It was always clear he had lots of talent, and an incredible work rate. But the step up from youth football to the premier league was always going to be a lot. Especially for such a small player.
Whenever he plays for the U23s he looks too good for that level, but likewise he looks raw and peripheral at PL level. This loan has been perfect to help him bridge the gap between the two. I hope he stays there for the whole season and can really get through the grind of a long season and add some serious first team experience to his CV. It’ll do him the world of good.
Whats been mental are the amount of people writing him off, at his age, following a big move, and with his lack of first team experience. From this point we should really see him as a two year project, because where is now and where he can be in two years, is light years apart. He is only 20, and to me he has the talent, potential, and worth ethic to make a long term development project worthwhile.
I don’t have a crystal ball and I can’t tell you if he’s going to make it at the very highest level yet; but what I will say is that he has as much chance and as much evident talent as most of the top prospects we’ve had come out of the academy in recent years. (I know he isn’t an academy player, just making the point in development terms).
The only sure things I’ve seen come through in the Last 5-7 years are Rashford and Greenwood. Could Amad get to their level? I don’t see why not, but more to the point he is as good as any player we’ve had come through who isn’t either of those two. He really does have all the tools, potentially. People just expected far too much, far too soon.
Im hoping, against hope, that he’ll be given the time and patience he needs to develop properly, and of course the pathway. He’s a very modern player, and has an extremely high level of press resistance, and close control. I think he’s going to be a star personally, but I’m not ready to put my house on it.
In terms of young talent on the verge of the first team - something I personally find to be the most gratifying aspect of supporting Manchester United - we have four really exciting players: Amad, Hannibal, Fernandez and Garnacho. All four could be squad players, getting considerable minutes, from next season.
Garnacho has exploded on to the scene, but patience is going to be needed because he’s going to have some challenging times ahead as opposing teams learn his game. But all four of those players are the real deal I think. After that I have a lot of time for Shoretire, just think he’s a couple of years away from taking that next step. Fernandez (PNE), Amad (Sunderland), and Hannibal (Birmingham), are enjoying superb loans in the championship, and all showing their class. I am not sure people realise how significant that is, because it’s been a while since we had one good loan, let alone three simultaneously. I’m also not sure people get what an incredible generation of footballers we have coming through, how much that’s going to save us in the transfer market, and how superb it will be to integrate them all into the first team squad next season.
I think they are all good enough to make it, maybe not all as first team starters, but almost certainly as homegrown squad players.
