Ayden Heaven is rapidly demonstrating his value to Manchester United, just three matches into his senior career.
Arsenal may regret their decision after last night, as the 18-year-old defender rose to the occasion during his inaugural start in senior football.
Having joined Manchester United just over a month ago in pursuit of first-team opportunities, Ayden Heaven’s choice now appears entirely vindicated.
Heaven’s transfer fee of £1.5 million has already proven worthwhile, especially with the financial reward for advancing to the quarter-finals.
With this performance, Heaven has positioned himself ahead of Victor Lindelof in the team’s hierarchy, becoming a credible option for United.
This display marks a continuation of his impressive start to his professional journey.
Ayden Heaven boasts Virgil van Dijk-like record for Manchester United
Heaven received high praise on MUTV following United’s 4-1 victory, and he undoubtedly emerged as one of the standout performers for the home team.
The young player recorded impressive statistics during the match, notably extending his current streak to three games, reminiscent of the early career of Virgil van Dijk.
Against Sociedad, Heaven maintained an unblemished record, having not been dribbled past in his senior career, successfully completing all four of his tackles in matches against Fulham, Arsenal, and Real Sociedad.
This statistic is particularly noteworthy, as he is still acclimating to the professional game yet has quickly established himself as an essential asset for Amorim.
He demonstrated exceptional composure, achieving a remarkable performance in a match where he became the youngest United player to start in a significant European knockout fixture since Marcus Rashford in March 2016.
Heaven is poised to make Arsenal reconsider their choice to release him, as he has clearly shown he is ready for senior-level competition.
How Ayden Heaven played in first Manchester United start
years.
This will have delighted Jason Wilcox after he pushed for Heaven’s signing, and it shows Ineos that recruiting youngsters for cheap can be a successful recruitment strategy to ease financial concerns.
Heaven stats vs Real Sociedad
- 100% duels won (4/4)
- 63 touches
- 42/48 passes completed
- 4 clearances
- 4 final third entries
- 3 tackles
- 2 interceptions
- 0x dribbled past
- 0 fouls conceded
Heaven will have already earned the trust of Amorim, with Wes Brown claiming on MUTV that the youngster dealt with Sociedad with ‘ease’.
The only way is up for Heaven, with the sky the ceiling as he will continue to develop and improve his weak spots.
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