Man United star who's 'got it' backed to make first team step up by ex-team-mate

Shea Lacey has yet to turn 19 but is still slightly older than Arsenal's Max Dowman and Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha. Nevertheless, former United team-mate James Nolan reckons the winger - who made his Premier League debut in December - possesses genuine quality and is unlikely to be put off by an early red card.

"Shea is that guy," Baller League star Nolan told Mirror Football, recalling stopping in digs with the England youth international when the pair were together in United's academy. He witnessed Lacey receive a red card on his FA Cup debut against Brighton in January but maintains even that incident doesn't diminish the ability he has displayed.

"He's just got it," he added. "He's playing 10, 15 minutes, but you can see the level he's at." Nolan, who skippered United's Under-18 squad and operated at right-back and left-back throughout his academy stint, has first-hand experience precisely what makes the best wingers so tough to play against.

When about the best wide man he has played against, Lacey might not have got the name-check on that occasion, but there was a good reason for it.

"When the first team played Barcelona in the Europa League at the Nou Camp, United and Barca spoke and we played [against their academy team] in the morning and then watched the first team at night," he explained.

"I came on in the second half and there's a little 13-year-old kid stood on the side. He comes on and I'm thinking, 'Oh, nice and easy, this.' It ended up being Lamine Yamal.

"So he comes on and gets the ball passed to him. I'm tight to him and then takes a touch inside, probably 25 yards out and just whips it top corner. Yeah. I'm thinking, 'Alright.' Then two minutes later, I try to nail him and he skips past me and does exactly the same."

He added: "I've played [against] Ethan Nwaneri at Arsenal. You've got Myles Lewis-Skelly. Nico O'Reilly, Rico Lewis. And obviously played with Kobbie [Mainoo], played with [Alejandro] Garnacho, played with Shea Lacey.

"There's been that many where I've stepped off the football pitch and thought, 'You know what? Fair play.' You know when you're coming up against someone when with the first touch they just go and do that like with Yamal.

"It's just special. I've been lucky to play against these players and it's one of those things where I'll always remember it and it's been a brilliant time doing it."

The next in line could be Gabriel, who only celebrated his 15th birthday in October. Nolan recalls coming across the youngster during his own spell in United's academy and describes it as "scary" to witness how rapidly he has grown into a player who is now knocking on the door of a first-team opportunity.

"When we used to be in college doing our Btecs, he used to come into the school and then he used to train with us in the afternoon and even at 12, 13, it was mental [how good he was]," Nolan continued.

"I think with certain players, when you get to the 14, 15 age, you just know straight away. For me, I think once Shea gets his chance, he'll do very well for himself."

Nolan isn't the only one to have been genuinely impressed by Lacey's talent. Former United title-winner Clayton Blackmore championed the "if you're good enough, you're old enough" philosophy, while the club's own managers have supported the teenager in the most definitive manner possible by granting him senior appearances.

Under-21s coach Adam Lawrence has highlighted the winger's "elite technical level" as Lacey continues to train with the first team alongside game time for the younger squad. He has netted eight goals in nine Premier League 2 appearances this campaign and was included on the bench by Carrick for a victory over Fulham in February.

Nolan was close to finding himself in the same boat not that long ago, training with United's senior squad and coming as close as you can to making a first-team squad without quite taking that last step. These days he's enjoying a different kind of football challenge in Baller League, playing with and against other players with academy or senior experience, though he knows what it means to be asked to train with the likes of Bruno Fernandes at United.

"Going into like first team like Man United is so fast paced," he said. "Your touch has to be perfect every time, but I think even for younger lads who got to train at 14 or 15, it opens your eyes to how good they actually are."

Baller League Season Three is available to watch live on www.youtube.com/@BallerLeagueUK