In Manchester City's official club magazine September edition, McAtee gave an interview to the club, discussing his hopes for the new season and reflecting on his first-team debut.

Looking back and looking ahead to the 2024-25 season, what are your hopes for the new campaign?

"Of course I need to contribute statistically as well, work hard when I don't have the ball, and overall, be a player that can be relied upon as the game develops. Reliability is crucial for a player to have a successful career—it's just as important as your performance on the pitch."

"Look at Bernardo Silva: the key is being reliable and technically excellent. That's why he's so successful. You can't be inconsistent. I'd rather have many 7/10, 8/10 performances and a few 10/10 games than have a 2/10 game."

"Stay consistent. As a coach, I want you to think: 'I'm going to get this from McAtee every time.' That's my goal. As a kid, you don't have pressure—when you play football, you just smile. So why not do that now?"

"I think, just enjoy the game. Because when I put too much pressure on myself, I start making mistakes. So I just need to play with a smile on my face, enjoy it, and that's when I feel I play my best."

Last season you had many standout personal moments—your debut goal at the Etihad against Exeter City and the emotional celebration afterwards with your father in the stands left an unforgettable impression.

"I think I was shocked at first because I didn't expect to start, so when Guardiola told me I'd be playing as a starter on the wing, I could feel my heart naturally racing. Then Guardiola asked me: are you ready to play? Are you ready to show your true self?"

"You know, the answer was obviously yes—it had to be yes. So I just tried to treat it like any other U21 game, and thankfully it went well. I scored, and once I got to the Etihad, I wasn't nervous at all."

"I remember being more nervous coming on as a substitute against Salford City than starting against Exeter City. But I don't know—I felt that once I started the match, I could get into a rhythm faster than coming off the bench. But you have to adapt to that."

"I felt relieved after scoring because I felt in good shape. So I thought, this is just the cherry on top. I was happy and relieved, being able to share that moment with my dad and my family. Honestly, I can't describe it in words—I can only say it was truly unforgettable."

During the pre-season tour, you once again caught attention with your exceptional talent and dedication. After the team returned to Manchester, Maresca explained that he believes you are in the perfect environment to develop and achieve greater progress this season.

Maresca said: "I think the best thing for him is to stay with us, to learn, to be with the first team every day, to try to be smart, to try to be wise, to try to learn from Semenyo, Doku, and the others who are with us right now."

"I mean try to learn—not just how to dribble, but also to learn the attitude, to learn to work hard, because sometimes it's difficult. They might stop training because they think they're ready, but actually they're not ready yet. So it's good for them to keep learning."

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