Floyd Samba scores twice on debut as makeshift striker in Man City's 5-0 Carabao Cup rout of Norwich

Floyd Samba marked his senior Manchester City debut with two goals as Pep Guardiola’s side thrashed Norwich City 5-0 in the Carabao Cup, with the 17-year-old academy midfielder pressed into service as a makeshift striker in place of the rested Erling Haaland.

Samba, the son of former Blackburn Rovers, QPR and Aston Villa centre-back Christopher Samba, had never played as a number nine before manager Enzo Maresca handed him the role just days before the match. The teenager responded with a brace and a performance that drew praise from his manager and left the youngster himself lost for words.

“To get a debut like that is mind-blowing. I couldn’t believe it myself but that’s just the beginning — I’ve got a big career ahead of me,” Samba told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I couldn’t be happier right now. Being my senior debut, you have to expect everything to go well, the intensity, the level of players, everything goes up and you have to be able to match it and cope with it, and I think I did well with that.”

Maresca confirmed the unconventional selection was a calculated gamble, revealing he had only trialled Samba in the position in the days leading up to the game. “In the last three or four days when I decide to play him as a nine, I ask him if he played there in the past and he said he never did,” the City boss said. “He’s not a nine for sure, but he was good.”

The Italian manager was nonetheless satisfied with the overall display, highlighting Samba’s finishing instinct and physical attributes. “It was satisfying not just for the two goals but for the entire performance. He is very good at the finishing action so it was a very good game for him. He’s young, full of energy, strong, he can finish, he can set.”

Maresca was careful to temper expectations, noting that Samba is still developing and that City intend to manage his progression carefully. “They are young and we need to go slowly,” he added, pointing to some promising assist-play in the first half as evidence of the teenager’s broader creative qualities.

Samba was informed on Wednesday that he would be involved in the squad, giving him only a short window to prepare mentally for a first-team appearance at one of Europe’s biggest clubs. The result keeps City’s Carabao Cup campaign on track and provides Maresca with an encouraging glimpse of the talent emerging from the club’s academy.