Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is not afraid to utilise young players, giving chances to the very best academy talents at the club.
It says a lot about how special a club Manchester United is, that in the impressive 3-0 win over Everton at the weekend, the team’s two best players were two teenagers who won the FA Youth Cup just 18 months earlier.
Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are just the start. On the same weekend, United’s under-18s side managed to beat Southampton 5-1, showing there is plenty more talent coming through.
One of the standout players in that match was Jack Fletcher, a summer signing from Manchester City.
Jack Fletcher trains with first team
Manchester United manager called Jack Fletcher into first team training earlier today at Carrington, as the team stepped up preparations for the match with Galatasaray tomorrow.
Fletcher will be playing in the UEFA Youth League, although a place on the bench for the first team can’t be ruled out, if there is a spot.
The 16-year-old’s call-up is particularly intriguing because it comes as a reward for his excellent performance at the weekend for the 18s.
Fletcher played in an attacking midfield role, creating numerous chances and bagging an assist as the team won their Premier League Cup match with ease.
His twin brother Tyler Fletcher also featured in the game, but it was Jack’s attacking play which caught the eye, and crucially, apparently Erik ten Hag‘s.
Erik ten Hag is paying attention
Erik ten Hag’s decision to call Fletcher into the first team group is a show of acknowledgement towards the teenager, amid intrigue to take a further look at the midfielder.
As Kobbie Mainoo will testify, call-ups do not happen overnight. A player must impress the manager behind the scenes in training, and in friendly matches, before earning selection.
The first step for Fletcher is getting in front of the boss. His performance at the weekend has given him the opportunity to show what he can do around the first team squad, and his manager and coaching staff will have been taking notes
Ten Hag has shown that he is not satisfied with just Garnacho and Mainoo. If anything, it has made him more buoyant towards the academy and what solutions may lie at his disposal, now or in the future.
Fletcher, only 16, is a longer term bet, but Manchester United fans should be excited that Ten Hag is continuing to plan ahead and utilise the talents coming through.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/jImtorK