Sheffield United and Man City midfielder reveals what Pep Guardiola really enjoys talking about

Which is sort of the point. Like the Catalan, his manager at Manchester City, McAtee is a football-obsessive preoccupied by its intricacies and details. But as his performances since joining Sheffield United on loan before the start of the season have shown, the England under-21 international ultimately views the game as an art-form. Strategies designed to inhibit expression, reduce it to a series of choreographed movements mapped-out in advance, are regarded as utterly repugnant by both the 20-year-old midfielder and his mentor at the Etihad Stadium.

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McAtee is seated on the stage which dominates the Randox Health Academy’s media suite as we discuss his background, greatest influences and experiences at Bramall Lane. Together with his City team mate Tommy Doyle, who also followed him to South Yorkshire at the beginning of the campaign, the midfielder’s return to United’s starting eleven has reinvigorated their campaign at a time when it appeared as if the challenge of trying to seal automatic promotion was beginning to weigh heavily upon the shoulders of Paul Heckingbottom’s squad. From a sporting family - older brother John is a striker for Grimsby Town while their father was an accomplished rugby league player - McAtee’s displays during victories over Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers betrayed no signs of pressure. Recounting another of his talks with Guardiola, a nine-time La Liga winner with Barcelona, it quickly becomes apparent why.

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“Probably the best thing, the most valuable thing, he ever told me was to always stay close to your family, friends and loved ones, because they are what really count,” McAtee says. “They are the ones, no matter what, who are always going to have your back. It can’t always just be football, football, football. Yes, you’ve got to dedicate yourself to it and I am. But you’ve also got to enjoy it, because otherwise you’ll never get the best out of yourself. You’ve also got to use it, he reminded me, to grow as a person. Every single one of us is different.”

Second in the Championship table ahead of Saturday’s visit to Norwich City with nine league matches remaining, United are in pole position to finish as runners-up behind runaway leaders Burnley. They are also preparing for an FA Cup semi-final against McAtee’s parent club too, although neither he nor Doyle will be eligible for selection. Still, helping Heckingbottom’s men regain top-flight status was the youngsters’ primary objective after pitching up at Bramall Lane. It is a task McAtee is relishing trying to complete and one, revealing the other people responsible for shaping his career, he plans to approach with trademark vibrancy.

“David Silva was one of the people I really looked up to. When I was younger, and he was still at City, he was my idol. I’d love watching his movement and I really enjoyed watching Phil Foden there, coming through, as well. Jack Wilshere at Arsenal was another one, but Silva was the person I’d really try and learn from. I don’t want to be him. I want to be me. But how could you not learn from someone like that?

“The manager (Guardiola) told me in pre-season that it would be hard to get past the five midfielders he has right now. So to go out and get some experience, then challenge for a place in his plans.”

Earlier this season, after being mauled by Luton Town, McAtee discovered that skill only flourishes if it is accompanied by physicality. It was a rite of passage he has learnt from, now cutting a much more robust figure in the heart of United’s engine room. And one, you suspect, City hoped he would go through whilst under Heckingbottom’s stewardship. Contrary to popular belief, his experience during August’s draw at Kenilworth Road didn’t come as a surprise to McAtee thanks to his siblings and a former youth coach called Mark Burton.

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“He helped me a lot as a player and a person. Plus my parents and my brother. I always used to train with him before we ended up at different clubs but we still text all the time. Mark, I always thought I was a number 10 who didn’t really have to graft. He flipped all of that around. And of course dad, being an ex-rugby player, he was always big on the importance of hard work.”

Despite their pedigree, neither McAtee nor Doyle, who is also highly regarded by the Premier League champions, have been granted any special favours by Heckingbottom. Although the United manager encourages them to showcase their talents, he also distrusts players who don’t enjoy working off the ball.

“If you are sloppy on it, or don’t show that effort off it, all of the lads here will jump on you really fast,” McAtee admits. “I think that’s really good, because it shows the high standards they’ve got and what we demand from each other. There’s lots of amazing footballers here, but they all put in a shift when we’re trying to get possession back. If you don’t have the ball, then there’s not a lot you can do.”

McAtee’s ability to create something out of nothing, either with a deft feint, turn or slide-rule pass, could prove invaluable for United as they attempt to nullify the threat posed by third-placed Middlesbrough. Movement can also be a powerful weapon. Which is something, Guardiola will be pleased to discover, McAtee discovered from the female members of his family.

“Mum was a dancer, she loves it, and my sister is a dance teacher. Once you get into the final third, that’s where the magical players really come alive. But to get there, you’ve got to be clever to get through a press.”

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