Manchester City’s conveyor belt of young talent produced another memorable moment on Wednesday night as Reigan and Jaden Heskey, the sons of former England striker Emile Heskey, both made their senior debuts in the 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Huddersfield Town.
The Etihad crowd witnessed a special family occasion when Jaden, 19, replaced Nico O’Reilly in the 76th minute, before his younger brother Reigan, 17, followed him onto the pitch just six minutes later. Both forwards emerged from City’s academy system, with Jaden often captaining the club’s Premier League 2 side, while Reigan has been tipped as one of the most athletic prospects of his age group.
Their father, who scored seven goals in 62 England appearances and enjoyed a 20-year career with clubs including Liverpool, Leicester City and Aston Villa, has spoken in the past about the similarities in their styles. “They are both very athletic,” he said earlier this year. “The young one is very quick. The older one is a bit of a beast like I was. They’ve both got similar attributes.”
City manager Pep Guardiola made nine changes to his line-up following the 1-1 Premier League draw at Arsenal, but stressed the importance of giving youth opportunities. “Today, six players from the academy made the starting XI,” he said afterwards. “Two more came on, the Heskey brothers. I think their father and mother will be so proud of their kids. For us, that is really cool.”
On the pitch, it was Phil Foden who set the tone with a crisp first-half opener, showing once again why Guardiola believes his best role is in central pockets just behind the strikers. Brazilian winger Savinho doubled the lead in the second half, ensuring a straightforward progression to the Carabao Cup fourth round.
For Guardiola, the night was about more than the result. The manager has long championed City’s academy as a key part of the club’s future, and handing debuts to the Heskey brothers on the same evening underlined that commitment. For the family, it was a landmark occasion that will be remembered alongside Emile’s long international career — a new generation carrying the name forward in sky blue.
