By Joshua Richards
HE MAY have swapped the Premier League champions for life in the Championship, but Huddersfield striker Harry Bunn has warned other youngsters to follow his lead or risk wasting their talent.
Bunn joined the Manchester City academy in 2001 – at the age of nine – the same year the senior team suffered relegation from the Premier League.
But as he progressed through the ranks, the club went through an extraordinary period of transition, with strikers such as Shaun Goater and Darren Huckerby suddenly replaced by South American superstars like Robinho and Carlos Tevez, courtesy of Sheikh Mansour’s riches.
Six loan spells in two years followed Bunn signing professional forms with City, and it was during his initial spell with the Terriers that he knew it was time to leave behind the dream of playing for City and to start forging his career.
The Football League is awash with young loanees hoping to do enough to convince their top-flight managers they deserve a crack at the big time.
But Bunn feels more should take a different path and put foot- ball before the bright lights.
“It can be difficult as a young lad to keep going out on loan not sure what club you will be at next,” said the 21-year-old.
“You need to be playing each week and it’s very hard for young players coming through. You’ll get to a certain age where you realise maybe it’s not the right club for you and you should listen to yourself.
“It was great to be at Manchester City. There were a lot of good coaches and wonderful players, but they can go out and buy whoever they want and I quickly knew my time was up.
Tumult
“Maybe if I’d come through at City ten years earlier there’s a good chance I would have stayed there, but I don’t have any regrets about the choices I made.”
Bunn, with six goals for the Terriers going into yesterday’s derby with Sheffield Wednesday, has forged a strong understanding in recent weeks with Grant Holt – a £2m signing last year.
Off the pitch the season started tumultuously, with Mark Robins leaving after an opening day defeat to Bournemouth and Mark Lillis taking temporary charge until Chris Powell’s appointment in September.
But Bunn believes Huddersfield can go from strength to strength under the stewardship of the former England left-back.
“We started off slowly, but things are looking up now and that’s down to the gaffer,” he added.
“He has been brilliant with me, he kept me in the side, which has given me a lot of confidence. I enjoy working with him and he has the respect of everyone.”
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