Ethan Wheatley went on making his Manchester United debut on Wednesday night, coming on as a late substitute for Rasmus Hojlund in a Premier League 2024 fixture against Sheffield United.
Manchester United on Wednesday got back to winning ways beating Sheffield United 4-2 in a Premier League clash however the night will be remembered for Ethan Wheatley coming on as a substitute in the 89th minute of the game, becoming 250th Manchester United Academy graduate to represent the club on the bigger stage.
Fresh from his heroics on Tuesday night, where he secured a brace in United’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City to claim the Under 18s Premier League Cup, Stockport-born youngster Ethan Wheatley shone on the field. The young striker had a hat-trick of goals in a recent game where Manchester United’s under-18 team won 9-1 against Liverpool.
Erik Ten Hag was full of praises while speaking about Wheatley.
“Credits to the academy, but you also see the club is growing. It’s clear, we are improving, there are players coming up to the first team. We are very pleased the 250th academy player made his debut tonight” Ten Hag said.
Regardless of opinions on Erik Ten Hag, his dedication to nurturing academy talents into the first team is undeniable.
Manchester United has a long history of giving chances to young players. In 1931, Tom Manley was the first player from the club’s academy to play for the senior team. Now, 93 years later, Ethan Wheatley has become the 250th academy graduate to achieve this milestone.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye.
