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Manchester United have long been famous for upholding their tradition of incorporating their youth players into the first team for almost 80 years and it seems the Red Devils have found their next superstar in their academy starlet Angel Gomes, who has been showing the world and the crowd here in India a glimpse of his talents as he ran riot for the England U17s at the FIFA U17 World Cup.
Gomes, to the surprise of many, started the game as a substitute and was only brought on by coach Steve Cooper in the 67th minute to a roaring reception from the crowd as he replaced goalscorer Callum Hudson-Odoi of Chelsea and it didn't take long for the Manchester United starlet to make his presence felt.
His influence on the game's proceedings was instantly felt as he rekindled the creative spark within the England side, dribbling past players and creating chances for his teammates on more than one occasion. But it was in the 81st minute that he showed everyone present why he is so highly rated, as he slotted in a free kick from just outside the box into the top left corner, capping off an incredible win for the Young Lions and an amazing display off the bench for the starlet which has once again reignited talks about his involvement in the first team for his club.
"The atmosphere was amazing.To play in front of so many people, to get the reception that we got here is a dream come true really, playing the World Cup in India.The vibe was amazing and the crowd made it a lot easier for us to play and I really enjoyed playing." exclaimed a visibly excited Gomes when asked about his experience in playing at the Salt Lake Stadium.
Gomes who was in fine form for United prior to the tournament, scoring a freekick from a similar position like he did for England last night during Manchester United U18s win against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Youth League, the Champion's League youth version. When asked whether it almost felt like Deja Vu for him, a smiling Gomes said "A little bit, I knew that it could have been my only chance to score tonight and I just made sure that I got it on target and it felt wonderful that it went in."
England, who put up an almost flawless performance against Chile, impressed both the crowd and the critics alike and Gomes was on hand to reaffirm the side's belief that they can go all the way in the tournament. "We are looking to win the tournament. We've got a very strong squad and I think we've got the potential to win the tournament," said the England number 10 who believes coaches both at United and at the national camp have helped him grow into the player he is at the moment.
A millennial star and a future great in the making, the City of Joy will eagerly be waiting for him on Wednesday as England face Mexico, as they hope to see the little magician leave them awestruck again.
