Man City don´t give presents – Guardiola sure of Harwood-Bellis & Foden ability

Pep Guardiola says he is not in the business of giving “presents” to Manchester City’s academy stars and believes Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Phil Foden can have an impact at first-team level.

Harwood-Bellis, 17, and Foden, 19, started and scored in a 4-1 FA Cup win against Port Vale on Saturday, while 18-year-old Tommy Doyle appeared as a substitute.

Foden is a more established name than his teenage team-mates, having started in the Premier League, but manager Guardiola urged his young players to keep working hard for their chances.

“Of course, it is important [to have local young players] with Taylor and Phil – and Tommy,” Guardiola said. “[Doyle] played a month ago in the Carabao Cup and played a few minutes today.

“It’s not because they are English – we believe they can do it because they are good players. We don’t give presents. They have to earn [it] for themselves.

“In these games, we have space for everyone. But from what we have seen so far, they have the quality to help.

Nothing like the FA cup Even better getting on the scoresheet with my boy @bellis_taylor pic.twitter.com/wjoSHNzw0C

— Phil Foden (@PhilFoden) January 4, 2020

“Young players have to not talk too much, to train, to work and to listen and learn and learn and learn. They have to learn.

“The minutes are good for their development, and then the future is in their hands. The privilege for them has to be in this club and playing minutes with this team.”

City invited Vale into their dressing room post-match, and Guardiola added: “It was a pleasure. I saw the manager and the sporting director.

“It’s nice for us to host these clubs and for their players to realise we are the same. We play at a different level but dreams are dreams.”