I’m my own man – Mancini

Luca Scapuzzi (left) and Andreas Mancini (right) pictured with manager Paul Dickov.

ANDREAS Mancini insists he will not be playing in his famous father’s shadow when he pulls on an Athletic shirt to embark on the first loan spell of his career in England.

The 19-year-old, son of Manchester City boss Roberto, has signed for Paul Dickov’s side on a one-month emergency loan, with Blues team-mate Luca Scapuzzi (20) penning a two-month deal at Boundary Park.

Both players are set to feature in tomorrow’s derby against Bury.

Athletic expect to welcome the City manager to at least one match in the next four weeks.

And his son insists he is ready for the inevitable comparisons and heightened expectations that come with having a relative in the public eye.

He said: “For my father it is difficult because I am his son and everything I do reflects on him.

“But I am used to this situation, it has been the same since I was little and when I got older, I was with him at Inter Milan.

“It does not bother me what people are going to say about me and my father.”

Mancini jnr has set his sights on using his time at the club to push Dickov’s men closer to the play-off places and feels promotion is a genuine target this season.

“I think we can be a top team in League One, similar to sides like Charlton, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday,” he added.

And the articulate teenager, who can play anywhere across midfield but admits his favoured position is second striker, insists he and Scapuzzi do not have a big-time attitude despite arriving from the Barclays Premier League pacesetters.

He continued: “We are here to learn and improve. We have trained with our new team-mates once and it is clear they are good players with plenty of experience.

“It is time for us to grow as footballers and that is what we hope to do here, starting with the derby against Bury.”

Scapuzzi, who created two goals for City and netted against Wolves in the Carling Cup — only for his strike to be deemed an own goal — has been impressed by his new surroundings.

He said: “I can already tell there is a positive environment with a good team.

“The staff at City wanted me to come here and gain some experience.

“I am hoping to help Athletic achieve their targets and learn at the same time.”

Athletic squad (probable): Cisak, Mellor, Mvoto, Clarke, Lee, Furman, Adeyemi, Morais, Taylor, Simpson, Kuqi, Black, Diamond, Smith, Mancini, Scapuzzi, Winchester, Gerrard.