He may be an unknown commodity amongst the Australian football community, but Manchester City EDS midfielder James Horsfield is certainly no stranger to Melbourne City FC.
The 19-year-old looks back fondly on his time in Melbourne after spending a month training with Melbourne City FC during pre-season last year, and says the Club will provide a stern test for Manuel Pellegrini’s side at CBus Super Stadium.
“I loved it at Melbourne, I had a really good time and made some good friends here – it went really well,” Horsfield said.
“I came out here in February just to train with the first-team and they’ve got some good players. It will be a difficult game for us but hopefully our quality will get us through.”
“They’re a very fit team – there will be a lot of running involved. They’ve got a lot of good players – for example, I think Aaron Mooy is a top midfielder.”
A midfield lynchpin for the club’s Elite Development Squad, Manchester City’s Australia tour represents Horsfield’s first taste of senior pre-season action, and the youngster is relishing the experience of playing alongside a host of world-class players.
“It’s been really tough, probably the hardest training I’ve ever done just because it’s pre-season and I’m alongside some unreal players,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to go away with the first-team so it was a good surprise for me.”
“I’m loving every minute of it – it’s an amazing experience.”
Saturday’s inaugural City Football Group clash with Melbourne City FC presents Horsfield with an opportunity to make a dream first-team debut; a chance he is ready to grasp with both hands.
“It’d be amazing to play – I’ve been at City for 11 years now, everyone dreams of playing for the first-team so it’d be amazing to do it on this trip if I get on.”
“Just seeing how well known they are across the world is amazing – they’re a lot more high profile and everyone wants a picture and an autograph – no-one knows who we, the younger players, are but hopefully we’ll have that to look forward to one day.”
