Rochdale FC 16-year-old Daniel Adshead is turning Jose Mourinho's and Manchester United’s heads with a rumored $1.31 million transfer deal. If this deal happens, then the English midfielder beckons the golden question: Can Mourinho do to Adshead what Sir Alex Ferguson did with an 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo?
During a friendly U-23 trial match at Manchester United’s training grounds, concealed to the media as reported by Sky Sports, Adshead astonished the Red Devil’s coaching staff. The Manchester-born Adshead, who is also a Rochdale Academy product, is Rochdale’s youngest player to ever play in the EFL, a match he contributed an assist in.
Manchester United are close to a £1m deal for Rochdale teenager Daniel Adshead. pic.twitter.com/A4cJTlDzkl
— Nolgate (@nolgate) July 22, 2018
“Adshead was man of the match and head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch," a Manchester United source told the Hard Tackle. "United had a depleted side because many of their regulars are on tour in America with Jose Mourinho and the first team squad, but United’s staff were hugely impressed with everything the lad did.”
The source is speculated to be Nicky Butt, head coach of Manchester United’s youth academy. Butt was also a Red Devil defensive midfielder from 1992 to 2004 with 39 caps for England throughout his professional career.
Not impressed yet? Adshead began training with Rochdale’s first team at the age of 14 and has been scouted by a number of Premier League’s top clubs like Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea Liverpool and Tottenham.
| Rochdale AFC’s matchday programme – The Voice of Spotland – is back for Saturday’s League One fixture against Portsmouth.
Daniel Adshead, who became Dale's youngest ever player back in September, is the cover star.Preview https://t.co/6IfUmBPdpe #RAFC pic.twitter.com/diA7egwV7B
— Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) April 5, 2018
The schoolboy had played competitively against Tottenham in February during an FA Cup fifth-round replay at Wembley. Adshead has also been reportedly scouted by LaLiga’s Barcelona and Bundesliga’s Bayern Munich.
Teammate and Rochdale forward Ian Henderson put Adshead’s athleticism into monstrous context:
“He covered nearly 14 km (8.7 miles) during both training sessions; when you put into context, you normally cover between four and six (2.5 to 3.7 mile) in one session,” Henderson told Sky Sports. “All of the lads are in and around that figure, but he has been the standout person.”
Adshead is a student at Manchester’s Wright Robinson College, which makes a deal with Manchester United even more logical for the young’un.
Mourinho signed Brazilian midfielder Fred and 19-year-old Portuguese fullback Diogo Dalot in 2018, but it seems the “Chosen One” hasn’t forgotten the importance of developing the extra young and extra promising Adshead.
Perhaps this isn’t Liverpool’s era just yet as the mighty Red Devil might’ve found his newest spawn.
The18 Recommends For You
