Shea Lacey has magic in his feet. At least that's what his coach says. And after watching the 19-year-old score a stunning goal for Manchester United's senior team this summer, it's hard to argue.
Lacey lit up the pitch in Norway on July 24, when United beat Rosenborg 5-0 in a pre-season friendly. He picked up the ball, controlled it with his left foot, slowed down, then shuffled past a defender with his right foot before curling the ball smoothly into the far corner of the net. It was the kind of goal that makes crowds gasp. His teammates cheered. The movement looked effortless.
"Magic in his feet" is how Adam Lawrence, who coaches United's under-21 team, described Lacey after a youth league game against Manchester City last May. Lawrence also noted that Lacey works hard on his defending, not just attacking — something his coaches want him to keep developing.
But Lacey isn't the only young player turning heads at Old Trafford. His teammate Tyler Fletcher, also 19, has had a remarkable journey of his own. Last year, Scotland's national team manager Steve Clarke spotted something special in Fletcher and invited him to train with the senior squad before the World Cup. That brief stint led to an international debut against Bolivia, and when another player got injured, Fletcher was bumped up to the actual World Cup squad.
That's right — a teenager from Manchester got called up to represent a country at a World Cup. He didn't get to play in the actual matches, but just being in that environment, training alongside top professionals, gave him a taste of what it takes to reach the very top.
Fletcher is also back at training early. He was entitled to a three-week break after the World Cup experience, but he returned after just two weeks, eager to keep improving. In pre-season games made up of young academy players, the coaches have trusted him so much that they gave him the captain's armband — a sign of how much they value his maturity and leadership.
"If Lacey can create little moments of magic, the root of Fletcher's ability is to do the simple things effectively," one report noted. "He reads the game well and his passes are clean."
Both Lacey and Fletcher have been training with the senior squad regularly, taking big steps toward earning a permanent spot on the team that plays in the Premier League. They played together at Brighton on the final day of last season, getting their first taste of senior football when it mattered.
United's manager Michael Carrick says the two young players are clearly at the front of the line among academy graduates pushing for a spot on the senior team. With pre-season wrapping up and the new season approaching, fans will be watching closely to see if these two rising stars get their chance to shine on the biggest stage.