Sam Tillen reflected on the progress the Academy has made during the EFL’s Youth Development Week.
City Academy graduates have played 7,984 minutes with 29 goal contributions between them this season.
Jovon Makama, Sean Roughan and Freddie Draper have played key roles in Michael Skubala’s side showcasing the success of City’s Academy setup.
Oisin Gallagher and MJ Kamara have enjoyed first team involvements as has Zane Okoro, while Denny Oliver and Charlie Parks have been named on the bench in various cup competitions.
Tillen said: “This season has been a great success for us, I’m really proud of the progress we've made at the Academy.
“We’ve had a number of lads involved in matchday squads and up at the Elite Performance Centre in first team training, which is testament to the hard work from all the staff at the Academy.
“It’s great to see the likes of Jovon, Freddie and Sean playing regular first team football and contributing to results, they’re an example of what Academy success looks like and provide inspiration for players in different stages of the pathway.”
Okoro made his first team debut against Chesham United in the FA Cup just over a week before scoring his first senior goal in the Vertu Trophy against Manchester City U21s.
He continued: “It was a great achievement for Zane to make his first team debut this season, be named player of the match and contribute with a goal on his senior debut.
“Zane has been a highlight for us this year because of the way he’s applied himself and taken his chances - we’re really proud of his progress.”
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