Who is Kaden Braithwaite? 16-year-old Man City defender in shock debut vs Watford in Carabao Cup

Pep Guardiola handed a shock debut to 16-year-old defender Kaden Braithwaite in the Carabao Cup vs Watford.

Kaden Braithwaite made a surprise debut for Manchester City, becoming the youngest player to play under Pep Guardiola at the club.

Guardiola was expected to call up a number of youngsters against Watford, with this game coming just two days after the gruelling battle with Arsenal. But in the end, only Braithwaite, Nico O'Reilly and Jacob Wright were selected.

And Braithwaite was the big shock, having only played as high as the under-18s for City, coming into the side for a debut at the Etihad. He became the third youngest player to represent the club.

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Braithwaite has started all of City's under-18 games this season and was promoted to vice-captain under new head coach Oliver Reiss. He was not part of the academy contingent who were given the chance to impress Guardiola in the summer on pre-season.

But he has overtaken the likes of Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Lakyle Samuel and Stephen Mfuni to earn a senior debut first, perhaps helped by his versatility to play left-back as well as centre-back. He was the starting left-back in City's UEFA Youth League defeat to Inter Milan last week for the under-19s.

Braithwaite is described as a powerful, athletic defender, comfortable in the centre, on the left and in midfield. He has been at City since under-9 level and has represented England under-17s. He becomes the third youngest City player ever, after Glyn Pardoe in 1962 and Paul Simpson in 1982.

City starting XI vs Watford: Ortega, Walker, Stones, Braithwaite, Lewis; O'Reilly, Nunes, McAtee; Doku, Grealish, Foden.