Pep Guardiola outlines Man City plan for five academy players

Pep Guardiola has warned his bright young Manchester City things they have the word at their feet — if they focus on the football and ignore the distractions of fame and glamour.

Liam Delap and James McAtee both enjoyed 15 minutes of action as the Blues saw off Fulham 4-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday, and underlined their potential.

McAtee was awarded a three-year contract extension last week after impressing massively, and he did not look out of place in a bright cameo appearance, while Delap returned from a six-month absence only to be denied a goal by a marginal offside.

Both face tough competition to get into the City team. McAtee is mixing with some of the world’s best midfielders, while City have just signed a striker who is South American Footballer of the Year, Julian Alvarez and are seeking another top goalscorer in the summer.

But Guardiola has backed them — and the other talents pushing through from the academy — to succeed as long as they do not get distracted by the trappings of football glory.

And he said Delap has a head-start in that regard because he can draw on the experience of dad Rory, a solid professional for Derby, Southampton and Stoke, among others.

“I can control on the pitch but today to be a top player you have to be on the pitch and off the pitch,” said the City boss.

“I think with Liam it’s not the case because off the pitch his father works [as a coach] in Stoke City and he has come from the world of football so he knows exactly what he has to do.

“But today it is not success to have one or half a good season or two seasons, it’s to have 12, 13, 14 seasons being there, being there, off the pitch is just as important as on the pitch but we are not guards here, we cannot control them. It