I turned down Man City exit option this summer - now I'm a Champions League player

It's been quite the year for Manchester City's newest debutant - and it could have played out very differently.

From a fight for his place in the under-18s, to captaining the academy to a historic FA Youth Cup victory, Jahmai Simpson Pusey has played for the City first team at the Yankee Stadium, and has now made his full competitive debut in the Champions League. All in the space of a few months.

Lifting the Youth Cup as captain would normally be the pinnacle of any player's academy career, especially as Simpson-Pusey didn't know he'd lead the Youth Blues out until the day of the final. But for the local defender, memories of the Youth Cup barely elicit a smile.

ALSO READ: 'I love it' Pep Guardiola defiant on Man City future after heavy Sporting defeat

ALSO READ: What angry Erling Haaland did after Sporting disaster shows disconnect between Man City players

"I’d say it’s my proudest moment but I’ve put that in the past and I feel like it’s time for me to push on and stride for better things," he told MEN Sport, speaking before his first two senior appearances this week. Knowing what has happened to him since puts his comments into a different lens.

"Winning the Youth Cup, it’s a big achievement. But a few months down the line and being in and around the first team, I’d say that’s my next step.

"When you go over there and play with the first-team players… the Youth Cup doesn’t mean anything to them. You’re with treble-winners. You have to just prepare to train with them and be as good as you can."

It would take even the most hardened senior player not to be delighted for City's youngsters at their Youth Cup success, but Simpson-Pusey is perhaps wise to keep his feet on the ground. His ability to quickly move on - "I