Shea Lacey will be itching to get back to Manchester United for pre-season.
Michael Carrick will monitor Manchester United’s young prospects closely during pre-season, meaning there will be a chance for academy players to stake a claim in the absence of senior players who are competing at the 2026 World Cup.
Shea Lacey will be hoping to build on the four competitive appearances he managed this past season after graduating from the academy.
Other youngsters hoping to make an impression during pre-season include Tyler Fletcher, Jack Fletcher, JJ Gabriel, Jim Thwaites, and Godwill Kukonki.
What are your expectations for Shea Lacey next season?
If he can stay fit surely he gets plenty of minutes…🤔
Michael Carrick and staff rate Shea Lacey “highly”
It’s early days in Lacey’s career at the senior level.
At 19, the young winger still has lots to learn, but he has been trusted with senior appearances by three different coaches at United.
Ruben Amorim handed Lacey his debut in December, shortly before he made two appearances under Darren Fletcher. However, the young prospect had to wait until the last game of the season to make his first appearance under Carrick in United’s 3-0 win over Brighton.
Lacey has trained with the first team this season, and he’s made a strong impression on the coaches at Carrington.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Carrick and his backroom staff rate Lacey “highly”, vindicating the faith put in him.
It is also understood that Lacey’s next challenge is to make himself impossible to ignore during pre-season this summer.
The report adds that Lacey is in a “really good place” and has been backed by staff to impress ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
- ⚡️ NEWS IN BRIEF
- Michael Carrick and staff rate Shea Lacey “highly”
- The staff are backing Shea Lacey to impress during pre-season
- Lacey and other youngsters face a challenge in pre-season
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Jack Fletcher ends season with injury
It has been a special season for Jack Fletcher, too.
The youngster made three senior appearances for United.
The same report claims Jack was among a handful of youngsters who attended a team bonding night at Greek restaurant Fenix in Spinningfields following United’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest.
Jack was spotted wearing a protective boot after featuring in the Premier League 2 play-off final defeat against Brighton.
Hopefully, the youngster recovers during the summer and is ready for pre-season.
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