Anthony Elanga names former Man United starlet as “most underrated player”

Anthony Elanga has named a Manchester United academy graduate and current Ligue 1 star as the most underrated player he has played with in his career.

Elanga, 21, has been making a name for himself at Nottingham Forest since his transfer from United last summer, as the Swedish international was looking for more playing time.

Being behind the likes of Antony and Alejandro Garnacho in Erik ten Hag’s pecking order meant that the winger grew frustrated by his limited minutes off the bench and became the latest product of Carrington to leave Old Trafford.

A similar fate was shared by Angel Gomes who entered the Manchester United history books in 2017 by making his first team debut under José Mourinho at the age of 16 years and 263 days old, the youngest since Duncan Edwards in 1953.

Gomes’s talent was abundant. Comfortable anywhere in the midfield, he helped guide the England U17 team to World Cup glory and was part of the U21 squad that won the European Championships.

Although successful on the international stage, the then-teenager was given limited chances at United and ended up leaving the club on a free, joining French side Lille in 2020.

A regular starter for the Ligue 1 club Gomes seems to have settled, however, Elanga doesn’t believe that he’s getting the plaudits that his performances deserve.

When asked by Rising Ballers which players he thought were underrated Elanga said, “One that comes off my head is Angel Gomes. He’s honestly so good.

“I feel like people watched him in the U21 Euros that England won, he showed his qualities as a number six, eight and 10 – amazing. I could name more players, but Angel comes to my head.”

Angel Gomes is just another example of an established player that slipped through the cracks at United, which could be seen as a costly mistake as the club looks to bring in reinforcements during the summer in similar positions to youngsters who were let go.