Manchester United might not be having a good time of things but their loan players, certainly one of them, are definitely enjoying life.
Rhys Bennett is spending the season with Fleetwood Town in League Two after outgrowing academy football with Man Utd U21s and U18s.
The 20-year-old centre-back has previously spent time on loan at Stockport County but this is his first real loan spell at a professional level (played only one game at Stockport).
Bennett has already ticked off a number of firsts, including scoring his first professional goal in remarkable circumstances this season.
Here’s how he fared in Fleetwood Town’s latest game as he came into it riding a wave of momentum due to good form-
Rhys Bennett loan latest
Fleetwood Town have been doing well in League Two this season, standing in seventh place and right in the mix for promotion playoffs come the end of the season.
They’ve been eliminated from the Carabao Cup after a heart-wrenching penalty shootout loss vs Stoke City, the game in which Bennett scored a late, late equaliser.
Their latest game was against Barrow in the EFL Trophy which they finished with a commanding 3-0 victory and Bennett had a huge role to play.
Starting in the centre of defence as expected, Bennett was a rock in defence and even showed underrated parts of his game on the ball.
He finished the game with completing 45/52 passes, good for 87% accuracy with 62 touches of the ball. Bennett completed four out of seven long balls attempted as he showed his skill in passing and technique on the ball.
On the defensive side, he was reliable as usual, expertly using his physical frame and agility to overwhelm attackers en route to a clean sheet.
He ended the game with a remarkable seven defensive actions – three tackles, three clearances, and one interception. It continued a good run of form that has seen him become one of the first names on the teamsheet at the club.
Bennett’s Man Utd future
At 20 and on loan at a League Two club, it can be argued that Bennett is unlikely to make it at Old Trafford, at least in the immediate future.
Having said that, he is doing his professional prospects no harm by bossing it on loan at Fleetwood Town which will almost certainly earn him a loan move up the ladder next season.
United clearly trust him still, as evidenced by awarding him a new contract last summer which runs till 2025.
He will be out of contract when he returns from his loan spell next summer so United will have a decision to make on his future.
That’s why he’s in the best run of his short career so far at the best possible time because a bonafide successful loan spell should earn him a new contract and a higher-division loan spell.
Even if he isn’t offered a contract, or rejects one to bet on himself and play permanently elsewhere, he’s showing he is above the quality necessary to play in the fourth division which should see him receive better offers as a free agent.
For now, he will be concentrating on maintaining this run of form
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