Image Credits: Getty Images
Erik ten Hag is keen to be giving his young stars opportunities to show their potential this summer.
His squad is full of young talent on the Red Devils’ pre-season tour of the States, with the likes of Ethan Wheatley, James Scanlon and Harry Amass.
After the rise of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho from the academy in last two years, the Dutch manager is confident in some of his young prospects stepping up to the first team.
The two Golden Boy nominees were ultimately the key players to secure United’s FA Cup victory against Manchester City, being the two goal scorers in their 2-1 win.
Now, Ten Hag is looking likely to give another young star a start in their upcoming Community Shield match, taking on rivals Manchester City yet again.
Erik ten Hag’s young star – Toby Collyer
Image Credits: Getty Images
Forbes have announced that thanks to his efforts this pre-season, Toby Collyer is highly likely to feature in manager Erik ten Hag’s plans going forwards.
This means that Ten Hag will also give Toby Collyer his first proper first-team debut in the Community Shield against Manchester City in August.
The 20-year-old has made a massive impact this pre-season, being rewarded for his efforts by being given the captain’s armband against Rangers and Arsenal.
After the Ranger’s game, Ten Hag commented: “I always want to make pathways for young players, but they have to earn it,”
He directly referenced Collyer, saying: “Collyer has now earned an opportunity…and we will see how we can progress.”
He added: “Last year with Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, we saw that can happen, the pathway is open and Toby is there too.”
Collyer’s strong showings are no surprise to the coaching staff, with United following the youngster since his time in the Brighton academy in 2022.
The midfielder was unable to agree terms with Brighton, which opened the door for United to sign the young star.
The Brighton Under-18s coach couldn’t praise Toby Collyer enough, saying: “He is a pleasure to coach. He is so low maintenance, what I mean by that is you don’t know he is there. He gets on with his job. He regularly put in displays of 8 out of 10 at the least.”
He added: “He had the best running stats, runs 13 kilometres a game, breaks things up. You want 11 of these type of players in the team. You know what you’re going to get in training, he works hard, he wants to improve, he’s intelligent.
“He’s a good all-round kid. As defensive midfielders go, and it is quite a disciplined role, he is probably the best in the country at doing it.”
Erik ten hag noticeably attended the signing of Collyer’s new United contract, keeping him at Old Trafford until 2027, showing the impression the star has made on his manager.
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