Man Utd staff 'perplexed' by reluctance to promote 18-year-old wonderkid who is 'ready to be unleashed'

Some members of Manchester United staff have been left "perplexed" by the reluctance to promote one of their top prospects, it has been revealed.

United have always been a club with a tradition of integrating young players into the first-team and they have a number of impressive talents on their books.

And one making waves at the moment is 18-year-old James Scanlon, who joined the club from Derby County in 2021.

Scanlon, a versatile forward, already has 10 goals and four assists this season, having bagged a hat-trick in the 8-0 thumping at the Leeds United last weekend.

But there is the feeling from many that he is far too good to be playing Under 18 football. According to Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail, sources close to the training ground are surprised he has not been promoted to a higher age-group and are worried that his development could be stunted at a crucial stage.

He has featured for the Under 21 on occasion and trained with the first-team under Erik ten Hag, who included him in his pre-season squad for the tour of the United States.

Image: Getty

Scanlon won the Best Forward award at the Otten Cup in the Netherlands in August and is already a full international with Gibraltar, who he is eligible to play through his mother, Gabriella, who was a track athlete.

He made his debut in March this year and became Gibraltar's youngest ever score in September when he found the net against Liechtenstein aged 17 years and 346 days.

Scanlon signed his first professional deal in May and is tied down at United for three years. His younger brother Luca is also on United's books but Scanlon has proved he is above the level he is currently playing at and will surely be in consideration for progression when new boss Ruben Amorim officially takes the reins.