Mirror Football takes a look at Manchester United’s young players who have been out on loan this season and how they are currently faring with the club following Ruben Amorim’s brutal comments.
Ruben Amorim’s scathing verdict on Manchester United’s academy players hasn’t been well received. United’s head coach has come under fire in recent months for not bringing enough freshmen players through his grueling 13-month spell at Old Trafford, including fan favorite Coby Mainu, 20, who has struggled to find playing time this season.
Amorim has only given three young players their debuts for United – Tyler Fredrickson, Harry Amath and Chido Obi – but claims two of those three, and Toby Collier, who made his debut under Erik ten Hag, were brought into the first team too soon.
Amorim said: “He (Collier) played (for United). He’s from the academy. He played here. He went to West Bromwich. He didn’t play. He played for Manchester United. So sometimes it’s not because he’s from the academy or anything like that.”
“It’s the situation. What happened. We don’t know what the future holds (for Mainu). We’ll see after this game. Amath are currently struggling in the Championship. Chido is not always a starter in the under-21 team. They all played at a time when many were calling for the manager to be sacked!”
These comments sparked outrage among United supporters who believed the manager had thrown young players under the bus. Mirror Football takes a look at how United’s 14 young players currently on loan have performed this season.
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Ethan Ennis – Fleetwood Town
Ethan Ennis spent the second half of last season with promotion-winning Doncaster Rovers. The 21-year-old joined Fleetwood on a season-long deal this season, making 20 appearances. The right-winger has already scored four goals and provided two assists during his loan spell in Ligue 2.
Dan Gore – Rotherham United
Midfielder Dan Gore was injured shortly after signing for Rotherham in January last year, but impressed in his available time and was re-signed for this season. Gore, 21, plays a key role in Rotherham’s midfield and is one of the League One team’s best players, making 26 appearances in all competitions.
Harry Ammas – Sheffield Wednesday
Left-sided defender Harry Amass has been a regular at Sheffield Wednesday since joining on loan this season. Amorim was likely referring to Wednesday’s off-field troubles for which the club was given a 12-point penalty, in contrast to Amas’ own performance at a controversial press conference.
Amas made 16 appearances in the Championship, scoring his first first-team goal against Southampton. Wednesday are keen to extend the 18-year-old left-back’s loan until the end of the season, suggesting they are happy with his tenure so far.
Eli Harrison – Shrewsbury Town
Eli Harrison, who missed the first two games of the League Two season with a minor injury, started the next four games for Shrewsbury Town before taking up England Under-20 international duty in September. Since Harrison was sidelined in September, another young goaltender has joined the team, earning him first-choice status over the 19-year-old.
Joe Hugill – Burnett
Joe Hugill started Barnet’s first two games of the season in League Two, but injury derailed his season and did not play until earlier this month. The 22-year-old striker came off the bench against Bristol Rovers and played a further seven minutes in the defeat to Chesterfield.
Sonny Argeoffrey – Notts County
Centre-back Sonny Aljoffrey started and scored a goal in the first eight games of Notts County’s campaign, but lost his starting role at the end of September. The 20-year-old has been left out of the matchday squad for most matches since then.
Toby Collier – West Brom
Meanwhile, Toby Collier made 12 appearances on loan at West Bromwich Albion before returning to United after recovering from injury. The 21-year-old central midfielder played in West Brom’s first nine games of the season but has since been in and out of the squad due to a muscle problem.
Lewis Jackson – Solihull Moors
Solihull Moors are a mid-table side in the National League. Lewis Jackson started the first two games of the season but has struggled to get into the starting eleven since then. The 20-year-old centre-back has been absent from the team’s last eight games.
Enzo Cana-Biik – Lausanne Sport
Enzo Cana-Biik, 18, scored his first senior goal in a home derby win over Lausanne in October and was called up to France’s Under-20 squad for the November international break. The centre-forward made a total of 13 appearances for the Swiss national team, mostly as a substitute.
Radek Vitek – Bristol City
Radek Vitek has started every league game for Bristol City in the Championship and has kept seven clean sheets. The 22-year-old Czech made some great saves. Bristol City manager Gerhard Struber recently told the Bristol Post of Vitek: “He’s young but looks like an outstanding, experienced Championship goalkeeper.”
Jack Moorhouse – Leyton Orient
Jack Moorhouse has made 18 appearances for League One side Leyton Orient, but only five of those have been league starts. Still, the 20-year-old midfielder has shown glimpses of his quality even coming off the bench.
Habib Oghani – Newport County
Dave Hughes, who coached Habib Oghanyi through United’s academy, recently left Newport County. This has affected the role of the 20-year-old right-back, who has made a strong start to the season with just one goal in 21 appearances, and has been left out of the squad for the last two games.
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Ethan Wheatley – Northampton Town
Ethan Wheatley, 19, had to leave on loan after failing to develop in academy football. The young striker has made 19 appearances in League One for Northampton, finding the back of the net three times and providing three assists in all competitions.
Ethan Williams – Falkirk
Ethan Williams has been doing well north of the border. The 21-year-old winger made 14 appearances in the Scottish Premiership for Falkirk, scoring one goal and providing three assists as they exceed expectations and sit seventh in the table. However, he has not been included in the squad for the past four games.
