Two Man Utd wonderkids prove they're ready for senior football, one was unstoppable against pros

Manchester United are off on the international break, but the youngsters who stayed at the club had a great test against PFA XI in their game against the U21s.

The PFA XI is a team made of senior professional footballers looking to find a club, so it was a nice test for youngsters to play against adult professionals fighting to find a club.

The game finished 1-1, with Connor Wickham’s wonderstrike for the PFA XI cancelled out by a special goal from Shea Lacey.

The match proved that two Man Utd wonderkids are ready for senior football, if not here then on loan. One was simply unstoppable.

Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images

Shea Lacey and Jim Thwaites stand out against pros

Dominating against academy sides is generally exciting, but the question remains over how that talent will translate to senior football.

From that lens, this game against PFA XI was as good a test as it could possibly be for the youngsters.

Jim Thwaites and Shea Lacey passed that test with flying colours in a game where United missed many of their U21 regulars due to the international break.

Lacey, in particular, was simply unstoppable, answering questions about his physicality, or the lack of it, with a statement display.

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His running with the ball and the ability to scramble defences with a line-splitting pass had the PFA XI on skates at times.

The goal at the stroke of half-time was just reward for his efforts, as he looked like a man possessed, driven to make a mark after returning from injury.

Lacey’s talent has always been undeniable. As long as he stays injury free, this game remains a mark of how good he can be against senior professional footballers.

Right alongside Lacey in the list of top performers was Jim Thwaites, who has already caught Ruben Amorim’s eye during last season’s post-season tour.

Thwaites started as the deeper midfielder, and his ability to break lines with floated balls from deep was brilliant to watch.

He combined those ball-playing skills with newly developed combativeness, as he willingly went into duels against players who outmatched him physically.

A set-piece special was the only thing missing from Thwaites’ game, who will have done his first-team breakthrough chances no harm with a brilliant display against adult pros.

Diego Leon also makes Man Utd U21 appearance

Thwaites and Lacey stood out, but Man Utd also gave a runout to Diego Leon, who has been on the fringes of the first-team despite a good pre-season.

Leon struggled to match up to the intensity and physicality of PFA XI as he was often caught on the ball.

His trademark bursting runs looked a bit tentative, while his passing was risk-free but non-threatening. Ultimately, it was a good “Welcome to English football” experience for him.

Leon could play more for the U21s, but his physicality will give him an advantage at that level, so this game was a good test of his initial progress.

Expect him to keep floating between the first-team and the U21s as he becomes used to the pace of English football.

Elsewhere, there were encouraging performances from Jack Fletcher, James Overy, and James Bailey.

Ultimately, it must be remembered that this was a team made up mostly of 16-18-year-olds that went toe-to-toe against seasoned professionals.

That alone is an extremely encouraging outlook for the club’s future.

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