Shea Lacey will be hoping to make his first appearance under Michael Carrick when Manchester United take on Brighton in their final Premier League fixture of the season.
It has been an important season for Shea Lacey – from shining for Manchester United’s under-21 side to becoming the club’s 256th Academy graduate to make his senior debut against Aston Villa.
Lacey has made a total of three senior appearances for United, but has yet to appear under Michael Carrick.
Carrick sent Lacey a public message last week at his press conference, hinting that the young midfielder could feature against Brighton before the 2025/26 Premier League season ends.
What are your expectations for Shea Lacey next season?
If he can stay fit surely he gets plenty of minutes…🤔
Shea Lacey will have fire in his belly against Brighton
Lacey hasn’t appeared for United’s first team since January 11, when he was sent off against Brighton.
It was a high-stakes afternoon at Old Trafford, but Darren Fletcher – standing in as caretaker head coach — was unable to guide United into the FA Cup fourth round.
Brighton beat United 2-1 on the day, but the headlines focused on Lacey’s red card.
The youngster came on in the 62nd minute and lasted just 28 minutes before being shown a red card for dissent as he forcefully threw the ball away.
It led to a second yellow card for Lacey, but it wasn’t the only setback he suffered against Brighton this season.
Last week, United’s under-21s suffered a 1-0 defeat against Brighton in the Premier League 2 final.
Following his dramatic red card, FA Cup third-round defeat, and Premier League 2 final defeat, the upcoming game against Brighton offers Lacey a shot at redemption.
That is enough reason to believe Lacey will have fire in his belly if he gets more minutes under his belt on Sunday.
Predict who will be the next Manchester United academy graduate…
Will Michael Carrick crown number 259 before this season ends?🤔
Injury denied Shea Lacey a chance to win the Scottish Premiership at Celtic
Although Lacey will be happy to have made his United debut, the 19-year-old has injury setbacks to deal with, too.
According to Academy Scoop, Lacey had interest from Celtic and Marseille in January over potential loan moves.
It is understood that Celtic were keen on a 6-month deal and held talks over a move, but it was made complicated by an injury he suffered at the time.
After Celtic’s latest Scottish Premiership triumph over the weekend, this means Lacey missed out on the chance to win a league title in Scotland. Only time will tell if the Scottish champions will come knocking again now that the United youngster has recovered from his injury.
Lacey is expected to feature for United in pre-season, but it remains to be seen if he will be sent on loan or kept as an option to rotate the squad.
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