Club football is back, and Manchester United U21s have kicked off the weekend with an exciting performance against Leeds United in the Premier League 2.
After a long two weeks without club football, this weekend unfortunately does not see Manchester United’s first team back in action.
However, either side of the weekend will see the academy sides in action, with Travis Binnion’s U21 side playing on Friday against Leeds United.
United went 2-0 down to Leeds during the lunchtime kick-off on Friday afternoon, but the hosts failed to hold onto their advantage against the United Academy.
In traditional United fashion, Binnion’s side came from behind with two second-half goals to secure a point, which solidifies the sixth-place position.
There were plenty of talking points worth taking from the game, but one player in particular stood out.
READ: Man Utd under-21s top scorers and assists in 2024/25, all results
Photo by Zohaib Alam - MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Zohaib Alam – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images
Sekou Kone scores his first goal for Manchester United
For the U21s, it was Sekou Kone who inspired the comeback, as he had his best 45 minutes in a United shirt. Kone only arrived at United last summer, and this season was all about him adapting the living in England.
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Now, after some senior involvement on the bench, he is back dominating at the U21 level. Against Leeds, he showed a different side as he played as a box to box midfielder, and it worked perfectly.
Kone scored a sublime volley from the edge of the box to open the scoring for United – his first for the club. It was a side of his game not before seen, but it was a glimpse of why he was dubbed a mix between N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba before arriving.
The second goal came from Sam Mather, who is on loan with Tranmere but was back for some minutes. He scored the penalty after Kone won it with a driving run into the box.
Other notable moments included Jayden Ngwashi making his U21 debut. Ngwashi is a defender that United are very excited by, and his fast-tracking through the ranks shows this clearly.
Liam Bradford raves over Sekou Kone performance
After a breakout performance like this, Kone is sure to be thrust right back into Amorim’s eyeline with a good chance of getting an opportunity before the season ends.
Kone could be the perfect replacement for Casemiro in the United squad next season. However, for MUTV’s Liam Bradford, it is another first-team midfielder that he sees Kone as being similar to.
“He’s quite similar to Kobbie Mainoo in that he can receive the ball in tight areas and get out of danger with a quick turn.”
Bradford then continued to explain that Kone was playing a big role across the entire pitch.
“He’s having an impact all over the pitch, Sekou Kone. He’s making an impact and stepping up in attack and defence.”