“Bold move…” – Manchester United’s former starlet receives praise for leaving Old Trafford

Manchester United have churned out many top talents in their academy but not all of those ended up succeeding at Old Trafford.

Kobbie Mainoo is the latest star to come through at Carrington and the United teenager is already an England international and a key player for Erik ten Hag’s side.

However, Angel Gomes was once in a similar position. He made his debut for the club at 16 years of age and replaced Wayne Rooney that day. It felt like he was destined to make it at Old Trafford.

Despite flashes of brilliance in the first-team, after becoming the youngest player since Duncan Edwards to represent the club, consistent opportunities eluded Gomes.

A move to Lille in 2020 offered the midfielder a chance to flourish in a new environment. The French club presented an ideal platform for Gomes to showcase his skills and fulfil his immense potential.

Following a loan spell at Boavista in the 2020/21 campaign, Gomes has steadily become a strong and important player for the Ligue 1 outfit and is a key part of their efforts to secure Champions League qualification next season.

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The 23-year-old’s decision to move away from the comforts at Old Trafford, as well as his current form, has been praised this week on the French league’s website.

An article based on Gomes detailed: “Angel Gomes made a bold move when he left Manchester United and English football to join LOSC Lille back in 2020. The risk has paid off for the 23-year-old, who has emerged as a standout player for Les Dogues.”

The report went on to detail how Gomes is now one of the “top talents” under Paulo Fonseca and plays a “crucial” role in the midfield dynamic and their ambitions in the league and Europa Conference League.

Gomes has played 106 games for the French club and also starred in the U21 European Championship squad last year, where England won the competition.