Youngster is tipped to be star of show for United
HANNIBAL Mejbri took the jibes of Leeds United’s fans with good humour after they aired a chant likening him to a character from The Simpsons during Wednesday night’s FA Youth Cup tie at Old Trafford.
Visiting supporters chanted ‘you’re just a s*** Sideshow Bob’ as the Reds recorded a 1-0 win and moved into the quarterfinals courtesy of Dillon Hoogewerf’s second-half header.
The 17-year-old, who sports a hairstyle that makes Marouane Fellaini’s old afro look tame, took to Instagram at full-time to write: “Tahiti Bob, I admit there is a small resemblance. Good win tonight 1-0 vs Leeds in the FA Youth Cup, through to the next round.”
Mejbri joined United from Monaco last year for a fee that could rise to EUR10million and has been the subject of comparisons with fellow Frenchman Paul Pogba.
Addressing comparisons with Pogba prior to the game against Leeds, Nicky Butt told M.E.N. Sport: “Hannibal is different to Paul when Paul was a youth team player.
“He’s not as powerful as Paul, he isn’t as dominant as him, he’s a different kind of player to Paul but we all know about the talent he’s got. It’s been written out there in the press many times with the signing and the fee.
“But he’s a young man who’s come to a new country who needs a bit of time. He’s a very, very talented boy but he’s still very immature. He’s still a baby, he’s just 17. He’s not got anything on him just yet, he needs to build up his size and build up his physicality. Talent-wise, he’s got such an immense talent to go on and play at a high level but there’s a long way to go yet.”
United’s Under-18s will play Wigan in the last eight.