A GLINT in his eye, a game-changing night under the lights and touch of “mischief” in his boots.
youngster Shea Lacey, 19, has earned a start ahead of Amad against this Sunday.
Lacey threw down a serious marker after a superb cameo in over , injecting pace, energy and enthusiasm when hosts were trailing 2-1.
The teen rose off the bench with 15 minutes on the clock when United were staring down the barrel of a tenth game without a win.
While ‘s late double and red card stole the headlines, Lacey’s introduction sparked the turnaround.
It was the Liverpool-born winger’s excellent pass freed Cunha to fire the winner off the post.
It came minutes after he was unfortunate not to have won a penalty after breezing past Brazil full-back .
The celebrations that followed told their own story. Cunha kissed Lacey on the forehead, while the teen appeared overwhelmed with emotion.
Cunha raved to MUTV: “Unbelievable, Shea is a young guy. He comes from the academy, and then we saw the stadium come with him.
“They are part of the family, they follow him from the beginning, and we want to help him push to be this player that everyone wants. To be part of this is incredible.”
Asked on his night cementing his “success story as an academy graduate”, Lacey said: “Not yet, but we are building towards it.”
Lacey gets it.
United fans loved his interview and many used it as ammunition to challenge why the want-away academy prodigy ‘s camp complained about their first team pathway.
Lacey’s enthusiasm lifted the crowd and he did more in his short cameo on the right wing than Amad managed.
Boss said: “I’m not going too over the top, but at the same point I’m absolutely delighted for Shea.
“We love him to bits. He’s a great young man, he’s desperate to do well, he’s got great ability and so in terms of coming inside and finding the pass, that’s not surprising.
“He’s got that little glint in his eye, he plays with a bit of mischief if you like, so he’s always looking to have that.
“He gave everybody a bit of a lift coming on the pitch, and it was fantastic to see. He made the most of what he had tonight.”
Lacey is no longer simply a promising academy player waiting patiently for his chance. He is beginning to look like someone capable of making a meaningful difference.
And Amad may have reason to feel the pressure.
The international, who missed the first seven matches through injury, has continued to find promising positions, like he did at Chelsea, but his lack of end product has become a concern.
The 24-year-old has not scored for United since December 14, when ‘s side endured a hectic 4-4 draw with Bournemouth at Old Trafford 324 days ago.
On pundit duties, told Amazon Prime: “Amad does some really good things, but it’s that end product, that is what takes you to the next level.
“And the glimpses of what I’ve seen from Lacey when he has come on, especially this season, he has got something in there.”
Lacey completed all of his attempted passes, successfully pulled off his take-ons and was praised for his defensive work by Carrick.
Amad had fared better when he has real competition, shining as an impact sub when he found himself on the fringes under .
Lacey has been hailed for his patience at breaking into the first team after stepping up levels during last season.
He has made five Premier League appearances since his top-flight debut at Villa Park last December, where he made a strong impression during his six-minutes.
Since then, Lacey scored on his first competitive start in the exit to Brighton in September, but has been forced to watch United struggle from the bench ever since.
His frustration was evident at on Saturday, where he was spotted reacting after Cole Palmer converted his penalty following Lisandro Martinez’s red card.
Lacey is represented by the same agency as Rooney, and many at United believe he is the next big Liverpudlian star.
