As featured on NewsNow: Football news

Who's the youth? Five U20s Man Utd fans must watch

While football has temporarily been taken away from us, take some time to familiarise yourself with your club's brightest stars, who might start making a name for themselves when games resume...


Hannibal Mejbri

Signed from Monaco last summer, Hannibal Mejbri has wasted no time in proving why he was one of the hottest young talents from France.

Despite being 17, Mejbri has already made quite a name for himself on the European scene.

He's always been on the radar of some of Europe's biggest teams. Before signing for Monaco, Mejbri turned down a move to Liverpool, opting to continue his development in France instead.

The young French midfielder has bagged one goal and made three assists for United's U18 team this season.

Mejbri is rapid, agile and he has a keen eye for a pass - considering his talent, there's a solid chance that he will feature for the club in the near future.

Video Courtesy of MxZvGx



Ethan Laird

Ethan Laird joined Manchester United's academy at the age of nine - now 18, the young Englishman has worked his way to the upper echelons of United's youth system.

Laird is a right-back who boasts blistering pace and defensive awareness well above his years. He's not afraid to jump into a tackle, but he's calculative enough to attempt tackles only when the need arises.

Laird is somewhat on the fringes of United's first-team. He's been included in the substitute's bench a few times, but he's still yet to make his first-team debut for the Red Devils.

Judging by his development over the past year, it won't be long before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer grants him a starting berth.

Video Courtesy of ZA45 Futbol



Arnau Puigmal

Back in 2017, Manchester United were embroiled in a race with Barcelona to sign Arnau Puigmal from Espanyol.

United luckily won that race, bolstering their youth ranks with one of the best young players in Spain.

Puigmal is a technically gifted midfielder who's always looking to drive forward and contribute to the attack.

What makes him such an incredible player for his age, though, is despite his keenness to make his presence felt in the attacking third, he doesn't shy away from his defensive duties.

The 19-year-old is regarded as one of the best youngsters in Europe and is expected to feature in Solskjaer's squad in the near future.

Video Courtesy of ZA45 Futbol



James Garner

Garner has been touted to become a world-class midfielder in the future, and judging by his development so far, it's fair to say that he's on the right track towards doing so.

Garner's first involvement with Manchester United's senior team came back in 2018 during the club's summer tour of the United States in games against San Jose Earthquakes, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

He put up some impressive performances during the tour and earned himself a Premier League debut back on March 15 2019 coming on as a substitute for Fred in a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

Garner is a strong box-to-box midfielder who knows how to crack off long shots pretty well. He almost always assumes the role of an engine every time he steps into the midfield.

He has since gone on to make more appearances for United, even featuring in multiple Europa League games for the Reds this season.

Video Courtesy of ZA45 Futbol




Shola Shoretire

16-year-old Shola Shoretire recently put pen to paper on a long term deal following some heavy interest in the Geordie winger from some of Europe's biggest clubs.

Shoretire can be deployed on either flank or up front as he boasts an expansive skillset which allows him to play a variety of roles in the attacking third.

He's fast and possesses incredibly quick feet allowing him to thrive in 1 v 1 situations. He's a nightmare to defend against and he's barely even scratched the surface of his potential.

He can't expect to break into United's first-team set-up anytime soon, but he definitely has the potential to grow into a role at United when he furthers his development.

Video Courtesy of MxZvGx

Video of the day:

Phillip Ekuwem
About the author

Phillip Ekuwem

×

Subscribe and go ad-free

For only $10 a year

  1. Go Ad-Free
  2. Faster site experience
  3. Support great writing
  4. Subscribe now
Launch Offer: 2 months free
×

Subscribe and go ad-free

For only $10 a year

Subscribe now
Launch Offer: 2 months free