Sekou Kone scored his first goal for Manchester United as the Under-21s drew 2-2 against Leeds United on Friday afternoon.
Manchester United return to action on Tuesday following a two-week break for international fixtures, with Ruben Amorim’s squad set to take on Nottingham Forest.
Meanwhile, the club’s Under-21s were back on the pitch for the first time since March 14, as they faced Leeds United in the PL2 on Friday afternoon.
Despite dominating from the outset, United unexpectedly found themselves trailing by two goals after Leeds struck twice in quick succession midway through the first half.
Travis Binnion’s team remained determined and managed to pull level in the second half. Sekou Kone scored his first goal for the club with an excellent half-volley inside the area before winning a penalty minutes later, with Sam Mather converting the spot-kick.
Although United controlled the game until the final whistle, they were unable to find a decisive goal and had to settle for a draw.
Kone sends message after scoring first United goal
Kone, 19, joined the club from Mali-based side Guidars FC in the summer window for a reported £1 million and it was viewed as an exciting bit of business.
The teenager is viewed as a future first-team star but has started his life in Manchester in the Under-21s side. After a slow start to the campaign due to missing out on a pre-season, Kone has now made eight appearances for the youth side.
He has also appeared on the bench for the first-team in games against Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.
It was not until Friday afternoon, however, where the midfielder scored his first goal for the club. The expertly-taken half-volley kickstarted United’s comeback and Kone was pleased with the moment afterwards.
He took to Instagram later that day and wrote, “Thank God for my first goal with the Reds Devils❤️🤍💙” and the likes of Chido Obi and Godwill Kukonki sending supportive messages in the comments.
The Under-21s only have three remaining fixtures this season and Kone will be hoping to play a significant part in all of those.
Amorim’s integration plan for Kone explained
Of course, the long-term goal for Kone is to reach the first-team and contribute to Amorim’s side, who are currently missing the type of midfield profile that he is.
It has previously been suggested by his coaches that the biggest obstacle to overcome is getting the fitness levels required to play at the top level.
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Kone’s technical ability is extremely good and he has all of the tools to be a good out-of-possession midfielder too, but this is his first season playing at a more competitive level after moving away from Mali.
Prior reports have claimed that Kone is expected to have an opportunity to impress Amorim during the next pre-season, potentially earning a spot in the club’s summer tour squad.
United’s staff believe Kone has the qualities to excel in the Portuguese boss’ system but it has also been stated that there is no urgency to accelerate his development.
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