Carrington’s crown jewel is back & already terrorising Man Utd’s rivals for fun
Suggesting that all of Manchester United’s current problems can be fixed by simply glancing at their academy is the kind of negligence that’s landed them in this mess in the first place.
However, that doesn’t mean that the youth that has long fuelled the club cannot be the catalyst for a revival once again.
Especially when you watch Shea Lacey and realise you’ve been left hypnotised by his mesmeric footwork and hip swings.
Lacey’s name won’t be new to many, particularly if you’ve got your finger on the pulse with youth football. But the teenage winger has spent a long time on the shelf plagued with an injury, which has seen the spotlight come off him.
Until now.
Following a roughly half-a-year layoff with a muscle injury, Lacey has returned to under-18 action with a vengeance and appears to be taking out months of frustration on any defender tasked with trying to keep a lid on him.
He’s being fed victims like Goldberg was fed jobbers in the 1990s and, for United fans in particular, it serves not only as much-needed catharsis in (another) dull time watching the men’s first-team, but also offers a glimmer of hope to a potentially brighter future.
A future which – if his development is handled properly – involves Lacey tearing through the game’s best defenders like prime Goldberg. Entrance music and everything, we hope.
The Liverpool-born teenager reintroduced himself from the bench as United fell to a 4-3 defeat against Tottenham’s under-18s, a scoreline which would’ve looked a lot worse if not for Lacey’s outrageous half-hour cameo.
Shea Lacey vs Tottenham U18s. pic.twitter.com/0Xx3oDyxNG
— 𝙈𝙞𝙯𝙪. (@mizuravage) October 5, 2024
Two goals from the bench rescued United from a 4-1 scoreline that would’ve left them leaving the field with their tails between their legs, but instead gave them consolation and something to build from.
That something being Lacey’s sheer wizardry.
Strutting his stuff with the swagger of a veteran who’s seen it all before, his performance oozed aura, from the vision to the technique – the long sleeves and short socks were the icing on the cake.
What he currently lacks in physical attributes, he makes up for with his nonchalant yet supremely confident style.
The kid is a pure footballer; his IQ shines through with the positions he occupies, be it pulling wide to create space or drifting into the half-space himself to commit a defender.
And whenever he finds himself in a tight spot, the way Lacey wriggles out of it looks effortless. If he’s not firing a reverse pass through the lines, he’s dropping the shoulder and swinging his hip and left foot through the ball, unleashing a cannon towards goal.
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United have long struggled to allow their purest technicians to flourish in their senior side. Marcus Rashford’s game had to change to prioritise physicality and athleticism, while Scott McTominay’s success was founded upon his intensity.
Even Kobbie Mainoo – who burst onto the scene with wise-beyond-his-years displays – has now hit a wall where United are keen for him to show a more robust side.
But if they can create space in their wide areas – or even down the middle in a post-Bruno Fernandes world – then Lacey could be the key to bolstering a technical base being anchored by Mainoo.
The season is long and the winger now needs to continue developing by staying fit and racking up minutes, but with that level of talent, it’s clear he’s already way too good for under-18 football.
By Mitch Wilks