Get the day's biggest City stories delivered straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Manu Garcia has revealed how a pep talk from David Silva set him up for an impressive full Manchester City debut at Chelsea.

The 18-year-old Spaniard has been compared to the first team's very own Merlin, and many see him as the obvious long-term successor – both for City and the national team.

And Silva, who was not in the matchday squad, rang him before the game.

“We are both Spanish and play in the same position so he talks to me a lot,” said Garcia, one of a few City success stories on the day, despite a 5-1 FA Cup defeat.

“Before the game he told me to go and express myself, not to be nervous or scared, just be how I am in training, and I tried to follow what he said.

“It was an amazing experience for everyone, it was just unlucky we didn't win it.

MORE:

“Everyone pushed each other. We knew it was our opportunity to express ourselves and I think we did it.”

But it was the words of his dad that also stuck with Garcia, who was a key figure in City's shock equaliser, teeing up a one-two between David Faupala and Kelechi Iheanacho that saw young Frenchman Faupala score.

“You should have fun playing,” said Garcia. “My dad always says 'Enjoy it, like when you play with your friends when you were at school' and I try to do that.”

But the youngster admits that when he walked out onto the Stamford Bridge pitch and saw world-class stars like Willian, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa waiting for him, his belief in his dad's mantra wavered a little.

Garcia laughed when asked about that, saying: “I tell him this all the time: 'You try to go and play that way!'

“But it was a moment I have been dreaming about since I was six years old – to walk out and shake hands with these world-class players.

“I really enjoy playing in the first team. It is much easier to play with world-class players, but we have a really good under-21 squad as well.

“If you take too many touches or your first touch is wrong, you are dead. But if you get your first touch right, it's much easier to play at this level.

“Now I just want more, but you have to take the chances when they come.”

For Garcia and the others, it is now back to youth football, and he is hoping to be included in the Uefa Youth League squad which flies out to Spain tomorrow for their last 16 tie at Real Madrid.

“You have to know that your place is in the under-21s and you have to keep working as this is nothing at the end of the day,” he said.

“Now I am thinking about Real Madrid away on Tuesday in the Youth League which will be a tough game.

“I have some friends in their under-19s so that should be a really good game.”