‘Little wizard’ Bobb is Pep’s magic man

PEP GUARDIOLA didn’t have many words for Oscar Bobb when he called for him to help steer the course of a barmy night in Manchester City’s favour.

‘The manager told me to come on and score,’ the 20-year-old said. ‘Thankfully I could.’

No pressure then but the trust Guardiola has in the Norwegian, who signed for City’s academy from Valerenga in 2019, has been clear over the past few months.

He hasn’t played much but barely any of the kids do. Yet a look at the matches when Bobb has been called upon from the substitutes’ bench tell a story.

Wolves away, when City were chasing the game. Aston Villa away, when City were chasing the game. St James’ Park, when City were chasing the game.

Around City, they have been talking Bobb up for about a year. He was the star of their Under 21 team that won the league last season and won their player of the year award in consecutive campaigns. A first Premier

League goal will put him firmly on the map, to go with his maiden Champions League strike away at Red Star Belgrade last month. And he has come a long way from Lyn in Oslo, where they called him the ‘Little Wizard’. At youth tournaments, people travelled from across Norway to watch him.

Plenty of Europe’s elite were watching his progress and at the age of 12 Bobb chose Porto. But FIFA blocked him enrolling in their academy, ruling that his family had not moved to Portugal for their own occupations in a case that went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

They lost. He went back to Norway after a spell of not playing, recapturing his love for the game after injuries, and jetted off to City. He hasn’t looked back.