Michael Carrick will have been impressed by several of the Manchester United U18 players as he watched their FA Youth Cup fourth round.
After Michael Carrick watched the U21s beat Sporting on Tuesday, there was more academy football to watch on Friday as the entire first team coaching staff was present.
It was a game worth watching too, with Manchester United beating Derby in a thriller which could easily have seen 10 goals, but ended up with three, split into a 2-1 Red Devils win.
Carrick won’t have attended just as a token gesture, but he will be actively seeing which players he could try and integrate over the coming 16 games.
In this case, one player made an excellent case for himself.
Who was your man of the match for Manchester United’s U18s in the FA Youth Cup win?
Which player stood out?
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Godwill Kukonki has now reached new heights in his performances for Manchester United
Carrick will have been impressed with Rafe McCormack on Friday night, while Chido Obi was probably the star of the show as he scored the winner.
But one other impressive performer was Godwill Kukonki.
Godwill Kukonki walks out for Manchester United in white kit.
Photo by Poppy Townson – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images
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Watching the game at Old Trafford, it would be impossible not to be impressed with the performance of Kukonki as he played at left-back in the game.
Not only does he dominate physically with his 6ft 5in frame, but the 17-year-old also possesses incredible and rare ability on the ball for someone of his size.
In the game, Kukonki at various points picked up the ball and carried it into a dangerous area before picking out a more creative teammate.
Kukonki’s control of the ball is eye-catching, with his ability to use his size massively improved over the past year.
More importantly for a defender, Kukonki has shown that his understanding of football has developed and he looks a lot more comfortable at denying the opposition.
Kukonki was an early Ruben Amorim favourite, however, that was due to his size alone. Now, the teenager is the complete package and he managed to put it all together right in front of Carrick.
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Jayce Fitzgerald walking out for Manchester United.
Photo by Poppy Townson – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images
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Where would Kukonki play in Michael Carrick’s system?
Kukonki was a left-back on Friday night for the U18s, but long term this position won’t be his.
United have played the towering defender here to help him develop his technical quality and it has worked perfectly, making him a real threat on the ball.
However, if Carrick were to promote the defender, it would likely be to play more in the centre of defence.
That being said, in Carrick’s system, the left-back almost becomes a left sided centre-back in possession anyway, so perhaps he could actually be a Luke Shaw alternative.
Either way, Kukonki proved he is ready on Friday night and we are now sure he will be in and around the first team set-up again soon.
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