Josh Wilson-Esbrand‘s long-term future may lie away from the Etihad, but for now the 23-year-old defender is playing a crucial behind-the-scenes role for Man City’s Under-21s.
Wilson-Esbrand has spent much of the last three years out on loan, yet he has stayed with the Blues this season, even though he was left off the Manchester City Premier League squad list. That means he can only play for Oli Reiss’ EDS side, and he started their thrilling Premier League 2 win over Stoke City on Friday night.
The former West Ham youngster, who joined City in 2019, is also set to start tonight’s EFL Trophy group game at Port Vale. Reiss has been impressed with far more than his football.
Josh Wilson-Esbrand’s role as the Man City elder statesman
Wilson-Esbrand is likely to leave City when his contract expires in the summer. Loan spells at Coventry City, Reims, Cardiff City, Stoke City and Radomiak Radom in Poland have given way to a different challenge this term: slotting back into academy football.
He has embraced it. Under-21 boss Reiss said: “He is top in terms of his standards and behaviours. He is part of our EDS and he will have minutes as much as possible. He will get minutes on Tuesday. It is a good stage for him to show how good he is and in the future we will see.”
Reiss went further, praising the way the defender carries himself around the younger players: “He is not just performing in terms of training of ‘the better I am the more minutes I get,’ you can really see the way he behaves and how he talks to the others. I had a good conversation with him last week and he said ‘I want to help all the younger players around me’ and this is the top combination he shows at the moment.”
Where City stand in the EFL Trophy
Wilson-Esbrand came off the bench in City’s opening EFL Trophy game at Mansfield, a 4-1 win for the Blues, but he missed the defeat at Chesterfield on matchday two. That result means Reiss’ side have to beat Port Vale tonight to reach the last 32.
Vale start the night in second, a point above City, while Chesterfield lead the group with five points ahead of their meeting with a Mansfield side yet to get off the mark. That game is not being played until next month. If City win in the Midlands and the Stags beat Chesterfield, City will top the group and earn a seeded spot in the knockout stages, which take place in early December.
What this means for Man City’s squad
Wilson-Esbrand is not the only defender on the fringes: Rayan Aït-Nouri has not played a Premier League minute under Enzo Maresca and a January exit looms. You can also read our Man City predicted lineup for the Brighton EFL Cup tie.
For Wilson-Esbrand, tonight at Port Vale is a good stage to show what he can do, and a chance to help the younger players around him reach the knockout rounds.
