Meet man city's forgotten winger ready to be the hero after injury nightmare

MANCHESTER CITY FACE SOUTHAMPTON IN THURSDAY'S FINAL OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE 2 PLAY-OFFS, LOOKING TO BE CROWNED CHAMPIONS AFTER TOPPING THE REGULAR SEASON TABLE. 04:00, 22 May 2025 With

injury comes opportunity in football and one player's misfortune can be another's breakout moment. Ashton Muir knows all about misfortune, spending a year out over the last 13

months being forced to watch on as many of his academy teammates got first-team experience, went on tour, got transfers or loans and played their way into contention. The years around 18-19

are the most important for a youngster at a club like Manchester City - so missing large spells can quite literally make or break a promising career. Muir spent his 18th birthday in December

midway through his never-ending lay-off. It's no surprise that he was desperate for this season to continue as long as possible having finally returned last month. A Premier League 2

final this weekend has extended the campaign and given him a chance to make up for lost time - potentially with a trophy. He has played with a point to prove as well, scoring from close

range to start the comeback in the PL2 play-off semi-final that saw City come from 2-0 down to equalise in the 94th minute and beat Arsenal in extra time. "For me, coming back at the

end of the season, I want to play as many games as possible," he told the Manchester Evening News after his scoring turn against the Gunners. "That's what I was thinking after

the first goal, we need to get another because I can't go through that. "If we lost we'd be training the last three weeks for nothing. We want to keep winning to keep playing

and keep the season alive." The Arsenal comeback took City into a derby against rivals Manchester United with a place in the PL2 final on the line. Muir had picked United out before

the game as an ideal opponent as they are the 'best games' for a City youngster, keen to fit in as many big games as he can in the short time left this season. He made an impact

against United, too. From the start he was getting stuck in on the left, lifting delicious balls over the top for Divin Mubama to chase, dancing inside to search for Mubama or whipping in

dangerous balls from the wings. Muir was tracking back, too, helping his full-back and playing in City's fluid system like he'd been part of it for the last two seasons, even if he

hadn't. Muir got the 'pre-assist' for City's opener against United in a 2-0 win and will be a strong favourite to start the PL2 final against Southampton on Thursday for

a chance to win some silverware that may mean more to him than most after the year he's been through. "I studied a whole lot when I was injured, on and off the pitch," he

continued in discussion with MEN Sport. "I've never been injured before so it gave me a whole different perspective. It helped me on and off the pitch." Manchester-born Muir

signed for City aged eight and has come through the academy to the Elite Development Squad. That gives him an innate knowledge of the 'City' way, having had it ingrained in him

through training sessions for over a decade. Ben Wilkinson, Muir's under-18 coach and now at under-21 level, nodded to that footballing education, saying: "Ashton's been a

real consistent performer over the previous two years. Credit to him, he's got a fantastic understanding of how we want to play and what we want to do. Muir's opening in these

play-offs came from injuries to others - Emilio Lawrence, Farid Alfa-Ruprecht and Ryan McAidoo were already out on the wing and Justin Oboavwoduo was the latest to drop out in the

semi-final. "He suffered from a really bad injury this time last year and had to be really patient when he got back fit," Wilkinson continued. "We had two wingers who were

flying. "It's the message of going through the tough time when you're injured and then when you first come back you won't walk straight back into the team. You have to

persevere and do the right things in training every day. And be ready for when you get your chance." Muir will know what it's like to suffer those kinds of setbacks - he's not

looking back and is making the most of his chance now he's firmly making his mark. His comeback has helped City's injury-hit squad fight through the play-offs and now they are 90

minutes from taking the title they feel should be theirs due to their league record and first-placed finish. Article continues below If they get over the line, it's a trophy that would

mean more to Muir than most of his teammates.