Who is Elyh Harrison? Man United goalkeeper to be included in FA Cup squad vs Newport

Elyh Harrison is set to be included in Manchester United’s squad to face Newport County in the FA Cup fourth-round clash on Sunday afternoon.

That’s according to information from academy-focused X account AcademyScoop, which has added that the young goalkeeper is highly thought of by the club, Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff.

Harrison, 17, has established himself as a regular for United’s Under-21s this campaign despite his age.

He has started eight of their opening 12 fixtures this term following an impressive campaign for the Under-18s last season.

With the young goalkeeper set to be involved, many Manchester United fans are unaware of his playstyle and history.

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Everything you need to know about Elyh Harrison can be read below.

Club history so far

Harrison joined Manchester United from Stevenage’s youth set-up in the summer of 2022. The goalkeeper also spent time with West Ham’s academy at a younger age.

At United, he has played 34 games for the Under-18s, 10 games for the Under-21s and five games for the Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League.

Harrison travelled with United’s first-team squad in pre-season to face Wrexham last summer and was named on the bench. The 16-year-old at the time did not make an appearance on the day, though.

International history so far

Elyh Harrison has represented England at youth levels but also has South African citizenship. In November, he made his England Under-19s debut against Mexico Under-18s in a 7-1 victory.

Playstyle

Harrison’s on-ball attributes are typical of the modern-day goalkeeper. He is super comfortable receiving the ball from his defenders and either continues to recycle the ball across the backline, or can also clip the ball to the full-backs in wide areas.

He’d often seen trying to ‘bait the press’ when on the ball at the back. Waiting for the opposition to press so he can attempt to find players in space and help the team progress.

The goalkeeper is not only focused on ball-playing, however. Harrison also has a somewhat aggressive approach in terms of shot-stopping and sweeping. He’s often been able to make very impressive saves due to his ability to quickly close down angles, alongside his excellent reflexes.