If Kobbie Mainoo is Manchester United’s own Clarence Seedorf, do the Red Devils have another young midfielder who could fill more of a Gennaro Gattuso-style role?
Mainoo’s effortless elegance have drawn regular comparisons with the AC Milan legend.
But midfielders of Seedorf’s ilk also need someone to do the dirty work in behind. Those who can lay the foundations for their more naturally gifted team-mates to thrive with the freedom they require.
And this is where Toby Collyer comes in.
Or, at least, where he could come in providing the 20-year-old can build on an eye-catching pre-season in which he caught the eye of Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag with his ‘freakish’ running stats, his selfless application off the ball, and his smart if safe distribution in possession.
Collyer joined United from Brighton and Hove Albion as a teenager back in 2022.
And while he may lack the obvious star power of Kobbie Mainoo, the Sussex-born youngster could yet become the Darren Fletcher or Nicky Butt to Mainoo’s Paul Scholes.
Or, perhaps, the Gattuso to Mainoo’s Seedorf.
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“Everyone would say he was the best player in the age group every year, but he was just one of them that you hardly noticed. He just got on with his job, there was no trouble and he worked hard, ” former Brighton youth coach Mark Beard tells the Manchester Evening News, explaining how Collyer would stand out even amongst players a few years older than him in The Seagulls’ academy.
“You wanted 11 Toby Collyers in your team because he’d work his socks off, run 13 kilometres a game and he took everything on board like a sponge.”
Beard believes that Collyer could be the perfect foil for Mainoo in Man United’s midfield going forward, mentioning the former England Under 17 star in the same breath as a Leicester City-era N’Golo Kante.
He also credits Collyer for making big strides with regards to his passing and his defensive work, insisting that he has developed into a fine all-round midfield player.
“He could do two jobs in one, and his ball retention was different class. You don’t get midfielders like him anymore, he was sort of like a Kante for Leicester,” adds Beard, who most recently worked as the head coach of non-league Eastbourne
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That ferocious desire for self-improvement should stand Collyer in very good stead as he looks to become the latest Carrington kid to become a regular under Ten Hag.
He made his Premier League debut off the bench against Liverpool last time out. And it’s telling that Collyer immediately looked more comfortable in such high-pressure surroundings than the vastly-experienced Casemiro.
“You need balance in a team. If you had three Kobbie Mainoos, you can’t play them all. You need a combination, and Toby will do stuff Mainoo won’t. He will break the play up and get the ball to Mainoo.
Beard also reveals that both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur showed an interest a couple of years ago.
He urged Collyer to take the Man United option, however, as he felt that the Red Devils’ remarkable track record for bringing through young players made Old Trafford a far more suitable destination.
Collyer became the 251st player to make his Man United bow after rising through the ranks when featuring against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
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