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A hat-trick in 14 minutes...

From Hale End hero to a deal with the devils – Man Utd’s hat-trick hitter is first-team ready

Watching a youth prospect blossom for your club is always sweet, but it’s even sweeter when they’ve been snatched from under the nose of one of your age-old rivals.

Regular readers of Planet Football and those with their ear to the floor when it comes to academy football will have absolutely heard his name before, but for those who are just boarding the Chido Obi Martin train, strap in, because it’s a one-way ticket to the top of the mountain.

Born in Denmark, Arsenal thought they’d got the jump on football’s next main event star when they signed Obi-Martin from KB in 2022, when he was just 14.

And rightly so. They were first to spot his outstanding talent and moved quickly to ensure he was blooded in as a Hale End hero.

For a while, all was perfect. Obi-Martin was shattering glass ceilings and making an impact in a way even Attitude Era ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin didn’t, embarrassing goalkeepers across the country with his scoring feats and defying age brackets.

The Gunners had – genuinely – the top under-16 prospect in the world on their hands. Yep, we’ve gone there.

Until they didn’t.

After firing himself to stardom with an array of scoring feats at youth level including 10 goals against Liverpool’s under-16s and seven goals against Norwich at under-18 level, he later announced his shock departure from the club.

The equivalent of CM Punk walking away from WWE with the top championship around his waist, Obi-Martin went one further than the self-proclaimed ‘best in the world’.

Instead of returning, the chain remained around his neck as he walked through the gates at Carrington, ripped up his Hale End allegiance and did a deal with the devil – the Red Devils.

The Danish forward signed for United and reports state he viewed internally as the third striker option for the senior side behind Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, despite being just 16 and having not even played for the club at under-21 level.

With a 14-minute hat-trick on his first start for the under-18s, however, we’ve got a feeling he’ll be doing a Kobbie Mainoo and skipping a level altogether.


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There’s making an impact, and then there’s Obi-Martin. What an unbelievable prospect. Nottingham Forest never had a chance.

The game ended 6-0, but it was really over from the moment the striker smelled Forest blood.

Breathtaking ability. The scariest part is that this is him just getting warmed up and adapting to new surroundings. The kid is frightening.

Goal number one is a gift from some suspect passing after the first whistle, but the 16-year-old’s pressure and positioning allow him to prey on the error before rounding the goalkeeper.

He gets a second mere minutes later, again positioning himself well inside the box to make the most of some poor defending before showcasing his ferocious shot power with a strike that simply had no right being that venomously struck.

To put the icing on the cake and claim the matchball in a nauseatingly quick fashion, Obi-Martin ghosted his way into the box and slotted home with supreme composure; a perfect summary of how devastating he can be.

At 16, the Dane is performing at a level he simply shouldn’t understand so soon into his career. His movement in the box is terrific and he already looks ready physically to take on a more senior level.

The red devil has revealed himself. There’s no hiding anymore – Obi Martin will be firing them in for the first-team and quite possibly keeping Erik ten Hag in a job before we know it.

By Mitch Wilks