City starlet Doyle makes PL debut after BOTH his grandads starred for club

Manchester City teenager Tommy Doyle has followed in the footsteps of his legendary grandfathers Mike Doyle and Glyn Pardoe after making his Premier League debut against Newcastle.

The midfielder enjoyed a 15-minute cameo as City thrashed Newcastle 5-0 at the Etihad on Wednesday, continuing the family tradition by pulling on the blue shirt like his famous relatives.

The 18-year-old is the child of the late Mike Doyle's son Scott and Pardoe's daughter Charlotte, who met when they were toddlers and their dads were team-mates at City.

Tommy's debut was made even more poignant following the passing of Pardoe in May, just six weeks before his grandson took to the pitch for his first Premier League appearance.

The youngster is highly thought of at City and tipped to be a future England star, having captained his country at Under 19 level.

He made his professional debut in the Carabao victory over Southampton earlier this season and also made the bench for the club's Champions League tie with Atalanta in November.

Doyle has not been short of inspiration on his journey to City's first-team with both grandparents having cemented their place in the team's history.

Pardoe, a one-club man, became City's youngest ever debutant at the age of 15 - a record which still stands to this day. He played from 1962-1974, winning the First Division in 1968, the FA Cup in 1969 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1970.

The right back suffered a broken leg while tackling George Best in 1970 and struggled to recover, eventually retiring four years later after playing 380 games for the club.

Doyle joined City in 1965 and stayed until 1978, going on to win more trophy than his team-mate - the Football League Cup in 1976 where he captained the team. Although he started out as a right back, he was used in a number of positions but the majority of his performances came as a centre back.

He went on to play for Stoke City, Bolton and Rochdale and was also capped by England on five occasions.

There are hopes that Tommy can go on to be as successful as his two grandparents and the signs are good after a promising performance on Wednesday.

The midfielder's impressive passing range and ability to use both feet have drawn comparisons to Steven Gerrard.

As referenced by The Sun, Doyle's potential is well-known by big names in the game. The youngster was asked to greet Wayne Rooney and his son Kai when the two were shown around the club's training ground. Doyle introduced himself but the former England captain was already aware of who he was.

Fellow City academy product Phil Foden has excelled after being given more opportunities since the return of football last month and he and Doyle could be the future of Pep Guardiola's midfield with David Silva and Leroy Sane departing the club at the end of the season.