Barcelona defender opens up on Manchester City “dream” following four-year stay | OneFootball

Former Manchester City defender Eric Garcia has opened up on his time at the Etihad Stadium, describing the overall experience as “a dream”.

The now-23 year old defender first joined Manchester City’s highly-rated youth academy from La Masia in 2017, going on to captain the club at under-18 level and featuring in the UEFA Youth League for the under-19s.

Garcia first joined Manchester City’s first-team in 2018, making his debut in the EFL Cup quarter-final against Leicester City, and going on to feature for the first time in the Premier League in an 8-0 win over Watford in 2019.

Over the Christmas and New Year period of the same year, Eric Garcia would play two full games for Manchester City, and in June 2020, would be named in Pep Guardiola’s starting eleven against Arsenal.

However, despite ending the 2019/20 season as City’s first-choice centre-back alongside Aymeric Laporte, the player would reject a contract extension at the Etihad Stadium, sparking rumours of a return to Barcelona.

Speaking during a recent interview with Spanish outlet Sport, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Eric Garcia has opened up on his four-year stay with Manchester City, and his rise from the City Football Academy into Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

“It was very good,” Garcia admitted. “I arrived there (at Manchester City) when I was 16-years-old, I spent four seasons in the youth team, (and developed) from the reserve team to the first team.”

Garcia continued, “The experience I gained there was everything. Everything I experienced there was a dream given I was so young.”

Barcelona secured the signing of Eric Garcia on a free transfer from Manchester City in the summer of 2021, stamping a staggering €400 million release clause on the Spaniard’s five-year contract at Camp Nou.

After a difficult spell working with Barcelona and their current manager Xavi, Eric García was loaned to City Football Group side Girona for the ongoing 2023/24 season, going on to score his first goal in a 2–1 away win over Villarreal.