‘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

For 12 years, James McAtee plied his trade at Manchester City, arriving at the club as a 10-year-old in 2013 as he worked his way through the ranks of the club's academy.

A senior debut came in September 2021 in a League Cup win over Wycombe Wanderers, with his Premier League bow coming two months later, when he replaced fellow homegrown star Cole Palmer in a win over Everton.

With a squad full of world-class players standing between him and regular first-team football, McAtee would spend two seasons on loan at Sheffield United, helping the Blades win promotion from the Championship and then getting a season of Premier League football under his belt.

McAtee on the challenge of breaking into the Man City first team

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Last summer, McAtee returned to Manchester City – at 21, he became a regular member of the first-team squad. “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.”

McAtee netted his first goal for the club at Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League and it’s a strike he will never forget. “My favourite goal so far is either that, or the Blackpool one,” he says.

“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.”

He would net three more Premier League goals, plus a second-half hat-trick when he started in the FA Cup against Salford City. “My hometown team,” he smiles. “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.”

This form saw transfer interest ramp up during the January window, with City receiving a bid from Bayer Leverkusen to take McAtee on loan, with a £25million option to buy

That month, Manchester City received a bid from Bayer Leverkusen to take McAtee on loan, with an option to buy for around £25m. The midfielder saw the opportunity for more game time, but Pep Guardiola viewed him as part of the club’s plans. It’s understood that even a call from Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso couldn’t persuade Guardiola.

McAtee began to feature for City more regularly – although the club finished a disappointing third place in the league, he made 27 appearances last term and came on at the Bernabeu this time, in the Champions League in February. When he netted against Crystal Palace in April, he celebrated with a backflip.

“My mum’s a dance teacher,” he says, explaining how he learned the trick. “But I don’t think I’ll be pulling that out much – maybe on special occasions!

For me personally, it was a good season, even though for the team it wasn’t. Playing at Real Madrid was another dream come true, it doesn’t really get much bigger – when Pep told me I was coming on, I was nervous but very excited.

“Some of the lads like myself, Nico O’Reilly and Rico Lewis were always keen to get on the pitch and it wasn’t happening at the start of the season, but towards the end we had our fair share of appearances, so I had no real complaints.”