Nicky Butt has revealed the telling message he shared with Lille star Angel Gomes after the former Manchester United player left Old Trafford in 2020.
Angel Gomes came through the Manchester United youth academy and made 10 appearances for the Red Devils first team after rising through the ranks.
However, the 24-year-old former United talent struggled to establish himself as a first-team regular, despite being tipped for a bright future at Old Trafford.
Gomes rejected the opportunity to sign a new contract with United and the academy prospect left the Premier League club and moved to Lille on a free transfer.
The Lille star was immediately loaned out to Boavista after he signed for the French club before returning to the Ligue 1 outfit and reinventing himself as a player.
Gomes has become a first-team regular at Lille and the former United player has made 119 appearances for the French club since his move in 2020.
Butt on league for Gomes and message
Angel Gomes’ career is going from strength to strength after the Lille midfielder earned his first senior England call-up during the international break.
Lee Carsley, who took charge of England as interim manager after Gareth Southgate stepped down, included Gomes in his squad for the Nations League campaign.
Gomes earned his England debut after he came off the bench in the 2-0 Nations League win over the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
The Three Lions international made his first England start under Lee Carsley with an impressive display in the 2-0 victory over Finland at Wembley this month.
Nicky Butt was part of the Manchester United academy coaching staff as Gomes made his way through the ranks at Old Trafford.
The 49-year-old United legend dropped the ultimate compliment on Gomes by suggesting that La Liga is the type of league “written all over” for him.
Butt also revealed that he told the England midfielder that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if he saw him playing against United while at Barcelona or Real Madrid.
“I think he can do better than some of the teams that will be in for him in the Premier League,” he told the PA news agency, as per Goal.
“The Spanish league is written all over for Angel. He could play in the Premier League easily. He could play for City tomorrow.
“When Angel left United [in 2020], I said to him, ‘You’re going to go on and have an unbelievable career and I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up playing against Manchester United for Barcelona or Real Madrid in the next five, six, seven years,’ because he was that good.
“And I’m not just saying that now that he’s made his England debut, I genuinely thought that a long time ago.”
Butt on Gomes and Premier League
Gomes has been linked with a potential return to United in 2025, with the Three Lions midfielder’s contract with Lille set to expire next summer.
Butt is convinced that Gomes could “easily” play in the Premier League and even made a bold claim that he could play for Manchester City “tomorrow.”
“He could play in the Premier League easily,” he continued.
“He could play for City tomorrow. But then you put him in at Man United at the minute and he’s got to have the legs to go through the centre of midfield where there’s a massive gap, people run through the Man United midfield like you wouldn’t believe. Then it’s a really difficult game for him.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/sPuDckv