English-Congolese teen Floyd Samba proud to make Man City debut in win over Napoli in UEFA Youth League

Floyd Samba has expressed pride after marking his UEFA Youth League debut with a goal in Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over Napoli on Thursday.

The 16-year-old forward opened the scoring with a composed finish before Reigan Heskey’s penalty sealed the win, giving City a perfect start to their Group E campaign at the Academy Stadium.

Samba, who is of Congolese heritage and the son of former Congo international Christopher Samba, was the youngest player in City’s starting line-up.

His performance highlighted his ability to adapt quickly to the demands of European youth football and showcased the depth of talent in City’s academy.

“We were working on that type of move in training. I knew once Ryan (McAidoo) got the ball and Dante (Headley) was running, the gap opened,” he told City’s website.

“And then I knew that was the time to turn, take my touch inside and shoot. It was a brilliant goal so I’m happy.”

The teenager admitted the competition’s pace and quality were a step up from what he has experienced domestically.

“It’s a big jump! I didn’t expect it (the difference in domestic competitions to Youth League) to be such a big jump. It’s a lot harder, the speed is faster, everything is faster. I just have to keep adapting to it so I can give better performances.”

City’s youngsters, who lost 4-2 at home to Inter Milan in last year’s competition, will take encouragement from their win over Napoli.

“It was very important (to win)… it’s better, it’s progress. It’s a good start and it will give us good momentum against Monaco in the next game,” Samba added.