WATCHING AND LEARNING
In addition to the quartet of Academy graduates who have made their first-team debuts this season, many more have stepped up to the fringes of the senior setup, taking their place in at least one matchday squad, ready and primed if called upon by their head coach.
Swelled UEFA squad allowances prompted matchday inclusions for youngsters throughout United’s Europa League tilt in particular, with defender Habeeb Ogunneye included in the roster for October’s trip to Fenerbahce and midfielder Jayce Fitzgerald on the bench against PAOK before meetings with Chelsea and Leicester in the Carabao Cup.
James Scanlon made his first matchday squad in this year’s resounding second-round win over Real Sociedad, a win in which he was joined on the bench by fellow midfielder Jack Fletcher, who was promoted to senior duties for a seventh time this term.
Injuries in the goalkeeping department also precipitated promotions for younger members of the Reds’ stable of stoppers, with William Murdock stepping up once, Hubert Graczyk and Dermot Mee four times, and Elyh Harrison watching on alongside Amorim and his staff in eight games.
In the latter weeks of the campaign, the new names have kept on coming, with midfielder Sekou Kone entrusted with a reserve spot three times, most recently against Nottingham Forest, while fellow midfielder Jack Moorhouse (having also been involved against Arsenal and Spurs) joined defenders Godwill Kukonki and Jaydan Kamason on the bench for both legs of the Europa League epic tie with Lyon, the former also on the sidelines for this term’s Premier League encounters with Arsenal, Newcastle, Southampton and Manchester City. Bendito Mantato then made the bench at Brentford.
With his history of blooding young talent in his time as head coach of Sporting, Amorim can be counted upon to keep handing out deserved opportunities now and beyond for those who show the graft and guile on Carrington’s training pitches, regardless of their age.
This article was taken from the July edition of Inside United, on sale this week in newsagents, shops, at the Old Trafford Megastore, and can be bought or subscribed to online here.
