s and has chipped in with eight assists in total. He likes to get stuck in, too, with seven yellow cards and two reds.
Unsurprisingly, the 19-year-old looks up to the ultimate role model in his position: Rodri. However he is more of a Fernandinho in stature and maybe closer to Bernardo Silva in tenacity.
"When you've got Rodri at City who's just won the Ballon d'Or, there's not much better to look up to in your position," he told the Manchester Evening News before the final. "I watch the way he plays and try to get things from his game and take it into mine.
"You've always got to aim high, City always produce great players. With how they play they always produce good players and hopefully I can be one of them. A lot of play goes through midfield, because we have a lot of possession we like to get the ball inside to go outside and create chances. Six is always a part of that getting on the ball."
He has been with City from a young age, developing alongside the players he is now winning national titles with on an annual basis. He speaks confidently of knowing what is required of a player 'if you're going to do well at this club', and relishes the big games.
The first team have notoriously struggled to find a solution at the base of midfield, and while Rodri is now back, maybe Pep Guardiola's demands for a smaller squad and acceptance that he will have to use the academy if needed could play into the hands of some of these youngsters.
City will make tough choices on their Elite Development Squad (EDS) squad this summer and coach Ben Wilkinson admits some of his players have outgrown academy football. They could be primed to fetch millions in the transfer market this summer - or maybe kept around to provide first team support if Guardiola gets his way on squad size.
Southampton had no way past Gray's first line of defence, so when centre-back Max Alleyne swung in a delicious cross for Ashton Muir, the in-form winger couldn't miss and the Blues were on their way to another trophy.
PL2 Player of the Year Jahmai Simpson-Pusey spoke of winning the first part of the country's elite under-21 division, and a desire to win the second in these play-offs. He ended a fine personal season with another composed display before lifting yet another cup for the academy after leading the under-18s to the Youth Cup 12 months ago.
The under-21s are champions again. More importantly, Hugo Viana and City's transfer bosses can be confident the academy conveyor belt is continuing to produce top talent. Viana and Txiki Begiristain were watching another academy title head to the trophy factory that is the CFA. Development is always the priority over silverware, but trophies are never turned away.
With a spine of Simpson-Pusey, Gray and Mubama, supported by exciting talents like Alleyne, Muir and Stephen Mfuni, the latest EDS squad to dominate the PL2 have shown they are ready to follow in the footsteps of some big names of seasons past - however that looks in terms of development away from City or still at the CFA.
Gray in particular could be one to watch next season.
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