Two different XIs got a runout for Man Utd vs Wrexham in their first friendly game, but Michael Carrick has found his new pet project.
There must be some reservations about passing clear judgments based on 45 minutes of action of the first pre-season game.
Having said that, Michael Carrick would have still learned a lot about some players during the 0-1 loss against Wrexham.
The main thing he would have learned is that he has a player who is destined for stardom after a lost season last year.
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Ayden Heaven sends reminder of his qualities
It was already an endorsement for Ayden Heaven when he started the first half along with the “senior players”.
He then followed it up with a brilliant performance, which peaked in the 17th minute against Wrexham.
With the score still at 0-0, Heaven committed a mistake that saw him running towards his own goal, chasing an attacker running through on goal.
Heaven kept up with him, slid in from behind, and cleanly took the ball away from him like a seasoned centre-back.
After completing the tackle, Heaven got back on his feet in one quick swoop and immediately launched a zipped pass forward to turn defence into attack.
In one passage of play, everything that makes Heaven so special was easily visible. From his recovery pace and timing of the tackle to his ball-playing ability and physicality, Heaven has the full package.
Michael Carrick needs to trust Heaven
Heaven had somewhat of a lost season last year when United played just 40 games in all competitions.
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Carrick preferred experience in his backline as he made an assault for UCL places, and a lack of games saw Heaven take a step back.
Still, Heaven shone in the limited minutes he received, reminding everyone that he remains ready to contribute to the first team.
This season, with United in four competitions, Carrick needs to show that last season was just an unfortunate consequence of circumstances.
He needs to trust Heaven a lot more as a squad player because he is a player destined for stardom. Carrick needs to help him and trust him to reach that level.
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