Manchester City midfielder James McAtee has revealed his footballing idol.
Pep Guardiola revealed that McAtee is set to be a part of City’s senior team next season; an exciting development in the 21-year-old’s career.
Spending two consecutive campaigns on loan at Sheffield United, McAtee has shown a willingness to leave his boyhood club to further accelerate his development and hone his craft.
The Englishman has made first-team appearances for City in the past but it seems like the 2024/2025 season will be his golden opportunity to prove whether he is ready to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
James McAtee reveals David Silva was his childhood hero
Manchester City supporters will likely be on the edges of their seats watching McAtee in action.
Much like Phil Foden and Oscar Bobb, the England U-21 international is also left-footed, a silky technician, comfortable in tight spaces and capable of either scoring or assisting by producing a moment of magic.
Furthermore, the youngster is similar to Foden and Bobb in the sense that he can both play in his natural attacking midfield role as well as on the wing.
Often, for Sheffield United last season, the highly-rated technician was deployed in both positions — where he looked the part.
McAtee was quizzed about which player was his footballing idol growing up and he did not hesitate in naming David Silva.
The Manchester City academy graduate told the club’s official in-house media: “Mine is David Silva. When I was young, I idolised him.”
Understandable why James McAtee idolised David Silva
It is easy to see why McAtee idolised Silva.
Much like the Spanish legend, the Salford-born attacker is also an attacking midfielder by trade, technically gifted and dimunitive.
McAtee would perhaps have been inspired watching Silva run the show, despite being far from physically imposing.
Witnessing the retired midfielder run rings around opposition with his quick feet and incisive passing while using his unique footballing brain to always ghost into space and deliver in big moments are aspects of his game that would have left the young prospect awestruck.
McAtee is often referred to as the ‘Salford Silva’ — a nickname that must give him immense pride.
