Manchester United’s U18s side secured a 3-1 victory over Man City, with a particular talent, who has been likened to Barcelona’s Pedri, shining away from home.
Manchester United’s U-18s side came out 3-1 victors over rivals Manchester City thanks to goals from JJ Gabriel, Chido Obi and Jim Thwaites.
Despite being underdogs going into the tie, United looked the much better side, with Obi hitting the bar twice in the first half.
The breakthrough came through the 15-year-old wonder kid JJ Gabriel, before Obi doubled United’s advantage with a deserved goal shortly after.
With five minutes to go, City pulled one back, but the game was put to bed through a fantastic Jim Thwaites free-kick to secure all three points.
Jim Thwaites impresses once again
Having just returned from a short injury, he showed the side what they had been missing after coming on for the second half, being pivotal in the win on the day, controlling the midfield brilliantly.
Thwaites is an extremely versatile midfielder, having experience across all aspects of the midfield. He has played as a deep-lying midfielder, box-to-box, and as an attacking playmaker over his years at the academy.
Having already been compared to Barcelona star Pedri in the past for his ability to keep possession under pressure, the 18-year-old’s ability to play in multiple midfield positions will certainly put him in good standing for a potential senior call-up in the near future.
Thwaites has featured 19 times this season, scoring four goals and assisting three as the academy side looks to win the U18S Premier League, sitting just one point behind City, but have played three games more.
What next for Thwaites?
Jim Thwaites trained a number of times with the first-team squad under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, and has reportedly caught the eye of Michael Carrick.
With that in mind, it’s expected that Carrick will follow suit and bring him into first-team training before the end of the season.
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While it’s unlikely that Thwaites will earn his senior debut this season, after the club exited both domestic cup competitions at an early stage.
The next stage in the 18-year-old’s career will likely come with a promotion to the U-21 side, or could even be sent out on loan to lower leagues in England’s football pyramid, with the likes of Harry Amass and Ethan Wheatley impressing this season.
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