Watch: Zidane Iqbal & Charlie Savage show slick skills in Man Utd warm-up
Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage have been the breakout stars from Manchester United‘s pre-season tour – and the duo are clearly enjoying the trip.
Iqbal and Savage are United academy graduates and they both made their first-team debuts against Young Boys in the Champions League group stage last season.
The duo are yet to make another competitive appearance for the club but they both impressed Erik ten Hag in training and were named in the squad for the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.
They have come off the bench in all three of United’s pre-season friendlies and have produced assured and impressive performances in the middle of the park.
Savage, who is the son of former United academy graduate Robbie Savage, is renowned for his excellent passing range and has earned plenty of plaudits.
“Charlie Savage has done well in the two games,” United legend Bryan Robson said on MUTV. “He’s worked hard, he hasn’t given ball away, he closes people down really well.
“He’s done nothing really wrong at the moment. This is a good opportunity to impress the manager.”
Iqbal has also caught people’s attention with his drag-back and turn in the 4-1 win against Melbourne Victory that went viral on social media.
They are clearly confident with the ball at their feet and showcased their impressive skills in the warm-up before their 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Ten Hag could promote the midfielders to the first-team squad for 2022-23 but they’ve also been linked with loan moves.
“I have grown up loving this club,” Iqbal told the Guardian. “I have played here since I was eight or nine. To play in front of 90,000 people [in Bangkok] is something I dreamed of. To play against Victory and against Liverpool, even in the Champions League, is hard to describe.
“[But] if an opportunity came up to go out on loan, I would weigh up the pros and cons. Right now it is too early to say. See what the future holds.”
Charlie Savage et Zidane Iqbal avant la rencontre ⚽️ #MUFC pic.twitter.com/F2XBCX44aq
— Manchester United (@MUnitedFR) July 19, 2022
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