Shea Lacey has made an impression on international duty this week and the Man United teenager looks a star in the making
Manchester United prospect Shea Lacey in action on his England Under-20s debut against Switzerland
Shea Lacey will have had worse weeks.
The Manchester United prospect impressed for England Under-20s on debut in defeat on Friday afternoon, days after being called into senior training by Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel.
The teenager was one of the players drafted in from age-group sides to assist in training with the senior squad ahead of Thursday night’s friendly win over Wales.
And while the shift across St George’s Park is billed as fleshing out the squad for the session, it is far from merely making up the numbers.
Tuchel and his staff will undoubtedly have had a say in who was promoted from the Under-20 squad and the England staff as a whole will no doubt have been involved in the discussion.
Lacey will have taken plenty from the experience and impressed for the Under-20s in their 1-0 friendly defeat to Switzerland on Friday afternoon, twice coming close to scoring the the Young Lions.
The international impression is the latest staging post in the United prospect’s career and comes after a fine showing at club level this term which has seen him score twice in three Premier League 2 contests.
He has long been talked about as a bright prospect at United – and this season might prove a pivotal period in the 18-year-old’s development.
Lacey was one of a clutch of youngsters who were alongside the senior group when United returned to pre-season training in the summer.
The playmaker had an injury-hit campaign last term and was carefully managed as a result. His minutes at academy level were therefore limited, but he did travel on the post-season tour to Asia and was handed a senior appearance off the bench in the defeat to ASEAN All-Stars.
That offered a glimpse of what he can offer with his ability on the ball evident. Lacey signed a professional deal at the first opportunity last year and Old Trafford insiders believe he has the potential to break into the first team.
He featured for United’s Under-18s aged just 14 and is capable of playing in a variety of positions while the Reds academy coaches like to challenge youngsters in different roles.
His long-term future could be as an attacking midfielder, while comparisons have been made with Manchester City and England star Phil Foden, ironically not called up by England this month as Lacey joined in training.
The United prospect has a long way to go before being mentioned in similar dispatches to the Etihad ace but Lacey has evidently impressed for club and country.
It would be no surprise to see him play a larger role for both in the coming years.