Hamilton's great prize, from ball boy with Pep to scoring on his debut for City

It was the big surprise of Guardiola's lineup against Zvezda. A young man unknown to the general public slipped into an eleven full of rotations. Micah Hamilton won a double big prize in Belgrade, he made his debut with the Manchester City first team and did so with a goal and forcing the penalty for the third team. The dream night for the young Englishman from the citizen Academy.

The Englishman received instructions from Guardiola again six years after he already did so as a ball boy. In 2017, the Catalan coach grabbed a child to explain to him that he had to give the ball more quickly to the City players to catch a Crystal Palace team that was entrenching itself at the Etihad by surprise. A boy who six years later would make his debut in the Champions League and share a dressing room with those players whom he helped, from the sidelines, to win a game.

Those words from Guardiola asking him for speed were engraved in Hamilton's memory. Precisely that speed was the same one that he used to get rid of his defender in the 20th minute, go outside and take an unstoppable lash against which the Serbian goalkeeper could do nothing. Later, when City suffered the most, he got between two defenders in a play that seemed impossible and caused the penalty that would end Phillips' goal. A perfect and hopeful debut.

An award for a player who has had problems with injuries and who has found continuity this season in the Manchester City U21 team, of which he is captain. In eleven games he has already given six assists in the reserve league, more than any first team player in the Premier. He is a versatile, electric player who usually plays on the left wing, either as a winger or even as a full-back. Brian Barry Murphy, his youth coach, defined him as a street footballer and explained that injuries have prevented him from having the opportunity before.

A precocity on par with big names

The Briton was already called up to the first team twice this season, in Carabao against Newcastle and in the Champions League against Young Boys, although in neither of them did he have minutes. The wait was worth it. With his goal against Zvezda, Hamilton became the fifth youngest Englishman to score in his debut in the Champions League at 20 years and 30 days old. He only has Rashford, Beckham, Rooney and Chamberlain ahead of him.