Shea Lacey made his professional debut for Manchester United in December of last year against Aston Villa, and since then has shown flashes of ability that many who watch academy football have grown accustomed to.

His cameo against Burnley last season, where he rattled the crossbar with an incredible strike, caught the eyes of many, and although he was sent off in the next game against Brighton, he showed bravery and ability on the ball when most feared to take responsibility.

However, the recent pre-season has been the catalyst for many to believe that this year could be the year when he breaks into the first team for good. Solid performances against Atletico Madrid and PSG, and scoring against Rosenborg, proved that he can now compete at the men's level.

Furthermore, with the recent news that Amad has suffered an injury, with rumours circulating that he could be out for up to six weeks, now is the perfect opportunity for the 19-year-old to cement his place in the squad and prove his worth.

One person fully convinced of the teenager's talent is none other than the captain, Bruno Fernandes.

In a recent interview with Men In Blazers (via The Sun), Fernandes discussed the player's ability, but also the past that they share.

"Shea came with a different mentality this season in terms of playing off the ball, it's been great. It was one of the first things I said to him when I got back.

"Because I had to watch the first three pre-season friendlies and he was playing in the position I play, where it demands a lot of running and emotional intelligence to be covering spaces and helping the ones in front. And he did that very well.

Bruno also spoke about how he used to coach Shea Lacey around five years ago when he was earning his coaching badges.'

"His technical ability was never in doubt; he is an exceptional player. He has some very good abilities. I am always joking with him because I coached him during my badges when he was 14.

"I was basically his manager for one day, me and Juan Mata. I tell him he is much better now than when he was 14. He’s much more mature; he’s doing very well. He is always on it in training, and that is something they all need to do."

Many fans are desperate for Manchester United to sign more attackers this summer; however, the club needs to be careful not to stunt the development of talent in their ranks.

Across the front four positions, Man United currently have at least two players for each position, and in some cases they have three; meaning for now, while the youngsters develop, the attack should be okay.

United prides itself on utilising its academy and playing young players; therefore, not using them would be a huge waste of potential for both the club and the players.

The likes of JJ Gabriel, a household name in academy football at just 15 years old, will soon be ready for the next step into the first team, especially after making his unofficial debut for the club during pre-season.

United have also recently signed Tynan Thompson from Spurs, who shone in his first game for United's U21's against Ipswich alongside Gabriel, and also made his unofficial debut this summer.

Furthermore, we have seen last season that other clubs have taken the gamble on young talents, such as Arsenal, who made Max Dowman the youngest player and youngest goal-scorer in Premier League history; records that could still be broken by JJ Gabriel.

With players like Marcus Rashford approaching 29 years old and Bruno nearing 32, there is a nice gap for these stars to get their chance before the club spends millions of pounds on replacements, when the answers may have already been at the club.