In collaboration with Goal, Voetbalzone highlights young players twice a week who can go far in the future or who are already earning their spurs in (inter)national top football. This time the focus is on the eighteen-year-old Sam Edozie, who is currently making a big impression in preparation for Manchester City and thus taking the next step in his stormy development with the English champions.
Every year at Manchester City, the preseason offers young talents an opportunity to stand out at Pep Guardiola. In the first weeks, the coach still misses several world stars who only return from holidays after the European Championship or the Copa América. In this way, young promises get the chance to show themselves to the fans and especially to the Spanish elector. That is a rare possibility, because the multi-billion-dollar team has little progression from the youth due to the cutthroat competition, although the training is still known as one of the best in the world.
It is not for nothing that many young promises look intimidated when they are allowed to join the first team for the first time. However, this is not the case with wing forward Sam Edozie. The left winger, compared in style to Raheem Sterling, is just up the pace, scoring in all three friendlies so far ahead of Saturday’s Community Shield battle against Leicester City. First he scored as a substitute against Preston North End, after which he was allowed to start twice in the starting lineup against Barnsley and Blackpool and in both cases provided the opening goal in a characteristic way.
His game intelligence and calm in front of the goal stood out in particular. The left winger timed his run just right and finished coolly, as Carlos Vicens saw him do many times last season. Vicens was then manager of Manchester City Under-18 and is now part of Guardiola’s coaching staff, who showed impressed by his young pupil. “It’s really good that he’s showing himself like this. He has the ability to enter the penalty area and then finish strongly, as befits a good winger. He is a great talent with a lot of speed. Be patient with him. He is moving forward step by step and these moments are very important in that.”
Indeed, the journey towards his dreamed professional debut is going more than excellent for Edozie. He exchanged Millwall in 2019 at the age of sixteen for the Citizens and was one of the youngest squad members of the team to win the FA Youth Cup in 2020. In addition, he split his time between the Under-23 and the Under-18, who both claimed championship. As if that wasn’t enough, he was also rewarded with an international debut. He first entered England Under-18s in March, although his background also means he has the opportunity to represent Nigeria one day.
Edozie indicated shortly after his transfer to Manchester City that it was very difficult for him to leave London at such a young age, but does not regret his choice in the least. “I will never forget such a season with three prizes. I cherish those moments immensely. I came to City to win trophies, so it’s great that I’ve already got three,” he refers to last season in the youth. “It wasn’t easy for me to move from London to Manchester, but I love football here. I am coming into my own and I am very happy that I dared to take the step.”
However, the youngster also had the opportunity to stay in London in 2019. Chelsea did everything possible to capture him when it became clear that Edozie wanted to leave Millwall. He was offered a tour of the youth complex, was allowed to meet the first selection and whatnot, but despite Chelsea’s tempting offer and the interest of various Bundesliga clubs, he still chose Manchester City. That team initially paid £600,000 and that sum can double if certain conditions are met. One of them is making his professional debut. This may already happen on Saturday, as it is rumored that Guardiola will give him confidence in the battle for the Community Shield.
Former Manchester City striker Paul Dickov sincerely hopes it will come to that. He is very impressed with Edozie’s performances in pre-season and compares him to another winger at the club. “He has something of Riyad Mahrez in him when he comes to the ball. He varies a lot and is unpredictable,” praises the now 48-year-old Scot with a total of nine years of service the Citizens on the official club site. “One minute it’s going inside and then it’s passing on the outside again. He continuously puts the defenders in front of the block.”
Most impressed, however, is the speed with which Edozie moves and acts. That is why he has been referred to internally for years as the natural successor to Leroy Sané, who left the club for Bayern Munich last season. However, that path is by no means an easy one. With Mahrez, Sterling and Ferran Torres, Guardiola still has plenty of wingers at his disposal, while men like Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish, who was hired for 117 million euros this week, can also play well on the flanks.
So Edozie has no choice but to wait patiently and show his best side whenever he gets the chance. Or he has to say goodbye to the club prematurely, as Jadon Sancho and Jayden Braaf have done in recent years. For now, however, he doesn’t seem to intend to, as he has been promised a regular role in the Under-23, with the chance to train regularly with the first team. Guardiola clearly sees it in him and now knows what the eighteen-year-old is made of. Elodie got a chance this month and grabbed it with both hands. The trainer or the youngster can show that again on Saturday when it comes to ‘the real thing’.