Teen Man Utd ace can be “pushed closer to the first-team”

One of the best players for Manchester United this season has been attacker Amad. The Ivorian attacker has run the show for the Red Devils, becoming a key man under Ruben Amorim.

Across all competitions this season, United’s impressive number 16 has scored nine goals and registered seven assists. He has been vital in 2024/25.

However, United got some bad news before their most recent Premier League game, against Tottenham Hotspur. Amad was confirmed to be out for the rest of the campaign by Amorim, after damaging his ankle ligaments in training.

It is a big blow for United, who will be without their richest source of goals this season. Amad has been flying and is on the same number of goals as Morgan Rogers.

Rogers’ & Amad’s Premier League impact

Just as Amad has been one of the best players at Old Trafford this season, England international Morgan Rogers has been equally as good for his club, Aston Villa. At the start of the season, he was described as a “machine” by former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher.

Rogers has scored as many goals as Amad has managed in the Premier League this season. He has also found the back of the net on six occasions, as well as registering four assists. He also scored an incredible hat-trick in the Champions League group stage against Celtic.

In Amad’s absence, Amorim would surely have loved to have Rogers. They are both similar players, who excel with the ball at their feet. According to FBref, both players average 2.03 completed take-ons per game. The United attacker has a 50% completion rate, compared to the Villa star’s 42.5% completion rate.

Sadly for United, Rogers is obviously not attainable this season, or likely for a while, given where they stand in the league compared to Villa. However, perhaps there is an inhouse version of the Englishman, and an Amad replacement, waiting in the academy.

United’s own Rogers

Amorim was forced to call upon eight academy starlets to be on the bench against Spurs, with Victor Lindelof the only player with first-team minutes for the club.

Of that group, young striker Chido Obi made his debut, with the other seven players gaining valuable experience even though they didn’t make it onto the pitch.

One of those unused substitutes was 19-year-old attacking midfielder Jack Moorhouse. The youngster has been in excellent form for United’s youth sides, reportedly impressing Amorim in training, which earned him a place on the bench for the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This term, the Manchester-born midfielder has played eight times in the Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy for United’s under-21 side. He has managed three goals in that time, including two against Southampton under-21s.

Someone who was full of praise for Moorhouse after the game against the Saints was Academy Scoop, a United academy page on X. He described him as “seriously impressive”, and said he is a “deadly weapon” for the Red Devils academy side.

Over the course of his United youth career so far, Moorhouse has played 21 games and has six goals and three assists in that time. Just like Rogers, and Amad, he has a real eye for goal, although he does play deeper in midfield at times.

In a separate post, Academy Scoop said the 19-year-old has “much of what makes” Rogers so good. That is to say, his ball carrying is a real standout feature, and he has the ability to drive at opposition players, as the video below shows.

There is no doubt that the Red Devils need some attacking impetus in their side. Perhaps, as Academy Scoop suggested, he should be “pushed closer to the first-team”. Not only would that make things easier in Amad’s absence, but could help Amorim unearth his own Rogers.

If United could uncover someone of that ability, then their squad would be better for it, and he would help continue the tradition of bringing academy players into the Old Trafford first team.