Who is Zachary Dearnley? Manchester United winger who could play against Crystal Palace
Who is the youngster who could start for Mourinho's United on Sunday?
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Your support makes all the difference.Zachary Dearnley is one of several youngsters in line to make their senior debuts for Manchester United on Sunday, with Jose Mourinho expected to name a weakened side for the final Premier League of the season.
Date of birth: 28 September 1998 (18 years old)
Place of birth: Sheffield
Position: Winger/Striker
Background
While the likes of Demetri Mitchell and Scott McTominay have been included in first-team matchday squads already this season, Dearnley would be appearing on a United teamsheet for the first time if selected for the meeting with Crystal Palace.
Dearnley has made just two appearances for United’s Under-23s this season, but crucially, one of those displays came in a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Monday. The Sheffield-born winger played 25 minutes, replacing the highly-rated Callum Gribbin.
Mourinho was watching on, attending his first Under-23s fixture of the season and was impressed enough with Dearnley’s cameo to namedrop him in his pre-match press conference. Dearnley’s previous outing for Nicky Butt’s Under-23s came earlier this month, playing half an hour in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
Two-footed Dearnley, capable of playing on either wing, moved from Penistone to Manchester at the age of 13 and initially struggled with living away from home at such a young age, to the point where he considered quitting.
Dearnley stuck it out, however, and progressed through the youth ranks until signing a professional deal at United in 2015. His ascent through the ranks has been hampered by injuries, with hamstring troubles limiting him to just 13 appearances for the Under-18s this term, but his persistence could well be rewarded with a senior start on Sunday.
Career highlight
A full senior debut would trump Dearnley’s previous career highlight, scoring in consecutive rounds of the 2014/15 FA Youth Cup at Old Trafford against Bury and Hull City.
What they say
Kieran McKenna, United’s Under-18s manager, said of Dearnley earlier this season: “He's been injured and very unfortunate. He's not one I've had a chance to look at close up but he should return after the New Year and I'm looking forward to seeing him because everyone speaks very highly of him. I am sure when he gets back from his injury, he can kick on and finish the season strongly.”
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