2024/25 will see another big shift of Under-18 players making the step up to City’s Elite Development Squad and in turn, another young Under-18 side will be competing in the league, Under-18 Premier League Cup and FA Youth Cup.
After stepping into the role in the summer, Reiss was straight into the thick of the action with a pre-season camp in Portugal which allowed him to quickly learn about his squad and the talent he has at his disposal.
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“It was a great time for me [in Portugal] and it was perfect that the trip was within my first two weeks, it was the perfect start,” said Reiss.
“There was a lot of football content and conversation about our style of play. We had great sessions, very intense sessions as you can imagine, so I liked it very much and I could see the high potential talent that we have.
“I used the time especially to get in conversation with a lot of coaches and staff members in terms of getting to know the players better and better and what I can expect from the Under-18 Premier League and cup competitions. And Ben [Wilkinson] was one of the coaches who gave me a lot of information.”
Academy players Nico O’Reilly, Stephen Mfuni, Lakyle Samuel, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Tom Galvez, Joel Ndala, Jadel Katongo, Justin Oboavwoduo and Jaden Heskey travelled on the Club’s first-team pre-season tour to the United States in the summer.
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And they were able to slide seamlessly into Pep Guardiola’s system because the Club emulates the same style of play all the way through our Academy.
It’s a style of play that attracted Reiss to City and one he is excited to continue developing during his tenure in Manchester while also guiding the young boys in blue towards professional football.
“I think it’s one of the main reasons why I joined Manchester City,” explained Reiss.
“I also think Manchester City was looking for someone who plays a similar style of play. With my teams at Hertha Berlin, I tried to play a similar style [to City] so I used to watch City a lot over the years and tried to put out some stuff of City’s style of play and put it into my way.
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“So now I’m very excited to learn and to develop my knowledge from the best. And also get my knowledge and interpretation into the Academy so I hope it will be a win win.
“Developing players is the main part of my job and of course I have a special view on the developing of players and how they do.
“In this case it’s a special time for them playing against older players and proving they are level to them but it couldn’t be a better [opportunity] for them.”
