Shea Lacey has already set the Premier League alight with his limited opportunities at Manchester United this season, but he’s now sent a reminder.
2026 has already been a whirlwind for Manchester United wonderkid Shea Lacey, with good and bad moments in his two first-team appearances.
First, Lacey almost scored in a cameo against Burnley, coming close twice, but hitting the crossbar was as close as he managed to get.
After this performance, Darren Fletcher hailed Lacey and subsequently gave the 18-year-old minutes against Brighton in the FA Cup.
Lacey was sent off, which will be a moment he wants to learn from and forget. After serving his suspension, both Amad and Bryan Mbeumo were back from AFCON, and minutes are once again limited, but it’s impossible to deny him.
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Shea Lacey bags a hat-trick for Manchester United U21
Given the lack of minutes available with the first team, Lacey has been back in the U21s recently and every performance has been a statement that he should be playing senior football.
Lacey has six goals in his last three Premier League 2 appearances, with the latest being the biggest message to Carrick.
West Bromwich Albion U21 v Manchester United U21: Premier League 2
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Against West Brom U21 on Adam Lawrence’s return to United, Lacey was involved, having been an unused substitute against Fulham, and he absolutely stole the show.
Lacey opened the scoring after 11 minutes as he finished coolly past the goalkeeper. He then added a second from the penalty spot in the 39th after also winning the spot kick himself.
Then in the 54th minute, Lacey scored his third for the hat-trick as he found the corner from outside the box with a trademark finish.
This performance in the 5-1 win to put United back top of the league just emphasises that Lacey is simply too good now to be at this level, making it almost unfair to the opposition.
Michael Carrick will have watched or heard all about the game and how Lacey made a mockery of the level, and the only thing the United head coach can do is keep him in the senior team and endeavour to give him minutes.
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Shea Lacey deserves to make cameos in every game for Manchester United
Lacey is quite clearly just too talented and far along in his development for United to have him playing U21 football every week, and Carrick has to manage him correctly.
The chances of Lacey starting for the first team are very slim considering the quality senior options in his position, but United should be making sure the teenager is getting opportunities and at least 10 minutes per game when the situation allows.
Lacey would be an excellent substitute for Amad in games when the Ivorian’s legs have gone, such as in the Fulham game when he was exhausted, and Lacey would have offered an attacking threat.
He has already proven that he would be getting the place on merit, playing really well for the first team in his cameos, and therefore, we expect him to feature against Tottenham.
If Lacey wasn’t going to get first-team minutes, United should have sent him on loan. So Carrick needs to make sure he plays him.
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