Carrick singles out Man Utd youth star who has taken 'step up' and commands midfield

Michael Carrick singles out one Manchester United youth player who he says has taken a "step up" and is now a commanding force in midfield.

The United boss was happy overall with his youth players who showed glimpses of their potential even though the Reds went down 1-0 defeat to Wrexham.

Sam Smith's first-half strike proved to be the difference in Helsinki, but the result was secondary as Carrick handed 22 players 45 minutes each, changing his entire side at half-time.

It was United's youthful second XI that impressed the most, dominating large spells after the interval and earning praise from the head coach for the maturity they showed against experienced opposition.

"I was really pleased with the second-half team," Carrick told MUTV.

"I thought they controlled the game really well against a team that is not easy to play against.

"They make you work for it. They can play long into Kieffer Moore and JD [Jacob Devaney] playing centre-half, it's not natural to him. He's played a little bit there but not a lot, I thought he did ever so well.

"In general, the boys took responsibility and showed their quality. Again, that final bit of trying to break down a lot of bodies in front of the ball, at this stage, it's not easy to find that sharpness and that extra little bit of creation.

"But that will come. I was really pleased with the young players in the second half and they can really be proud of themselves."

One player who particularly caught Carrick's eye was Jacob Devaney.

The versatile youngster, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at St Mirren last season, was deployed in central defence and coped well with the physical challenge posed by former Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore.

Carrick believes the 21-year-old's development over the past year was evident throughout his performance.

"For sure," he said when asked whether Devaney had enhanced his chances of further pre-season opportunities. He had a really successful few months up in Scotland.

"It was good to see him take that next step. The confidence and assurance in his game, even though he was playing a slightly different position. He was vocal, he was commanding. I liked a lot of what he did today."

Tyler Fletcher also earned special praise after captaining the side in the second half.

The midfielder has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past few months, making his senior Premier League debut before representing Scotland at the 2026 World Cup.

Despite only recently returning from international duty, Fletcher was keen to get back into action and led by example in midfield.

"He's had an eventful three or four months, Tyler," Carrick added. "He didn't want long off [after the World Cup], he wanted to get back into it. He took that responsibility and led the team in the second half really well."

With further pre-season fixtures against Rosenborg and European opposition still to come, Carrick's comments suggest several academy graduates have given themselves a genuine chance of remaining involved with the first-team squad as preparations for the new campaign continue.