Manchester United have issued an update on Shea Lacey as the 18-year-old is tipped for a possible first-team debut against West Ham.
Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League after a second-half comeback against Crystal Palace, thanks to goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount.
Ruben Amorim’s side currently sit in seventh, just one point behind fifth-place Brighton and three points behind third-place Chelsea.
As seen during Amorim’s time in Portugal, he is not afraid to give opportunities to the youth, whether that is regular first-team training, matchday squad appearances, or even debuts. From Chido Obi to Harry Amass and Tyler Fredericson, the opportunities are there for academy players to step up when required.
With the current injuries to the forward line, with Benjamin Sesko still out and Matheus Cunha only just returning from his head injury, as well as Amad and Bryan Mbeumo set to depart for AFCON, there is no better time to blood some of the most exciting players in.
Lacey has been reaping the rewards of first-team training
There is no secret that Shea Lacey has bags of talent. When it comes to naming the next wonderkid to graduate from the Carrington academy, the young Englishman’s name always seems to crop up.
Injuries have hampered him early on in terms of getting a consistent enough run in the side to knock on the door of the senior side. However, recently, it looks like he has gotten over those hurdles.
For the past two matches, Lacey has appeared on the bench, a direct reward for spending more and more time training with the first team. Amorim himself said ahead of the West Ham tie that the Academy star is “ready” to play when needed.
His potential is there for everyone to see, and it is no surprise that he is not moving back down to the U-21s any time soon. He recently missed the U21s Premier League International Cup fixture against Anderlecht, and it seems he is set to be involved in the Premier League squad again.
Speaking to Inside Carrington, Travis Binnion, the Manchester United Under-21s lead coach, spoke about how important training with the first team is for his growth.
“Training with the first team is massive,” Binnon said. “Shea is going through a period now where that is more important than games. The previous month, the games were important to get that body of matches and build his confidence.”
Despite Cunha coming back into the squad, Lacey can easily fit into one of the 10 roles and transfer his skills over seamlessly as a winger.
Trust in the Academy more
Throughout United’s rich history, the academy has always played a pivotal role. Whether that has been filling in gaps during the hardest times or catapulting the club to success, the saying “Youth. Courage. Success” has always stayed true.
Lacey is not the only player knocking on the door, and he has a skill set that can boost what the squad needs.
The right-wing back spot has been a contentious position for United. With Amad heading off to AFCON, there is a space to fill, and no one in the academy is better suited to getting an opportunity there than Bendito Mantato.
Being able to bomb up and down the wing, while also having offensive trickery and defensive determination, are his biggest skill sets.
Even in the striker position, some players can fill in. Against Crystal Palace, Lacey was the only attacking option on the bench. In the future, the likes of Gabrielle Biancheri, who is yet to make his debut, could have the opportunity to fill in.
There will always be doubts about how ready the youth are, and not all of them will make it. But we will not know who is ready and who is not if they do not get the opportunity to display their talents.
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