Manchester United have had a few players over the years who tended to toe that line between passion and recklessness.
Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane, for instance, were certainly no stranger to the odd implosion or the occasional red card.
Casemiro, meanwhile, has three red cards in just two full seasons at Old Trafford, even if one of those – that Crystal Palace aberration remains a source of much bemusement – must go down as one of the more egregious VAR errors of recent times.
The task now facing a former Red Devils midfielder – Manchester United sold Hannibal Mejbri to Burnley for around £5 million in August – is to prove that he can balance the needle with necessity.
The manner in which he goaded the Leeds supporters following Burnley’s smash and grab win at Elland Road recently certainly endeared him to the Clarets faithful, while also earning Hannibal Mejbri a special place in the heart of many Manchester United fans.
But, with two yellow cards from three Championship outings thus far, Burnley boss Scott Parker insists that Hannibal must ensure that he stays on the right side of the proverbial line.
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Burnley boss excited by former Manchester United talent Hannibal Mejbri
“There’s a line, of course there is,” Parker told a press conference. “But I want my players to be on that line and, of course, there needs to be that level there.
“But this is a player that brings everything we need, so I’m absolutely delighted with how he’s come into this squad and team and taken to it very well.”
Parker feels that Hannibal’s innate aggression is actually a strength rather than a weakness, so long as he can channel it in a positive manner. The Tunisia international made a less than favourable first impression on loan in La Liga last season, for instance.
Hannibal’s Sevilla debut showcased another side of the ex-Manchester United youngster. A less favourable side.
“He’s a player who crosses the line,” adds Parker, the former Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder willing to take the rough with the smooth. “[But] gives absolutely every bit of him.
“For me, that’s an unbelievable trait to have, so I’ve been delighted with every bit of him.”
Burnley could end up paying £9.4 million if those add-ons and bonuses are triggered. As is commonplace these days, Man United included both a sell-on and a buy-back clause in Hannibal’s contract.
Meaning that, should Hannibal fulfil his undoubted potential at The Clarets, who’s to say he will not be pulling on that famous red shirt again at some point in the future?
Former United youngster was compared to Paul Pogba once
Hannibal was likened to Luka Modric and Paul Pogba in his early days at Carrington. The technical ability that really stood out at such a young age – Man United paid £10 million to sign a 16-year-old from Monaco – has been overshadowed in recent times by a more full-blooded streak.
Under Parker, at a Burnley side who tend to dominate possession, Hannibal should be afforded the opportunity to show that he can still develop into a top-quality playmaker.
“He can play in a lot of positions: he can be a playmaker, he can be a regista (a deep-lying playmaker), he can be a defensive midfielder, he can be a winger,” Mohamed Slim Ben Othman, the Tunisian Football Federation’s sporting director, told The Athletic back in 2022
“But, for me, his best position is central midfield. He likes to be the player who can organise and coordinate his team. He has big physical abilities and is very selfless despite his large technical qualities.
“I see him as a central midfielder — similar to Luka Modric. He is someone with a big potential in this position and I think that even Manchester United see this and are trying to improve him as a box-to-box player. I see him like Paul Pogba in this role for his club. I hope that he will be happy in this position.”
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