Oscar Bobb: Man City's next Norwegian superstar hoping to follow Phil Foden's path

Bobb was born in the Norwegian capital of Oslo in July 2003, just after City had bid farewell to their beloved Maine Road and were preparing to move into their new home on the other side of Manchester.

He started out playing for local sports club Lyn, and when he was 10 years old he caught the attention of Porto after starring at a youth tournament in the Algarve. Bobb's repeated attempts to join Porto were blocked by FIFA, however, due to the governing body's rules against the transfer of underage players.

Bobb's case was escalated to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which sided with FIFA over the player and his mother. Bobb and his mother had already moved to Portugal, yet they had little choice other than to return to Oslo, and the youngster signed for Valerenga in 2017.

City soon came calling, however, and that year Bobb and his family were invited to watch the team beat Tottenham 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium. Just after his 16th birthday, Bobb signed for City as a scholar and enrolled in their academy.

Bobb helped City's Under-18s side win consecutive titles, and then took the Elite Development Squad (EDS) by storm in the 2021-22 campaign. In January 2022, at the age of 18, he was called into Guardiola's first team for the first time for the FA Cup third-round tie at Swindon. He didn't get on the pitch in the 4-1 win, but one week later he used the experience to spur him on in the U23 derby against Manchester United, scoring in a 3-1 win. "It’s been crazy, probably one of the greatest weeks of my life," Bobb said.

He was later named City's EDS Player of the Year after scoring seven goals in the run to the Premier League 2 title, picking up the same award again the following season after inspiring his side to yet another league crown.

Just one month after City won the treble, Bobb was called-up to the first-team squad for the pre-season tour of Asia, joining the likes of Rodri, Jack Grealish and compatriot Erling Haaland. He came off the bench in all three matches, against Yokohama F Marinos, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, impressing his coach each time. "Oscar made an incredible season for the second-team last year. He played unbelievable today. He can play three or four positions as well," Guardiola said.

Bobb's progress came at the same time as Riyad Mahrez was preparing to leave for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, and just as Palmer, another academy graduate, was itching for a move away in search of more first-team opportunities.

"Oscar's obviously been a magical player for us, as good as I've seen any of my players in the academy," Bobb's EDS coach Brian Barry-Murphy told the Manchester Evening News in August."You're obviously going to be compared against the best players in the best team in the world. What the club decides is best for Oscar is something he'll take on board. It's been very exciting to see him in the first team and start to show what he can do. It'll be fascinating to see how the season works out for him, wherever he ends up."

Bobb has gone from strength to strength since the summer and achieved a number of firsts. He was named in the squad for the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, collecting his first senior medal after City won in a penalty shootout.

He then got his Premier League debut off the bench in the 5-1 win against Fulham, contributing to Erling Haaland's hat-trick goal which completed the rout. He earned another cameo in the 3-1 win at West Ham, and then made his first appearance in the Champions League against Red Star Belgrade.

“He is dynamic and has courage,” said Guardiola after Bobb's bow in Europe's top competition. “He lost two balls and has to improve to not do it, but sometimes it happens. He is not shy and has an incredible work ethic. So aggressive without the ball.

“This player can play four or five positions. His speed is really good. I like it when he says he would shoot and take responsibility in the final third to win games. I have the feeling that some players like Cole Palmer, [James] McAtee and Riyad [Mahrez] left, he will have a lot a lot minutes. He has to be ready to use it.”

Assitant coach Juanma Lillo added: “We have great expectations for Oscar. He’s won his place in the squad through his talent. He's a very alive player on the pitch, he’s very daring and he’s someone who can play on the inside and outside. We just need to be calm, we need to give him his time and he also has to be patient and give himself that time. But he's another great player that we’ve got who’s come from the academy and we expect big things.”

Bobb is a master of keeping hold of the ball in tight spaces and capable of freeing himself from markers with just a couple of touches. He has honed his passing ability and vision as a midfielder, but can also play on the wing due to his ability to dribble at a high speed and his ease at cutting in from the right-hand side onto his favoured left foot.

The Norwegian was one of the most productive players in City's U21s side, contributing 17 assists in his last season in Premier League 2.

Bobb gets few goals for a forward, scoring just six times last season and seven the season before. Although City are hardly lacking goals due to Haaland's insatiable appetite for finding the net, their midfielders and forwards are expected to chip in with a handful of goals each per season. If Bobb wants to keep getting more opportunities, he will need to contribute his fair share.

Foden is a natural role model for any player coming through City's academy and he is less than three years older than Bobb. Their paths did not cross at the CFA as the 'Stockport Iniesta' was already established in the first team when Bobb moved over from Norway, but he already seems to be modelling himself on him.

Both players share a low centre of gravity and an ability to twist away from opponents with a flash. Foden first broke through as a left forward but now is getting more comfortable playing deeper in midfield and coming off the right flank, positions that Bobb often finds himself in. Both players are also left-footed.

In an interview with City's official media about how much he had learned from being in the first team, Bobb name-checked Foden: "It's small details like my body positioning, how I take my first touch. You see Phil between the lines, how he gets his body facing forward straight away when he gets the ball."

Bobb can also look for inspiration in Rico Lewis, his former team-mate in the U18 and EDS squads. "I've seen up close all of Rico's journey, I've been speaking to him throughout the last couple of years," he added. "Its been great to see him become one of the best young talents in the world. Phil as well, it's been great to see their journeys and what's taken them to where they've got. It's a great example for everyone in the academy that it's possible, that's what you work for all those years."

Bobb is likely to start against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, and if City can progress against the Magpies, the competition looks like being his best opportunity to show what he is made of. But he is bound to get more and more appearances as a substitute, especially if City keep picking up injuries at their current rate.

"My main target is to always come in with a positive spirit and give 100 percent every day in this environment, that's what'll help me develop," Bobb said. "If I give my all and try to show my talent, I'm sure there'll be opportunities. I'm not too focused on the number of games I want to play, but always being in a good mood and being willing to learn, that'll give me opportunities."

The ultimate aim is for Bobb to start contributing in a tangible way to City's successes, having watched last season's treble triumphs from the sidelines and the Super Cup win as a substitute. "It was great being in the changing room, the general feeling of being part of that winning squad. It was special definitely but I can only imagine what it was like winning the League or Champions League last season," he added. "I was speaking to Macca [James McAtee] saying 'imagine being a guy that plays this full game, it must be the best feeling ever'. So that's what we strive for."

McAtee looks like becoming one of the many City academy graduates that will have to pursue his career away from the club, but Bobb has already been given a huge vote of confidence from Guardiola. Now it is up to him to join Lewis and Foden and become another poster boy for the academy.