Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has already showcased his willingness to advertise younger expertise throughout his temporary time at Outdated Trafford to date, with the Dutchman having notably introduced the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Zidane Iqbal and Charlie McNeill into the first-team fold.
The 52-year-old’s fondness for turning to the academy had seemingly been a key consider his appointment on the finish of final season, with technical director John Murtough noting his “dedication to youth” within the membership’s assertion confirming his seize.
The previous Ajax boss had showcased that ‘dedication’ throughout his time in Amsterdam, having assembled an immensely proficient younger aspect that stormed to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, bettering the likes of Actual Madrid and Juventus en path to the final 4.
The typical age of the Eredivisie outfit’s squad that season was simply 23, with the typical age of the defensive unit having been particularly fresh-faced at simply 22.8, spearheaded by the colossal presence of then-teenager, Matthijs de Ligt.
The Netherlands worldwide – who just lately moved to Bayern Munich after a three-year spell in Turin – was one of many extra notable academy success tales in Ten Hag’s aspect, with the towering centre-back having even been handed the captain’s armband in 2018 regardless of his youth.
That was a marker of not solely the 6 foot 2 gem’s high quality, but additionally the belief during which the present Crimson Devils’ boss had positioned in him, as he in the end made 55 appearances throughout that 2018/19 season, scoring a formidable seven targets and laying on 4 assists from his centre-back berth.
That connection had even seen the previous Golden Boy winner linked with a transfer to the Theatre of Goals this summer time, albeit with the 38-cap titan in the end securing a change to the Allianz Enviornment.
Whereas the £63m-rated star had not been handed his debut by Ten Hag – with that having come beneath Peter Bosz in 2016 – he was actually a participant whom the one-time Utrecht coach had put a whole lot of religion in, with the time now to seek out one other De Ligt-esque expertise within the United ranks.
One standout candidate is seemingly that of 17-year-old, Tyler Fredricson, with the spectacular teenager having already been coaching with Cristiano Ronaldo et al within the senior set-up in latest weeks, notably incomes a spot on the bench for the Europa League conflict with Actual Sociedad.
Ought to Fredricson be given an opportunity?
No, not satisfied
Sure!
The England U18 worldwide continues to be ready to make his first-team bow, though had performed an important function in final season’s FA Youth Cup triumph, beginning all 5 recreation’s within the build-up to the ultimate, solely to cruelly miss the showpiece by means of damage.
The present marketing campaign has seen the teenager sensation function 5 occasions in all competitions to date, together with within the 2-1 win over Carlisle United within the EFL Trophy, incomes reward from journalist Nathan Ridley for his willingness to “soldier on” in De Ligt-like trend regardless of selecting up a knock within the conflict.
The Manchester-born starlet solely just lately signed his first skilled contract with the membership again in Could, with the younger centre-back actually one to maintain an eye fixed over the approaching months and years, with it set to be no actual shock if Ten Hag does hand him an opportunity sooner relatively than later.
As he noticed with the case of De Ligt, age actually will be only a quantity if the participant is nice sufficient. On this case, Fredricson might nicely be.
