Ayden Heaven enjoys playing under Ruben Amorim, and the Manchester United defender is working hard to continue his development at the top level.
Manchester United youngster Ayden Heaven joined from Arsenal for £1.5 million in January and quickly found himself playing first-team football at Old Trafford.
Although Heaven’s first few months with United stuttered due to injury, his confidence shone through when he returned and became a mainstay for Ruben Amorim, who has made it clear in the past that he wants more players like the former Arsenal prospect.
Heaven made six appearances for United, with four of those games in the Premier League. The young defender will be aiming to double that next term as the Red Devils attempt to improve results after a dire 2024/25 campaign.
The 18-year-old has plenty of senior players to learn from at United, including Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez. He will also compete for a place with Leny Yoro, who is another defender who has a bright future at Old Trafford.
Ayden Heaven playing against Hong Kong
Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images
Ayden Heaven hails Ruben Amorim’s training methods
It was decided in January that Heaven would leave Arsenal for United to build on his development as a senior footballer.
Heaven went from making one senior appearance for Arsenal to making six in his first few months at United.
Like any youngster keen to improve as a footballer, Heaven wants opportunities to prove himself and a support network to help him learn more about his role on the pitch.
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Speaking exclusively to Laurie Whitwell for The Athletic, Heaven says Amorim has helped him a lot in the past few months.
“In training, he’s always trying to find the best solution for me. If I’ve misplaced a pass or not picked the right pass, he’ll drag it back and help me to improve on where I can pass it better.”
Hopefully, Heaven can build on his performances from last season and continue to excite United fans with his incredible potential.
Wayne Rooney is a big admirer of Heaven
Back in March, Wayne Rooney expressed his views on Heaven during an appearance for Match of the Day.
Rooney compared how he arrived at United aged 18 and the pressures that came with that.
“I came in as an 18-year-old at United and you do feel that pressure, but to come in as a centre-back – which is obviously a position where you can’t afford to make mistakes, otherwise you get punished – is very difficult.
“He [Heaven] looks like he’s been there for years and that’s the biggest compliment I can give him.”