Txiki making sure Kayky is heading in right direction
TXIKI Begiristain has taken an active role in helping Kayky adapt to English football this season, academy coach Brian Barry-Murphy has revealed.
The 18-year-old signed for City for an initial £8.6m in the summer from Fluminese in a deal that could rise to £21m.
The initial plan was for the winger to arrive in Manchester in January, but that timeframe was brought forward and he joined the club in the autumn.
He has been a regular face in firstteam training under Pep Guardiola, has featured 17 times for the academy and already made two senior appearances.
With the Under-23 season now finished, Kayky will help his senior team-mates prepare for their Premier League and Champions League run-ins, and look to make an impression ahead of next season.
After coming on as a substitute in the EFL Trophy at Rotherham in October, with the young Blues going on to lose 5-0, Kayky’s first introduction to English football was a tough one. However, he has returned six goals and four assists in 13 Premier League 2 games after initially getting injured.
His form for the Elite Development
Squad and performances in senior training prompted Guardiola to hand him his senior debut in the FA Cup at Swindon, and his Premier League debut a month later in the win over Norwich.
He has been on the first team bench a further four times, including in the Champions League.
That integration has been led by director of football Begiristain, who has encouraged Kayky’s playing time for the under-23s.
And Under-23s boss BarryMurphy said City are happy with the player’s integration into the club.
“Txiki’s been really good in terms of influencing how he adapts to English football and educating me on how difficult it can be for a player from South America to adapt,” Barry-Murphy told M.E.N. Sport.
“He’s settled into the group amazingly well.
“He had a couple of injury issues which, I’m not an expert, but could be down to the difference in terms of playing here and playing in South America.
“His technical ability and his creativity is exceptional.
“I suppose our job has been to facilitate how he’s adapted and help him get used to English football as quickly as possible and you’re seeing clear signs now that he can do that.”