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For all of the homegrown talent in Manchester City's academy, it was a big-money signing that confirmed the club's fourth FA Youth Cup final in five years with a 4-2 win over West Bromwich Albion.

It is coming up to a year since the Blues paid £1m to sign Ben Knight from Ipswich - twice what they paid for Jadon Sancho - in a move that understandably made headlines, and his two goals and overall performance against the Baggies was enough to show why he is now making waves in an academy stacked with talent from all over the world.

City knew that Knight would take time to adjust to life at his new club. Even coaches do not pick up the intricacies of the playing style across every age group at the Etihad immediately, in addition to the stark change of moving a teenager away from his family and home.

Speaking openly on all subjects, the playmaker admits that he misses his parents every day given he barely sees them outside of the 10-hour round trips that they make for every game to watch him play.

But his transition in Manchester has been helped by a mentality has not allowed him to be fazed by the new environment as he plots a route to "jump stages" of his development on the way to the very top.

"I think with the boys I've settled in fine from the first day. It took a bit of time for the football side to get going but I always knew if I keep working hard eventually like tonight I'd play a good game," the young man said.

"The quality of players I'm playing with is so much better. It's harder because at Ipswich I was one of the big players but there are so many big players you have to up it even more to stand out.

"That's the challenge I wanted to take. I always try to be the best player on the pitch. I don't care who's there, I always try to be the best. [The biggest thing I've learned is that] I'm a big player.

"If I come here and think there's Tommy Doyle or people like that around me, I'm not going to get anywhere so I have to think 'I'm Ben Knight, I'm going to be the best player on the pitch'."

If it is unusual to hear a young player so bullish, his confidence has grown from a tough introduction to life at the club that has seen his versatility tested. A creative player used to a free role at Ipswich, Knight has been drilled in the tactical disciplines of playing across the forward line at City and lined up for the FA Youth Cup semi-final on the right wing before moving up to a centre-forward role in the second half.

The fact City will not alter the 4-3-3 formation played from Under-5s to the first team means that the wealth of central midfielders at Under-18s level cannot be accommodated in every game.

"He's a great lad, such a good kid to work with - enthusiastic, gets frustrated," said coach Gareth Taylor. "We've pushed him a lot this season coming from a new club, it would have been really difficult for him with a big chance from where he came from at Ipswich and also playing in a different position.

"We've played him right across the front line, at 10, we've really challenged him tactically and when you've got someone like that keen to learn and with that much enthusiasm he's always got a chance."

Guardiola, who made a rare appearance at an academy game on Monday night, will be as impressed by the attitude of the young player as his versatility.

(Image: Action Images via Reuters)

Having considered City's interest in him for around two years, Knight has not looked back since taking the plunge last summer. His comment on his price-tag - "I don't choose how much City will pay for me, I've just got to pay football and do my best" - is as mature as any senior footballer talking about the money in the game.

And while he knows there is still plenty of room for improvement in his game, the 16-year-old sees no reason why he shouldn't continue to back himself and dream of following the path of Phil Foden in moving straight up to the first team squad.

If it remains a long shot to break into the City first team, such belief can only help the ambition.

"I don't score enough goals. I probably should have scored another one tonight. In terms of improving, just staying grounded and don't think I've done anything yet. We haven't really done anything in the Youth Cup yet because we've got to win it yet. Be level headed and always want to be better than you were.

"I don't want to be a player that goes through the 18 system into the 23s, I want to be the one that goes above stages, that jumps stages. That's what I want to do."