When Ryan McAidoo came onto the pitch during Manchester City's pre-season friendly against Inter Milan, he made sure everyone watching knew his name. The teenage winger replaced teammate Divin Mubama at the start of the second half and immediately caught the eye with his quick feet and fearless attacks against Inter's defenders.
Every time McAidoo got the ball, fans could sense something exciting was about to happen. He zipped past defenders with quick darts and delivered dangerous crosses into the box. One low cross was cut out at the near post, another just wide. But his closest chance came when he clipped a low shot that struck the foot of the post, nearly giving City a match-winning goal.
McAidoo was the star of the show, and City's manager Enzo Maresca had plenty of praise for the youngster. When asked about McAidoo and other academy players, Maresca said he wants to give them opportunities if they prove themselves ready. "I am always very open with the young players," he told reporters. The Italian manager pointed to his track record: during his time at Leicester City, his team set a record for the most debutants in a season, and at Chelsea, they also had a record number of academy players making their first-team debuts. "If they are good, there is no problem," Maresca said.
The comparison feels fitting, because City has a history of bringing talented young players through their academy and into the first team. Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Nico O'Reilly all made that jump in recent years, going from youth setup to regular starters. Fans and analysts watching the Inter Milan match sensed that same potential in McAidoo.
Contributor Harry wrote during BBC Sport's live coverage: "You just feel like he's ready to play. I get the feeling I had with Foden, O' Reilly and Palmer when it comes to McAidoo. He is so positive and wants to go forward constantly."
City's pre-season started about 10 days before the match, and Maresca said the plan has been to watch young players like McAidoo in action before making decisions about their futures. Whether that means opportunities in cup competitions or a loan move to gain more experience remains to be seen, but for now, McAidoo has given everyone plenty to talk about.