When a young players comes in for their professional debut they often look nervous and you can’t blame them for that.
Then there are those who adapt instantly and never look back. Hannibal Mejbri is one of those special talents.
Hannibal made his debut against Wolves on the final day of the season, replacing Juan Mata with 10 minutes to go. He did not have much time to make an impact in the 2-1 win, and yet he still managed to impress.
The young Frenchman completed 100 per cent of his passes, and showed what a naturally good footballer he is. Those who have seen him shine for the under-23s, where he had more assists than any other player this season, won’t have been surprised.
Hannibal played one raking forward pass to Anthony Elanga, before dancing round challenges on the other side of the pitch to keep possession.
He did Willy Boly over with a cheeky nutmeg, and also managed to win a free-kick during his brief performance.
Hannibal managed to show in his time on the pitch that he can cut it at first team level. He has a knack of finding space, and he seemed to thrive on the challenge of playing at first team level.
He won’t be able to travel to Gdansk for the Europa League final as he is ineligible for the competition. So the next we will see of him will be pre-season. A strong pre-season could put Hannibal in contention for a first team spot on a more regular basis next season. He has been training with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s group since March.
There were plenty of positives against Wolves, with Anthony Elanga’s goal, Amad’s quality, and more minutes for Shola Shoretire and a debut for Will Fish. Hannibal’s cameo was particularly eye catching, and it was great to see him linking up with the other youngsters at first team level.
The young Frenchman looks like a special talent and United need to find a way to get him involved more regularly in 2021/22.
Reaction
Hannibal’s performance left United fans thrilled to see the way he adapted. This was a debut he will savour…
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