The Zidane Iqbal fan club will not be surprised to see their favourite player pulling out the stops for Manchester United pre-season.
At 19, the midfielder already has a huge following as he leads the way for the up-and-coming generation of Arab talent. He has more caps for Iraq (two) than he does competitive senior appearances for United (one), but that will soon surely change.
Iqbal has been the standout starlet during United ’s pre-season tour so far with three very impressive substitute appearances. He wasn’t the name many academy followers had tipped to shine under Erik ten Hag this summer, though.
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Alejandro Garnacho had a memorable campaign last season. The 18-year-old Argentine netted twice in the FA Youth Cup final at Old Trafford, also earning his first two senior outings under Ralf Rangnick.
A number of United fans expected the attacker to be the young hopeful to clinch the limelight, but he is yet to make his mark. Hannibal Mejbri was another player tipped to impress.
His two full-tilt appearances last season made an impression on United fans, particularly his cameo against Liverpool. But the 16-cap Tunisia international has been used just once by Ten Hag despite being available for all friendlies.
Instead, Iqbal and Charlie Savage - who has also caught the eye - have been given the nod and are taking their opportunity. While it may not cause much concern for Garnacho, their performances will put pressure on Hannibal to up his game or slip down behind the duo in the pecking order.
Currently, it’s Iqbal that has been the leading youngster and as a result, he has put himself at the front of the academy queue for more game time ahead of his Carrington colleagues.
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