Man Utd have the next Noussair Mazraoui in youth ranks, he's being fast-tracked in meteoric rise

Ruben Amorim called Noussair Mazraoui the “future of the club” last season, and if a teenage prodigy in the youth ranks pans out, that future will be safe even after him.

Noussair Mazraoui quickly endeared himself to Ruben Amorim despite not being the most athletic “monster” profile Amorim treasures in his players.

It’s because his versatility, quality on the ball, footballing IQ, and professionalism make him the complete package, more than making up for his lack of pure athleticism.

Man Utd’s academy might just have the next Mazraoui waiting in the wings, because he has been fast-tracked rapidly by the club since joining at the start of this season.

Yuel Helafu’s rapid rise at Man Utd

Imagine playing a game against Man Utd’s developmental side with your grassroots team as the club continues on its merry way.

That grassroots team is just a step in the development of youngsters already signed with Man Utd, but for Yuel Helafu, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Helafu played out of his skin, impressing Man Utd so much that he was immediately signed by the club to play for their U18s side.

At 17 and playing as a right-back, it has taken him less than six months to already be playing for the U21s, recently playing against Barnsley’s senior team.

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It was his debut for the U21s side, and debuts don’t come more difficult than playing against professional footballers in League One.

Still, he managed to get out of the game with credit to his name despite a 5-2 loss for the U21s.

Shea Lacey shone in the game to continue his own rise, but he will be thanking Helafu for his help as he regularly inverted and solidified the midfield, allowing Lacey to wreak havoc ahead of him in a free role.

Helafu managed all this despite playing just three U18 league games prior to this and joining a professional structure in July this year.

His ceiling and playing style could end up being incredible.

Helafu shows shades of Noussair Mazraoui

Helafu’s tactical understanding, despite limited professional football experience, belies his age, and his ability to invert into midfield and understand spaces reminds one of Mazraoui.

He is equally capable of overlapping and creating overloads out wide, which speaks to his tactical versatility, another skill that likens him to Mazraoui.

Remarkably, he can also play as a left-back, with his two-footedness making him an asset on both wings, a quality that completes a triple set of similarities to the Moroccan.

A key part of Mazraoui’s success, however, has also been his professionalism and his approach to the game, which is where Helafu has a long way to go.

Now that he is in a proper footballing environment, that will be the factor that decides whether he can make good on his potential.

For now, he has stepped up to the challenge of joining Man Utd extremely well, and the club have rewarded him in return by fast-tracking him to ensure he continues improving.

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