Manchester United progressed to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup this week after beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground.
Casemiro scored the only goal of the tie, latching onto a wonderful Bruno Fernandes cross to flick the ball home past Matt Turner in the 89th minute.
That said, unlike most of this season, it was the experienced players who stepped up for Erik ten Hag, with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Hojlund being the most consistent performers recently.
However, there’s one almost forgotten player in the academy who has the potential to have a huge impact on the first team in the near future and who could just be a bigger talent than Amad Diallo.
Amad Diallo’s 23/24 season
The Man United faithful have been crying out for the 21-year-old winger to be handed his first Premier League start, but it was Antony who started ahead of him against Forest.
The Red Army did get to see the former Atalanta gem feature, however, as he came on for the Brazilian after the break, making his third appearance of the campaign after picking up an injury in pre-season that saw him only return in December.
The number 16 has yet to show his quality in a United shirt, but he starred on loan at Sunderland last term, where he scored 13 goals and provided three assists. This return is impressive considering it was his first full season in the men’s game, but Ten Hag is clearly still not completely convinced by the diminutive winger.
Nevertheless, there’s a star who’s been on fire in the academy who could be up next, despite already making his Premier League debut in 2021.
Man Utd would’ve lost against Forest without 8/10 star & Casemiro
Man United progressed to the next round of the FA Cup last night.
ByTom Lever Shola Shoretire’s 23/24 statistics
Shola Shoretire is an extremely highly-rated prospect in the United academy, who has been described as an “enormous talent,” as per journalist Rich Fay.
The attacker made his United debut as a 17-year-old in the same season that he won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.
The now-20-year-old returned to the Red Devils in the summer after enjoying a five-month loan spell at Bolton Wanderers, where he gained valuable experience over 16 appearances.
However, Shoretire has been brilliant this season in the U21s, scoring nine goals and providing four assists in 12 games, which not only proves he can find the back of the net but also creates opportunities for those around him.
That said, it was his performance in Man United U21’s 4-3 defeat to Salford City in the EFL Trophy in October that cemented him as one of the most promising youngsters at the club.
Goals
2
Shots
4
Pass accuracy
87%
Touches
67
Duels won
10
Tackles
5
As can be seen in the table above, Shoretire more than held his own against the far more experienced opponent, with the standout stat being that he scored twice from four shots.
The winger, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, showed leadership throughout, keeping the ball when necessary and showing bravery to receive passes regardless of time and space, as highlighted by his pass accuracy and touches.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
What was also impressive was Shoretire’s ability to deal with the physicality of the League Two side while ensuring that he worked hard off the ball for his team, helping them regain possession. Ten duels won and five tackles are quality for any attacker at any level.
Overall, Shoretire is a well-rounded attacker who can thrive in any game state and under any instruction. If given the chance, he could just prove to be a bigger talent than Amad.
