Young talent has much to offer Erik

AS Manchester United edged closer and closer towards requiring lifesaving heart surgery at the end of this season, the clamour for Alejandro Garnacho to inject some fresh blood only grew stronger.

- GEORGE SMITH

The youngster, who scored twice to help United's Under-18s beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 in the FA Youth Cup final last month, is considered as the jewel in the crown as far as the Reds' current crop of academy talented is concerned.

No player in the academy has excited United's supporters more than him in recent months.

Although he is only 17, the attention surrounding him is already skyhigh. He is an enormous talent and his tally of 14 goals and six assists in 32 appearances across all youth settings this season proves exactly that.

As a result of his attention-grabbing success in the academy this season, the calls for him to be handed a chance to impress at firstteam level only increased as the season neared its conclusion.

United's campaign was dead in the water as they entered their remaining fixtures.

Fans wanted to see former interim manager Ralf Rangnick award opportunities to some of the youngsters, Garnacho in particular, as opposed to continuing to watch senior figures who were failing to roll up their sleeves and fight for the badge.

Rangnick, although he embedded a handful of youngsters in his training sessions from his first day in the job, was not as keen to incorporate them within his plans as some might have expected.