CITY Promising Doyle keeps up his family’s legacy
CLEVEDON Town’s goalkeeper did not even move, watching despairingly as the free-kick arced into the far corner.
Manchester City were 2-0 up and, after a long six months out with a foot injury, Tommy Doyle was back in business.
The 17-year-old is not yet allowed medically to play 90 minutes as he works his way back from the first serious problem he has encountered, but it shows how much the all-action midfielder is valued that Gareth Taylor had no hesitation in sticking him in for 70 minutes for the FA Youth Cup clash.
The club have given their backing too, signing the teenager up to a first professional contract in October on his 17th birthday to boost the rehabilitation process.
A grandson of two City legends in Mike Doyle and Glyn Pardoe, Tommy was playing in the academy from his first year in primary school and is about as Blue as they come. Despite the pressure that could come from such footballing pedigree, there is no attempt to hide from it.
“I’m proud of everything that they’ve done because the history they’ve had at the club is a big thing. I’m proud of them and hopefully I can continue the Doyle legacy and keep the said. “This is the club that I love. I want to spend as long as I can here. Hopefully now when I come back I can do myself justice and try and push as much as you can for the first team. I’ve been at the club since I was four so it’s been a long time but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. As I get older I appreciate it more and more. It’s never nice losing but when it’s your 17-year-old Tommy Doyle grandson to Mike Doyle it going,” youngster team that you love it destroys you when you get beat. Just because I love the club so much you give that extra bit more and you want to fight with everything that you’ve got. The supporters with me have been fantastic. I’ve not done anything massive yet in my career which has affected the first team but the support you get from fans as an EDS player is fantastic.”
It isn’t just at the Etihad where Doyle’s inspiration comes from. Steven Gerrard was an idol and the Liverpool legend actually sought the midfielder out after an Under-18s game last season to offer some invaluable words of career advice.
England coaches are also fans, with Doyle having captained the Under-17s team; it was at the European Championships in the summer that saw the player break his fifth metatarsal to force him onto the sidelines for half a year.
While the midfielder was feeling his way back onto the pitch at Clevedon, Eric Garcia and Felix Nmecha two players slated to be in the Youth Cup team - were 130 miles away in Leicester after impressing Pep. Having previously had a taste of life with the first team, it’s also Doyle’s ultimate target to impress Guardiola.