Our scout is a top football expert who attends matches each week searching for the next star.
This week, teenage Manchester United midfielder Ethan Galbraith is under the spotlight...
Playing with highly regarded Manchester United academy players — some signed for transfer fees — this 19-year-old Northern Ireland international stood out. Although slight, he was a calming and confident influence in midfield.
The phrase ‘old head on young shoulders’ came to mind as he directed the play from deep but with licence to move forward and overload. His pass selection appealed to me — playing short, receiving the return and knitting the midfield together.
Galbraith also spread the play and stretched the opposition. Two crossfield passes were exceptional — fast, accurate and not lofted, to deny the opposition full back time to intercept.
He is only 5ft 9in and is yet to fully develop, albeit his lack of physicality did not deter him in midfield skirmishes.
On the contrary, a moment of temper in this game saw him sent off! But he did not look like an intimidator and largely tackled cleanly.
He seemed to have leadership qualities and players responded to his promptings.
Competition at the big clubs is fierce and only a tiny percentage progress to senior level early.
Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood have done that at United, so it will be interesting to follow Galbraith’s progress.