Eleven years after being touted as the 'English Lionel Messi' and subsequently being signed by Manchester City for £12 million, Patrick Roberts is plying his trade in the Championship for Birmingham City.

Born in Kingston upon Thames in south-west London, Roberts joined Fulham's academy at the age of 13. After making his debut for the Cottagers at 17, City opted to sign the wide man for £12 million in the summer of 2015.

He went on to make three appearances for the Citizens' first team, before a succession of underwhelming loan spells saw him sold to Sunderland in 2022. After four years on Wearside, Roberts swapped the Premier League for the second tier again, joining Birmingham permanently in the summer.

He's now an important figure in Chris Davies' team, who are vying for promotion back to the big time. From being tipped to lead City to major honours to being compared to Messi, it all could have been so different for Roberts.

Patrick Roberts Was Dubbed the 'English Messi'

After making waves in Fulham's academy, Felix Magath called Roberts up to a matchday squad for a Premier League fixture in March 2014, when the winger was just 17. He'd just signed his first professional contract, and would go on to make his senior debut a week later against the club he'd eventually sign for, Manchester City.

Introduced as a 55th-minute substitute against the north-west outfit, Magath showered the then teenager with praise after this surprise inclusion, describing the player as an 'extraordinary talent' (via the Mirror).

Naturally, these complimentary words sparked excitement amongst Fulham fans about the level of talent they might have on their hands.

Roberts would go on to make 17 appearances for the West Londoners in the Championship in the following season. Despite failing to score in any of these outings, City bought into the hype around the starlet, forking out £12 million to bring him to the Etihad in the summer of 2015.

It was at this point that Roberts' nickname in the Fulham academy became common knowledge. His peers in the youth ranks at Craven Cottage had called him 'Mini Messi', which led to many branding him the 'English Messi' when he signed for the Citizens (via the Mirror).

As well as being tipped for greatness by Messi, Roberts himself referenced his likeness to the Argentine, citing the legendary playmaker as his idol in February 2016 (via PlanetFootball).

"It’s a conscious thing for me to be like Messi," he said.

"I’ve watched him for years and he’s my idol. You try to copy what he does, and it also comes naturally to me as well. Because I’m left-footed, I tend to move the same way as he does. In games, I try to replicate what he does. I’ve studied him on YouTube and when La Liga is on I watch that all the time. My view is that you watch the best to learn from the best."

It's fair to say that Roberts didn't live up to this tag. After spending six months on the periphery of Manuel Pellegrini's squad, making just three appearances for the Premier League giants, he was shipped out to Celtic on loan.

This sparked a series of temporary stints, which lasted seven years and included stops at Girona, Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Derby County and Troyes, before he finally parted ways with City in 2022.

Patrick Roberts' Post-Man City Career

While Roberts hasn't lived up to the potential he once promised, it would be unfair to dismiss his career as a failure. Most players who are compared to some of the game's greatest players when they are young don't get close to replicating their idol's accomplishments, and the ex-City prodigy has certainly achieved a lot more than most.

Finally settling at Sunderland in 2022, after enjoying an impressive loan spell with the Black Cats in the back half of the 2021/22 campaign, Roberts shone for the north-east club for several years in the Championship.

He made 147 appearances on Wearside, playing a key role in their promotion charge in the 2024/25 season. The former wonderkid was then granted a solitary Premier League appearance for Regis Le Bris' side before making the switch to Birmingham.

Since joining the Blues, he's scored four goals and established himself as a core member in an improving team that is now looking to return to the top flight for the first time in 15 years.