Manchester United’s campaign so far has been filled with plenty of ups and downs, and only an FA Cup triumph or a Champions League spot can salvage it.
However, the latter does seem to be an all-but-impossible task, with fourth-placed Aston Villa currently nine points ahead of Erik ten Hag’s team.
In truth, the best part of the season thus far has been the rise of Kobbie Mainoo, who’s developed into such a key player for the Red Devils this season.
After making his first England start at 18 and earning an 8/10 rating – as per Sky Sports – the talk is expected to be all about the midfielder, but a certain Brazilian wonderkid, Endrick, has stolen the limelight over the international break, and United may just have their own version of the diminutive attacker in the pipeline.
Endrick‘s performances for Brazil in numbers
At just 16 years of age, Endrick became the most expensive Brazilian to have ever signed for Real Madrid in a deal worth £60m back in 2022.
However, the attacker will only move to the Santiago Bernabeu in July of this year, when he turns 18. The Los Blancos faithful have only just seen glimpses of the talented youngster over this international break, having starred for his nation.
Despite only coming on as a 71st-minute substitute against England, the 17-year-old scored the only goal of the game after tapping the ball home into an open net.
Endrick was once again left out of the starting lineup in Brazil’s friendly against Spain this week, but he was called upon at halftime, and just four minutes later, he found the back of the net once again, scoring in the stadium he would soon call home.
The hype surrounding the 5 foot 8 attacker is extreme, but the Red Devils may already have their answer to Endrick, waiting to showcase his talent to the world.
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ByTom LeverFeb 22, 2024 Shea Lacey could be the next Man United superstar
Shea Lacey may not be a name that the majority of the United fanbase will have previously heard about, but he’s certainly a talent that could make a huge breakthrough in the not-so-distant future.
The 16-year-old is a talented winger within the Red Devils academy who’s even been called a “Phil Foden regen" by journalist Jack Kenmare.
This description of the United prospect is rather accurate, with Lacey being known for having a wonderful left foot, while having the ability to play on both wings and as an attacking midfielder.
However, the progress of the versatile ace has been put on hold this season, having missed months of action due to an injury, meaning that he’s only played eight games this campaign, scoring twice and picking up four assists.
Minutes
26
Assists
1
Shots on target
1
Long balls
2/2
Successful dribbles
1/2
Was fouled
3
Duels won
4/7
Interceptions
2
That said, as you can see by the table above, Lacey has already shown glimpses of his quality, particularly when he was subbed on as a 64th-minute substitute in Man United’s 3-0 win over Galatasaray in the UEFA Youth League.
The “very special” talent, as dubbed by journalist Alex Turk, displayed his well-rounded catalogue in such a short cameo, with vast passing, chance creation, dribbling, and the ability to deal with off-the-ball duties all on show.
There’s doubt that Lacey’s ceiling is extremely high, and with Ten Hag clearly showing a willingness to give the youth a chance if they deserve it, it may not be long until the teen star is involved in the first-team setup.