da bet7k： The 18-year-old striker recently became the Red Devils' 250th academy graduate to make their debut and far bigger milestones lie in wait for him
da blaze casino： Manchester United's dismal season has can be blamed on many factors, but the lack of a regular goal-scorer has been one of their biggest problems. Just take the fact that Scott McTominay was their leading scorer for most of the campaign. Or that they are the joint lowest-scoring side in the top half of the Premier League with only 54 goals, as many as Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford.
Rasmus Hojlund has had a difficult debut season adapting to a new league, while Antony Martial has been injured since December and barely contributed in the preceding months. Marcus Rashford, meanwhile, could be heading for the exit door after a desperately disappointing campaign.
But what if the solution to United's striking woes was already at the club, knocking on the door of the first team after scoring for fun at youth level? Step forward, 18-year-old Ethan Wheatley…
Getty Where it all began
Wheatley was born in the Greater Manchester town of Stockport, which has gained fame in football circles lately after producing Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo. He has family heritage in Malaysia, where his grandmother comes from, making him eligible for selection for their national team, though he has already represented England at Under-17 level.
Wheatley has been with United's academy since he was a child, signing his first contract with the club when he turned 16 in 2022. He used to be known as a shy personality, and club staff recall him being so homesick during a tour of the Czech Republic aged 11 that they had to bribe him with chocolate pancakes for him to play!
AdvertisementThe big break
After making his way through the various age-group sides, Wheatley had been scoring steadily for the U18s side this season, but saved one of his best performances for the visit to arch rivals Liverpool in April, bagging a hat-trick in an incredible 9-1 win.
It was a fixture Wheatley must have been looking forward to for some time and with revenge on his mind after being punched and elbowed by Luca Furnell-Gill in a previous match against the Reds. And Wheatley clearly had that incident on his mind when he scored his first goal and United's second on enemy territory, re-enacting Wayne Rooney's iconic celebration by pretending to be a boxer before falling flat on the floor.
He imitated another legend of the game when he arrowed in his second goal, meanwhile, doing a knee slide while crossing his arms in a manner reminiscent of Kylian Mbappe.
GETTYHow it's going
If that was a good way to kick-off April, then Wheatley had a week to remember at the end of the month. He was part of the matchday squad for United's FA Cup semi-final tie against Coventry City at Wembley, and then two days later scored twice against Manchester City in the final of the U18 Premier League Cup.
He was taken off at half-time in the 3-1 win, but it was for a very good reason. The next day he was at Old Trafford and joined the first-team squad for the Premier League match against Sheffield United, making his senior debut when he replaced Hojlund in the 91st minute of the 4-2 win.
A chunky amount of stoppage-time meant Wheatley got some time to express himself and was almost teed up by Bruno Fernandes inside the area, only for the cross to be blocked. It was not just any old cameo either, as Wheatley had become the 250th academy graduate to make their debut for United's first team.
"It's not been a bad 24 hours. It's a great club with a massive history, especially in the academy. It's an honour to make my debut and that number – 250. That's a little bit extra," he said. "Bruno pulled me to the side and said: ‘I've got nine minutes to try and get you a goal!' So I was just trying to get in that position for him and obviously it didn't come, but hopefully soon."
Getty Biggest strengths
Wheatley has an insatiable hunger for scoring, demonstrated by his 22 goals this season across all competitions, for both the U18s and U21s. He is capable of scoring goals of all types, with his right foot, his left and his head, and from all angles.
His awareness, clever movement and sharp reactions in the area help him mop up loose balls and score, while he relishes dribbling around goalkeepers. He also has a knack for scoring from tight angles, as he demonstrated with his strikes inside the near post against both Liverpool and City.
Wheatley has a good physique for a striker, standing at 6'1, but his stature does not affect his ability to dance around defenders and make them look like fools.