When Pep Guardiola was asked if Jeremy Doku could one day reach the heights of Vinicius Jr or Lamine Yamal, the Manchester City boss didn't hesitate. "Yeah, for sure," he said with conviction. "He always accepts being pushed. Always. That's so nice. We're really pleased. Now he's winning games."

At just 23 years old, Doku is evolving into the player everyone always knew he could be. The Belgian winger joined City from Rennes for £55.4 million in August 2023, and after nearly three years at the club, he's finally realizing his immense promise. With the FA Cup final against Chelsea looming this Saturday, he's poised to be a key figure in City's treble chase.

Doku's pace and dribbling ability have always been elite—arguably best in class. But becoming the star of a top side requires more than standout qualities; it demands a complete game. That's exactly what Doku is now delivering.

Shaun Maloney, one of Doku's former coaches with Belgium, remembers seeing that spark early. "What you see now in terms of one-v-one dribbling was exactly him then," Maloney told The Athletic. "He was taking it in his own half and dribbling 70 or 80 yards."

Even Kylian Mbappe took notice. During Doku's first season at Rennes, Mbappe and his father watched from the stands in awe. "In my five years as a pro, I had never seen someone with so much explosivity in his first steps," Mbappe recalled.

Guardiola, however, stresses that Doku's growth isn't just about talent. It's about standards off the pitch too. "Everybody knows that he's made an incredible step in the sense of saying, 'I am Jeremy Doku, I am who I am,'" the manager said. "And that is so nice."

On Saturday at Wembley, Doku will have the chance to help City secure their second trophy of the campaign. For a player who thrives on being pushed, the big stage is exactly where he belongs.