In doing so, the young striker committed his future to a football club which has a superb success rate of progressing talented youngsters through the age groups and into the first team picture, which Popov is hoping to replicate in the seasons that follow.
Formerly of Manchester United, the 18-year-old enjoyed an excellent 2021/22, scoring regularly in the U18 Premier League South and during City’s U18 Premier League Cup and FA Youth Cup campaigns.
The imposing forward then made his Under-21s debut for the Club in a 3-2 win over his former club Man Utd in April 2022 and began 2022/23 by captaining the Under-18s as well as regularly appearing for the Development Squad in Premier League 2 Division 1 and the Papa Johns Trophy.