Pep Guardiola made no secret of how impressed he was with Phil Foden after watching him in the first team for the first time.
The Manchester City manager pointed the 17-year-old out as a special talent after his performance in a friendly against United in Houston, and from then on it was clear that Foden had a route to the first team.
Many in the club had expected it, but a performance on the pre-season tour had confirmed it all. Not every young talent is as skilled as Foden, yet it has been striking during Guardiola's time at the club how significant the pre-season tour has been in bridging the gap between the academy and the first team.
It is undoubtedly the best time of the year for promising hopefuls to leave a lasting impression on the manager, as has been shown almost every year since Foden.