Jim Thwaites was back for Manchester United on Saturday against Manchester City, and he scored an incredible free-kick in a fashion befitting David Beckham.
Seeing the 18-year-old back in action was exciting as Manchester United U18 beat City 3-1 in a performance which could have seen a more convincing score.
Jim Thwaites earned the ultimate praise from City players as they changed their entire game plan to avoid pressing the brilliant and evasive midfielder.
After this performance, fans on TalkingPoints have had a lot to say about Thwaites.
Jim Thwaites tipped to be great by Manchester United fans
Thwaites is one of the best midfielders in the academy right now, and if handled correctly, he is a future first-team player for the Red Devils.
This sentiment is shared within the United fanbase, as has been made clear on TalkingPoints.
One user commented his support for Thwaites, even mentioning the Busby Babes.
“I am a Man United fan, I think the club will benefit from these youngsters coming from the academy. There will be a new ‘babes’. Jim Thwaites, I see greatness in him and the others.”
Another added, “I think this boy will go a long way.”
This came after his derby day performance, with fans comparing Thwaites with David Beckham.
“He reminds me of David Beckham”, one suggested. Followed by another fan explaining that Thwaites is actually already more well-rounded.
“Beckham but better his overall game is much more intelligent, needs to build a bit more muscle, then a great player in the making.”
Thwaites’ free-kick was similar to David Beckham vs Everton in 2003
While Thwaites’ all-round style of play is different from Beckham’s, the pair do share a remarkable ability to score free-kicks and deliver wonderful corners.
After his strike against City’s U18 side, comparisons were made to Beckham for his deadly nature with a dead ball.
The instance that fans are thinking of is when Beckham scored a beautiful free-kick with the exact same technique against Everton in 2003.
Like Thwaites’, Beckham’s free-kick was taken from a bad angle for a right footer, curling it away from the goalkeeper from the right side of the box into the top left corner, with outside to inside curve.
If Thwaites can translate this to professional footballer, he will already have qualities that make him important for United.
Ahead of the FA Youth Cup, Thwaites has a massive chance to earn his place in the first team.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/lPFDQHA