Manchester City’s 5-0 Carabao Cup third-round win over Norwich City on Thursday was marked by a first-team debut that took the headlines away from another high-profile teenager in Manchester. Floyd Samba, 17, scored twice and played the full 90 minutes at Etihad Stadium, earning man of the match after a performance that drew a generous ovation. His bow also pushed a different story to the side: JJ Gabriel, the highly rated 15-year-old forward, is on the verge of leaving Manchester United, and the week had been filled with coverage of that possible exit.
City had been struggling for openings before Samba broke the deadlock with a flicked header, celebrating by blowing a kiss towards family and friends in the stands. He then curled in a second goal later in the game. Samba told BBC Radio 5 Live that he knew there would be an opportunity to get some minutes with the first team for the first time, and that to get a debut like that was mind-blowing. He said he could not believe it himself, but added: ‘That is just the beginning, I have got a big career ahead of me. It was a great debut.’ He also said the first-team players had been brilliant with him before the game, giving him advice such as ‘play your game, be you’, words that gave him confidence and helped him score the two goals.
Samba’s promotion followed a prolific spell in City’s under-18 side. He joined the academy at under-nine level and scored 24 goals and provided 10 assists in an eye-catching first full season with the under-18s. That campaign included curling home a stunning free-kick to help City win the FA Youth Cup final against Manchester United in May. His form led to him being promoted to the first-team set-up by new manager Enzo Maresca this summer.
Maresca said he was satisfied not just with Samba’s goals but with the performance too. The manager said he had asked Samba in the last three or four days, when he decided to play him as a nine, and Samba said he had never played there. Maresca accepted that Samba is not a nine for sure, but said he was good, describing him as young, full of energy, strong, capable of finishing and setting up players, and praising his decisions in the first half. He added that City have to go slowly with him, but hopes to give him more chances.
Floyd is the son of former Blackburn and QPR defender Christopher Samba, who played 171 top-flight matches for those two clubs and a further 12 in the Championship with Aston Villa. Floyd is the younger of two brothers at City, with Tyrone also involved in the youth team. As a fleet-footed forward, he is a contrast to his father, a no-nonsense towering centre-back. Samba said the step from under-21s to first-team training was a big jump, with more tiring sessions and greater demands.
Former Norwich striker Chris Sutton, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, called it an absolutely brilliant moment for Floyd, noting that his father was in the stadium and would be extremely proud. Sutton said Samba has been nurtured at City and has now given Maresca food for thought. He added that Samba will not play ahead of Erling Haaland, but that it was a great evening for him and good for his development, and that Maresca can think he can trust him a little bit more.