Manchester United are continuing to bring through the next wave of young talent.
The tail-end of the academy season often sees young players elevated into a new age group ahead of the next campaign.
Manchester United are doing exactly that, mixing in fresh talent for the latest under-18s fixture.
One of the new faces was Sam O’Brien, who came off the bench late in the 2-1 defeat to Sunderland.
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Sam O’Brien: What you need to know
- Nationality: English
- Position: Left-back
- Age: 16, born on 5 January 2010
Sam O’Brien made his Manchester United under-18s debut on April 25, replacing Dante Plunkett.
O’Brien has been playing for Manchester United’s under-16s side.
At the start of the season he signed with the After Sports Consultancy, who officially welcomed him onto their books: “We are delighted to welcome highly rated left-back from Manchester United U16 Sam O’Brien to the ASC family.
“An incredibly promising player with huge potential. We look forward to working with him and his family over the next few years.”
Last year he represented Manchester United’s youth teams in tournaments in Northern Ireland and Hong Kong.
He scored at the Super Cup NI, capitalising on an assist from Kai Rooney. He has also been playing in the same team as Jacey Carrick.
Playing for the under-18s is the next step in O’Brien’s young career, and a sign of what lies ahead for him in the 2026/27 season.
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