Manchester City are enjoying a growing reputation for establishing young players and Cole Palmer could well be the next top talent off the production line at the Etihad.

The 19-year-old was rewarded with his first Premier League appearance in the 5-0 win against Norwich City recently, whilst he also started in the Community Shield against Leicester City, which emphasises that he is definitely in Pep Guardiola's thoughts.

As an attacking-midfielder, comparisons to Phil Foden are always going to be likely and there seems little reason to suggest that Palmer can't make it as a regular at Manchester City in the future.

The Englishman followed up his appearance against the Canaries with a dominant performance for Manchester City U21s in the Papa John's Trophy against League Two side Scunthorpe United, scoring a superb goal in the 3-0 win.

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Academy manager Brian Barry-Murphy was full of praise for the youngster following the game, saying:

"He plays the game on a level I could never dream of. My first impression was how humble he was, how hard-working he was, how respectful of his teammates he was. I know they’re clichés but it’s very refreshing to see.

"His work rate without the ball is very inspiring. The other players will always notice how he is. His ability with the ball is a given, you’re expecting what you expect and what you saw today was some amazing individual skill."

Barry-Murphy will be in regular contact with Guardiola over the progress of his young players and if Palmer continues to perform like this, then it wouldn't be a surprise to see him quickly establish himself as a first-team player.

Like Foden, Palmer will likely be slowly introduced into the first-team with occasional appearances from the bench and starts against inferior opposition but that certainly worked out for the 21-year-old, who became a key player for the Citizens last season on their way to the title.

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Palmer managed 13 goals and six assists in the Premier League 2 last season and has clearly given Guardiola something to think about. With those kinds of numbers under his belt, it's clear to see why he's in the mould of Foden, a player who contributed to 26 goals last term.

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