Luke Mbete is focusing on simple things as he looks to stay around the first team at Manchester City.
The 18-year-old defender caught the eye of Pep Guardiola last year after impressing in the academy, and while a serious injury curtailed that campaign he has recovered well this season. A senior debut came in the Carabao Cup win over Wycombe in September, while there have also been minutes recently in the FA Cup at Swindon and Champions League at home to Sporting.
Since Boxing Day, Mbete has made nine of the last 17 matchday squads with the first team manager feeling comfortable enough with the youngster's effort and ability to regularly involve him. Those experiences have been topped up by regular Premier League 2 football for the Under-23s, who are closing in on retaining their league title with three games to go.
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Mbete is a thoughtful defender, and he takes his time to consider what exactly he has taken from being around the first team so much. When the answer does come, it is one that Guardiola would certainly approve of.
"I feel the advice that the first team give me is really good," he told M.E.N Sport. "I know I came on in a couple of competitions and obviously I'm pleased. I take it as it goes. I try and put in everything I've learned from my managers and teammates into my game.
"The thing we all kind of forget is doing the simple things really well. If you perfect the simple things, it makes your game much easier."
Mbete does not turn 19 until September but is already into his second full season with the Under-23s, clocking up nearly 1,500 minutes across 18 appearances in this campaign to guide the Blues to the top of the table. A clean sheet in their 0-0 draw with Liverpool last weekend inches them closer to another title, with West Ham the only side that can realistically stop them becoming champions again.
Despite his experience both in matches and through training with the first team on a regular basis, the former Brentford youngster instantly rebuts the suggestion that he has become a senior player in the Under-23s. Instead, Mbete praises the collective effort at City that has seen them close in on more silverware at academy as well as senior level.
"Some of us in the team have got some experience and we just try to help each other as much as possible," he said. "That's what helps us to be a team on the field.
"There's been competitions where we've been knocked out so we're just looking towards the Premier League 2 but we're hoping to win it. We push each other every day in training, games, because we want the best out of each other."
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