Manchester United’s first team is currently experiencing its most significant downturn since the inception of the Premier League, with disappointing results persisting across all competitions each week. However, Laurie Whitwell from The Athletic has expressed high praise for the club’s youth academy, particularly highlighting the promising talent of Jaydan Kamason following an impressive display against Arsenal’s under-18 team in the FA Youth Cup.
The young players from United initially took the lead with a goal from Jack Fletcher, the son of former Red Devils star Darren. Despite Arsenal’s Max Dowman playing a crucial role in turning the match around to give the Gunners a 2-1 advantage, Kamason’s late equalizer forced the game into extra time, ultimately allowing United to advance. Whitwell’s enthusiastic commentary on Kamason’s abilities provides a glimmer of hope for the club, especially in light of the struggles faced by the senior team this season.
Whitwell: Kamason ‘Really Impressive’ For Man Utd’s Youth Teams
The young defender has been in superb form in recent weeks
During an appearance on the ‘Talk of the Devils’ podcast, Whitwell expressed that he was ‘truly impressed’ by the young defender’s physicality, movement, and consistency, particularly noting his strong performance against Chelsea in the previous round.
| Jaydan Kamason’s Manchester United statistics – 2024/25, by competition | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competition | Appearances | Goal contributions |
| Under-18 Premier League | 10 | 4 |
| Premier League 2 | 9 | 0 |
| UEFA Youth League | 4 | 1 |
| FA Youth Cup | 4 | 3 |
The Athletic’s United writer said:
“Yeah, there’s lots of different players to pick out really. I was really impressed by Kamason, I actually sort of sent a message to somebody at half-time saying that he was playing really well.
“Just aggressive running, getting forward, he made a brilliant last-ditch tackle to stop what would have been a one-on-one for Arsenal in the first half.
“And then he was the one that popped up with a goal to equalise five minutes from time. And it was one of those where it’s not really even a chance, it’s sort of like a half-chance. But he got the ball on the edge of the box and struck it really firmly – the keeper got some fingertips to it, but it was too powerful for him to keep out.
“So really impressed with him after he played well against Chelsea as well in the previous round.”
Kamason has recorded two goals and six assists for United’s youth teams this season, primarily playing as a right-back. The club has been excelling in the under-18 Premier League, and he is expected to play a significant role in the remainder of the FA Youth Cup, having consistently participated in the competition thus far. His performance at the Emirates Stadium earned him the commendation of ‘having it all’ from the account ‘United Analyst.’
In the semi-final, they will compete against either Aston Villa or Plymouth Argyle’s youth teams, which could potentially lead to a final match against Manchester City, who are set to face Watford on the opposite side of the tournament bracket.