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Noah Ajayi is quickly becoming a must-see talent for Manchester United, and his cameo against Oxford United was nothing short of impressive, leading to him scoring.
The German-born adopted Mancunian has had a brilliant five days for Manchester United.
First, Noah Ajayi impressed against Man City with his direct running and dribbling, causing the derby day rivals real problems as they couldn’t stop him.
Ajayi was unlucky not to grab an assist that day, and during United’s 4-1 win over Oxford United, he was even better, getting his reward.
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Getty Image Noah Ajayi hailed for his physical qualities after Manchester United goal
Ajayi now has two goals for the U18s, despite his season being rather stop-start for the 17-year-old.
He was excellent during United’s 3-1 derby win over City in the U18 Premier League last weekend, and now his display from the bench in the FA Youth Cup was even better.
Photo by Poppy Townson – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images
Ajayi came off the bench to replace Nathaniel-Junior Brown, who was also excellent for United, but the impact United’s German winger had was profound.
The 17-year-old wasted no time at all getting on the ball and running at the Oxford defence, and on a few occasions, he and JJ Gabriel could have linked up for a goal if it wasn’t for poor decision-making.
But he added the fourth goal with a brilliant run which saw him ride tackles, shrug off defenders, accelerate past another, and finish so well.
The run in the build-up to this goal led to MUTV pundit Ben Thornley praising the winger for his “strength and pace” to make the opposition look levels below him.
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Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images Noah Ajayi could be a very special talent for Manchester United
The U18s are currently a hotspot for talent, and Ajayi is the next player to emerge as a potential superstar.
While it would be extremely early to suggest that Ajayi is first-team ready, he has been so impressive, and his performances leave lots of reasons to be positive and excited about his future.
His powerful ball carrying, tall frame, long legs, strength to hold off defenders with ease, and ride tackles, he is going to be a real problem for defenders.
He has the traits to be a special talent for United, but we would like to see him moved up and given opportunities in the U21 side to see whether he is ready to translate his game to facing older opponents whom he won’t be able to bully physically.
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