Mbete: I tried to inspire kids at my old school...now I must learn from City stars

DEFENDER BACK TO TRY AND TAKE HIS CHANCE

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

LUKE Mbete will spend a good amount of the next few weeks in the United States trying to stop Erling Haaland from scoring, but earlier this month the defender wasn't letting his feet do the talking.

In the days before Mbete, 20, returned to the City Football Academy to resume training under Pep Guardiola, he went back to his old school in North London.

Invited back to present awards and give a speech to kids at St Gregory's Catholic Science College in Harrow, Mbete was able to give back to the place that helped him on his way.

It may seem like no age to be talking about a career, but Mbete has spent quite a lot of his early years on a fast-track. Moving up to Manchester as a 13-year-old when Brentford's academy closed in 2016, the teenager became an FA Youth Cup winner in 2020 in a side that included James McAtee, Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Less than a year later, his professional debut came just days after celebrating his 18th birthday in a league cup game against Wycombe and loans have followed since at Huddersfield, Bolton, and Dutch side Den Bosch last season where he made 24 appearances.