5 young players to watch out for in Man Utd pre-season

Manchester United's pre-season ahead of the 2024/25 campaign is up and running, with Erik ten Hag working through his options after being backed by the club with a new contract.

The first of five scheduled friendlies already in the books, with a very young United side narrowly beaten by Rosenborg in Norway last weekend. The majority of the first-team squad were unavailable for the trip to Trondheim due to either holidaying after international duty or working on individual fitness programmes back at Carrington. It is expected to be a similarly youthful group that heads to Scotland for a friendly against Rangers at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium.

It follows a similar pattern to last summer when a young squad of players was chosen for a pair of early friendlies in Norway and Scotland, followed by the first-team then going on the main summer tour to America. But the opportunity was there for youngsters to earn themselves a place in that tour squad, one that was taken by the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Omari Forson.

Once they have faced Rangers, United will again be heading back stateside.

Here are five youngsters that fans should be keeping an eye on this summer...

Toby Collyer

Age: 20
Position: Midfield

With Casemiro captaining the first half XI against Rosenborg, Toby Collyer was the player chosen by Ten Hag to wear the armband after the break in Norway.

The defensive-minded midfielder had been rewarded for his progress with a new contract just two days before that game, which now promises to keep him at Old Trafford until the summer of 2027. He also featured on the first-team bench eight times last season.

Habeeb Ogunneye

Age: 18
Position: Right-back

Another who caught the eye of Ten Hag last season and was regularly used to plug the injury-related gaps in the first-team squad was teenage full-back Habeeb Ogunneye.

The London-born player was 15 when he made his debut at Under-18 level in 2021 and has made impressive progress in the years since. Ogunneye, who replaced Aaron Wan-Bissaka at half-time of the Rosenborg friendly, can also play as a third centre-back in a back three, or as a wing-back.

Harry Amass

Age: 17
Position: Left-back

United's problems at left-back are finally easing after Luke Shaw started the Euro 2024 final and Tyrell Malacia has at last returned to training, but there is still a chance for Harry Amass to stake his claim this summer with neither senior player likely to be involved for at least a few weeks.

Amass was only 16 when he was first invited by Ten Hag to participate in a senior training session last season. He has even recently been namedropped by Shaw as a young player to watch out for.

Ethan Williams

Age: 18
Position: Winger

It was 26 goals and assists in 35 appearances last season across various levels and competitons for Manchester native Ethan Williams, including the winner in the Under-18 Premier League final.

Williams already has a reputation for his natural two-footedness, a skill that most players even at the very highest level are lacking. He typically operates off the left flank but actually started on the right against Rosenborg to make way for Marcus Rashford.

Ethan Wheatley

Age: 18
Position: Striker

The most well known of United's new crop of youngsters is Ethan Wheatley, by virtue of having made three first-team appearances towards the end of last season - in the process, he became the landmark 250th academy player to make his senior debut.

Wheatley, who hails from Stockport like Kobbie Mainoo and fills a similar physical frame to Rasmus Hojlund and new arrival Joshua Zirkzee, is deadly in front of goal. He scored nine times in eight Under-18 Premier League games last season, including a hat-trick against Liverpool.

READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP