Man Utd are cooking up a Carrington superstar destined to blossom into best-in-class
Manchester United have taken a plunge into the unknown with INEOS in their first season in charge of the club’s day-to-day operations, but the one constant at the Theatre of Dreams is the power of youth football.
In the good times and the bad, youth has always been a cornerstone of one of football’s biggest institutions and that won’t be changing under their new ownership.
Certainly not when the Carrington talent factory is churning out talents at an alarming rate.
Erik ten Hag hasn’t shied away from carrying the torch that is giving his best young players a platform to shine; the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho is a testament to that.
Granted not every young player can make it stick like the Red Devils’ dynamic duo who have taken like a duck to water at the top level, we doubt that Bendito Mantato is on the way to breaking into the first team merely to make up the numbers.
One of the brightest young winger prospects in the country, Mantato might just be the superstar you’ve never heard of.
Born in 2008, Mantato doesn’t actually turn 17 until January, yet there’s an aura about him that exudes ‘rule breaker’ when it comes to defying conventions on the pitch.
A player who largely flew under the radar for the most part in 2023-24, but that all changed when a show-stealing performance against Crystal Palace introduced us at Planet Football to him for the first time.
From that day forward, we knew United had a seriously special baller in the making. As if the name isn’t cool enough, he had the dazzling displays on the pitch to match.
That performance against Palace was merely a warning, though, because Mantato announced himself to the world weeks later with a breathtaking four-goal haul against Blackburn’s under-18s.
As cool as his name is, we’re going to have to start calling the kid Bendito Van Dam, because like wrestling’s Mr. Monday Night, he really is the whole f*cking show.
Capable of going inside or outside a defender, the teenager looks an absolute nightmare to defend with his quick feet, locker full of skills and eye for goal without even having to glance at the goalkeeper. It’s devastating.
What’s most impressive about Mantato and his rapid ascent from youth level to future star isn’t his superstar name or his flashy style of play. It’s not even his rampant eye for goal.
It’s his versatility and progression – literally.
Academy football often sees players move further back the older they get as they mature into a permanent position, but as the England under-16 has progressed, he’s swapped left-back for right-wing and flew with the increased pressure to beat players and deliver results.
Bukayo Saka made a similar switch when breaking into Arsenal’s first team a few years ago, while Gareth Bale remained on the same flank as he moved from left-back to the left wing.
Whichever side Mantato might land on as his play progresses, there’s no doubt that his wicked footwork, combined with a seriously shrewd use of his body to beat players, will stand him in good stead.
A baller wise beyond his years, United have successfully fought off interest from rivals to tie him down to an extended contract which will see him sign a professional deal as soon as he’s old enough.
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He made a breakthrough into the club’s under-18 side last season, which we expect to become his regular home in 2024-25 alongside the occasional drop into first-team training, where he’ll have the chance to dazzle an all-new coaching staff lineup alongside Erik ten Hag.
The hard work starts now for Mantato, who has quietly emerged from nowhere as one of the most technically gifted young players in England right now.
He enjoyed a brilliant end to last season, but making it stick as he jumps up to a greater level of competition and expectation in 2024-25 will truly test his credentials.
We back him to pass that test with flying colours. Compare him to who you like – above all, there’s only one Bendito Mantato.
By Mitch Wilks