As Manchester City’s £62.5 million marquee January arrival, Antoine Semenyo arrives with the physical and technical profile of a player often seen emerging from one of the nation’s top academies.
In reality, Semenyo’s story is very different.
In Manchester City’s illustrious recent history, it is rare that a player arrives without an illustrious academy background set upon by the world’s media. Think Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma, all names the world was all too familiar with by the time they reached 18 and graduated from their respective academy setups.
Antoine Semenyo is cut from a different cloth.
Born in South East London to parents Larry and Vida, Semenyo’s obsession with football was instant. Influenced by a father and uncle obsessed with the squad, it was clear that a talent was there and he was whisked off on a tour of the London clubs, doing trials at Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and more.
Nothing stuck.
During his exit interview with Bournemouth, Semenyo recalled his final trial, an eight-week stint with Crystal Palace:
“I spent eight weeks with Palace and I really felt I was doing well, scoring goals” he said.
“But I missed a chance in my last game, one where I should have passed it, and that was it.”
“I got into the car with my dad and he said ‘no,’ and that was it, a few days later we got the call to say I wouldn’t be invited back.”
Aged 15, Semenyo was in a very familiar position for many young footballers, bereft of a youth setup, and as a consequence out of shape and out of love with the game.
But absence makes the heart grow fonder, and after 12 months away from the sport, Semenyo was hungry for another stab at his dream, and, as luck would have it, one presented itself.
Semenyo’s uncle alerted him to a trial taking place at Bisham Abbey, 35 miles West of London, where his talent was quickly spotted by Dave Hockaday, the former Leeds United manager turned coach at the football program at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College in the West Country.
Hockaday quickly noticed that, whilst Semenyo wasn’t elite physically, there was a level of ability there that couldn’t be ignored.
“He wasn’t in great physical condition” Hockaday told The Athletic.
“But there were moments that demonstrated his true potential.”
Despite not initially being picked up from the trial, Hockaday described Semenyo as ‘the itch’ that he couldn’t scratch, and he quickly picked up the phone to enquire about his services.
Attending the SGS program, Semenyo quickly began to demonstrate that potential.
In July 2017, SGS hosted a four-team under-18s tournament that included youngsters from local EFL sides Bristol City and Oxford United, plus Scottish minnows Falkirk. SGS beat Bristol City 3-1 in the opening game, and Semenyo rose to the occasion.
It was a case of when, not if, Semenyo would take the next step in his career.
In January 2018, Semenyo signed his first professional contract aged 18, joining local Championship side Bristol City, before heading straight back out on a short term loan to part-time, National League South side Bath City a few miles down the road.
Talking to those at Bath about Semenyo, you quickly get the sense that he very quickly endeared himself to the home faithful.
“He gained the respect from the staff, the players and everyone” Semenyo’s former manager at Bath Jerry Gill said.
“He trained at Bristol City, then trained again in the evening with Bath City, which was really impressive.”
Gill’s record at working with young players, bringing in loans from West Brom, Colchester and teams from further afield had given him credence to work with Bristol City’s most prestigious talents, sent to him by Brian Tinnion, Bristol City’s loan manager.
One of the key reasons for that was Gill’s ability to recognise talent when it hadn’t been identified, maybe even by the club themselves.
Semenyo’s first steps into professional football were anything but, smooth, a 60th minute cameo against Concord Rangers showed some of Semenyo’s more enigmatic flaws. His much smaller frame made him much of a presence than he represents now in the blue of Manchester City.
Even so, fans could tell the talent that lay behind the shy teenager.
“Only twice when watching Bath City have I turned to my brother and said, ‘this kid is going to play in the Premier League’” Adam Matravers, editor of the Bath City Matchday Programme and lifelong fan recalled.
“Bobby Zamora and Antoine Semenyo.”
The eye catching moment for Semenyo at Bath came in the County Cup, a strange move from manager Gill to start a premium asset in what was usually a game reserved for the second string, but Semenyo quickly vindicated his manager’s decision making, scoring a hat trick in an 8-1 demolishing of Welton Rovers.
His first goal is a flash forward to the Semenyo we are familiar with in the Premier League, with a diminutive winger skipping past his man, settling himself and shifting his weight to finish in the opposite corner to the way the keeper dived.
Vintage blood and thunder football.
“He just wanted to play,” Matravers said, having spoken to Semenyo for the programme of that game.
“Before the game he was lacking confidence, but afterwards he never looked back.”
Gill respected the attitude of his young player compared to other prima donnas he has previously dealt with:
“Some come in and they’ll put their gloves on, a hat on and a snood on, and you think, ‘Do you really want to train?’”
“Antoine was different, he was just happy to be playing, you could see it in his goal celebrations.”
He capped off his loan spell with a stunning performance against Gloucester City, schooling seasoned non-league veterans, beating them at their own game.
“His best performance came against Robbie Cundy, the big centre back for Gloucester” Matravers said.
“Cundy challenged him and he just bumped him out of the way and finished on the turn.”
The goal demonstrated a guile to Semenyo, and a love for the physical side of the game.
16 games, six goals, hardly a stunning record in non-league.
But they earned the young forward a first start of his career at Bristol City come the end of the 2017/18 season, a 68th minute substite in a defeat to Sheffield United.
He never looked back, and a £10 million move to Bournemouth in 2022 has been quickly followed up by his record-breaking transfer to City. But his impact will never be forgotten at Bath.
“We’re just so proud of him,” Matravers said.
“There’s not many players at the top who still represent non-league let alone Bath City at the top level.”
“But we’ve got Antoine.”
City fully understand the prodigious talent they have acquired, but his time at Bath illustrates the tumultuous backstory that has transported one of South London’s finest to the UK’s footballing capital.
