James Scanlon spent the international break with Gibraltar, now his performances have been recognised alongside Lamine Yamal.
With young talents like Amir Ibragimov, Chido Obi-Martin and Gabriele Biancheri currently shining in the Manchester United academy ranks, it takes a special talent to be noticed.
James Scanlon is one of the most underrated young talents emerging at Carrington. Although he doesn’t quite get the recognition of some of his peers, Scanlon is no less impressive.
READ: Who is Manchester United’s James Scanlon? Age, Position, Height, International caps and more
Scanlon has scored 11 goals and assisted four this season for United’s academy thus far, with U18 football now looking like a walk in the park for the 18-year-old.
Not only has Scanlon been great for United’s youth teams, but he has also been recognised by the Gibraltar senior national team.
James Scanlon among Nations League top performers
Ruben Amorim has numerous youngsters he could turn into sensations for United, and Scanlon is right up there on the list.
The impressive winger has proven this fact with his performances in the Nations League for Gibraltar – who are actually now seven games unbeaten in which Scanlon has played a big role.
Not only has Scanlon become Gibraltar’s youngest-ever goalscorer, but he has also consistently performed to a high level in Nations League D – ranking him highly among other teenagers in the Nations League.
Highest-rated teenagers in the Nations League via WhoScored
- Antonio Nusa – 7.85
- Lamine Yamal – 7.74
- Arda Guler – 7.28
- Kenan Yildiz – 7.00
- James Scanlon – 6.94
While Scanlon is playing against weaker opposition, to be on this list is very impressive as he still outranks players like former United target Joao Neves.
READ: Man Utd under-18s top scorers and assists in 2024/25, all results
Manchester United’s Scanlon would shine in Ruben Amorim’s system
Such impressive performances for his country, no matter the opposition is impressive and sets Scanlon apart from his peers.
Therefore it is quite exciting to think about where he could be used by Amorim if given the chance to impress at a senior level in one of the cup competitions.
Scanlon is a natural No.10, despite often being deployed out wide and due to this – he might be an excellent fit in the left inside forward role which Amorim’s system appears to use.
Another option might even be to use Scanlon as a right wing-back, with the Gibraltaran teenager impressing there under Erik ten Hag in pre-season.
Scanlon has the potential to be a future United player, so we are excited to see plenty more from him this season – while keeping a close eye on how he fares in Gibraltar’s Nations League Group D/C play-off against Lithuania in March.
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