Man Utd teenager Shea Lacey is 'one to watch' after Kobbie Mainoo breakthrough

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·24 de dezembro de 2023

Man Utd teenager Shea Lacey is 'one to watch' after Kobbie Mainoo breakthrough

Manchester United will be hoping to produce academy products that can make an impact on the senior squad like Kobbie Mainoo has of late, and The United Stand presenter Beth Tucker has spoken to GIVEMESPORT on a conversation she has had with an academy coach about Shea Lacey.

Over the years, United have been known for producing talents from their academy who go on to have a major impact on the senior squad. When the Red Devils won the treble back in 1999, Sir Alex Ferguson had the likes of Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, and David Beckham, among others, who had started in the youth setup as kids.

Vídeos OneFootball

In recent times, we haven't seen United produce as many talents as they may have hoped. However, 18-year-old midfielder Mainoo has emerged this season and is already making a positive impact at Old Trafford.

Lacey is one of the brightest young talents in England at the moment, and United have managed to convince him to remain at the club. As per Manchester Evening News, Lacey has been attracting interest from all around Europe, but he's now signed a scholarship deal at United with an agreement in principle to sign professional terms when he turns 17 next April.

The report also adds that Erik ten Hag has had an influence on convincing Lacey to remain at United by holding one-to-one meetings with him and other academy stars, outlining what he expects of them if they were ever to have a chance to step up to first-team level. At the age of 16, playing regular senior football in the near future would seem unlikely, but it's important for Lacey to know that there is a pathway for him.

Lacey has been subbed 'United's Phil Foden' at times during his youth career - an impressive named to be compared to considering the talent of the England international. The attacking star has already represented his country at U15, U16, and U17 level, scoring five goals in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

The 16-year-old will undoubtedly be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Mainoo, who made his first Premier League start against Everton earlier in December. Since then, the youngster has become a key figure and a regular in the squad, recently starting away to Liverpool in the Premier League.

Talent Scout Jacek Kulig recently named a player to watch from every single side competing in the UEFA Youth League this season, with Lacey the representative for Manchester United.

Beth Tucker update

Tucker has suggested that after speaking to an academy coach about young Lacey, he is a player to watch from the youth setup in the near future. The United Stand presenter adds that he will need a few years of development before we're likely to see him. Technically there aren't going to be any issues with Lacey, but he will need to develop physically to play in the Premier League. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Tucker said...

"Carrington has been producing recently and obviously it still needs to improve. Carrington really is producing some good young players. Kobbie Mainoo was obviously excellent (against Everton). I've watched many under-21 games beforehand and I knew how good he was going to be. And the younger spectrum, Shea Lacey is doing really well. But I was speaking to the academy at Manchester United, he was one of the academy coaches. He said, Shea Lacey technically is brilliant, but he still needs years of development in terms of physicality. So he'll definitely be one to watch and he's doing really well in his England age group as well."

Shea Lacey isn't the only one to watch

Lacey and Mainoo certainly aren't the only players to watch from the youth setup, with United investing heavily in their academy over the years. One player who could be next to emerge is young striker Charlie McNeil, the Red Devils paid £750k to sign him from rivals Manchester City back in 2020, fending off interest from Juventus and RB Leipzig, as per the Telegraph.

19-year-old Daniel Gore was also given a place on the bench against Liverpool at Anfield at the weekend and will undoubtedly be envious of the game time Mainoo is currently receiving. With the Red Devils struggling at times this season, it could be the ideal opportunity for academy products to start staking their claim under ten Hag.