THERE was at least one Scouser at Old Trafford not celebrating at full-time on Monday evening.
Shea Lacey, born in Liverpool, had the privilege of making the Manchester United matchday squad for the first time, albeit the experience was tempered by Everton’s 1-0 victory.
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Lacey played on the post-season tourCredit: Manchester United via Getty Images
Lacey signed a professional contract last yearCredit: Instagram @shealacey10
Having been reduced to only four starts for the Under 18s last season, one source familiar with Lacey’s development claimed his lack of playing time was not necessarily injury-related during one lay-off.
Lacey, 18, has had significant injury issues in recent seasons and like many Gen Z footballers, is prone to cleansing his Instagram account of reminders of trying times.
It is telling that Lacey’s ‘oldest’ post is of his appearance against the ASEAN All Stars in Malaysia on United’s post-season tour in May. That turned a page on his United career.
Lacey was not exempt from the commercial activities. He and fellow youth-teamers expressed their disbelief at the non-football workload on an eye-opening tour.
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Three days after the defeat to ASEAN All Stars, Lacey started in Hong Kong, where he was afforded his first 45 minutes in the United senior team.
Ruben Amorim picked a generous number of academy talents to board United’s plane after their season had ended. Overall, 32 players flew to Asia for a five-day trip.
Of the fledglings on that tour, only Reece Munro, Jack Fletcher and Sekou Kone were included in the pre-season touring party of the United States in July.
Yet Lacey is well placed to become the fourth academy debutant under Amorim. United only had three injuries to contend with against Everton when Lacey was added to the bench.
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The impending departures of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad and Bryan Mbeumo for the Africa Cup of Nations will fuel the possibility of Lacey becoming the 255th United academy graduate.
For now, Lacey is primarily making up the numbers. He is a left-footed attacking wide player yet Amorim was never going to turn to Lacey in United’s diabolical defeat to ten-man Everton.
Amorim has sounded more optimistic about United’s academy than last season and he namechecked Lacey unprompted on Friday.
“I think guys like Jack Fletcher, Shea, a lot of guys, they can step up,” Amorim said.
“And we can send at the same time a message to everyone here, in the academy, that this is the future.”
Lacey’s family hail from Merseyside and his agent was in the Everton academy at the same time as Wayne Rooney.
The Triple S agency that represents Lacey counts Wayne Rooney and Harry Maguire among their clients. Those two would be invaluable sounding boards or mentors for Lacey.
Maguire is a useful sounding board for LaceyCredit: Getty Images
Unlike at other clubs, United do not insist that their junior teams play in the same formation as the first team. So Lacey is operating as a right-sided winger in a back-four system.
Agency sources who have watched Lacey at youth level believe he is not a natural wide player and that he occasionally requires too many touches.
Lacey scored in United’s Milk Cup final win against Rangers in Northern Ireland in 2022. Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt were victors at the youth tournament in the early Nineties.
There have been ill-informed and ill-advised comparisons between Lacey and Lionel Messi by online fans in the increasingly murky world of youth football.
Lacey as a 15-year-old at CarringtonCredit: Getty
Angel Gomes, a similar profile of player to Lacey, was well-known at the age of 14. Gomes played a mere ten times for United.
Lacey is 5ft 6 and Jesse Lingard and Kobbie Mainoo are the only ‘pocket dynamos’ to transition from United youth team to first team in recent times.
“He’s talented but has lots to do still,” one academy scout said. “He’s got a big challenge to convert to men’s football.”
Lacey had a game-changing impact in United’s Premier League international Cup comeback win against Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford in September and a second appearance in the competition is possible at Old Trafford against Anderlecht on Tuesday.
Lacey trained under Ten HagCredit: Getty
Amorim was not in attendance for the Bilbao match but Lacey’s development behind closed doors at Carrington will be more informative.
Erik ten Hag added Lacey to the training squad in early April 2024 amid an injury crisis. Two weeks later, United had four academy novices on the bench in the farcical FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City at Wembley.
Lacey was not on it, having recently recovered from an injury that kept him out for six months.
Ten Hag held one-to-one meetings with Lacey, as well as other youngsters, as he took on a more hands-on approach with the academy.
Lacey in training last weekCredit: Getty
It was only last week that Lacey’s presence in training could be considered significant.
United’s internationals had returned and Matheus Cunha had not yet suffered his “training accident”, as surreally revealed by Visit Altrincham.
Amorim could have retained Fletcher – on the bench at Tottenham – in his matchday 20 and the England youth international was also involved in Friday’s training session. He opted for Lacey.
One of them could be on the train to London this weekend.
