Manchester United: Three Youngsters Who Could Surprise The Red Devils’ Fans This Season

If there is one thing that is arguably more meaningless than the third-place playoff that Louis Van Gaal was moaning about in Brazil, it is pre-season friendlies. While pre-season is certainly important in helping players get in shape for the new season, playing four matches in three different countries in the space of a week or two isn’t really going to help them too much. In fact, if anything it is only going to hinder their progress.

But one of the reasons why so many fans are so eager to watch their side in action in these meaningless dead-rubbers is not only to see the new signings and how they adapt, but also have a look at the next generation of footballers that are likely to break into the first-team in the not-too distant future. Although Manchester United made two very good signings, most fans are excited about the prospect of the players coming through, who are likely to make a difference in the near future.

While youngsters like Marnick Vermijl, Nick Powell, James Wilson aren’t on the squad for the pre-season tour to USA, there are still some very good players who will be looking to strengthen their claims for a spot in the first-team before the end of the season. Here are three such players who will be looking to make a mark on Van Gaal and get into the first-team as soon as possible.

Will Keane

Although he has been overtaken by James Wilson as the club’s most-promising young striker, Will Keane, twin-brother of centre back Michael Keane will be looking to make the most of his opportunities in USA. Since winning the club’s Young Player of the Year award in the 2009/10 season, Keane has only continued on from strength to strength.

An injury suffered while playing for England U-19 side meant that Keane missed the entire 2012/13 season. But once he returned, the goals started to flow once again. Tall, strong, physical and always a goal-threat, Keane has shown that he can lead the line effectively. Although he doesn’t yet have a senior goal to his name yet, a good tour of the USA might just catapult him ahead of James Wilson and in with a shot at the first-team.

Michael Keane

Last season, when Michael Keane was breaking into the fringes of the first-team it looked as though he would have no chance of making it. He had the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling to get through. But barely a year on, the 21-year-old central defender is the most experienced youngster on tour and after loan stints with Leicester City, Derby County, and Blackburn Rovers, Keane is in with a shout of making the first-team squad on a regular basis.

A key member of the successful FA Youth Cup-winning team of 2011, Michael Keane has shown just why he is regarded as one of the finest young defenders not just in the club, but in England itself. Although he started out his career as a full back, he has transformed into a man-mountain of a centre back who won the Reserves Player of the Year in 2012. A versatile defender, who can be a threat in set-pieces, Keane might just turn out to be Vidic’s long-term replacement.

Wilfried Zaha

Zaha was Sir Alex Ferguson’s last signing as Manchester United’s manager and so far he hasn’t been able to justify the faith the Scot put in him, when he signed from Crystal Palace for £15 m in January 2013. The Englishman didn’t have the greatest of times under David Moyes and his fractious relationship with the Scot led to him being loaned out, where he didn’t have the greatest of times as well.

What many people forget is that he is still only 21 and has plenty of time to develop into the world class winger that the club need at the moment. Under Van Gaal, Zaha can finally start over and prove to the world that Ferguson was right to sign him for the club. Quick, strong and agile, the 21-year-old certainly has the prerequisites to succeed as a winger. All he needs now is a good pre-season and he will be on his way into the first-team in no time and start to show why Moyes was wrong to send him out on loan last season.