SHEA CHARLES was schooled by Pep Guardiola but now the pupil is aiming to topple his master.
The Southampton midfielder, 22, scored a late winner to dump Arsenal out of the FA Cup to set up a dream Wembley semi-final against his former club.
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Former City academy star Shea Charles will face his former club on Jattvibeday Credit: Getty
Charles was at Manchester City from 2011-2023 Credit: Shutterstock
Lifelong Manchester City fan Charles was 17 when Guardiola promoted him to train with the first team. And he made his Premier League debut aged 19 at Brentford — coming on as a 63rd-minute sub for Nathan Ake in May 2023.
That turned out to be his only top-flight game for City as they sold him to Saints that summer for £10.5million.
But on Saturday evening he hopes to use his insider knowledge to help shatter City’s treble hopes.
He told JattvibeSport: “I started training with the first team at 17 and as a fan was looking at players I idolised.
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“For a couple of years, you’re trying to get up to their level and learn from them.
“There’s nowhere better in the world to grow up as a footballer — the way I play is the way City taught me.
“And now I want to use all of that to make my own mark against City. Although they present a huge challenge, who knows what can happen.” Charles particularly enjoyed getting up close with Fernandinho and Rodri who both play in the same deep-lying midfield position.
He added: “Fernandinho was my favourite player growing up.
Charles joined Saints in 2023 for £10.5m Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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“So to train with him before he left was a great experience and, of course, Rodri too.
“I’d be watching them, learning, asking questions. It was all about the reading of the game, game intelligence and having a good range of passing.”
But Charles admits he had a torrid evening against the Spaniard two years ago when Northern Ireland were beaten 5-1 in a friendly.
He admitted: “It certainly wasn’t enjoyable that night.
“Rodri is just focused. To train with him at City was one thing but to face him in a competitive game was quite another. It’s just the way he controls the game, I don’t think anybody in world football does it like him.
“You know what you are coming up against but how do you stop him being in control?
“He’s so patient on the ball and then, suddenly, can kill you with one pass. He’s the best midfielder in the world.”
Charles was in the City Under-23 side that won the Premier League 2 title in 2022.
As was Nico O’Reilly, who he is set to face today and Rico Lewis, who has been out since February with an ankle injury.
Charles is a Northern Ireland international and made his senior debut in 2022 Credit: Getty
Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia and Liam Delap (all Chelsea), Oscar Bobb (Fulham), James McAtee (Nottingham Forest) and CJ Egan-Riley (Marseille) were also in that squad.
Charles is one of a number of players in recent years who have swapped the Etihad for St Mary’s. Two of them will be in today’s squad — defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, 24, and 23-year- old midfielder Samuel Edozie.
The pair played the last time Saints reached Wembley — beating Leeds in the 2024 Championship play-off final.
Charles was an unused sub and said: “It made coming to Southampton so much easier because I knew a few of the boys from my City days.
“We had Romeo Lavia, Juan Larios and Gavin Bazunu here then too. This all helped make it a good environment for me to grow at Southampton.”
Charles came off the bench to snatch the late Wembley winner to topple the Gunners.
He is in good scoring form, having netted three in his last seven, including a 35-yard goal-of-the-season contender against Oxford. It won the Sky Bet Championship goal-of-the-month award for March.
He said: “Against Arsenal, you’re coming off the bench with the mindset to change the game.
“But the Oxford goal was the best of my career in terms of the execution.”
The star will be looking to cause an upset to his former club at Wembley on Saturday Credit: Alamy
Southampton go into the City game on a staggering unbeaten TWENTY-GAME run.
Their blistering form has seen them storm into the Championship play-off spots.
And asked if he would rather score a goal to topple City or see Saints go up, Charles said: “It would be good to do both! But promotion is our priority.
“The Cup has brought excitement and there’s so much confidence in the team. It feels like we can’t lose at the moment.”
