Man United Youngsters Shine as Future Looks Brighter at Old Trafford

Pre-season has opened the door for several Manchester United academy prospects to impress, but only a select group are expected to remain with the senior squad when the new Premier League season begins.

United are understood to be willing to sanction loan moves for most of the Under-21 players involved in the early friendlies against Wrexham and Rosenborg, allowing them to gain regular senior experience. Exceptions are likely to include highly rated talents such as Shea Lacey, Jack and Tyler Fletcher, and emerging youngster JJ Gabriel.

For other academy graduates who have hovered around the first-team picture for a longer period, however, the next step may be more definitive. The club has made fresh decisions on a number of their futures this week, raising the possibility of permanent exits.

Radek Vitek and Harry Amass are among those whose situations remain open. United would consider selling either player, while another loan agreement featuring an option to buy is also on the table. For now, both will continue to train with the first-team group at Carrington.

Vitek, the Czech goalkeeper who has accumulated more minutes than any other United player across the Wrexham and Rosenborg fixtures, has attracted interest from Middlesbrough and several other Championship sides after impressing during his loan spell at Bristol City last season.

Amass also featured in both friendlies and made a notable impact against Rosenborg, registering a goal and an assist. The young full-back is valued at around £6million following loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich last season.

With United still in the market for a third central midfielder after paying a combined £85m to sign Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, Gore and Collyer are believed to have been told that their best hope of regular football next season will be with the Under 21s.

Hull City retain an interest in re-signing Collyer following his loan there last season, and Gore is available again after a successful loan spell at Rotherham.

There is no shortage of other United youngsters looking to impress in the remaining four pre-season games against Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds and AC Milan, even though opportunities may be harder to come by as United’s World Cup stars return to action.

The club are famed for their youth system, and a feature of United’s first two pre-season games has been how well the academy players seized their opportunity in Helsinki and Trondheim.

Lacey scored United’s opening goal over Rosenborg on Friday after he was named in the starting line-up, and Jaydan Kamason starred with two assists when Michael Carrick brought on the kids in the second half and they stretched the lead to 5-0.

In the first game against Wrexham, the academy side played more fluent football than the seniors who went 1-0 down before half-time, but United couldn’t find the equaliser their performance deserved.

Lacey will be looking to kick on after making his first-team breakthrough last season along with the Fletcher twins, and Gabriel is edging ever closer to a debut. Jim Thwaites is also understood to be particularly highly-rated by Carrick and his coaching staff even though he hasn’t played yet. 

Here Daily Mail Sport takes a look at the exciting youngsters knocking on the first-team door.

SHEA LACEY

The only outfield player from the academy to make the starting line-up against Rosenborg, Lacey justified his inclusion with a well-taken goal just after the half-hour mark to set United on their way to a comprehensive victory.

The 19-year-old from Liverpool is predominantly a right winger but demonstrated his versatility in Trondheim by playing in the No 10 role and drifting wide to link up play.

Lacey’s star quality was underlined when Thomas Tuchel called him up to train with the England senior squad in October, and he made his first two appearances for United before being sent off on his Old Trafford debut against Brighton in the FA Cup.

He re-appeared at Brighton in the Premier League on the final day of the season, though, and we will undoubtedly be seeing more of him this term.

JACK FLETCHER

The older of the Fletcher twins – who joined United from Manchester City for a joint fee of around £1.25m three years ago – Jack was named in the starting line-up for the Wrexham game and performed well in the No 10 role before Carrick made wholesale changes at half-time.

He and Tyler play in central midfield, but they are expected to stay at United this season despite the club’s £85m investment in Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, and plans to sign a third midfielder.

Jack is seen as a more creative player and tends to operate further forward, although the England youth international can also be used as a right winger or full back.

The 19-year-old made three first-team appearances last season and will be aiming to add more this term.

TYLER FLETCHER

He didn’t start against Wrexham but at least had the distinction of captaining United’s younger XI in the second half in Helsinki, before coming on as a substitute along with his brother when Carrick made changes after an hour against Rosenborg.

This could be a big season for Tyler after he made his senior international debut for Scotland in a friendly against Bolivia last month and then got a late call-up for the World Cup following an injury to Billy Gilmour.

Like Lacey, he played for United at Brighton on the last day of the season in May, and those two are understood to be at the front of the queue for first-team opportunities this year.

JJ GABRIEL

The most eagerly anticipated appearance in pre-season is likely to be made by the young man who doesn’t turn 16 until October.

Gabriel was included in United’s squad for the first time for the trip to Norway last week, but was one of only three players from the 25-man party not to get on the pitch.

It’s only a matter of time before the player dubbed Kid Messi gets his chance, after Premier League rules prevented United from naming him in their squad last season because he was only 14 when it began.

Gabriel still made an impression, though, as he was called up to first-team training in the autumn and starred for the Under 18s with 29 goals in 32 appearances to win the Under 18s Premier League player of the season award. Expect to hear a lot more about this boy.

JAYDAN KAMASON

The England youth international was United’s standout performer in the second half against Rosenborg, getting forward down the right flank to set up goals for Harry Amass and Ethan Williams.

Kamason struggled with injuries last season but is hoping to have more luck this term, and has certainly made a promising start in pre-season.

The 19-year-old is prepared to go out on loan to further his development, but has his sights locked firmly on a career at Old Trafford.

‘If I need a few loans or whatever, we’ll have to see, but I’m trying to get to that top level – and that’s Manchester United. You have to be ambitious,’ he said after the game in Trondheim.

JIM THWAITES

Although he has been left on the bench for both pre-season games so far, Thwaites is said to be particularly highly regarded among the current crop of Under 21s.

A gifted midfielder and dead-ball specialist, the 18-year-old has seized his opportunity to train with the senior squad since Ruben Amorim first invited him in, and was rewarded by Carrick for his performance during the training camp in Dublin in April with a place on the bench at Chelsea.

With United strengthening in midfield, they have to make a decision about whether to keep Thwaites or send him out on loan after a planned move in January was scuppered by injury.

JACOB DEVANEY

Devaney has come off the bench to play in central defence in both pre-season games despite preferring a midfield role, and got on the scoresheet against Rosenborg with United’s third goal from a corner shortly after replacing Ayden Heaven.

The 19-year-old excelled as a midfielder on loan at St Mirren during a difficult season for the Scottish club, and is ready to head out again if it boosts his hopes of playing for United.

‘The main aim for me is to play for Manchester United week in, week out,’ said the Republic of Ireland Under 21s international in Trondheim. 

‘Obviously, I want to play first-team football. So whether that is at United, learning from the best for the next year, or if I have to go on loan again and gain more valuable experience, that’s what I’ll do.’

PS: Not all the young players knocking on the first-team door at United this season will have come through the club’s academy.

There is great excitement around teenager winger Tynan Thompson who has moved to Old Trafford from Tottenham in a deal worth £4m plus £4m in add-ons.

Thompson will be part of the senior group at Carrington, but the 18-year-old hasn’t trained with them yet and it’s too early to tell if he will feature in pre-season as United’s World Cup contingent continue to report back.