Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden were among those absent from Manchester City's starting line-up at Red Star Belgrade but Pep Guardiola has a new Champions League goalscorer in his ranks.
City headed to the Serbian capital having secured top spot in Group G with five wins out of five, allowing Guardiola to rest a few of his star names.
Alvarez and Foden took their places on the bench at Rajko Mitic Stadium, with Haaland resting up back in Manchester as he recovers from a foot injury.
It left a couple of vacancies in attack to be filled by graduates from City's academy and one of them in particular took his chance with both hands.
The Sporting News takes a look at the early career — and successful ball-boy efforts — of young star Micah Hamilton.
MORE: Champions League top goal scorers 2023/2024
Who is Micah Hamilton?
Attacking midfielder Hamilton was named on the right-hand side of City's front three against Red Star Belgrade on December 13, 2023, meaning a senior debut for the 20-year-old.
Hamilton was an unused substitute during this season's 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat at Newcastle United and the 3-1 away win over Young Boys in the Champions League. Finally granted the opportunity to show what he could do on the field, he wasted little time in making a mark.
In the 19th minute, Hamilton collected a pass from Matheus Nunes and sized up Aleksandar Dragovic. He skipped around the outside of the Red Star captain and lashed a shot high into the net beyond goalkeeper Omri Glazer.
It made Hamilton the first Englishman to score on his Champions League debut since Marcus Rashford in September 2017. Later in the half, he almost had an assist when Oscar Bobb narrowly failed to convert a low cross from his old academy teammate.
Available in the US
Micah Hamilton gets a goal on his first ever senior start for Manchester City.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 13, 2023
A fairytale night for the 20 year old academy graduate. 💫 pic.twitter.com/xicwT5H0ow
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What a moment for Micah Hamilton ⭐
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 13, 2023
WOW! The 20-year-old has scored on his Man City senior debut in the #UCL! 🤩👏 pic.twitter.com/W6UpLWd1M8
Micah Hamilton career record
Hamilton is from Manchester and joined City's youth setup as a nine-year-old.
An aptitude for operating off either flank and in central attacking areas helped him to win two England Under-16 international caps.
En route to a second successive U-18 Premier League title, Hamilton enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2020/21, scoring 11 goals and laying on eight assists in the competition.
He has also won three successive Premier League 2 crowns at City and is now captain of the club's Elite Development Squad after suffering with injuries last season.
This term he has generally undertaken the role of provider, with five assists in nine Premier League 2 games without finding the net. Apparently, Hamilton was saving the goals for a much bigger stage.
Alot of missed time, Never lost faith
— Micah Hamilton ✞ (@micahhamilton07) February 25, 2023
Good to be back!
Thank you Jesus 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/LEi5WLkkzD
When Micah Hamilton impressed Pep Guardiola as a ball boy
Boyhood City fan Phil Foden has often spoken about how he was a ball boy when Sergio Aguero scored his unforgettable last-gasp goal to win the Premier League in 2012.
Hamilton is following in that tradition and his experience working the touchlines at the Etihad Stadium brought him his first tactical talking to from Guardiola.
As recounted by The Athletic's Sam Lee, during a 2017 Premier League game against Crystal Palace, the City manager was frustrated by his team's lack of speed around restarts from throw-ins and free-kicks.
Against Crystal Palace in 2017, Guardiola was annoyed about City’s speed of play.
— Sam Lee (@SamLee) December 13, 2023
"If there was a foul, no-one went to take the ball and start to play. There was five, ten seconds before someone goes to take the ball and start to play. When this happens everything is slow.”
So… pic.twitter.com/BGrlJplVwe
Part of the remedy was Guardiola giving a — ahem — pep talk to the ball boys, asking them to make sure any City player taking a throw-in had the ball in their hands rapidly. Hamilton was among those to get a tactical briefing.
After Bobb got in on the act to open up a 2-0 lead in Belgrade and the opening goalscorer won a penalty for Kalvin Phillips to crown a 3-2 win, Hamilton likely received warmer words from Guardiola after his debut.
Coincidentally, it's Crystal Palace up next at the Etihad Stadium this weekend. The key difference is that everyone in the ground will know who Micah Hamilton is this time.
