Patrick Roberts has described how he was pre-season outcast at Manchester City

After a high-profile switch from Fulham in 2015 as a teenager, Roberts was heralded as one of the country’s brightest young talents ready to take on the Premier League with Manuel Pellegrini’s title challengers. However, the exciting winger barely got a look-in amongst a host of talent at the club.

In the same season Roberts was brought to Manchester, City also signed Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Fabian Delph who were all involved in the first team picture.

After signing for Scottish giants Celtic on loan for 18 months, Pep Guardiola took over the club the following season as the Spaniard moulded the squad to his liking. Unfortunately for Roberts, that was without him as he continued his development in Glasgow.

Despite making a huge impression with Celtic, the youngster was not going to feature for City and the decision was made late in August 2017 to send him back to Celtic. Further loan spells at Girona, Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Derby County and Troyes would follow but this would become a frustrating running theme for Roberts.

Speaking to The Northern Echo, he said: “You finish on loan, then pack your bags up and then you’d have to report to Manchester City. At the time, if you are not in and around it, you are not really doing a proper one with the team. You’d be a with a group of loan players that would go out. City have the squad to do that.

“If you were in with the first-team, it wouldn’t be so intense. A lot of the boys would have been on the international break anyway so the first-team would come back later on so you’d just be filling in days really.

“You wouldn’t really be working hard in a team or getting ready for specific. You’d end up maybe getting 20 minutes or something. The minutes would gradually go down as it would in a normal team. You’re sorting a team out before the start of the season, you want more players that are going to play more minutes whereas I knew that was never the case unless I got out early which I think I did maybe once in my time.

Patrick Roberts in action for Manchester City

“The rest of the time you would be sat there until the end of August or in one case, because of Covid, it was the end of October (Middlesbrough loan move). The season (before) finished later in July so then you have your time off but then the transfer window was later on. Because the season started later on, I didn’t get out until October which is obviously not great when they want to recap the season again and finish at a normal time.

“In the sense of that, it’s been in a team environment, getting team work in, I’ve not had that since I’ve been at Fulham or at Celtic where I stayed for 18 months. That was about it really.”

Having to hang around for a loan deal to be sorted meant that Roberts wasn’t able to attain his full focus on games and playing football. The lack of consistent pre-seasons was nothing other than a setback for him. When asked that question, the winger replied: “I think mentally it did.”

“Training is fine but if you don’t train in an environment where you know you are going to be staying there, it’s a bit different if you are just getting by and just to keep your fitness.

“It helps mentally because you are in a better headspace and you can look forward to games, getting minutes, stuff you don’t have time during the season to do. You can improve at the start and then keep it up consistently throughout the season.”

As was the case over the years he was at Manchester City, Roberts would have to up sticks and throw himself into a new environment at the drop of a hat once a loan move had been negotiated.

Being away from his native London was not an alien concept for the winger but it will have a different feel this time around who will be living in the North-East in the same place he was during his loan spell last season. All the foundations are there for the winger to succeed.

Patrick Roberts celebrates Sunderland League One play-off final win

Roberts continued: “It think it takes a few weeks or a couple of months to settle in when you come into a new squad. Unless you come in and you play straight away, it takes a few months. You bide your time, you work hard. You get your chance and you take it and go from there. Feel more comfortable where you are.

“I knew where I was going to be at the end of the season. I would have the chance of staying, not having to go back anywhere. I bedded in quite comfortably and it’s a great club so it shouldn’t be hard for anyone to come in and settle but you work hard and you do the things on the pitch, then it is easier off it.”