“Outrageous” United magician is one of Carrick’s “favourites” as he shows his love for the academy – report

While former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim hardly had time to keep track of Manchester United’s famed academy, Michael Carrick seems invested.

The caretaker head coach is a regular at U21 and U18 games, and has already handed Tyler Fletcher his first-team debut.

As relayed by The Peoples Person, if not for United’s FA Cup exit, JJ Gabriel would have been next in line.

He has not been shy of including Carrington graduates in his matchday squads, with Jack Moorhouse, who recently returned from loan, included against Everton.

How Carrick has endeared himself to the academy

ESPN have revealed that as soon as Carrick stepped in through the doors, he endeared himself to the club’s youngsters by permanently asking a select bunch to join for senior training.

Amorim would only inform a certain player on the morning of that training session whether they would be needed to make up the numbers or not.

He also is a fan of Shea Lacey, who has been on fire for the U21s while also impressing for the first team during his Premier League cameos.

“One of the first things Carrick did when he took the job was to inform a select group of academy graduates that they would be permanently joining the senior squad for training.

Shea Lacey is one of his favourites

“Under Amorim, young players would often only find out in the morning if they were needed to make up the numbers with the first team.

“According to those around the club, Carrick has been so focused on the day-to-day job that he has rarely strayed into long-term planning. For example, he has had no conversations about the possibility of bringing back Marcus Rashford in the summer.

“The academy is an exception because he considers promoting youth team players an important club value. Highly rated winger Shea Lacey is one of his favourites.”

The 18-year-old‘s darting runs and rocket of a left foot caught the opposition off guard on a couple of occasions, while the “outrageous” youngster came close to scoring stunners in each game.

More to come from Shea Lacey

His form for the U21s has been nothing short of exemplary, scoring nine goals and registering two assists from only five starts.

However, a red card in the FA Cup meant he was ineligible for Carrick’s first game in charge, and since then, an injury has meant he has not had a look-in since.

Hopefully, Shea Lacey recovers quickly and manages to earn gametime under Carrick before the season draws to a close.

Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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