Manchester United is preventing their youth prospect, Foden, from making an early debut! Concerned about repeating Aoki's mistakes, they believe he is not yet ready to play.

Shea Lacey, the 18-year-old winger from Manchester United's academy, was recently invited to train with England's senior national team. Originally part of the Under-20 squad, Tuchel included him and a few other youngsters to strengthen the training group. This has raised hopes among many United fans for Lacey’s club debut, but reports from “Open Stand” indicate the club is in no rush to field this prodigy.

Lacey has returned to the England U20 team and made his debut wearing the number 7 jersey against Switzerland. Despite a 0-1 loss, coach Ben Fletcher commented, “Training with the England squad is a valuable experience for them. It’s the place they ultimately aspire to reach; they get to experience the challenges and witness the excellence of those before them. Seeing, feeling, and participating in it is very beneficial. But we must carefully manage Shea; he is a huge talent, and I think he performed well. I trust Manchester United has big plans for him. I just hope he stays injury-free to fully realize his potential.”

Hailing from Merseyside, Lacey was once dubbed the ‘Manchester United Messi’ and later compared to Rooney. He is regarded as one of the most promising talents in United’s academy. However, injuries over the past two years have hindered his progress. Additionally, the club’s management worries that instability in the first team could negatively impact Lacey’s development.

Premier League expert Graeme Bailey revealed that Manchester United believes Lacey has a bright future, but precisely because of that, they are reluctant to promote him too early, fearing it might stunt his growth. Past experiences with Januzaj, Mason Greenwood, and Cody Mené serve as lessons.

“Lacey is a highly rated United player with exceptional talent,” Bailey explained. “Watching United’s youth matches, you can see his qualities, and his teammates hold him in high regard. However, the current situation isn’t ideal for him. Lacey isn’t a classic number 10; his style is closer to that of a winger. At present, Manchester United is cautious about using too many young players. From what I know, Lacey isn’t fully ready for the first team yet, but the club has high hopes for him.”

It is said that Manchester United’s sporting director, Jason Wilcox, who previously worked at Manchester City, believes the club should adopt Pep Guardiola’s approach to developing Phil Foden. Interestingly, Lacey is now often compared to Foden.

Bailey added, “Wilcox is in charge of United’s football operations, which is an advantage for Lacey. Coming from City’s academy background, Wilcox is confident about Lacey’s development but insists on careful management. Manchester United is very pleased with this player and sees a bright future for him, but he won’t be rushed into the first team. The current environment makes it challenging to integrate young players.”

Foden was once suspended alongside United’s Greenwood for bringing a local Icelandic girl to the England team hotel during an away match. Guardiola handled the matter strictly, limiting Foden’s playing time, whereas Manchester United let Aoki off lightly, which eventually led to serious problems.

Manchester United has previously developed outstanding English youth players, but many talented youngsters, despite shining in the academy, have failed to reach top-level success in the senior team. Many of them lost focus on football after early fame, getting distracted by fame and fortune.

Four years ago, another United academy player was called up to the England squad. Teden Mengi trained with Southgate’s “Three Lions” in October 2021 alongside Harry Kane and Foden, but now he only plays in League One, as Luton has been relegated consecutively to the third tier.