When I noticed that the FA Youth Cup Semi Finals were on BT Sport my attention was brought to the first game at St.George’s Park between Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers. I remembered a young Rangers side’s win over Man City at the Istria Youth Cup in 2018. So I wondered if any of that Man City squad would be playing tonight.
I soon realised this was last season’s FA Youth Cup and therefore the players were predominately 2002’s. Rangers squad at that tournament in 2018 were all 2003’s and 2004’s, although the Man City squad did include two 2001’s and three 2002’s. One of those 2002’s Cole Palmer and a 2003 Luke Mbete-Tabu were in the starting lineup for the 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.
Yet in the game two years ago Rangers defeated the English giants 3-2, the goals coming from Ross McCausland, Leon King and Arron Lyall. These goals can be viewed on the link below.
It is interesting to look at both squads with the bulk of them still at the respective clubs. A handful have moved on from Man City, Felix Goddard (Blackburn Rovers), Leojo Davidson (Sheffield Wednesday), Fedel Ross-Lang (Southampton), and Charlie McNeill (Man Utd). I couldn’t find Sonny Perkins linked to Man City but West Ham’s player of that name was at Leyton Orient at the time, perhaps he “guested” for Man City at that tournament.
At the time Rangers three Northern Irish boys were technically trialists, Ross McCausland and Lewis MacKinnon has since singed for the club while Charlie Allan joined Leeds United this summer. Another six of the Rangers squad have moved on Reegan Aitken (Morton), Aiden Berry (Kilmarnock), Rhys Caves (Dundee United), Adam Mansouri (Dundee), Lewis Robertson (Motherwell) and of course Dire Mebude joined Man City in the summer.
In the FA Youth Cup’s other Semi Final Chelsea beat Man Utd 1-0. The final is on BT Sport on Monday.
Rangers Youths 
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