Manchester City chief Garry Cook is adamant the club's academy kids will continue to get a first team chance, despite the their mega transfer spending.

Cook told City's website: "The current first team coaching staff is very supportive of the Academy. Throughout last season the manager fielded a very strong core of Academy produced players including Nedum Onuoha, Micah Richards, and most notably our player of the year Stephen Ireland.

"Academy graduates have featured on the bench including Vladimir (Weiss), Ben Mee, Adam Clayton, and Shaleum Logan.

"Obviously, Shaun Wright-Phillips, another Academy graduate, has also made an exciting return to the club. The under 21 European Championships showcased how talented some of our young players are.

"If a player is good enough he will always be in contention. To challenge for honours we need a squad big enough to cope with the demands of the modern game and for that you need a blend of Academy players, combined with the purchase of developing talent and also established names those which are sometimes described as 'marquee signings'."