A Manchester United employee mentioned Rhys Bennett’s future last month.
“Rhys has his sights set high,” they declared. Perhaps Bennett was hinting at the young player’s desire to make his senior squad debut when he made the remark, which was interpreted as Bennett desiring a loan in the Championship.
According to United sources, Bennett might still leave on loan in the final days of the transfer season. This seems like the most sensible course of action for the defender following his time at Fleetwood Town.
But in the last hours of the deadline day, it became evident that Bennett was not likely to depart.
Since the 21-year-old has obviously outgrown academy football, he is now in an intriguing predicament. Playing for the Under-21s during the first half of the season is the only way Bennett will become match fit.
Would Bennett be able to help the first team? Don’t be shocked if you see the United employee training at Carrington; with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps that is what he meant.
Bennett has yet to make his United first-team debut, but he may have seen an opening following Tyler Fredricson’s involvement. In the Carabao Cup disaster, Fredricson started against Grimsby Town and was substituted against Arsenal and Fulham before being benched at halftime.
Last season, Fredricson made two appearances as a senior. After his Fleetwood loan, Bennett gained experience and is a little older. He might be interested in usurping his fellow academy graduate from Ruben Amorim’s intentions.
The Grimsby performance left no player with any credit, but Fredricson had a particularly difficult night after being heckled by Amorim for the entirety of the first half.
In the academy, Fredricson has always been well-liked. Bennett, who is also well-liked, led the Under-18 team to FA Youth Cup glory at Old Trafford in 2021–2022.
Bennett was the captain and the first scorer in the final against Nottingham Forest, but Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, and Dan Gore were the standout players on that incredibly gifted young squad.
Bennett has witnessed the senior United debuts of Charlie McNeill, Gore, Garnacho, and Mainoo over the past three years. During the FA Youth Cup run, he shared the changing room with those guys, but he has had to wait patiently and put in a lot of effort to catch a glimpse of a possible opportunity.
Has that gap appeared at last? The young man from Denton has the next six months to fulfill a childhood dream of his: making his United debut. He needs to start working to make it a reality right now.
After seeing Fredricson get minutes, Bennett must believe in himself to make development, even though it won’t be easy. Bennett will believe he can accomplish what Fredricson has because they play in the same position.
After his loan at Fleetwood the previous season, Bennett ought to be tougher. With 38 appearances in all competitions, the center-back acquired vital experience in battling for points every week.
“That has been massive for me and I like having that bit of added pressure to games and scenarios,” said Bennett last season about playing competitive football with Fleetwood.
“When I was younger, I used to get carried away with thinking, ‘what’s the next couple of years going to look like?’ You can lose focus on what’s in front of you right now. It’s still in the back of my mind, but the focus is on the next game and getting the most out of this.”
The fact that Bennett is unlikely to play a significant role is the unspoken problem. Harry Maguire, Ayden Heaven, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Luke Shaw, and Leny Yoro are Amorim’s back-three options.
In the upcoming weeks, Lisandro Martinez will also make a comeback from the sidelines. But injuries have the power to drastically alter the course of play, and Bennett will be prepared if the chance presents itself.
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