16-year-old Man United wonderkid Shea Lacey has been likened to Wayne Rooney | OneFootball

Highlights

While hyping up Manchester United's academy prospects is nothing new, their latest emerging 'superstar' genuinely looks like the real deal – we promise.

Since the dawn of time, United have always had one of the best academies around. Think the 'Class of 92', George Best, Sir Bobby Charlton and, more recently, Marcus Rashford, to name just a few.

But the success of United's academy over the years has cast plenty of pressure on those coming through the system now to deliver in the same way.

As a result, plenty of youngsters have been touted as the next big thing, but the majority have failed to live up to the hype.

That being said, since the appointment of Erik ten Hag as United manager, the Red Devils have integrated several exciting players into the first team.

Alejandro Garnacho impressed last season and has been brilliant in pre-season so far. Similarly, 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo has featured in four pre-season games for United and will likely get some minutes in the upcoming campaign.

There's no doubt Garnacho and Mainoo are two mightily eye-catching players, but 16-year-old Shea Lacey might just have more potential than them both.

Footage of the teenage winger in action has gone viral on social media and his technical ability is scarily good.

What will delight United fans further is that the youngster actually hails from Liverpool of all places but has opted to play for the Red Devils instead of the Reds.

Who is Shea Lacey?

Lacey was born in Liverpool and is the youngest of three brothers, with the other two also playing football.

Both other Lacey brothers grew up supporting the Reds, yet Shea has always been a dedicated Man United fan.

Believe it or not, Paddy rejected joining the United academy in favour of joining Liverpool, but Shea's father made the decision to send him to United – owing to the facilities and development opportunities supposedly being better.

Indeed, after impressing at youth level, Lacey made his debut for the under-18s at just 15.

And at 16 years of age, he has already played for the under-21s as well – making his debut against Dutch side Feyenoord.

He scored his first goal at under-18 level in a 3–3 draw with Wolves and has continued to catch the eye of many ever since.

Speaking about his brother making his England U-16 debut, Paddy Lacey told the Manchester Evening News: “He’s standing there with the shirt on and I was welling up with tears just thinking how far he’s come.

“I’m in constant conversation with Man United and you never want it to go to his head, where he starts to dwell on clips and not focus on the next game. Shea has just always wanted more, more goals and assists, to play better.

“I think only injuries could stop Shea in his career, with his mindset and ability. When I look at myself at that age, both of my younger brothers are so much more mentally mature than I was. They’re just streets ahead.”

At this point, we expect you're wondering what all the fuss is about, so feast your eyes on some his highlights below.

What makes Lacey so good?

It may sound like we're showering Lacey with too much praise, but the early signs are that he's a near complete player.

Adept at playing in a number of positions, he's been utilised on the right wing predominantly but sometimes features as an attacking midfielder.

As a left-footer, he has a tendency to try and cut in and is also regarded as somewhat of a dead-ball specialist.

But perhaps his biggest trait is his dribbling skills. Lacey's incredible close control and balance is an absolute nightmare to deal with and he can seemingly weave his way through an entire defence with ease.

This is no better emphasised than by the clip below, which shows the teenager gliding past about half the opposition team, before getting away a shot with his weaker foot.

Is Lacey the next Wayne Rooney?

Without getting too carried away, the similarities between Lacey and Rooney are striking.

Rooney was also born in Liverpool and came through the ranks at Everton, before controversially joining the Red Devils.

But the striker went on to endear himself to the Old Trafford faithful – becoming one of the most successful players in the club's history.

Lacey's fearlessness on the pitch and ball carrying abilities are also reminiscent in many ways of Wazza, though it's important to remember the 16-year-old has some way to go to match the achievements of the legendary forward.

At the same age as Lacey, Rooney made his debut for Everton and scored that famous goal against Arsenal that same year.

By the time he was 17, Rooney was playing for England and was named the 2002 Young Sports Personality of the Year.

What we're saying, in simple terms, is that Lacey will have to have one hell of a career to even be mentioned in the same breath as Rooney.

Will Lacey get first-team minutes this season?

If Lacey is to follow the same path as Wazza, then that means breaking through into the first team soon.

However, as good a talent as he may be, the teenager faces some steep competition.

United are blessed with some immensely talented wingers and have spent big on that position in recent seasons.

Antony arrived for a huge fee last summer, while Jadon Sancho was brought in from Borussia Dortmund the year before.

Added to that, United have Rashford, Garnacho and even Anthony Martial – who is also comfortable playing out wide.

But with United battling for silverware on four fronts this season and injuries inevitable, there will surely be a time when Ten Hag calls on his youngsters.

And if Lacey does get the opportunity to impress at first-team level, then you're not going to want to miss it.