Emerging Gore can be Reds' very own Frenkie

THE night Dan Gore first clasped silverware at Old Trafford, the champagne had to be wiped off it

- SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Gore, a starter in the FA Youth Cup final against Nottingham Forest last year, was still 17 and not legally allowed to drink alcohol.

His 18-year-old teammate and captain, Rhys Bennett, reeked of champagne that evening. Gore supped from a can of apple pop when he reemerged to speak to journalists pitchside.

Corks will have been popped in the Gore household this week. Gore celebrated his 19th birthday on Tuesday and crowned the occasion with his Manchester United debut against Crystal Palace. Gore is the 247th United academy graduate to appear for the club's first team.

The previous regime at United trumpeted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's record of granting debuts to 16 teenagers hothoused in the academy building at Carrington. Now, United sources take a dim view of some of the "gimmes" Solskjaer doled out. Erik ten Hag is pickier and Gore is the third United-bred player to make the step up on the Dutchman's watch.

The second was Kobbie Mainoo. Mainoo and Gore were striking performers in the Youth Cup run when United played at Old Trafford in four rounds running. Even then, the pair could have been mistaken for midfielders developed in the academies of Ajax or Barcelona.

The appeal of Mainoo and Gore to Ten Hag is obvious. They are proactive passers, assume the responsibility of dropping deep to receive the ball and their movement is unpredictable. When Mainoo succumbed to injury during pre-season, Gore got more playing time and, like his youth teammate, dropped in between the centre halves to receive the ball.

It is a trait Frenkie de Jong is synonymous with.