A Progress Report on Manchester City's Celtic Loanee John Guidetti

It’s been difficult in recent seasons for young players at Manchester City to make the step up in status from promising youth player to a first-team star. The huge investment into the first-team squad since the acquisition of the club by Sheikh Mansour in 2008 has been huge, significantly altering the quality of player needed to emerge from the youth setup.

It has meant an end to the days of the constant stream of academy graduates, such as Michael Johnson, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Nedum Onuoha, with ready-made stars now a necessity to ensure the ambitions of the club can be realised.

Much of that will change with the new CFA facility, the club’s new state-of-the-art academy and first-team training centre built adjacent to the Etihad Stadium in east Manchester. The club hopes the CFA is the foundation for a self-sufficient future, where world-class talent is cultivated in readiness for a career in the first team. Until that is given time to flourish, though, the route into the senior squad will remain an arduous one.

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One young player who has fallen foul of the jump in class, as well as his own fitness issues, is John Guidetti, who is currently on loan at SPL champions Celtic in a bid to resurrect what was a flagging career.

It’s a move which has largely been a success, unlike his loan switch to Stoke City last season, which saw him criminally underused and, therefore, of little benefit to any party involved.

He scored a remarkable 11 goals in the first 12 games in all competitions at the start of the season with The Bhoys, with the variation of his finishes the most encouraging aspect of his good form. A huge hit with the fans, it seemed to be exactly the kind of response he needed. Footballers need to feel valued, and it had been a while since Guidetti had felt that.

However, since then, he hasn’t scored in 10 appearances, dropping to the bench for much of the time. It’s been disappointing, but given his fitness concerns in recent years, it’s hardly a surprise his form has been somewhat inconsistent.

In 2012, after a hugely successful loan spell with Feyenoord in the Dutch Eredivisie, Guidetti contracted a virus that affected his nervous system, and he lost feeling in his right leg altogether. He couldn’t train or stay fit in any way, and, in truth, he has never been the same player since.

The club offered him a new deal in a show of support that has gone largely unnoticed, but it has become clear that he is unlikely to ever reach the level needed to be a City player. It’s unfortunate given the talent he has, but it seems as if too much time away from first-team football has left him too much to do in order to recover fully and maximise his quality.

But the move to Celtic has been a successful one. For the first time in three years, he feels like an important part of a squad. He’s found the back of the net with regularity, and although he’s lost some of his early rhythm, simply returning to the routine of preparing for and playing in matches has been a huge boost.

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His lack of pace is probably his most obvious deficiency, but in the Scottish Premier League that appears less important than it perhaps is in England. He can play with his back to goal, he makes good runs and has excellent technique. He has regained some form, fitness and confidence, exactly what was wanted when he moved to Celtic Park.

He can use this season as a platform for better things to come. There’s no doubt this summer, after proving he can handle regular football, clubs will be interested in taking him on a permanent deal, and everyone at City will wish him the very best after what he’s been through.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.