Man Utd won 5-0 against Rosenborg in their second pre-season game thanks to a great finish from Shea Lacey.
Shea Lacey hardly raised a smile after firing Manchester United into the lead against Rosenborg.
If he were any more laid back, he would be horizontal. The youngster did not celebrate any of his goals in academy games last season, but his nonchalant celebration may be dropped if he scores at Old Trafford in the new campaign.
It’s increasingly likely that Lacey will be handed chances to score his first goal in front of United’s home support. It felt significant that he started against Rosenborg, and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
The youngster has already scored dozens of goals by cutting inside from the right and finishing with his left foot, so it felt inevitable that he would break the deadlock when he popped up in that scenario in the first half.
Lacey has more to his game than just quality in the final third though. It was interesting to spot United analyst Kaita Hasegawa nodding along as he tracked back to help Bryan Mbeumo win a turnover.
Lacey does not lack confidence, either. During the warm-up, he found the bottom corner with a first-time finish and walked off to juggle the ball to the halfway line. He made it look easy.
It’s understood the 19-year-old was backed by academy coaches ahead of pre-season to have a breakthrough 2026/2027, and he will vindicate that faith if he continues to perform well in friendlies over the coming weeks.
Lacey sent United on their way to a comfortable victory against Rosenborg in a much-improved performance after defeat to Wrexham last weekend.
Wrexham had a fitness edge over United in Helsinki. Rosenborg’s players were in even better condition given they are in the middle of their domestic season, though they fielded a weakened side against the Reds.
The Norwegians are struggling in the Eliteserien this term, and agreeing to a mid-season friendly against United was seen by their fans as an unwelcome distraction. The game also meant their next league fixture had to be rescheduled to Monday.
That is why the 21,000-capacity Lerkendal Stadion was half-empty. The reaction to the fixture locally in the middle of a disappointing campaign, combined with a lack of star names on show due to the World Cup, meant the attendance was much lower than when United played in a sold-out stadium in Trondheim two years ago.
The attendances over the last week suggest United have reached their saturation point in Scandinavia. There is huge support for United here, but perhaps four friendlies in this region in one summer have stretched it.
The positive was that United managed to give the local supporters who made the effort to attend something to cheer about. The Wrexham game was a snooze fest, but the Rosenborg clash turned out to be a goal fest.
Joshua Zirkzee danced around a Rosenborg defender and the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. The Dutchman had dropped into deep positions throughout but found the net when making a rare advanced run.
Zirkzee started down the middle again and Lacey played as the No.10. The Liverpool-born teenager has been compared to Phil Foden over the last few years and he now looks ready to be platformed like Foden was by Pep Guardiola.
Carrick did not make wholesale changes at half-time, opting to bring on only Harry Amass and Jaydan Kamason, but the make-up of the side was eventually changed on the hour mark.
The youngsters got in on the action, with Amass, Jacob Devaney and Ethan Williams all scoring. Kamason did all he could to impress Carrick in the second half by recording two assists with accurate crosses.
The conversation in the build-up to the game was all about whether JJ Gabriel would get onto the pitch, but the closest the 15-year-old got to the action was a second half warm up.
Gabriel should not be disheartened because United plan to give minutes this summer. The club have handled the teenager sensibly to this point by doing all they can to demonstrate there is a pathway to the first-team, including an introduction to Sir Alex Ferguson and invites into the directors’ box.
Although Gabriel was too young to play in the Premier League last season, there are now no restrictions on which competitions he can feature in, meaning the conversation about when he could make his competitive debut will only grow louder.
In the meantime, the likes of Lacey and Amass should be at the forefront of United fans’ minds ahead of the new campaign. Lacey is particularly exciting, looking primed to build on his positive first-team cameos from last season.
“Where has he been?” Gary Neville quipped on commentary when Lacey stuck the crossbar against Burnley in January. United won’t be hiding Lacey for much longer.
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