Man United may well have a hidden gem on their hands in the form of Ethan Laird.
Credit where it’s due, Manchester United, across all levels, boast talent galore. A large part of that is the recruitment work done by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his time here.
The Baby Faced Assassin always placed an emphasis on the next generation. I guess he picked up that trait from his old boss…
Sadly, though, there’s simply not enough minutes to go around to keep everyone happy. Hence some players have to leave on loan. One man who has done exactly that is Ethan Laird.
The full-back was on the fringes of the first-team not too long ago, though with Diogo Dalot staying at the club, it was always going to be tough to get Laird time on the field.
Well, I can safely say this loan move was a master stroke, with Laird lighting up the Championship for Swansea City.
The United starlet is massively impressing for his loan club, ranking first amongst his teammates for successful dribbles (37), tackles (28) and big chances created (5). Laird really is the complete package – and thanks to Statman Dave for the info.
I genuinely do believe that with Ralf Rangnick coming in, Laird is the sort of player the German loves to work with. The full-back is someone who’ll be moulded and shaped to perform well in the ‘Gegenpress’ system that’ll hopefully be on full display at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future.
With Aaron Wan-Bissaka not developing as quickly as we all hoped, there’s an opening there. Simply put, Dalot isn’t good enough either so there’s every chance Laird can make a genuine run at the starting spot in the not too distant future.
I guess it all starts for him during pre-season tour next summer. If the 20-year-old can make a positive early impression, then we could have a real gem on our hands. Dare I liken him to Trent Alexander-Arnold in terms of style…?
Can Ethan Laird push for a spot in the first-team squad next term? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
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