Manchester United Under-18s head coach Adam Lawrence has said that the Red Devils are “really excited” about the development of Jaydan Kamason, who could soon be handed a first-team opportunity at the club.
The 18-year-old starred against Arsenal Under-18s in the FA Youth Cup on Friday night, finding the back of the net in his team’s 3-2 success, with the Red Devils booking their spot in the semi-finals of the competition.
Kamason has made 27 appearances for Man United at Under-18s and Under-21s this season, scoring twice and providing six assists, and he is being tipped as a potential first-team star for the club in the coming years.
“In terms of training opportunities and being on the first-team radar, we speak about the U18s and Under-21s regularly and people above us know who the players are,” said Lawrence.
“Jaydan has been in real good form of late, so he’s in that position where he’s put in some real strong and consistent performances, as you’d expect from a second year U18 player here.
Kamason could soon be in line for first-team debut at Man United
“He’s in a real good space. He’s such a fantastic kid, he’s got real good athleticism and he likes to get forward on the outside. And listen, he’ll be watching that goal back for a while. It was a tremendous moment for him to score that goal to bring it back to 2-2 in that moment, a lovely occasion for him and he’s a top kid, so I’m really pleased for him.
“We’d like to try take credit for the boy’s improvement and stuff, but to be honest, each of the players have individual development plans and things they want to keep as their strengths and things they want to improve, so we’ll do individual technical work and small group work.
“Then we’ll break it down into specific positions and then it’s up the players to really focus on what they want to improve, so for Jaydan, there’s been no magic wand. He’s made steady and consistent through deliberate practice and, like you say, he’s improved his final ball.
“He’s always been a full-back that has liked to get forward and he can wear people down, he’s wiry, he’s very athletic and can get on top of people and really impact the game in the final third.
“We’re really excited about him and think that he has real big potential, but he’s a humble kid and he’ll know he needs to get better and that he’s got things to work on.”
Could Kamason feature for Man United before the end of the season?
Amorim has recently been forced to look to his academy to fill the first-team bench due to the number of players currently unavailable for selection, and that will again be the case against Fulham in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.
Chido Obi is viewed as the outstanding young talent at Man United, with the arrival from Arsenal recently featuring off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur and Everton in the Premier League, and the 17-year-old could also take to the field against Fulham.
It will be difficult for Kamason to be involved before the end of the season unless Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui both pick up injuries, but it is clear that the teenager is viewed as a potential first-team star.
The defender’s first exposure to senior football could instead come next season, and if he continues to develop, then Man United could have a long-term right-back produced from their academy, which would save them millions in the transfer market.
