FA Cup blow won't dim bright futures for Man City pair Tommy Doyle and James McAtee

If you were to tell late Manchester City legends and FA Cup winners Glyn Pardoe and Mike Doyle that their grandson Tommy would be the hero whose goal sent his side to Wembley, they probably would have imagined it to be for the family’s beloved City.

However, Tommy Doyle’s powerful long-range effort in the final moments of the game elevated his current side, Sheffield United, into the FA Cup semi-finals, sinking fellow Championship side Blackburn Rovers.

Doyle has been on loan at the club since the summer, and alongside his fellow City loanee James McAtee, the pair have played pivotal roles in Sheffield United’s league and cup campaigns.

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Doyle has managed four goals and five assists in all competitions this season across 24 appearances, statistics he has already beaten from his previous season at Cardiff City.

His Mancunian compatriot, McAtee, nicknamed the ‘Salford Silva’, has demonstrated some silky and suiting displays in his first campaign in men’s football. The CFA academy product has tallied up 29 appearances, as well as five goals and two assists along the way.

McAtee’s brother, John, who plays for Grimsby Town, impressively reached the quarter-final round of the FA Cup, mirroring his brother’s progress. A possible family meeting in the next round would have been a wonderful tale. However, the Mariners fell to defeat at the hands of the red-hot Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, the McAtee household will have to hope and wait a little longer to see James play at Wembley as, alongside Doyle, he will be unable to play in the semi-final.

After the Blades’ victory, there was a feeling of initial confusion as to whether the two players could appear at Wembley,