Man United youngster Shea Lacey made a lively cameo from the bench against Burnley earlier in the week.
“That’s why he’s number 61,” shouted a Burnley fan when Shea Lacey came inches away from scoring a matchwinner for Manchester United. Just minutes earlier, Lacey had smacked the crossbar.
Lacey looked like a player worthy of wearing the famous No.7 shirt in the future when he came off the bench at Turf Moor on Wednesday night. The youngster came close to making a fairytale cameo, but that appearance in Lancashire should only be the start of his next chapter.
The 18-year-old has been underused this season, and that could change on the back of his visit to Burnley. It was just a small glimpse of what Lacey is capable of. “Where has he been?” Gary Neville quipped on Sky Sports. “He reminds me of Phil Foden with the way he moves,” said Joe Hart on Match of the Day.
Darren Fletcher praised Lacey when he spoke to reporters. “I said to him, stay wide and go and do what you do, and he did that. I know he’s gonna make an impact,” said Fletcher.
“I know he’s creative. He’s got goals in him. He’s exciting, he’s direct, he’s fearless, and he hit the crossbar, and he had another shot, so he had a really bright game. I’m pleased for him because there have been a lot of injuries in recent years, and he’s not really got going with his momentum, but we know the talent that he’s got, and he’ll be a big part of Manchester United’s future. I’ve no doubts about that.”
United have exercised patience with Lacey, who has struggled with muscle injuries, and the youngster deserves credit for staying determined to reach the first-team despite his progress having stalled.
Lacey has been forced to watch as academy peers have been given their debuts over the last 18 months. United wrapped him up in cotton wool to protect him, and that foresight should now pay off.
The youngster has carried a huge reputation within youth circles since he was a boy. For some, expectation and pressure are too much, but Lacey got his head down and stuck to his task.
Ruben Amorim praised Lacey for his exemplary behaviour, which comes from his strong family grounding in Merseyside. The importance of hard work and staying humble was drilled into him from the start.
At Turf Moor, he acknowledged a fan before getting on the team bus. A few years ago, Lacey went out of his way at Carrington, going back inside the building to gift boots to a fan.
Lacey often took time to take photos with fans at Leigh Sports Village after academy fixtures and signed autographs before leaving the ground. The signature requests might be about to skyrocket this year.
Amorim handed Lacey his senior bow against Aston Villa in the Premier League last month, and Tom Heaton gave him words of encouragement as he prepared to come on from the bench.
Bruno Fernandes made a beeline for Lacey when he didn’t get a chance to make his debut against Wolves at Molineux. United were leading 4-1, and it felt like the perfect moment for Lacey to come on. However, he had to bide his time and was rewarded at Villa Park just a few weeks later.
Harry Maguire, who is represented by the same agency as Lacey, has also provided the youngster with advice. There is recognition from senior players about his quality and potential.
It’s rare to find someone who was born in Liverpool who supports United, but the youngest of three brothers, Shea is that anomaly. Lacey once had a season ticket at Anfield, but his middle brother, Luis, would complain that he wasn’t interested in watching Liverpool.
“I can’t go from hating Liverpool in the morning when I’m playing against them, to supporting them,” Lacey told his family, referencing how it felt to represent United’s academy.
Lacey’s father is the reason he chose to join United’s academy over Liverpool when he was just a boy. Shea’s oldest brother, Paddy, came through Liverpool’s youth system, despite his father telling him that Manchester was the best place for him to develop due to the better coaching.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News three years ago, Paddy explained: “You didn’t get room to develop as a player at Liverpool, so when my two little brothers were good enough, my dad never allowed them to make the decision. They got taken straight down the M62 to Manchester United.”
Neil Harris, former United academy coach for two decades, now a coach educator, spoke to the MEN this week and reflected: “Shea was always cheeky, funny, mature when he was a boy, and he could hold his own with his coaches when it came to having fun. He was very mature for his age.
“As a footballer and a young player, he was exciting, and obviously being left-footed, he was always aesthetically pleasing when you looked at him. He could go past players and loved nutmegging people.
“The shot he did against Burnley, cutting in from the right, all the wonderful coaches who have worked with him down the years, we’ve seen that strike from Shea a thousand times.
“He loves cutting in and curling the shot into the top corner. Stuart Leicester at Ashton on Mersey on a Thursday, he would continually practice that shot with Shea whenever we worked with him.”
Harris continued: “He always played with no fear. If something didn’t come off on the pitch, he would just try it again. There would be no beating himself up, he wouldn’t show any frustration, and he would just do it again. He had that arrogance about him – in a hugely positive and elite way.
“He’s an exciting talent, and we’re all hoping he kicks on now to the next stage. Hopefully the club give him time, but it would be exciting to see him play at the weekend in the FA Cup. He’s a great kid, with a great family behind him, with wonderful brothers and mum and dad. We’re dead proud of him.”
Those who know Lacey best noted he was probably the most frustrated they’ve seen after the final whistle at Turf Moor. A stunning last-minute winner from an academy graduate in Fletcher’s first game as caretaker? Lacey’s oldest brother was watching from the away section. It would have been perfect.
Lacey was inches away from a special moment, but that would have spurred him on during sessions at Carrington this week as he trained hard in an attempt to win a place in the starting XI.
The youngster must be under consideration to make his full debut at Old Trafford this weekend. Lacey is the kind of player worth paying an entry fee just to watch in person.
