Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer has been backed to succeed at M16 despite plans to loan him amid reported interest in Sporting’s Morten Hjulmand
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim(Image: Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Tim Howard has backed Toby Collyer to succeed at Old Trafford despite the midfielder being likely to leave the club on loan this season. Collyer made his first appearance for United in the Community Shield against Manchester City last year, but has only been in the starting line-up three times since then.
The 21-year-old is one of five central midfielders at the disposal of head coach Ruben Amorim, and it is anticipated that United’s plan to arrange a loan move for Collyer will pave the way for a new midfield signing.
Having joined the United academy from Brighton in 2022, Collyer signed a new contract last summer. However, he was sidelined for 28 matches due to three separate injuries last season, managing to make only 13 appearances.
This week has seen the Reds being linked with Sporting’s Morten Hjulmand, with the Dane a key part of the Portuguese club’s success under Amorim. But former goalkeeper Howard believes one of United’s current midfielders, Collyer, could still enjoy success at M16.
“I’m interested in how Collyer fits in here,” he said on NBC Sports.
“They think so highly of him as a central midfield player. He gets attracted to the ball, he likes to be on the ball.
“Does he have enough to play at this level? I think he does, but it’s going to be about time and opportunity, really.”
Sources have told The Manchester Evening News that Collyer “has to go on loan” for the benefit of his development and United are planning to okay a move, despite Collyer’s determination to challenge for a place.
“I think first and foremost I want to be here and play as many games for Man United as possible,” he said. “I’ll sit down with the manager and higher-ups and see what’s the best solution for that. The best way for me to develop, whether it’s stay here or go on loan.
“The end goal for me is to play as many minutes as possible here, hopefully starting every week. So yeah, I’ll sit down with them.
“Obviously, my feeling at this moment is I want to stay. I want to play as many games as possible. I’ve not really thought that far ahead to be honest. I’ll just see how the next few weeks go and then we’ll go over those conversations.
“I’ll be able to sit down with them and see what’s the best solution for that. But yeah, like you said there as well, obviously there’s not a lot of time in football. You need to get the results and get the team progressing. So that’s what we’re working towards at the minute.”
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
Get United transfer news and updates on WhatsApp!
Our team of Manchester United experts are on top of all the goings-on at Old Trafford for this week and beyond, and you can get the latest team news, injury updates, reaction and analysis along with inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community. You can also join the 50,000 (and growing!) band of United fans who are following our WhatsApp Channel.
Sign up to our community here, and join our WhatsApp channel here.
—
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.